Specifically the pass side rubber piece. The pass side splash shield on 1970 cars had no holes for brake line. 71-74 had a hole for the brake line. Appears there might have been 2 versions used. The most common one that Ive seen has a 5/8" or so hole near the frt of the splash shield with a straight slot.

ANOTHER version I've seen looks like the 71-4 B BODY version of the splash shield with a hole in the upper rear corner with an angled slot. I found this online from a 73 Cuda. Looks like the 71-4 B body but the hole and slot not fully cutout. Never seen this but looks like the brake line doesn't go through the splash shield anyway. What year did they change that?

Can other share pictures of their splash shields so I can figure out what years got what and what changes to the brake lines were made over the years.

Jim,

1970 early up to about April- May 1970 used the splash shield without the hole and was generally found installed from the inside of the engine compartment. There was a late change over of the front brake line (may, june, july 1970) to the "71" style. this constituted the splash shield with the slit and hole, and is often found installed from the outside (inner wheel house) with the brake line travelling thru the hole.

Original 73 Challenger rubber shields. Car built in October of 72.

The picture of my passenger side shield is below, installed wheel well side.

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Great info in this thread. I was not aware there was a difference in the passenger side between the 70 and 71 model year.

Were all driver's side shields the same for 70 and 71? Plus I have observed the driver's side installed from the wheel well side on original cars.

Thanks guys! Great info!

So I have a customer that swears his car had a 71-4 B body style pass side splash. I painted the hole and the long angled slot on this picture of a 73 Cuda. You can see the hole and slot were never punched out. Like it was perf cut so it could be removed if needed. I think these may be rare examples of "use whatever is available to get the cars down the line".

The ones shown above with the hole and short parallel slit are the ones I know as 71-4 E body pass side splash. BUT whats the deal with the brake like wrapping around the frame? Wouldn't need a hole and slot in the splash. Right? What year did the brake line wrap under the frame?

My AAR has the original shields still on it. They are installed on the engine side but have the slit and hole but the brake line goes under neath the frame.

attached is a pic of the original splash shield reinstalled on my 5/70 LA built challenger (original replated clips installed wheel side), under frame brake line as original, white car....


and an original untouched splash shield on my friends 85000 mile 70 340 cuda, also installed from wheel side (red car, do not know production date)

both have the brake line hole, but brake lines go under frame.

jess

I wonder if having the passenger shields installed engine vs. wheel side is a difference between the LA and Hamtramck plants?

Is your friends 70 340 car an LA build?

I don't know for sure. The guy he got it from said it was a "California car". How is it that you identify assembly location?

jt

7th digit of the VIN. B=Hamtramck, E= L.A.

I've never seen this hole in the E body splash, only in the 71-74 B body. The hole is a clearance hole for a screw for a brake line clamp installed from the wheel well side.

You can see this clamp and the reason for the slot and hole in this 71-74 B body picture. Not sure what year this is but I've never seen a different pass side splash used on 71-4 B's. Also appears like these all SHOULD have been installed from the engine well side.

That's an original shield to the car. The brake lines route under the frame.

I agree.

I think the slot/hole on the front edge of the 70 shields pictured above are not for the brake line. I'm guessing it's a slot to insert a wrench to access the upper control arm adjusting bolt in the engine compartment, when adjusting the suspension. This would allow access without removing the splash shield.

The hole at the top of the later B-Body versions is for brake line routing. We really need someone to post pictures of an original 72-74 E-Body passenger shield to see if it had the B-Body shield installed.

B5Cuda, that 73 Cuda picture above with the "71-4 B" shield with the hole and slot perf cut but not punched out looks pretty original.

But then Burdars 73 Challenger shows what I know as a 71-74 E shield but with the 71-4 B brake like screw clearance hole (a new twist for me).

Also the 70 E shield, as far as I know and I have had at least 2 or 3 examples had NO slots or holes except for the push clip holes.

I'd be willing to bet these difference and what side they were installed from aren't a mystery or conspiracy but just what was available at the factory or provided by the vendors to keep the assembly lines rolling.

Funny that ONLY E bodies have these variations. Non of the other body styles have this issues, EXCEPT for the frame rail splash shields on Dodge trucks. WHEW!

HA! So I snap a picture of my 71 Challenger. Looks like the splash shield is not original based on the material (probably purchased from Year One 10 years ago when i was working on my car - now tires are flat and spider webs on it). But this splash has both the slot/hole in the frt like 71-4 E and the slot/hole in the rear like the 71-4 B. Clever! I may make mile like that with perf cuts so you can take out the pieces needed.

Also you can see the (unused) brake like clamp screw.

So at some point the brake likes were switched from thru the splash to under the frame.

Here are a couple of pics of splash shields that have never been taken off of the cars.

The top one is a 70 Cuda SPD 413
The bottom one is a 71 Cuda SPD 918

Thanks for the pictures but they are making this more confusing cause I guess the next issue is what determined when the brake like when thru the splash or under the frame. Based on the pictures above its not and early/late thing. Is it a drum/disc thing? A plant thing?

The pics that I posted are both Hamtramck cars. The 70 is a disc brake car and the 71 has drums.

Jim,

I agree with you that it probably depended on what was available on the assembly line. I was hoping to see a couple more pics of original, unrestored 73's just to see if those types of shields were consistently used, or if the example you have in the pic was more/less common.

Maybe it is a disk or drum option thing.

Would these shields be available for B body cars as reproduction items for purchase?