Convertng a 68 Charger into a 69 Charger

[RoscoePColtrain]

heya guys,

I could gain access to a 68 Charger, but its banged up pretty good.  The front and rear are pretty well useless in terms of restoring.  Since I'm looking for a 69 Charger anyways, I was wondering what it would take to build the 68 into a 69 in terms of the hood/trunk and quarters.  Can they be used on the 69?  Obvioulsy the front grille/bumper and rear fittings would have to be replaced with the 69.

[richRTSE]

In the front, I believe the hood, front bumper, front valence/park lites, and fenders (different side markers) interchange, so you'll need a '69 grille (just changing the center section should work), and the grille trim. In the rear, the trunk lid and bumper is the same, but you'll need a '69 tailpanel, taillights, reverse lites, tailpanel trim(just the 2 side chrome pieces next to the tail lights, the center piece interchanges), bumper, rear valence, back-up lights, and again the side markers. Since the car is already damaged, some of these pieces would have to be replaced anyway, so no big deal replacing the '68 stuff with '69 parts. The holes for the '68 side markers can be welded up, you just need some '69 side markers/cut outs patched in. If it needs quarter work, you could put '69 skins on it, and that would give you the right cut outs for the rear. Also, some of this stuff is available now: grillle center, grill trim, tailpanel trim, rear valence and tail panel. Definately something that can be done.

[JimShine]

The hood release is different as well. However, the 68 grille support has the holes in place for the 69 assembly.

There are a number of different items. You just need to figure out how much like a 69 you want to make it. I get the idea you want to build a GL, which means you can skip many items that are tough to add, like the rectangular side markers and the backup lights.

[Mike DC]

 
Yeah, there's a difference between converting the '68 to look like a stock 69, versus converting it to look like a GL.  If you're trying to build a truly STOCK 1969 Charger, then forget about it and buy a 1969 car.  But a '68 General Lee is another story.

The crew from the TV series used lots of '68 Chargers as well as the '69s, so they basically made the GLs into a "generic" 1968-69 Charger.  The crew needed to be able to film all the GLs from all angles no matter which year.  So by the later half of the series, the were removing anything on the outer body that might give away what year of Charger it was.  The late-series GLs had no signal lights on the corners, no backup lights in the rear valance panel, no Charger/RT/SE/arrow emblems of any kind, etc.  The only things on the body that absolutely had to be 1969 parts were the divided front grille and the taillights.

 

[RoscoePColtrain]

What I'm trying to build is an everyday fun and driveable car, nothing for a car show.  I not concerned with a numbers matching car and since the front and rear are messed up, my plans would be to convert it to a 69 GL... I'm thinking of getting the 68 coz my friend wants to sell it to me for next to nothing(he ain't letting go of the Cobra)... so just as long as the front and rear are 69, I don't mind the round markers.

Would I have to change out everything that "richRTSE" mentioned, can someone please confirm?  If not, what items should I be looking into getting inorder to have a 69 front and rear end on a 68???

[JimShine]

Since you are not too picky, just get the grille center and all the trim pieces and a repop taillight panel. You still need to find a hood release as the two years are in different spots (the I piece of the 69 is where the release is in 1968). That will get you where you want.

[RoscoePColtrain]

Thank you everyone, you have all been a great help.  Just a few more questions tho:

Will I have to replace the hood(the front end damage didn't help the hood) as well, meaning will the 68 hood interfere with the center "I" grill?
If I wanted to change out the front quarters to 69's, does it involve any welding(as in the rear case) or is it simply bolt on? 
Are the hoods on the 68 and 69 the same?
Does the installation of rear tail panel involve any welding as well?

Thanks again guys

[richRTSE]

The hoods are the same, but the hood release linkage is different. You could always just use hood pins. The front fenders are a bolt in item. Ordinarily, the rear tail panel is welded in, although maybe it could be bonded on. Also, I think someone makes a fiberglass tail panel that wouldn't require welding, just don't know how durable that would be.

[Old Moparz]

One comment on the 68-69 hoods. They're slightly different & I was told they have a different part number too. The hood bumpers on the 68 are mounted on the radiator support, while the ones on the 69 are on the fenders. The underside of the hood for the 69 will have the small, square pads that the bumpers rest against, but the 68 will not. I don't think it's too critical, but I've never swapped 68 & 69 so I have no idea if the hood will sit flush & tight, & not vibrate while cruising.

