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Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? #1325575 10/24/12 11:28 PM 10/24/12 11:28 PM
Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 142 Stafford, Virginia ChallengerVert OP member
ChallengerVert OP member Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 142 Stafford, Virginia	Hi guys, I am wondering how hard it would be to convert a 73 Challenger to a 1970. I have taillights, grille and bumpers already. What else do I need besides a tail panel and 70 fenders?

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: ChallengerVert] #1325576 10/25/12 01:27 AM 10/25/12 01:27 AM
Joined: Feb 2010 Posts: 18,493 Granite Bay CA Kern Dog Striving for excellence
Kern Dog Striving for excellence Joined: Feb 2010 Posts: 18,493 Granite Bay CA	Side marker lamps are different. The headlight bucket position is different. The 72-74 had the mounts built into the fiberglass grille assembly. 70/71 fenders will have the buckets in the correct position.

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: Kern Dog] #1325577 10/25/12 02:17 AM 10/25/12 02:17 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 29,650 Hamtramck, PA A Alaskan_TA Fluffy Balladeer
Alaskan_TA Fluffy Balladeer A Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 29,650 Hamtramck, PA	Floor is also different, as it the firewall, inner fenders, e-brake, hood, deck lid, etc. etc.

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: ChallengerVert] #1325578 10/25/12 02:18 AM 10/25/12 02:18 AM
Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 18,582 Rust Belt, SW PA Silver70 I Live Here
Silver70 I Live Here Joined: Feb 2003 Posts: 18,582 Rust Belt, SW PA	I have some sections from a pair of 70 quarters to do the rear side markers if your interested. 68 Road Runner, 69 Belvedere, 71 Challenger Vert 340 barracuda, 01 Ram CTD, 95 Ram, 04 Ram, 85 Daytona turbo Z 66 GTO, 06 Magnum RT AWD. 07 Ram CTD, 07 Ram

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: Silver70] #1325579 10/25/12 07:17 AM 10/25/12 07:17 AM
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,862 the frozen wastes... Pale_Roader Swears too much
Pale_Roader Swears too much Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,862 the frozen wastes...	Lots and LOTS ov little details to do it right, but to just make it look right and pass for 70 to all but the pickiest judges the above pretty much covers it. I assume you just didn't mention it, but in case you are unaware, the bumpers should have the 70 brackets too... the later stuff is different. Even the stuff that looks the same as 70 can be different. Not sure where the change was, but my 70 bumpers are plain and simple. I've seen others that outwardly look exactly the same, but have added metal inside. I assume those were 72 bumpers? Also, from underneath, the 70 rallye hoods look a bit different than 71-up ones. I'm still not quite sure where they're different though.

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: Pale_Roader] #1325580 10/25/12 07:29 AM 10/25/12 07:29 AM
Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 4,247 Alabama BigMoneyLewis master
BigMoneyLewis master Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 4,247 Alabama	The '73 should remain a '73 . God created it as a '73 and that's what he intended it to be. If you have a cat, and your cat is yellow, but you really think black cats are cool, you don't color your cat and make it something it's not . It's bad mojo to tamper with the universe . Jut my opinion . Greg gregward@mchsi.com phone 256-852-0955

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: BigMoneyLewis] #1325581 10/25/12 07:51 AM 10/25/12 07:51 AM
Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio Challenger 1 Too Many Posts
Challenger 1 Too Many Posts Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio	Quote: The '73 should remain a '73 . God created it as a '73 and that's what he intended it to be. If you have a cat, and your cat is yellow, but you really think black cats are cool, you don't color your cat and make it something it's not . It's bad mojo to tamper with the universe . Jut my opinion . Greg The car will be better off a 73 and worth more.

