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May 27, 2009

Should I Keep The Correct Year Tail Lights For My Charger?

By Ron Honig

WaytooFurious

As I have now moved into my new home, I can finally contemplate getting the Charger out of storage and re-starting the restoration. I went to check it out on Saturday and found that one of the tires had gone flat. Unfortunately it wouldn’t hold air despite the best efforts of my compressor. A quick trip to one of the local tire emporiums fixed that. While I was getting the tire fixed I kept thinking how much more I prefer the round tail lights from the ’68 Charger to the lights on the ’69 and ’70 cars. As I am going to be doing a full rotisserie restification, it will be the perfect opportunity to make the alterations for a different set of lights. What do you think, should I fit a set of ’68 tail lights to my ’70 Charger?

ronscharger

Permalink:

Posted at 1:25 am in Charger, Dodge

Comments

hchase86
Jun 9, 2009 at 4:32 pm

looks like this guy is gonna need to get auto transported outta there! may i recommend one of those uhaul auto transports that uhaul sells. they sell out their old rental equipment. tried it for myself and it works wonders. i don’t have to add unwanted miles to my vintage car!

4spdCharger
May 29, 2009 at 5:31 am

Tough choice. I have a 70 Charger myself. The ’70 taillight trim looks awful to me (reminds me of 1970′s glasses with the connector-bridge), so I hung it on the wall and put ’69 chrome trim around each individual lens. Also deleted my bumperettes. Looks badass now! Personally I wouldn’t change the tailpanel irreversibly. Imagine the car when it’s done. It just won’t look right with the wrap around front bumper with 68 lights. Even if it’s really, really nice, if I saw it, I’d just think it was a ’68 that had been hit in the front at some point and re-assembled by a garage that didn’t know better or didn’t care, and put a ’70 nose on it. Until I saw the interior, then I’d know it was originally a 70…

fireball22
May 28, 2009 at 6:52 am

Oh, and while you’re at it, I always thought the “button” side marker lamps (like on the ’68) were a helluva lot better looking than the rectangular side lamps in the ’70. We used to install the button side markers in ’65/’66 Mustangs because they offered a little safety without looking out of place.

fireball22
May 28, 2009 at 6:47 am

If you’re doing a Concourse resto, then you really can’t have any but the original lights. Other than that, have fun and to hell with the purists… it’s your baby. It’s all in your overall intent. My intent is to have fun with my car. Why else would I skip the full resto and build a stock car tribute? I built the car for ME, not the guy looking at it and scratching his head.

Go with the ’68s if it makes YOU happy.

Randoman5
May 28, 2009 at 5:02 am

This is a full resto right? i personally like the 70′s tail lights better. but like everyone else said, it’s what you want.

dilandau2004
May 27, 2009 at 11:35 pm

It’s your car, your project. Bottom line. You are doing the work. In the end, it should be how YOU want it.

GTwildfire
May 27, 2009 at 10:40 pm

up 2 you. either stock or a best-of. I tend to prefer a best-of with my firebird. tossed the plain jane tails for the factory bubble matrix tails. Would have preferred honeycombs but what I got was available and affordable, and also the rarest type of last gen tails.
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anyway, it comes down to what’s important to you.

fortyfordsedan
May 27, 2009 at 4:25 pm

Do it man. Unless you are into showing it or are planning on selling it what you like should take precedent over what’s right.

tomparis2112
May 27, 2009 at 2:45 pm

if you are doing it for show go with the correct year, but if its for your own enjoyment, totally do the 68′ lights!

dgaf88
May 27, 2009 at 7:41 am

I prefer the 68′s over the 69-70′s myself but that tail panel looks to be in alright shape, no sense fixing something that’s not broken.

Rob Einaudi
May 27, 2009 at 7:22 am

Keep it correct for the year!

bulldog_1995
May 27, 2009 at 7:20 am

im with most of the other i always thought the 69/70 lights didnt look right on these cars and like the 68′s they fit with the body alot better but its your car and you should do what you want with it and if anyone tells you you shold have done somthing differnt ask them whose name is on the title

SouthernGuy8503
May 27, 2009 at 7:11 am

well me personally i like the 69 and 70 tail lights a lot more, but its your car and if you want 68 tail lights on it then go or it

AudiobahnV8SHO
May 27, 2009 at 6:45 am

Keep it original man, don’t fix whats not broken.

gold94corolla
May 27, 2009 at 6:17 am

The round lights look soooo much nicer, put them on there! They make the car look newer, more modern… the other tail lights are just bleh

PureBusiness
May 27, 2009 at 5:38 am

Ditto-”go-for-it”

Moparmaniac07
May 27, 2009 at 5:14 am

I always liked the ’68 taillights. I say go for it.

DJs-zj360
May 27, 2009 at 5:10 am

You should do it just to piss off the “Purist’s” They get a little crazy about little things like that. Go for it!

___nes___
May 27, 2009 at 3:31 am

Do it Ron!

firstgencamaro69
May 27, 2009 at 3:16 am

I too prefer the circle lights of the ’68 but you a ’70 keep it a ’70 lol. original man