Can you put lights inside the side markers 1969 Coronet

[OzzyOzB]

1969 Dodge Coronet Superbee
I'm looking at the factory wires to my tail lights and it looks like they're made to be spliced into (Plugged into) for adding light to the side markers.
Did the 1969 Coronets originally come with "lit" side markers from the factory?
Is there an easy way to ADD a light to the side markers?

Thanks for any insight you guys might have.

 

[440 PHIXX]

All 1969 Mopars came with reflectors. I believe the federal law was lights or reflectors until 1/1/1970. Then both were required. You could make that work... lighting them up. I’d do LED’s.

Edit... there was the prototype Charger 500. It had the ‘68 side markers. I’m not sure what year that was VINed.

 

[Sinitro]

All 1969 Mopars came with reflectors. I believe the federal law was lights or reflectors until 1/1/1970. Then both were required. You could make that work... lighting them up. I’d do LED’s.

Edit... there was the prototype Charger 500. It had the ‘68 side markers. I’m not sure what year that was VINed.

The 1968 Mopars had bulbs in the side markers... In 1969 Mopar deleted these to save $$, when the government highway/safety department found out it was too late to update so in 1970 bulbs were added once again...

Just my $0.02....

 

[440 PHIXX]

The 1968 Mopars had bulbs in the side markers... In 1969 Mopar deleted these to save $$, when the government highway/safety department found out it was too late to update so in 1970 bulbs were added once again...

Just my $0.02....

I never heard that. The Imperial has reflectors in 1969. If they wanted to save money, they could have just continued the 1968 design. GM and Ford has lights both years.

 

[Sinitro]

I never heard that. The Imperial has reflectors in 1969. If they wanted to save money, they could have just continued the 1968 design. GM and Ford has lights both years.

Once again...
Can't comment for mama Mopar but in the late 60s muscle cars were increasing in factory-building costs.. Saving a few $ may not sound big but it was.. Back then many Mopar dealers would purchase/install cheaper clone AM radios made by Automatic or Tenna Radio just to save a few $$... I know a lot about this as I worked for 1 of the largest car audio distributors in SoCal and we sold 000s of AM radios to the biggest Mopar dealers..

Just my $0.02...

 

[440 PHIXX]

Once again...
Can't comment for mama Mopar but in the late 60s muscle cars were increasing in factory-building costs.. Saving a few $ may not sound big but it was.. Back then many Mopar dealers would purchase/install cheaper clone AM radios made by Automatic or Tenna Radio just to save a few $$... I know a lot about this as I worked for 1 of the largest car audio distributors in SoCal and we sold 000s of AM radios to the biggest Mopar dealers..

Just my $0.02...

I’ve only seen a handful of ‘68-‘70 Mopars that didn’t have a Motorola radio in them. They weren’t ordered with a radio.

 

[pnora]

Once again...
Can't comment for mama Mopar but in the late 60s muscle cars were increasing in factory-building costs.. Saving a few $ may not sound big but it was.. Back then many Mopar dealers would purchase/install cheaper clone AM radios made by Automatic or Tenna Radio just to save a few $$... I know a lot about this as I worked for 1 of the largest car audio distributors in SoCal and we sold 000s of AM radios to the biggest Mopar dealers..

Just my $0.02...

What did a factory AM radio cost back then? Maybe 35.00 and that included the speaker, antenna, suppressors, and labor. No way in hell are you going to buy an aftermarket radio and everything else thats needed for 35 bucks. I worked in a dealership and getting a radio installed was way, way, way more than the factory install. Up grades to stereo and tape decks is another story.

 

[Roger63]

I'm glad someone else asked that question. I was just going over my 69 coronet and was wondering the same thing.

 

[69ChargerR/TSE]

Saw a post on Instagram, guy used 68 harness, and added led's to the back drilled a hole in the back of the reflector housing and had the light working. Neat idea, I think a 69 harness would work, just add it to the parking lights, unless you wanted it to blink, then you'd need to wire accordingly.

Funny how they got away from lights in 69, then 70 models required lights, and then in 1/1/70 required lights and reflectors.

 

[Sinitro]

What did a factory AM radio cost back then? Maybe 35.00 and that included the speaker, antenna, suppressors, and labor. No way in hell are you going to buy an aftermarket radio and everything else thats needed for 35 bucks. I worked in a dealership and getting a radio installed was way, way, way more than the factory install. Up grades to stereo and tape decks is another story.

Nope...
Not in the mid-60s...
We sold Automatic Radio, Tenna, Motorola clone mopar AM radio including antenna and speaker for $32... Typically the factory installed mopar AM radio was about $65, so the dealer would pay the same guy doing the lube jobs like $10 for the install and pocket the difference. Note that we also carried a clone mopar AM/FM (not stereo) radio that sold to the dealer for $55. (1) of our biggest dealers was Yeakel Plymouth in Downey, CA who was big seller of max wedges, A990s who also sponsored Hayden Profitt and other major racers...

Just my $0.02....

 

[440 PHIXX]

1/1/1970 was a date that many federal safety and theft deterrent regs went into effect. My two ‘70 V code 4 speeds were equipped with the “has to be in reverse to get the key out. Was long gone on both cars. I would have trashed it anyway. I guess they also have the mandatory key buzzers, but someone cut the cord or removed them. Also the hazard light switch was put on the column along with the steering wheel locking key mechanism. Both cars also had the clutch pedal switch that prevented the start position to work unless the pedal was depressed. I grounded that on the cars, as I like to be able to bump the engine... sometimes in gear.