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: BigMoneyLewis] #1325582 10/25/12 08:33 AM 10/25/12 08:33 AM
Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 126 Long Island, NY M mjb765 member
mjb765 member M Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 126 Long Island, NY	Quote: The '73 should remain a '73 . God created it as a '73 and that's what he intended it to be. If you have a cat, and your cat is yellow, but you really think black cats are cool, you don't color your cat and make it something it's not . It's bad mojo to tamper with the universe . Jut my opinion . Greg I agree as well.....a very clean 73 will be worth more that a 73 trying to be a 70....and neither will be worth as much as a real 70. But in the end--it's your car do what you want, just be prepared to live with it a long time or take a big loss in $$$ if you want to flip it later.

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: mjb765] #1325583 10/26/12 07:28 AM 10/26/12 07:28 AM
Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,862 the frozen wastes... Pale_Roader Swears too much
Pale_Roader Swears too much Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 4,862 the frozen wastes...	Ahhh, the investment bankers have spoken! Perhaps this is why some ov you guys have sig pics ov houses (i assume you own) and nice cars that actually run... whereas i am still poor. But you know... i like a 70, or 71 better than a 73, and sometimes, whether it be budget, availability, hassle, sentiment, or just some other obscure reason... it just might make sense to make a 70 Challenger... out ov a much cheaper 72-4 one, rather than pay the premium. This goes doubly for Cuda fans. My collection ov 71 Cuda-specific parts grows... as every day it seems to become more and more apparent that i'll never actually find a 70-71 heap ov [Edited by Moparts - Family Friendly Site - Keep it clean] to build that costs less than 15K to get on the trailer... so i might end up doing the same as here, but with a Cuda.

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: Pale_Roader] #1325584 10/26/12 08:38 AM 10/26/12 08:38 AM
Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio Challenger 1 Too Many Posts
Challenger 1 Too Many Posts Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio	Quote: Ahhh, the investment bankers have spoken! Perhaps this is why some ov you guys have sig pics ov houses (i assume you own) and nice cars that actually run... whereas i am still poor. But you know... i like a 70, or 71 better than a 73, and sometimes, whether it be budget, availability, hassle, sentiment, or just some other obscure reason... it just might make sense to make a 70 Challenger... out ov a much cheaper 72-4 one, rather than pay the premium. This goes doubly for Cuda fans. My collection ov 71 Cuda-specific parts grows... as every day it seems to become more and more apparent that i'll never actually find a 70-71 heap ov [Edited by Moparts - Family Friendly Site - Keep it clean] to build that costs less than 15K to get on the trailer... so i might end up doing the same as here, but with a Cuda. * You are ignoring this user *

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: Challenger 1] #1325585 10/26/12 10:33 AM 10/26/12 10:33 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,075 rochester,new york P plumebody super stock
plumebody super stock P Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,075 rochester,new york	I agree with NOT changing a 73 to a 70. I don't however agree with OV.... OF OF OF OF

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: mjb765] #1325586 10/26/12 12:51 PM 10/26/12 12:51 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 5,388 Pikes Peak Country T TC@HP2 master
TC@HP2 master T Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 5,388 Pikes Peak Country	I dunno, Since we see this post about every 6 months, I'd say there is a pretty fair market for post 72 Challengers converted to 70 grills and tail lights.

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: TC@HP2] #1325587 10/26/12 02:12 PM 10/26/12 02:12 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,481 Outside thedriver pro stock
thedriver pro stock Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 1,481 Outside	70 challengers have come down a lot in value. To the point where a 318/383 car can be had for basically the same money as a nice 72-74. Therefore, I don't see the point. Sell your 73 and go buy a 70 if you want it so bad. 15 years ago I really wanted a 70, but even then they were out of my price range. Nowadays I wouldn't trade my 73 for a 70/71 for anything. Partially its the work i have into it, also the look has grown on me.The grill just strikes me as way more badass than the pretty girl 70. Keep in mind I tossed the side gills, bumper guards, and sucked the bumpers in. Resulting in a pretty clean looking 73. And truth is, the 72-74s were a better built car. Alot of kinks were worked out after a few years of production. And you can put any motor in them. Stock form they sucked, but by today's standards a stock 440-6 sucks. Modified is the only way to go. 1973 challenger Dana. 4 speed. Low deck.

