1971 B-body taillight wiring harness

[smerritt]

Has anyone recently purchased a 1971 B-body taillight wiring harness (RL68) from Year One? If so, did the harness
come with the tailight/backup light sockets already attached?  Thanks!

[71charger_fan]

I was going to start a new thread, but decided to see what was already on the board relating to my question. I'll start by answering the old question. No, RL68 doesn't have any taillight bulb sockets. Year One for the longest time (they do now) did not show a picture of this harness. It's the wiring from the front of the car to the back of the car, but it is not a taillight harness. I just bought one thinking it was as that's what I need and was very disappointed to get something I did not need.

On to my question. They offer a real taillight harness for 72-73 B-bodies. Does anyone know what the difference is between a '71 and a '72 taillight harness? Can I make the '72 work. I really need the bulb sockets.

[greasyspider]

I was in the same boat. Didn't want to risk getting the 72 harness and find out it didn't, as I am pressed for time. I ended up getting replacements from the local napa. I drilled out the old sockets and put the new ones in the old holes.  Not factory by any means, but none will ever see it.

[71charger_fan]

Since I'm rebuilding R/T or Rallye housings, I think I can use the '72 wiring.

[Nacho-RT74]

will post the same that I posted at Moparts:

some details on this...

first, 71 used two diff tail lights setup, same as 72s, so WHICH ONE IS THE ONE THEY SELL ?

second, 73 and 74 used both SAME tail lights, so how somebody can offer a 72/73 without include 74 ?

3rd, Rallye tail lights are without a ground wire due the housing is pot metal, taking ground from chassis... same as 72 standard. Dunno 71 standards, so more reasons to be diff

4th, as far I know 71/72 standards are integrated sockets ( pressed into ) to the housing, like 73/74 but these lates being plastic housing, not removable like Rallyes tail lights... this is the diff I'm saying on 1st point

so, where is the truth ?

[greasyspider]

I believe that the only difference i the 71's are the lenses and exterior grill piece.  I did a little poking around in a junk yard a while ago and I believe the part that hold the bulbs are the same in standard lights as a R/T.  Don't quote me on it because I never did get them out of the car to match them up completely, it was last february, and frost bite started setting in.   

[71charger_fan]

I rolled the dice. The '71 non-ground wire taillight wiring diagram was pretty darn close to the '72 diagram. I just hope they're in stock. Year One, in my experience, isn't very good at sending out a notice when an ordered item isn't in stock. I guess they're afraid you'll pull your order and go somewhere else. It took a while to get my RL68 harness only to find out it wasn't what I needed.

[71charger_fan]

I just got a ship notification from Year One; we'll know soon enough.

[greasyspider]

Keep us posted. I'll get one if you can make it work.  However, I order what I thought was a taillight harness and got the front to rear.

[71charger_fan]

I ordered the '72-'73 taillight harness (RL74) from Year One. It came today. Be warned, it's absolutely nothing like the photo on the website. Instead, it's pretty much the same part as the RL68 I already had that I didn't need.

[71charger_fan]

I noticed Year One finally updated the photo on the website. Probably got tired of paying for returns when it's their own fault.

[71charger_fan]

I still haven't got my R/T taillights in the car. I've just not been able to get my cobbled-together harness to work consistently. I noticed the wiring diagram for '71 Challenger taillights was pretty close to the Charger. So, I just ordered a '71 Challenger harness and I'm taking a chance I can modify that as necessary to work in the Charger.

[71charger_fan]

So, I finally got some time in the U.S. and unboxed the Challenger harness. I've enlarged the holes in the taillight housing to about 1 1/8" to accommodate the sockets in the YO harness and unwrapped the harness to rearrange the order of the sockets. I didn't have to cut/splice anything to get it to fit up. I hooked up a 12V power supply and everything tested out okay. Now I just have to splice on the proper main connector to hook it into the Charger's body harness and splice in the proper rear side marker sockets. I'm just waiting for my weather pack kit to come from Amazon and hope to finally get it all in the car by next weekend.

[71charger_fan]

I bailed on reworking the Challenger harness and bought yet another set of R/T taillights and finally got the project done.

[ACUDANUT]

 Is that a Super Bee ?

[71_Charger_R/T]

Good for you!  Looks great! What a hassle huh!? I'd love to see more pictures. 

I believe that the only difference i the 71's are the lenses and exterior grill piece.  I did a little poking around in a junk yard a while ago and I believe the part that hold the bulbs are the same in standard lights as a R/T.  Don't quote me on it because I never did get them out of the car to match them up completely, it was last february, and frost bite started setting in.   

The regular Charger taillights are in a plastic housing with lenses screwed into the housing..... The R/T taillights are a totally different housing, Pot metal housing with lens and bezel screwed to that.

[Nacho-RT74]

The regular Charger taillights are in a plastic housing with lenses screwed into the housing.....

mmm I thought those were pot too... so they are like 73/74s!

[71_Charger_R/T]

Yep, but different housings than the '73-4 of coarse.

Here's the '71's. You can see they're one piece housing/bezel combined w/ lenses simply screwed into them........




As opposed to the '73-4's. Same principle but the lens IS the bezel for the most part..........

[71charger_fan]

Not a Superbee, it's an SE.

[ACUDANUT]

Nice.

[71charger_fan]

I may revisit modifying the Challenger harness in the spring. Most of the work is done, but I just wanted it done and I'm sure my wife wanted all the housings, bezels, and lenses out of the family room. The biggest part of modifying the Challenger harness was taking apart the wrapping to move a couple of sockets around and splitting it into left and right. I put in a four-prong weatherpack connector where I split the harness.