 

[pnora]

Nope...
Not in the mid-60s...
We sold Automatic Radio, Tenna, Motorola clone mopar AM radio including antenna and speaker for $32... Typically the factory installed mopar AM radio was about $65, so the dealer would pay the same guy doing the lube jobs like $10 for the install and pocket the difference. Note that we also carried a clone mopar AM/FM (not stereo) radio that sold to the dealer for $55. (1) of our biggest dealers was Yeakel Plymouth in Downey, CA who was big seller of max wedges, A990s who also sponsored Hayden Profitt and other major racers...

Just my $0.02....

I assumed we were talking 1969 as that is the posters year car. No big deal. List price window sticker for an AM radio was 61.55 in 1969. Dealer cost would be less. Window sticker was 15.15 for the rear speaker option.

 

[440 PHIXX]

I we include ‘68 and ‘70... I only saw a few without at least a factory AM. That was the most common. I did see a ‘68 Dart 2 door sedan with the block off plate. I still have it. And a ‘70 Valiant that didn’t have a radio. I think like an automatic trans today, no dealer would order a lot car without a radio. It was an extra cost option, but I’d think that any that came thru without a radio were ordered that way. The factory ones said Solid State by... Chrysler, Plymouth, or Dodge.

 

[Photon440]

I never heard that. The Imperial has reflectors in 1969. If they wanted to save money, they could have just continued the 1968 design. GM and Ford has lights both years.

They did save money by going to the reflector in 1969. By not having four sets of wires, bulbs and bulb holders plus labour to install them. That would have saved the company over 6 million light bulbs for 1969 alone.

 

[Sinitro]

1/1/1970 was a date that many federal safety and theft deterrent regs went into effect. My two ‘70 V code 4 speeds were equipped with the “has to be in reverse to get the key out. Was long gone on both cars. I would have trashed it anyway. I guess they also have the mandatory key buzzers, but someone cut the cord or removed them. Also the hazard light switch was put on the column along with the steering wheel locking key mechanism. Both car also had the clutch pedal switch that prevented the start position to work unless the pedal was depressed. I grounded that on the cars, as I like to be able to bump the engine... sometimes in gear.

Correcto...
By 1970 the government required multiple things including:
a. Reverse lockout mechanism even for manual transmissions
b. Ignition switch in the column
c. 4-way flasher in the column
d. Collapsible column
e. Lever switch on the clutch pedal, pedal needed to be depressed for the starter relay to fire
f. Shoulder front seat belts
g. Side marker lights

Then as we got into the 70s, even more electronic oriented things such including as the seat-belt start interlock, later thrown out..

Just my $0.02...

 

[440 PHIXX]

They did save money by going to the reflector in 1969. By not having four sets of wires, bulbs and bulb holders plus labour to install them. That would have saved the company over 6 million light bulbs for 1969 alone.

I can’t argue that. They did seem cheap. I had a ‘69 Newport 2 door H/T with them. And a ‘69 PK41H Fury 1 with them

 

[440 PHIXX]

Correcto...
By 1970 the government required multiple things including:
a. Reverse lockout mechanism even for manual transmissions
b. Ignition switch in the column
c. 4-way flasher in the column
d. Collapsible column
e. Lever switch on the clutch pedal, pedal needed to be depressed for the starter relay to fire
f. Shoulder front seat belts
g. Side marker lights

Then as we got into the 70s, even more electronic oriented things such including as the seat-belt start interlock, later thrown out..

Just my $0.02...

I believe the seat belt interlock was 1974 only. We got a new Monte Carlo and my sister got a Gold Duster. They both had it.

 

[Sinitro]

I assumed we were talking 1969 as that is the posters year car. No big deal. List price window sticker for an AM radio was 61.55 in 1969. Dealer cost would be less. Window sticker was 15.15 for the rear speaker option.

The time period I managed the car audio distributor was about 3 years from mid-66 to mid-69. However note that by 68 our business was changing from domestic cars to imports. And I actually created certain radio install mounting kits for the imports, most popular was VW, Toyotas, Datsuns and Ford Cortina. Keep in mind by the late 60s, the entire OE car entertainment was undergoing significant change with the introduction of 8-track and cassette decks... Plus the growing popularity of FM stereo.. And being based in SoCal this region led the nation for this trend.

Just my $0.02...

 

[Dave6T4]

I assumed we were talking 1969 as that is the posters year car. No big deal. List price window sticker for an AM radio was 61.55 in 1969. Dealer cost would be less. Window sticker was 15.15 for the rear speaker option.

My new 1969 Super Bee came without a radio. The salesman told me that whenever the dealership ordered a " hot car " ( his term; they weren't called muscle cars yet ) for inventory, they never included the radio, so that the front fender would not be punched for an aerial. There was quite a fad at that time for rear deck-mounted aerials. He continued that by paying the radio option price, the dealership would install the radio, and place the aerial wherever I wanted it. I marked my preferred placement of the aerial on the rear deck and paid about $55.00 for the radio and installation.
My car also came with just the standard Rallye Clock instead of the clock/tach combination. Again, by paying the option price, the dealership would upgrade my instruments. I think this was about the same price as the radio.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

about the original question... sure you can having the skills and tools. Drilling holes on housing for sockets for regular bulbs or led strip down the lense ? is about prefference. Wiring? just need to splice the power from parking light sockets in front and tail lights on rear. No need for any extra harness, can be simply home made . No need for 68 or 70 harness donor to make that just 4 wire splice job or 8 if not chassis grounding the sidemarker light.

This has been done and asked several times in the past. Is pretty much a straight up job.

Getting a 70 sidemarker setup could be an option? maybe but would require body job I guess. I think they are a bit larger

Correcto...
By 1970 the government required multiple things including:

b. Ignition switch in the column
c. 4-way flasher in the column

Why these ? I can get the rest, but not the specific reason for these aside just easier acces from the driver position... but safety? I don't get a safer disposition but just comfort.