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: thedriver] #1325588 10/26/12 02:26 PM 10/26/12 02:26 PM
Joined: Jun 2003 Posts: 21,405 It's a dry heat gtx6970 Too Many Posts
gtx6970 Too Many Posts Joined: Jun 2003 Posts: 21,405 It's a dry heat	You build what you want - how you want it and how you can afford it. A little bit of work but I don't see it as too hard of a project. Buddy of mine is doing this very thing. He bought a decent 1972 challenger body for MUCH less than half what a similar condition 1970 body costs and a used 1970 tail light panel to build what HE wants on HIS budget. I gave him my old tail lights and grille / head light doors from mmy old car to get him in the right direction

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: gtx6970] #1325589 10/26/12 02:32 PM 10/26/12 02:32 PM
Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio Challenger 1 Too Many Posts
Challenger 1 Too Many Posts Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 28,312 Cincinnati, Ohio	I thought about converting a 74 to a 70 that I am working on, but heck there are not that many 74s. To do it right would be very expensive and you still would have odd ball car that not everyone would like and approve. If you restore a 72-74 right, what bad can people say about that? Never mind the worth because that can change as we alll know now depending on the ecomemy.

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: thedriver] #1325590 10/26/12 04:46 PM 10/26/12 04:46 PM
Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 4,321 St. Louis, Mo 3 318 Stroker master
318 Stroker master 3 Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 4,321 St. Louis, Mo	Quote: I wouldn't trade my 73 for a 70/71 for anything. Partially its the work i have into it, also the look has grown on me.The grill just strikes me as way more badass than the pretty girl 70. Keep in mind I tossed the side gills, bumper guards, and sucked the bumpers in. Resulting in a pretty clean looking 73. And truth is, the 72-74s were a better built car. Alot of kinks were worked out after a few years of production. Modified is the only way to go. ...I'm with you. Wouldn't trade my 73 for a 70. I did the same bumper treatment. I did leave the gills, but no strobes, as I went with a black bumblebee on my FE5 car...

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: thedriver] #1325591 10/26/12 04:53 PM 10/26/12 04:53 PM
Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 22,873 Chicken coop dustergirl340 Chicken Little
dustergirl340 Chicken Little Joined: Sep 2004 Posts: 22,873 Chicken coop	Quote: Partially its the work i have into it, also the look has grown on me.The grill just strikes me as way more badass than the pretty girl 70. Love our '72. And it's even gold, which is another strike against it according to many on here. Makes me like it more.

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: dustergirl340] #1325592 10/26/12 08:43 PM 10/26/12 08:43 PM
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 10,938 Spokane Valley, WA Big Bad Bee I Live Here
Big Bad Bee I Live Here Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 10,938 Spokane Valley, WA	News flash. You won't get your money out of any plain-Jane mopar you restore/restify. Just build it how you want it and drive it like you stole it. I’m listening.

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: Big Bad Bee] #1325593 10/26/12 08:52 PM 10/26/12 08:52 PM
Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 2,937 GA roadrunninMark master
roadrunninMark master Joined: Nov 2003 Posts: 2,937 GA	Build it how you want because after you paint it, it will cost 3 times more to do it then. You will kick yourself every time you see it (and didn't do it).

Re: Converting a 73 Challenger to a 70? [Re: BigMoneyLewis] #1325594 10/27/12 01:24 AM 10/27/12 01:24 AM
Joined: Feb 2010 Posts: 18,493 Granite Bay CA Kern Dog Striving for excellence
Kern Dog Striving for excellence Joined: Feb 2010 Posts: 18,493 Granite Bay CA	Quote: . God created it as a '73 and that's what he intended it to be. Jut my opinion . Ma Mopar was a WOMAN, not God. Carry on.

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