68 to 69 tail panel mod

[lilwendal]

After searching for several months for a tail panel for my other 69 i finally just broke down and got a 68 panel that was available.   I believe i've read before that you can use the 68 panel and transfer over the light housings, cut out and fill were needed and come up with a presentable panel.   I'm pretty proficient with a wiz wheel and a wire feed.   Has anyone here seen this done or am i wasting my time?   I know fiberglass is available but would prefer steel even if i have to devote many hours to the mod.   Thanks for the input

[Drop Top]

If your a good fabricator anything can be done. It will just take some time. I would personally build a new panel. But you need the right tools to do this. Anyway for what you are doing it can be done. You'll need to make templates for the 69 lights and patches to fill in areas that need it. But if you have the time I see no resion why it won't work.

[cudaken]

Are you talking about the lower rear valances I hope? Should not be to tuff. Hard to believe you could not find a 69.

                                      Cuda Ken

[lilwendal]

No i'm talking the actual rear tail light panel from quarter to quarter.   I believe the contours of the 69 and 68 are the same just the lights that are different?   I'm thinking just fill the 68 tail light holes with 18 gauge then use my servicable 69 tail light housings as a reference to cut the new holes. My old tail panel was totally wasted except for the tail light housings. Worse case senario I'm out 130.00$   and a few hours of my time   I just thought someone here has heard of this before.  

[cudaken]

 Anything can be done but there will be a lot of work. Had part will be monting the lights. As you know there is a lip all the way around the 69 tail lights that the light slips in to. They hold the mounting studs on the light. If you still have the black plactic panel that covers the lights it won't need to be pretty.

What is wrong with yours? Was it hit or rusted out?

                          Cuda Ken

[lilwendal]

Rusty rusty rusty. Its actually in decent shape in the areas around where the tail lights mount and that is what i'm going to attempt to transfer over to the 68 panel.  I'll keep everyone informed of the progress.

[cudaken]

 Will still be some work but that will make it much easyer. Could you cut out the parts you need from the 68 and reapir the 69?

                        Cuda Ken

[Mike DC]

The "Dukes of Hazzard" mechanics converted more 1968 Charger taillight panels to look like 1969 ones that you could ever dream of.  It's definitely do-able.  (Although you'll want it nicer than their work was!)

The panel itself is the same for all three years at the core.  I mean before any of the holes are cut/drilled and before the taillight mounting brackets are welded on.  What you need to do is get a donor 1969/70 panel that has the taillight mounting holes/brackets intact, and transfer the pieces with cutting/welding work.

You will be re-cutting the large holes for the 1969/70 taillights and adding the metal brackets that the factory had welded onto the 1969/70 taillight panel.  Then you will be drilling a few different holes for the 1969 chrome trim at the corners.  Then you'll be filling part of the large holes left from the 1968 lights at the top corners with small steel patch panels, and filling the small holes for the 1968 chrome trim aloing the bottom of the panel between the lights.


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---  And another thing:

See the chrome trim holes for the 1968 panel along the bottom?  You know how they look like they'd be in the same psoition as the bottom edge of the 1969/70 taillights? 

Well, they're NOT! 

Not quite.  A lot of 1968 General Lees had slightly crooked taillights on TV because of that mistake when working on the taillight panels.

[Rolling_Thunder]

it can be done...    hope you're good at welding

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

dont ruin a 68 tail light panel get a fiberglass 69 from stinger-MATT

[lilwendal]

Thanks guys. I knew i had read some where that it had been done.   Mike dc Thanks for the additional tips.

[Wakko]

I wouldn't want to use a fiberglass panel but perhaps you can use it in parts?

[chargerhunter]

The fiberglass one I used is quite rigid and with the epoxy we are using to adhere it with and a few rivets (rivets used to hold it in place while epoxy sets). It looks great and stinger makes a great product. Oh, yeah and it will never rust again. My .02 

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

well on stingers site it is being used on an xx29 car so either a 69 500 or a daytona and if it werent a great product i dont think they woulda used it on a car as rare as that-MATT