1973 SE Opera Windows Change to 1/4 Windows HELP!

[kmedlin9295]

Can anyone help a lady out?  I am changing out my 1973 SE Opera Windows and going for the 1/4 windows like in my sample pictures. Has anyone done this before? If so any tips? Anyone have the parts I need? IE; Window trim, glass and mounting hardware, inside upper panels? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I know a lot of you guys will not like the idea but I really don't like the look of the opera windows and after taking off the plastic slotted window moldings I found that the car should easily be converted with the right parts. Under the vinyl top material which is now off I noticed the factory used a type of body filler to cover the small panel used to make the window smaller. SURPRISE ... RUST! 
Any tips or suggestions on who/where to find parts? This is not going to be a high dollar show car. Parts do not have to be in pristine condition.
Many Thanks! Kristine

[SG1022]

I am in the same boat.

What are you planning on doing to yours? Fixed or roll down? I plan on making mine fixed, and it should also be far easier.


Is that 3rd picture from Burn Notice?   

[kmedlin9295]

I'm not planning on using the roll up type of window in the back unless I find a salvage car with them. Fixed windows are fine with me (even though the rollup kind are very nice.)
Yes the last picture is from the Burn Notice TV series. My 73 will never look that good, but it is pretty cool to see a Charger on TV that's not the General Lee! 
Have you ever heard of anyone making this change to their windows? Is it very common?
Thanks! Kristine

[SG1022]

I'm not planning on using the roll up type of window in the back unless I find a salvage car with them. Fixed windows are fine with me (even though the rollup kind are very nice.)
Yes the last picture is from the Burn Notice TV series. My 73 will never look that good, but it is pretty cool to see a Charger on TV that's not the General Lee! 
Have you ever heard of anyone making this change to their windows? Is it very common?
Thanks! Kristine

I have heard of a few people doing it, but there isn't a good well recorded example anywhere that I can find. I suppose one of us will end up doing it and the others will follow. Unfortunately I won't be doing mine for a good 2 or 3 weeks.

When do you plan on starting yours?

[kmedlin9295]

I did a lot of searching on this forum last night and read several posts of people doing the change over, but no before /after posts or pictures. Not sure if anyone has ever completed the job. Sounds a bit more involved than I thought. Requires cutting the brace between the door glass and side glass and welding an extension of the drip rail, inside panels will need to be revamped and the proper body trim must be found.  Maybe I will just keep the smaller windows and rework the trim to allow me to just omit the opera panels. Of course that will still involve reworking the interior trim as well.
I have already taken the old, nasty, ripped vinyl off the top  and removed the opera panels. Looks rough but besides a tiny bit of rust (thanks to the vinyl top) the car is solid. 
At this time I am still working on the 413 Wedge and trying to get the car running better. Will probably put off doing the windows until spring. My garage is not heated and it is pretty cold here in West Tennessee.
Kristine

[Charger1973]

Its very doable, but will not be as easy as it looks.  The hardest part of the job will be extending your drip rail, as the one on the SE is shorter.  My advice to you...  you need a lot of parts, so your best bet will be to try and find a parts car and remove everything you need, by the time you get the parts off that car you will know exactly what you need to do to install them on yours.  Upper rear door panels and sail panels, weatherstrip and channel, and the long metal headliner trim pieces on the sides will all need to be changed out as well.  Outer trim (boomerang) is optional but you will need to remove the trim from the top of your doors, fenders, and hood if you dont use it.  The main decision you have is whether or not to use the bolt on glass (these came in the low optioned models) or the roll-down glass, in which case you need the regulators as well.  I think that covers most of it although its been a while since I looked at one. 

[SG1022]

Its very doable, but will not be as easy as it looks.  The hardest part of the job will be extending your drip rail, as the one on the SE is shorter.  My advice to you...  you need a lot of parts, so your best bet will be to try and find a parts car and remove everything you need, by the time you get the parts off that car you will know exactly what you need to do to install them on yours.  Upper rear door panels and sail panels, weatherstrip and channel, and the long metal headliner trim pieces on the sides will all need to be changed out as well.  Outer trim (boomerang) is optional but you will need to remove the trim from the top of your doors, fenders, and hood if you dont use it.  The main decision you have is whether or not to use the bolt on glass (these came in the low optioned models) or the roll-down glass, in which case you need the regulators as well.  I think that covers most of it although its been a while since I looked at one. 

Thanks much for the info, I hadn't actually found a list of the trim parts needed before this.


Kristine, I am with ya on the vinyl top.  They are the bane of the 73s, they do nothing but promote rust. My garage is also a little cold, consider it consists of a pine tree and my driveway. The car was physically too big to fit into my garage

[74charger360]

i'm in the process of converting operas over to roll up quarter windows.  and besides the drip rail and if u can cut and weld metal. its not as difficult as it seems ALL of the bolts for the window slide, regulator, etc. are already there!! just bolt up!. u have to cut out the existing opera window and most of the time the metal behind it will be nice and rusty.  ive converted the drivers side but not the passenger yet. Mine was so rusted I had to replace most of the metal but in my opinion totally worth it. And i got my window slides, glass, window cranks, and regulators for both sides from a junk yard for $300 bucks, shipped to my door. So its def doable if u have a little metal working know how.

[kmedlin9295]

Please post some pictures of the change over. I would really love to see them.
Today I began to remove the driver's side rear window. Got to the last screw and it is partially covered by the glass  . I tried for an hour to get the screw out but I can't get a bite on it. Unless the 'Charger Fairy' visits me tonight and removes it for me, I guess I will have to drill it out tomorrow.
A bit of good news is there is very minimal rust so far - nothing that really bothers me. 
Still having trouble getting that nasty left over adhesive off too! 

[Charger1973]

That glass should pop out fairly easily.

[74charger360]

Hey Kristine! sorry it took me so long to reply I posted those pics for you in this thread
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,66291.0.html

[Axels73Charger]

Hows it going? Are you finding the parts easily? And if you are, are they exspensive? I'm looking into buying a 73 Charger and I want a Rallye but I may end up getting a SE so im just wondering hows it going?