Barracuda tail light swap

-

I8NEMO

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2019
Messages
740
Reaction score
790
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Hey guy's,
The metal fab continues on my 68 Notch, I'm doing a look ahead to stay ahead of any potential fab work prior to body/ paint which brings me to tail lights. I like the look of the 69 tail lights and trunk trim much better than the 68s and want to make this swap complete with lower reverse lights.
Can anyone tell me if the 68 and 69 tail light buckets are identical? Also would the 69 Trunk trim be a direct bolt in?
Thanks much!

20191010_095712.jpg
 
You will have to drill different holes across the top edge of the trunk lid for the 69 trim. I can post up a pic. The steel taillight housings in the rear quarters are the same from 67-69. Die cast lens housings are different for all 3 years.

I am eventually redoing the rear valance on my sons 69 notch, thinking of no reverse lights in the valance. Looks cleaner that way IMHO, and the reverse lights in the valance are expensive pieces.

Will likely wire in a small high bright COB LED strip light to a bracket where the licence plate light sits for a reverse light. I dont have the reverse housings for his 69 anyways and $190 for a pair of repops for just diecast chrome housings is cost prohibitive.

I have a real decent used center trunk trim panel for a 69 for sale if interested. LMK on the trunk lid hole pic, and if interested in the trunk trim panel.
 
Last edited:
You will have to drill different holes across the top edge of the trunk lid for the 69 trim. I can post up a pic. The steel taillight housings in the rear quarters are the same from 67-69. Die cast lens housings are different for all 3 years.

I am eventually redoing the rear valance on my sons 69 notch, thinking of no reverse lights in the valance. Looks cleaner that way IMHO, and the reverse lights in the valance are expensive pieces.

Will likely wire in a small high bright COB LED strip light to a bracket where the licence plate light sits for a reverse light. I dont have the reverse housings for his 69 anyways and $190 for a pair of repops for just diecast chrome housings is cost prohibitive.

I have a real decent used center trunk trim panel for a 69 for sale if interested. LMK on the trunk lid hole pic, and if interested in the trunk trim panel.
 
That sounds good, I'd like to see some pics when you have time, thanks for the reply!
 
That sounds like a plan. I'll have to get my trim box down and pull everything out for pics. I recall all of the hardware being ok, can't remember what kind of work the trim needed though. If not tomorrow Monday for sure.
Gracias!
 
You will have to drill different holes across the top edge of the trunk lid for the 69 trim. I can post up a pic. The steel taillight housings in the rear quarters are the same from 67-69. Die cast lens housings are different for all 3 years.

I am eventually redoing the rear valance on my sons 69 notch, thinking of no reverse lights in the valance. Looks cleaner that way IMHO, and the reverse lights in the valance are expensive pieces.

Will likely wire in a small high bright COB LED strip light to a bracket where the licence plate light sits for a reverse light. I dont have the reverse housings for his 69 anyways and $190 for a pair of repops for just diecast chrome housings is cost prohibitive.

I have a real decent used center trunk trim panel for a 69 for sale if interested. LMK on the trunk lid hole pic, and if interested in the trunk trim panel.

I do have a place on the carb that is blocked off. I will try that. thanks.

When I replaced the valance on my 69 I left the backup lights off for all the same reasons. Since the AMD valance was for all years, it didn’t have the backup light holes. I put a light strip on the license plate. Works fine. I also like the 69 tail the best of all three years, but the tail trim panels are hard to come by at a reasonable price.
 
You will have to drill different holes across the top edge of the trunk lid for the 69 trim. I can post up a pic. The steel taillight housings in the rear quarters are the same from 67-69. Die cast lens housings are different for all 3 years.

I am eventually redoing the rear valance on my sons 69 notch, thinking of no reverse lights in the valance. Looks cleaner that way IMHO, and the reverse lights in the valance are expensive pieces.

Will likely wire in a small high bright COB LED strip light to a bracket where the licence plate light sits for a reverse light. I dont have the reverse housings for his 69 anyways and $190 for a pair of repops for just diecast chrome housings is cost prohibitive.

