72 Duster tail panel on a 73

So I have a 73 Duster and the P/O a 72 Duster tail panel on it. I have the 72 lights already, but I need the mounts for them and the corner supports. Should I change it back to the 73 or continue with the 72 style. I'll need to change the bumper either way, kinda wonder what's needed to finish it as a 72.

The 73 rear bumper is the same as a 72 as far as I can tell aside from the ugly bolt on rubber blocks.

Keep the '72 tail panel on your '73. The '70-'72 look so much better. I plan on replacing the tail panel on my '76 duster with a '71.

Should only take the tail light brackets. The later Duster's used a quarter panel brace like this, not sure if the '73 did or not. But the '72 tail light bracket should include a brace, so you'd just remove this one and install the brackets.


This is on a Demon but the '72 Duster brace is similar in that it is part of the tail light bracket



The bumper was pretty much the same for '72 and '73, no shock mounts on either so the rest of the tail should be the same, ie, it should have the corner reinforcements for the standard, non-shock bumper that are missing from the rear shock mount bumper cars (74+).

JGC403 said:

Keep the '72 tail panel on your '73. The '70-'72 look so much better. I plan on replacing the tail panel on my '76 duster with a '71.

Click to expand...

There's a lot more to replace if you swap a shock mount bumper car like your '76 to the earlier style. Not only do you need to change the tail panel, but the bumper, brackets, filler etc. Lots more work. There's a how to that covers some of that swap here
Duster to Demon Tail Panel Swap

And here's my '74 to '71 Demon tail panel swap, starts at post #131
My "new" '74 Duster- or why I need a project like a hole in the head

And the bumper swap here
My "new" '74 Duster- or why I need a project like a hole in the head

That is some helpful info there. Hey guys...Click a THANKS or a LIKE for that guy!

Thank you all very much! I do appreciate the information you gave me. With all the extremely horrible work the P O did to the car, I just fear that everything under his bondo and paint is sheet metal screws holding it on like the way the quarters and floor were.
Thank you, I appreciate your help!

I'd leave it. I recently pulled the original tail panel off my 70 duster. After drilling out 145 spot welds, it was off! Lots of work!