Changing a 74 Dart Swinger to look like a 71-72 Dart Swinger

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Punisher66j

Punisher66j

Dart Swinger
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I am looking at possibly taking a 74 Dart Swinger and making it look like a 71 or 72. I know you need a 71 or 72 front clip but how would you do the tail light panel? I have googled a 72 tail light panel for a dart but haven't found one. Who has done this? I saw a thread on how to make a demon a duster but how does the dart work? Any help is appreciated.
 
I would think that you would have to change the rear completely as well. Including the quarter panels. That would be a huge undertaking. I would think that you would be better off finding a 1973 Dart to swap over. The you would just have to switch the front clip. It would take a donor car with all the sheetmetal intact still, and A LOT of cutting and welding.
 
There was a guy on moparts.com that has done it. I do not remember his "name", but his wife's is dustergirl340. Seems to me he had to cut off the tail end of the newer car and weld on the tail end of the older car. Looked good to me when I saw it during a Woodward DreamCruise a few years ago.
 
Punisher66j said:
I am looking at possibly taking a 74 Dart Swinger and making it look like a 71 or 72. I know you need a 71 or 72 front clip but how would you do the tail light panel? I have googled a 72 tail light panel for a dart but haven't found one. Who has done this? I saw a thread on how to make a demon a duster but how does the dart work? Any help is appreciated.
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I'm currently swapping my 74s tail panel for a 70. It is not an easy undertaking and will require a donor car. They do not make reproduction tail panels. You'll have to cut the rear off the donor car and weld it to the 74. Also, you'll need to expand the trunk floor of the 74 to connect to the 70/71/72/73 tailpanel. About 1.5 to 2 inches roughly.

You'll also need the quarter panel extensions from whatever year car you cut from as well as where they connect to the quarters as the holes for the extensions are in different places on a 74.

So far, I've got a little over 12 hrs labor just in cutting and trimming to get mine to look and fit right. And its not even in fully yet as i need to finish the trunk floor

My advice, sell the 74 and buy you the year dart you truly like.
 
dukeboy_318 said:
I'm currently swapping my 74s tail panel for a 70. It is not an easy undertaking and will require a donor car. They do not make reproduction tail panels. You'll have to cut the rear off the donor car and weld it to the 74. Also, you'll need to expand the trunk floor of the 74 to connect to the 70/71/72/73 tailpanel. About 1.5 to 2 inches roughly.

You'll also need the quarter panel extensions from whatever year car you cut from as well as where they connect to the quarters as the holes for the extensions are in different places on a 74.

So far, I've got a little over 12 hrs labor just in cutting and trimming to get mine to look and fit right. And its not even in fully yet as i need to finish the trunk floor

My advice, sell the 74 and buy you the year dart you truly like.
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Can't afford a 71 or 72 and my 74 is in pretty damn good shape.
 
there was a fella here that made his 74 into a 72 a few years back. search for stans blue 72 in the restoration threads. he had a long detailed resto thread on it. sadly, stan has passed on recently, but left alot of good memories here. dave.
 
Punisher66j said:
Can't afford a 71 or 72 and my 74 is in pretty damn good shape.
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Fair enough but as someone who's done it, it's gonna be a huge undertaking. Not impossible obviously but you're gonna end up spending a lot more than you think plus the time it takes to get it right. The toughest part was getting the trunk lid to close right.

Just to give you an idea, front clip for a 71/72 is gonna run you over a grand. You'll need fenders, hood, grille(this is the pricey part as them grille cost a ton).
For the rear, you'll need the tail panel, trunk latch support, rear quarter extensions, bumper, bumper brackets, tail lights and housings, tail panel trunk supports, trunk floor extensions. That's if you don't need to replace your quarters and can simply relocate the marker light holes. Depending on that, another grand maybe more.

Best bet is to buy a donor car if you can and cut everything you need from it. I did and it sure made it nice.

Good luck.

let me know if I can be of any help
 
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JM2C - do the front conversion if you must - leave the back alone. Not that it's the best looking thing, but damn that's a lot of work just to have a different bumper.. also - fodder for your cranium, some people actually like the 74 Dart - nose to tail, and they are beginning to appreciate in value...
 
ScampMike said:
JM2C - do the front conversion if you must - leave the back alone. Not that it's the best looking thing, but damn that's a lot of work just to have a different bumper.. also - fodder for your cranium, some people actually like the 74 Dart - nose to tail, and they are beginning to appreciate in value...
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Yep. Just like what happened with the 3rd gen chargers a few years back. In the mid 2000s, you couldn't give them away, now try and find a solid one under 3500 complete.
 
ScampMike said:
JM2C - do the front conversion if you must - leave the back alone. Not that it's the best looking thing, but damn that's a lot of work just to have a different bumper.. also - fodder for your cranium, some people actually like the 74 Dart - nose to tail, and they are beginning to appreciate in value...
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I have a 74 here that is actually starting to grow on me.
Really not terrible looking cars
 
I just contemplated it. I have a buddy that has 2 72 darts and a 71 scamp for 200 a piece all complete just been sitting since the 80s so I thought about swapping stuff out.
 
Punisher66j said:
I just contemplated it. I have a buddy that has 2 72 darts and a 71 scamp for 200 a piece all complete just been sitting since the 80s so I thought about swapping stuff out.
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For that price, i'd go for it then. but be damn sure you want to do it as there's no turning back. well not easily.
 
Punisher66j said:
I just contemplated it. I have a buddy that has 2 72 darts and a 71 scamp for 200 a piece all complete just been sitting since the 80s so I thought about swapping stuff out.
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and for 200 a piece, heck i'd come buy one lol
 
I plan on buying all three of them. I'd like to eventually make a good one out of the three and part the rest out.
 
Hi, New guy here I put a 69 front on my 74 ,just changed th hood ,latch ,grill and bumper
 
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