[BB1]

STOP the Bull Shit!!

[Troy]

STOP the Bull Shit!!

That's pretty rude - and totally unnecessary. I hope you receive just as much help with your future questions.

Troy

[RoscoePColtrain]

BB1, with all due respect, what do you find to be bull$hit?  Why can I not ask questions like everyone else about a subject I have no idea about?
I am very new to the restoration scene, and if I have the opportunity to make the car of my dreams through a wrecked 68, why not.

[JimShine]

One comment on the 68-69 hoods. They're slightly different & I was told they have a different part number too. The hood bumpers on the 68 are mounted on the radiator support, while the ones on the 69 are on the fenders. The underside of the hood for the 69 will have the small, square pads that the bumpers rest against, but the 68 will not. I don't think it's too critical, but I've never swapped 68 & 69 so I have no idea if the hood will sit flush & tight, & not vibrate while cruising.

The 1968 hood will work with the 1969 Fenders. Direct swapping you will note a difference in how it seats, but you can adjust the hood bumpers up a little higher to make up the difference.

[BB1]

Sorry your car........... didn't mean it.

[Mike DC]

Yeah, well I like 87 Charger front end so I guess I'll stick one on mine. My car right?  Just get a 69.

Isn't a changed-year Charger back on the road is better than an original-year car rotting away?  The body that RPC was describing didn't exactly sound like it was prime stock-resto material.  If he doesn't build it then it's probably gonna be scrapped.


   

[RoscoePColtrain]

BB1, no worries dude... cheers.

To all the purists, no offence.  Just thought if the front and back are shot to hell and if a 69 fits and obviously the body style is what I'm looking for, then the build would be worth it.
 

[Mike DC]

     
Build the '68. 

Except for the center of the front grille and the taillights, DOH really used the two years of Chargers 100% interchangeably. 

Almost half the original Chargers used in DOH were 1968 Chargers that they converted.  Even one of the two primary "closeup" cars that they kept for most of the TV series was a converted 1968 car.  They didn't hesitate to put '68 parts onto 1969 cars when they were making repairs.  They didn't hesitiate to show (unconverted) 1968 interiors in closeup shots.

   

[warriorbass05]

     
Build the '68. 

Except for the center of the front grille and the taillights, DOH really used the two years of Chargers 100% interchangeably. 

Almost half the original Chargers used in DOH were 1968 Chargers that they converted.  Even one of the two primary "closeup" cars that they kept for most of the TV series was a converted 1968 car.  They didn't hesitate to put '68 parts onto 1969 cars when they were making repairs.  They didn't hesitiate to show (unconverted) 1968 interiors in closeup shots.

   

does anyone have the process on HOW to change out the 68 tail panel to allow it to receive the 69 without looking funky? I know there was a thread on another site but I cannot find it.....

[Troy]

Here's a start:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,6916.0.html

Troy

[Mike DC]

The "Dukes" TV series mechanics used to literally re-cut the 1968 sheetmetal for the wider 1969 lights, and then pop-rivet some sheetmetal patches onto the upper portions of the panel where the '68 light holes were still visible.  It was crude work that only looked good from 20 feet away at 20 mph.

For a project car, you'd be better off just installing 1969/70 taillight panel now that somebody finally makes a steel reproduction of it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When talking about converting 1968 Chargers for "General Lee" duty, people usually get a kick out of this picture. 

It's the front end of a 1968 2nd-unit "driver" GL from later in the series.
It's a 1968 grille with a chunk of a 1969 grille's center divider riveted onto the front of it:

[warriorbass05]

The "Dukes" TV series mechanics used to literally re-cut the 1968 sheetmetal for the wider 1969 lights, and then pop-rivet some sheetmetal patches onto the upper portions of the panel where the '68 light holes were still visible.  It was crude work that only looked good from 20 feet away at 20 mph.

For a project car, you'd be better off just installing 1969/70 taillight panel now that somebody finally makes a steel reproduction of it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When talking about converting 1968 Chargers for "General Lee" duty, people usually get a kick out of this picture. 

