1970 switch to 1969 Charger

[HANDM]

Don't worry, we're all a bunch of dicks around here.....

[BIGBLCK11]

Ironically, if you had converted the same car into a Daytona, you would most likely be cheered for. 

Personally, I also liked the 70 better.  But, you still have the parts and can put it back if you choose to.  If not, you can sell them to help another 70 live on.  The car looks good, cheers for making your dream come true! 

On a side note, I will never understand questions on details that were clearly in the thread, but people just never bothered to read. 

[b5blue]

  Now that you've done what you started out to do I'll chime in as a 70 Charger owner for the last twenty years. CONGRATULATIONS! It looks very nicely done and I hope the car becomes as much a family member as mine has.    Best regards to you for building what you envisioned! 

[bill440rt]

I liked it better as a '70 as well.     Now it's, well...   "just another" General Lee. 

But hey, it's YOUR car, and congrats on fulfilling your dream! 

[G-man]

Sorry if this is a little late... didn't bother reading 'everything' to be up to date.

If you converted the 70 into a GL then this is all moot point.

I personally always wanted the rear lights of a 70 and front of a 68.

The recommended thing I got was to buy a 69 as its the easiest one to have both (no cutting/modifying needed).

Since then I decided to get a General Lee as that was the car I grew up loving. 1969 Made the most sense for that then changing out the entire front end of a 70.

So whether I do my previous thought or keep it GL, 69 is the most logical year to own.

As others said at start - Sell the 1970, make some money on it and with that buy a 1969. End of the day, if that is really what you want... I dont see how owning a "70" will 'feel' like a  GL when GL is 69, So you will always have that in your mind that you have the wrong year, and then all that money spent wont be recovered.

As far as "a lot of GL's". There was basically 200,000 chargers built between 1968-1970. Of which, there might be 200-300 General lees about. So it is still rarer than regular colored chargers.

[marshallfry01]

I like it better the way it is now!! Very nice replica!

[Bowers]

G-man
The reason I bought the 70 was because at the price I bought it for it was completely restored. At that same price I could have gotten a 69 basket case on rollers. The path of least resistance was to do what I did. Selling the 70 would not have gotten me near what it cost me to completely restore a rusted out 69. A car is made of metal and if the shell is the same and you put 69 parts on it it is essentially a 69. In your logic new sheet metal is not 69 so a full restore would be a 2015 and not a true 69. It doesn't sit in my mind at all. If all parts are 69 then it is a 69.

[Mike DC]

       
Year-swapping is just a personal preference thing. 

There are a zillion little odds & ends on these cars that changed from year-to-year.  It's impractical to swap EVERYTHING.  So where do you draw the line? 


Guy #1 thinks a '68 becomes a '69 with just the front grille & the taillights swapped.  To hear him tell it, year-swapping is no big problem. 

Guy #2 notices if the grain patterns on the interior vinyl are wrong.  Or if the trunklid's underside stamping.  Or the little sheetmetal brackets for the hood snubbers at the sides of the radiator support.  Etc.   There are whole books written about these kinds of details.  To hear him tell it, year-swapping is utterly impractical. 

[dyslexic teddybear]

Many have added their  .......here's mine......

Survivor, or near, as in mostly original, time to break out the pitchforks and get ready to lynch, for messing up some Mopar rolling history.

Restored......well....it can be restored again. Going to a GL is NOT destroying it.....

It's still a Charger, still a Dodge, still a Mopar.

To a fan, it's great. To me, it's an orange Charger with graphics and a [to me] ridiculous horn.

But.....it's still a Charger, and I'd help a friend with his and have no problem riding it it......though I'd cringe when he used the horn.......

[G-man]

G-man
The reason I bought the 70 was because at the price I bought it for it was completely restored. At that same price I could have gotten a 69 basket case on rollers. The path of least resistance was to do what I did. Selling the 70 would not have gotten me near what it cost me to completely restore a rusted out 69. A car is made of metal and if the shell is the same and you put 69 parts on it it is essentially a 69. In your logic new sheet metal is not 69 so a full restore would be a 2015 and not a true 69. It doesn't sit in my mind at all. If all parts are 69 then it is a 69.

Well, why would you sell a completely restored 70 Charger to buy a basket case 69? You wouldn't. That is what I didn't understand simply because a 69 or 70 will cost roughly the same for the same condition, So I do not see why a rust bucket is even in the equation... you might need to wait a bit to find the right 69, but as said, the money you get on a 70 would be sufficient to buy a similar condition 69.

My logic was not to do with new sheet metal. If you have to buy a new quarter or something, whats wrong with that? It is still the year-model you bought. If you change everything by buying purpose made parts for a 1969 Charger to put on a 1970, that is what I call wanting it to be what it is not. In which case, would you not be happier with a 69 to begin with?

[Bowers]

G-Man
I live in Northern Ontario Canada. A 1969 basket case here sells for roughly 15k. I have looked for well over 15yrs. I purchased my 70 for 15K and put about another 10 into it for taxes, upgrades and the cost of switching front clips. I could not buy a 69 General Lee in Canada fro 25K. It looks like a 69, sounds like a 69 and for all intensive purposes it suits my needs as a 69. I hope that helps you understand why I just switched out the front end rather than waiting for one.

[marshallfry01]

Too many haters....

[G-man]

Sounds like it was faster/easier to do it this way than go on a 69 Hunt, fair-enough. 

[6spd68]

G-Man
I live in Northern Ontario Canada. A 1969 basket case here sells for roughly 15k. I have looked for well over 15yrs. I purchased my 70 for 15K and put about another 10 into it for taxes, upgrades and the cost of switching front clips. I could not buy a 69 General Lee in Canada fro 25K. It looks like a 69, sounds like a 69 and for all intensive purposes it suits my needs as a 69. I hope that helps you understand why I just switched out the front end rather than waiting for one.

Where abouts in Northern Ontario are ya?

I grabbed my 68 shell from a guy on Manitoulin Island (where it is in my avatar pic) 

[Ghoste]

How long ago?  I used to hear rumours about a 2nd gen shell on Manitoulin but never followed up.

[6spd68]

Picked it up June 3rd, 2013.  The guy I got it from was nice enough; used to own a 70 R/T back in the day.  I think this resto was a little much for him though.  We also saw a 70 Cuda on another property along the way too 

[Bowers]

I am in Thunder Bay, about 18hrs NW of Toronto and 8hrs east of Winnipeg

[nvrbdn]

found you on the map. the wife is a Canuck from the Kenora area. and Winnipeg area. 

[Sublime/Sixpack]

Bowers,
There have been lots of opinions expressed in this thread as to what other people would have done with your '70 Charger, or what they would have preferred you do with it. I have my own opinion but it really doesn't matter. You stuck to your plan and it looks as though the car turned out well. And now you and your son are enjoying it!  Good for you! Definitely a success story the way I see it!

[6spd68]

I am in Thunder Bay, about 18hrs NW of Toronto and 8hrs east of Winnipeg

That right there was enough for me...  Screw what anyone says; enjoy your conversion!

[ACUDANUT]

Don't worry, we're all a bunch of dicks around here.....

We all can be dicks, but we don't have to be.
.