Converting Chargers to Different years?

[TheGhost]

What the hell is this mess?


If you listen to anyone's advice here, listen to mine.  I bought my Barracuda 3 years ago.  Now I'm forced to sell it, because I can't afford to keep it.  The reason I can't afford to keep it is because I dropped out of college.  Now I'm going back to college, and once I get a degree and a career, I'll be able to afford another Mopar.

Forget about finding a 69 Charger for now, and concentrate on school.  Get yourself into a good college, get a career that makes you lots of money (something you'll need for a 69 Charger), and then start looking again.

[Back N Black]

What the hell is this mess?


If you listen to anyone's advice here, listen to mine.  I bought my Barracuda 3 years ago.  Now I'm forced to sell it, because I can't afford to keep it.  The reason I can't afford to keep it is because I dropped out of college.  Now I'm going back to college, and once I get a degree and a career, I'll be able to afford another Mopar.

Forget about finding a 69 Charger for now, and concentrate on school.  Get yourself into a good college, get a career that makes you lots of money (something you'll need for a 69 Charger), and then start looking again.

[Mike DC]

I agree about the money.


Remember the 2005 Dukes of Hazzard flick?

Well, these days, $5-10K usually isn't even enough to get you the GL as it looked at the beginning  of the movie. 

[nakita7]

Most of the opinions here are right...don't waste your time and money right now, save up and buy whet you want. As most of us older guys will tell you, we were young and stupid once (I know, it's hard to believe) and we never realized how much these 'part here, part there' restorations actually cost in the end. I know it seems cheaper to you right now, but trust me, it's not. To you, you look at a $30,000 Charger and think you'll never get one. Truth is, the owner, if he bought it in the last 10 years, or so, probably has more than that into it. It's exactly the same as getting something on sale at the store. You feel good right? Save as much as you can and buy a done, or close to done car. Let someone else lose the money and the time spent on 'restoring' their car. You'll see as you get older, life is short. Concentrate on more important things. 

Remember, in life you can gain back money lost...you can never gain back time.

[Bobs69]

I only breezed thru this thread quick but.............you could always buy the 68 and let it sit if you have the place, and or your old man doesn't care.  Should keep you mind out of the gutter and stick with school.  But just in case you have the car sitting and waiting.

I own a 69, and 68's are awesome too.

[Joshua]

Forget about finding a 69 Charger for now, and concentrate on school.  Get yourself into a good college, get a career that makes you lots of money (something you'll need for a 69 Charger), and then start looking again.

School can be good......but school isn't a guarantee to a good income later in life.....
I know guys who never went to college and they are LOADED.....it takes smarts, dedication and risk.....even when yer broke, there are ways to make smart investments, that make money for you....
But yeah, it doesn't sound like you're in a position to be worrying about getting a project Charger at this time anyway....

[Joshua]

Forget about finding a 69 Charger for now, and concentrate on school.  Get yourself into a good college, get a career that makes you lots of money (something you'll need for a 69 Charger), and then start looking again.

School can be good......but school isn't a guarantee to a good income later in life.....
College=loans=debts that go on for YEARS...
I know guys who never went to college and they are LOADED.....it takes smarts, dedication and risk.....even when yer broke, there are ways to make smart investments, that make money for you....
But yeah, it doesn't sound like you're in a position to be worrying about getting a project Charger at this time anyway....

[WingCharger]

Forget about finding a 69 Charger for now, and concentrate on school.  Get yourself into a good college, get a career that makes you lots of money (something you'll need for a 69 Charger), and then start looking again.

School can be good......but school isn't a guarantee to a good income later in life.....
College=loans=debts that go on for YEARS...
I know guys who never went to college and they are LOADED.....it takes smarts, dedication and risk.....even when yer broke, there are ways to make smart investments, that make money for you....
But yeah, it doesn't sound like you're in a position to be worrying about getting a project Charger at this time anyway....

Right now i want to either be an engineer, electrical contractor, or diesel and agricultural mechanic.
My dad works at a power plant, and so does my brother, and I have always liked working around electricity. If I became a engineer, electrical or mechanical, I could work at the same power plant, which I have always liked to be around. Engineer would also be enough to afford a Charger, sometime in the future.

[kikgas01]

Look, the short answer on the whole subject of year-swapping . . . it all generally boils down to this:


It's worth doing if you just want to change all the exterior body differences, and you intend to just change the seats/door panels on the interior.


But if you want literally EVERYTHING changed, then forget about it.

There are literally hundreds of annoying tiny little changes between the years. Stuff that will drive you insane. Like the grain patterns on the vinyl, the type of brackets & fasteners on certain body parts, electrical components, etc. There is NO SENSE in trying to change all this stuff. The stuff is functionally hardly and different from one year to the other, but you'll end up having to re-purchase almost the whole damn car if you insist on getting it all.


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1968-69 swap:

-- The taillight panel (and of course the whole taillight assemblies) are different from '68 and '69/70.

-- The grille plastic (but not the metal framework) is different.

-- The seatcovers look different but the foam & frames are the same.

-- The rear valance got lights for 69/70.

-- of course the signals on the corners.


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The '68/69 cars are much closer to each other than the 1970s.


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1970-to-69:

-- The ENTIRE front clip is visibly different from '68/69 and 1970. The whole outer skin of the car ahead of the doors.
(This swap was traditionally not cost-effective at all, although it may get better because more of the '68/69 stuff is being repro'd lately.)

-- the 1970 front bucket seats were 100% different from 68/69. Even the metal frames inside.

-- The ignition key moved from the dashboard to the column in 1970. It doesn't look like much, but you'll swap the ENTIRE dashboard and steering column to make everything match.

-- of course the signals at all four corners.

even the rear wiring harness is different. 68 has 4 lights(2 on each side) 69 has 3 lights per side.