It's the front end of a 1968 2nd-unit "driver" GL from later in the series.
It's a 1968 grille with a chunk of a 1969 grille's center divider riveted onto the front of it:

I get a kick out of it as well. The car that is coming tomorrow does not have a grill(or fenders for that matter right now) so I am flexible in creating what I like the front to look like. I definitely want the bullet reflectors that the 68 came with but I have my eye on a certain GL that was in season 2 that I think I would like to model...

[Mike DC]

   
There was at least one 1968 GL in season#2 that had the round signal lights still present.  They were just sprayed over with orange paint. 

It was definitely the exception, though. 
I've never seen a shot with visible (chromed) 1968 signals.  Even during the earlier years when they weren't smoothing over the 1969 reflectors yet, they were still normally smoothing over the round holes on the '68 stuff.  The very first '68 LEE in the second episode had no signals visible.

 

[warriorbass05]

   
There was at least one 1968 GL in season#2 that had the round signal lights still present.  They were just sprayed over with orange paint. 

It was definitely the exception, though. 
I've never seen a shot with visible (chromed) 1968 signals.  Even during the earlier years when they weren't smoothing over the 1969 reflectors yet, they were still normally smoothing over the round holes on the '68 stuff.  The very first '68 LEE in the second episode had no signals visible.

 

YESIR!!!
That one 68 is in the "Dukes Meet Cale Yarbrough" in season 2 and makes a cameo shot in the "Hazzard Connection" also in S2...I really like that car...even though the '0' on the driver door is crooked. I think I am going to use my Charger to make that one..I need a ton of parts though!!! It is basically a shell and I need almost everything...

[squeakfinder]

One comment on the 68-69 hoods. They're slightly different & I was told they have a different part number too. The hood bumpers on the 68 are mounted on the radiator support, while the ones on the 69 are on the fenders. The underside of the hood for the 69 will have the small, square pads that the bumpers rest against, but the 68 will not. I don't think it's too critical, but I've never swapped 68 & 69 so I have no idea if the hood will sit flush & tight, & not vibrate while cruising.










Now thats interesting to me. My 68's front end was pretty ruff when I got it, however a good hood came with it unattached. I couldn't get the hood to sit wright, so I decided to remove those steel square pads and it fit fine.

[warriorbass05]

   
There was at least one 1968 GL in season#2 that had the round signal lights still present.  They were just sprayed over with orange paint. 

It was definitely the exception, though. 
I've never seen a shot with visible (chromed) 1968 signals.  Even during the earlier years when they weren't smoothing over the 1969 reflectors yet, they were still normally smoothing over the round holes on the '68 stuff.  The very first '68 LEE in the second episode had no signals visible.

 

There is one in "The Meeting" in Season 2 that has a 68 rf fender on it as there is a 69 reflector on the rear. It is the jump over the limo (the first one)...My son pointed it out to me...

[Mike DC]

 
Yeah, that's LEE#3 from the first season. 
That's a pretty famous LEE, actually.  It was a factory-tan interior 383/auto '69 that survived from the pilot episode all the way to season#2. 

The reason that car has a '68 fender on the RF corner is because of a stunt in the second episode of Season#1.  It's the same GL that rammed its way through the Atlanta police car (right after Luke does his famous hood-slide from the show's opening credits).  It got the '68 fender during repairs after the hit.

LEE#3 was basically their first "closeup car."  It was in a lot of the early publicity photos for the TV series.  It was the car that was missing the "01" from its doors in some of the Daisy posing shots, and also in the pics where Bo & Luke were wearing Cowboy hats.
 
 

[warriorbass05]

 
Yeah, that's LEE#3 from the first season. 
That's a pretty famous LEE, actually.  It was a factory-tan interior 383/auto '69 that survived from the pilot episode all the way to season#2. 

The reason that car has a '68 fender on the RF corner is because of a stunt in the second episode of Season#1.  It's the same GL that rammed its way through the Atlanta police car (right after Luke does his famous hood-slide from the show's opening credits).  It got the '68 fender during repairs after the hit.

LEE#3 was basically their first "closeup car."  It was in a lot of the early publicity photos for the TV series.  It was the car that was missing the "01" from its doors in some of the Daisy posing shots, and also in the pics where Bo & Luke were wearing Cowboy hats.
 
 

yeah, that's a pretty cool car. I was told that they somehow could not get that one to die....

Any info on the 68 car from the Dukes Meet Cale yarborough?