I have a real decent used center trunk trim panel for a 69 for sale if interested. LMK on the trunk lid hole pic, and if interested in the trunk trim panel.
You will have to drill different holes across the top edge of the trunk lid for the 69 trim. I can post up a pic. The steel taillight housings in the rear quarters are the same from 67-69. Die cast lens housings are different for all 3 years.

I am eventually redoing the rear valance on my sons 69 notch, thinking of no reverse lights in the valance. Looks cleaner that way IMHO, and the reverse lights in the valance are expensive pieces.

Will likely wire in a small high bright COB LED strip light to a bracket where the licence plate light sits for a reverse light. I dont have the reverse housings for his 69 anyways and $190 for a pair of repops for just diecast chrome housings is cost prohibitive.

I have a real decent used center trunk trim panel for a 69 for sale if interested. LMK on the trunk lid hole pic, and if interested in the trunk trim panel.
 
This one is OEM from 69 not a repop. I have it for sale with one price for it with the fish on it, and a different price without the fish on it. It needs a little work, but isnt dented to **** either. PM me if interested

20191019_195213.jpg
 
I hear you on the clean valance look. Funny thing for me though, those 2 back up lights remind me of my 69 440 4spd Road Runner back in high school... the things we cling to right?
 
When I replaced the valance on my 69 I left the backup lights off for all the same reasons. Since the AMD valance was for all years, it didn’t have the backup light holes. I put a light strip on the license plate. Works fine. I also like the 69 tail the best of all three years, but the tail trim panels are hard to come by at a reasonable price.
Looks the most sorted out of all 3 years. Will prob paint my 67 trunklid to have 2 red strips to connect the taillights like the 69. The 68, what were they thinking with the big assed reverse lights and tiny taillights.
 
I hear you on the clean valance look. Funny thing for me though, those 2 back up lights remind me of my 69 440 4spd Road Runner back in high school... the things we cling to right?
Yep my 69 charger too. But those were well sorted too. Stainless steel, with glass lenses. The 69 cuda reverse lights are big long pot metal warts sticking out there. If they were trying to make it have sporty looking backup lights that looked like exhausts with that look, i think they forgot that they also had a notched out valance pan with twin tips already.

The 69 reverse lights just added to the clutter. I do have a second set of shorter 67 ones that I stripped, repaired and epoxy primered. I am debating on painting them body color and putting them in the 69 valance, or as Mike69cuda mentioned and I mentioned putting in an LED strip light for reverse and leaving the valance smooth.
 
When I replaced the valance on my 69 I left the backup lights off for all the same reasons. Since the AMD valance was for all years, it didn’t have the backup light holes. I put a light strip on the license plate. Works fine. I also like the 69 tail the best of all three years, but the tail trim panels are hard to come by at a reasonable price.
 
I painted mine flat black for a formula S clone. Bought a repop 68 formula s emblem & painted like a 69 emblem.

0150ABCE-9D9B-47B7-A93F-D5D1C37D1E15.jpeg
 
Looks the most sorted out of all 3 years. Will prob paint my 67 trunklid to have 2 red strips to connect the taillights like the 69. The 68, what were they thinking with the big assed reverse lights and tiny taillights.
 
Ok! So im not the only one!! I agree... gotta go with 69
 
You would have my favorite blend if you did the 69 tail with the 68 front. I had a 68 in my youth and loved the bulge hood. I think they went backwards in 69 when they did away with it.
 
I had a hard time with the flat black paint on the tail panel lettering. Tried masking, that didn’t work. Wound up spraying the whole thing and wiping off the letters with a tips and lacquer thinner.
 
Yep my 69 charger too. But those were well sorted too. Stainless steel, with glass lenses. The 69 cuda reverse lights are big long pot metal warts sticking out there. If they were trying to make it have sporty looking backup lights that looked like exhausts with that look, i think they forgot that they also had a notched out valance pan with twin tips already.

The 69 reverse lights just added to the clutter. I do have a second set of shorter 67 ones that I stripped, repaired and epoxy primered. I am debating on painting them body color and putting them in the 69 valance, or as Mike69cuda mentioned and I mentioned putting in an LED strip light for reverse and leaving the
 
Pot metal , dang it. I like the body color idea for sure
 
-
Back
Top