This shows more wire routing and sound deadener. You can also see the tail light socket I had to install, and the trunk floor that was replaced in the 90's but never painted. It just had the trunk mat put over it.

Tav

Here's more sound deadener and the 1970 Federal style 49 state fuel tank vent. This vent line is bent quite a bit. It's supposed to route in front of the fuel filler tube. It goes down through the floor into the frame rail and stops there. Only these 1970 Challenger filler tubes have the vent tube nipple. There are still 2 grommets in the floor even though only 1 is used. The unused grommet looks just like the other one, only the hole is not punched out of the center. it acts like a plug.

This unpunched version is not available reproduction. A reproduction kit will get you 2 grommets with holes in them. I suggest re-using your original grommets. however, the holes in the reproduction grommet plate are often too large to accept original grommets. Since original grommets plates are usually to rusty to use, you'll need to cut a new one out of some flat sheetmetal using your original as a pattern. Original finish seems to be bare steel, because originals are usually very rusty. This one doesn't look too bad in the pic, but it fell apart when I took it off the car.

Tav

Here's a better picture of the grommets. Original on Left, 2 versions of the reproduction on right. You could get either version, depending which kit you buy.

Original forward #'s 2216552 FK3-74
Original rear (unpunched) #'s 3445939 FK-50

Repro version 1 #'s 2216552 3 FK 44
Repro version 2 (big print) #'s 2216 552 74679 83


The oval shaped metal plate that the grommets go in mounts with 3 screws. One side has 2 screws, and the other side has 1 screw. The side with 2 screws should go on the inside towards the trunk, and the side with 1 screw should go on the outside towards the quarter panel.

Tav

This shows how my air shocks were routed. You can also see one of the package tray retaining clips, and other odds and ends.

Tav

The blue fuel sending unit wire is routed incorrectly in this picture. When the trunk floor was replaced, the correct hole for the blue fuel sending unit wire was never cut out, so it was routed with the air shocks instead.

The holes the air shock lines go through are meant for access to the upper shock bolt. I've seen car with replaced trunk floor that didn't have this hole cut out. If your new trunk floor doesn't come with these holes cut out, make sure you cut them out or it will be very difficult to change your shocks in the future. These holes are supposed to be filled with a special body plug.

You can see the yellow and pink dome light connector in this pic. That is where the trunk light would plug in if you had one. This car didn't come with a trunk light originally, but it will have one when I'm done.

Tav

Here is the manual foot pump windshield squirter, Emergency brake, etc. It is correct for this car to not have a grommet around the dimmer switch. The carpet however had been changed. It was originally a green carpet. Original carpeting had loops in the back by the rear panels. A screw was put through the loop to help hold the carpet during assembly. Under this black carpet, I found one of my original carpet loops still screwed to the floor with some green carpet threads still attached to the loop. Even the best reproduction carpets don't come with the loops, and they would not be visible once installed anyway. If you're replacing your carpet make sure to look for the screw holes from your original carpet loops and fill the hole with seam sealer or something so that you don't have a leak.

The kick panel & door panel in this pic are not original. I got them at a swap meet because mine were missing. The sill plates are also not original. They came with the car when I got it, but still have a clear protective plastic sheeting on them.

Tav

Here's the passenger side kick panel. Kind of rusty over here.

Tav

You can see where they got some sublime on the dash pad and tried to wipe it off. It flaked off later.

You can also see where the cars been hit and welded on between the door hinges. I hadn't yet realized the extent of the damage. It looked like they'd fixed it.

I ran my antenna cable around the kick panel like that because it the time I couldn't find the antenna lead hole.

Tav

This shows the correct orientation of the white & pink wires on the brake light switch. The wiring diagram isn't exactly clear which one goes where on the switch, but if you get them backwards your lights won't work right.

If I remember correctly, having them backwards makes your lights nice and bright most of the time, but they get dim when you step on the brake or flip on the turn signal.

Tav

This shows the wiring shields by the drivers door.

Anyone have a spare set of these they could part with? That body guy I hired bent these back and forth till they broke off to get them out of his way. I'm not sure where they are now, and would like to put a set back on the car.

Tav

Here's the slapstick shifter setup with the 1970 style handle. Most 70 auto console shift indicator lenses are blank at the bottom, with later versions having Slap Stick printed at the bottom. Mine is one of the rarer versions that says Shift Gate.

In the background you can see more of the repair work from when the car was hit.

In the foreground you can see where the drivers floor was replaced in the mid 90's and never painted.

Tav

Here is the shift gate lens.

The lens cannot be removed without disassembling the unit.

The black plastic sliding piece also cannot be removed without disassembling the unit.

The unit is bradded together, and the only was to disassemble it would be to grind the brads off, which would require replacing them with screws or something for reassembly. This unit has not been tampered with like that.

The black sliding piece has a round hole indicating this is correct for the 1970 style shifter. 71-73 cars have a rectangular hole for the T handle shifter. 74 cars have been reported with both the T handle & the 70 style round handle.

It might be possible that the factory installed some Shift Gate lenses into T handle shifter units, but I haven't seen any yet.

Dave Walden has told me that he tried to look into this when he was doing his Challenger, and couldn't find any pattern to the use of the shift gate lens. It doesn't seem to be related to build date.

If anyone has more info about the shift gate lenses, please post it. I'm all ears.

Tav

This shows wire routing, headliner teeth, black seam sealer, white sealer where the vapor barrier was stuck on, quarter window stuff, and the rear interior panel bracket that screws to the floor.

This little L shaped bracket screws to the floor and then the rear panel screws to the bracket to keep the bottom of the panel from moving around.

If you don't use this little bracket, make sure to fill up the screw hole in the floor with a little seam sealer or something to keep it from leaking.

The vapor barrier is made of clear plastic sheeting glued on with that white sealer. It doesn't seem like much, but it does make a noticeable difference in road noise & insulation. Vapor barriers should be installed behind each rear panel and each door panel.

Tav

Same thing, passenger side.

I found a piece of newspaper under the carpet, but it didn't have a date on it or anything interesting. Probably from when they put the black carpet in anyway.

Tav

Here's how the quarter window up stops are installed.

If you replace your quarter panels, make sure to cut these off your old panel and put them on the new one. They're not included on the new panels.

Tav

The passenger side headliner teeth screw on like this.

Tav

The driver side headliner teeth screw on like this.

Tav

These brackets are used for holding the shoulder belt up out of the way.

Tav

here's the clips that hold the end of the headliner bows. This car has 5 headliner bows. Not all Challengers do.

later a change was made and the headliner bows had bent ends that no longer required these clips.

Tav

This shows how & where the headliner bow hooks are installed. They're meant to help in the installation of the headliner.

These hooks go in the car and the rear bow goes in first. The hooks hook the rear bow to keep it from falling forward as you work your way towards the front of the car.

Tav