first time e-body "puzzled"

[stayonmyleft]

hello all,
just joined this forum as i am begining restoration on a 74 challenger. i had a 68 roadrunner before this and i hate to use profanity in here but i also have a 68 "camaro". the one thing that is puzzling me is why my 74 challenger looks like no other 74 challenger i have seen on the web. my grill looks mismatched. can anyone verify this?

 

[burntorange70]

Welcome to FEBO! Good to have you here. Got a pic of your Challenger? That may help us to identify what grill you have. Some times grills get dameged and so they put on what ever year grill they can find.

 

[6packcuda]

Welcome aboard. Post some pic.s of your car and maybe we can help you figure out your grill situation.

 

[stayonmyleft]

i have a link to my photobucket page.. there are only 2 challenger pics as of yet but i am doing my best to get the challenger its own photobucket album. http://photobucket.com/stayonmyleft . this link should work.

 

[burdar]

A picture of what you are talking about would be very helpful.

The 72-74 Challengers use the same grill. The 70 and 71's have there own grills specific to that year. Putting a 70 or 71 grill on the 72-74's would be difficult because the front fenders are different. It's not impossible for someone to do it but it would require some fender mods...it's not just a bolt on deal.

Without a pic I just have to guess, but maybe you are refering to the grill being gray instead of black? The performance modles in 72-74 came with a black grill and the standard Challengers had a gray one. The gray grills do look a little strange to me.

Post a pic and we will tell you what we know.

 

[stayonmyleft]

i posted a few current pics in my profile under the statistics tab. hopefully there visible there. if not i am currently working on a photobucket account.

 

[stayonmyleft]

i am having trouble posting pic's without approval because i am a new member. at least that seems to be the case. i also have a massachussetts title stating that its a 74 but the grill throws me off.

 

[6packcuda]

That's a '70 grill and I think those are '70 side marker lights. What do your tail lights look like? You just may have a '70 Challenger there.

 

[6packcuda]

The first pic below is a '70 Challenger. The second is a '72-'74.

 

[stayonmyleft]

the back end has the 4 individual lights. its weird cause the rear blinkers say 73 but the fronts are stamped 1970. i think this may have been modified. i wonder if i can put the 74 grill & fenders back on without alot of work or if i should leave it as a chop.

 

[6packcuda]

After looking at your pictures again, it looks like you've got a '70 front fenders and grill and the rest is a '74. Your front side marker is from a '70 and the rear side marker is a '72-'74. Personally, I prefer the '70 grill and would leave it that way, but it's your car.

 

[stayonmyleft]

i also like this grill better than the 72-74 sad face grill. and i am assuming that with the amount of mickey mousing that was done to make it this way it would be a pain to put it back. thanks for the help.

 

[burntorange70]

If the 6th diget in the vin is a 4 then it is a 74. Some one just changed the front end to a 70 is all. Happens a lot. You can put it back to a 74 with out much trouble.

 

[DetMatt1]

And I might be interested in those fenders if there in good shape.

 

[moparjim365]

Looks like someone installed a 70 doghouse on your 74 challenger.

The grille is a 70 model and the fender has the 70-71 sidemarker lenses.

The rear qaurter has the 72-74 sidemarkers.

My guess is a 74 car with 70 frontend.

I hope this helps...

Jim

 

[burdar]

Yep, you have a 70 front end on your 74. It won't be hard to change it back to what it is supposed to be but it will be expensive.

You will need new front fenders, 72-74 front fatia with the grill and headlight surround chrome. Hopefully you will be able to find a complete assembly. I see them every year at the Nats so I know they are out there.

Another option is changing it to a 1970 clone. You are already half way there but either way is going to cost you some money.

 

[stayonmyleft]

i towed it out from where the wrecker dropped it off. i guess this is what i get for buying on the internet. this one is looking more like a complete frame off is needed now that im into it. the guy said it ran but the distributor wasnt even bolted down. the floors are soft in patches and i found expanding foam in the rear quarters, trunk and rockers, the front fenders are rotted where they mount to the nose. ill have some more pics of what i have been finding this afternoon.

 

[stayonmyleft]

i added some more pics of what i am up againt to my photobucket account. the link is in my signature.