hideaway headlight set up on 74 charger question

[bugsydog]

I have purchased complete 72 charger hideaway headlight set up including mounting brackets to frame. what all is needed to properly mount it to my 74 charger? from what I have researched I need bumper brackets (which I have) and 71-72 charger headlight buckets...is that all?

 

[T2R9]

The mounting brackets are different for 71-72 and will not fit your 74. You will need to use your 74 brackets and open up the holes on the frame side to pull the bumper in flush if you wish to eliminate the rubber fillers. The upper brace to fender brackets will need to be shortened or find 71-72 ones. The headlamp buckets are the same 71-74.

 

[YY1]

buckets are different between hideaway and non hideaway

hideaway buckets put the lights lower

you can modify the mounting to make it work or live with it if they clear but are close

as stated above 71/2 brackets won't work on 73/74 because of 73/74 ISO K frame

73/74 brackets will put the 71/72 bumper in the 73/74 location, unless as above you want to pull it close and close - then slot the 73/74 mounts

 

[bugsydog]

thanks for the response guys...Would anyone have a picture on modifiying the mounts? I don't want to screw anything up

 

[Nacho-RT74]

One opinion more based on questions

Do you want to use the 72 bumper or keep the 74?
Do you want to remove fillers or not?

You can fit everything from the 72 hideaways setup on your existing 74 bumper. Just remove everything from the 74 bumper and install what the 72 it has actually.

71/72 bumper didn't get the bottom bumper reinforcement attached like 73/74 did but they got a reinforcement beam between inner Y brackets. Dunno if you got the 72 bumper with Y brackets and this beam renforcement attached. If you did, keep the 74 Y brackets and open holes on the inner ones for this reinforcement beam. This beam or brace is not really needed for the hideaways system but for safety. It was juts moved out from Y brackets to the bumper itself by 73 and is stronger and heavier.

Headlight sealed beams pedestals. Even hideaway cars got a shorter version to get more clearence for headlight doors, has been prooved still with standard headlights setup the doors still get room for the doors. Even more if you keep the bumper fillers from the 74 bumper without get it closer to body enlarging the Y brackets to frame rails holes

Some 73/74 got still the upper bumper bracket reinforcement with the provision for hideaways setup ( the diff is just one ear for a bolt and nut on each side ). My 74 did at least. Some others not, so if this is the case use the 72 bumper top reinforcement. Both are exactly the same pieces except for this provision which some 73/74 still got ( maybe what still was available on plant )

The fender to bumper brace changed from 72 to 73. Will need to be matched with the bumper you will use. Dunno if you also got these with the 72 bumper

 

[bugsydog]

Hi Nacho,
I would prefer to use the 72 set-up...I don't have the fillers anymore. Long story short I bought my first car (my 74 charger) back in 86, got in front end accident in 90 changed passenger fender, hood and bumper, removed and threw away fillers...drove it until 91 when I blew the motor....stored it in garage until just recently...fast forward almost 30 yrs, im 51 now, still have my first car.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Ok, will need to keep the 74 Y brackets and enlarge the holes to frame to save the gap left by fillers... if you want. Keep the 72 bumper just on the way it is at this moment and mount it to the actual car Y brackets. No need to modify anything else

The top braces between fender and bumper are diff between 72 and 74. Your actual 74 pieces won't match with the 72 bumper, so need to keep the 72 ones if you have them included with bumper.

There are also a diagonal braces between inner side area of fender and bottom of bumper corners. I think they play enough to still fit on the bumper getting it close to the body to save the filler gap.

And as mentioned. For safety and specially if you plan to use the car try to get the reinforcement beam between Y brackets from any 71/72 ( if is not included on the 72 setup you got ). Once again, not needed for the hideaways system, just for crash safety.

Pretty sure the standard headlight pedestals will provide enough room for hideaways doors. A friend from DC.com board changed his standard 72 grilles with the hideaways setup on his Rallye and didn't changed those. Hideaways doors works flawlessly. They open really close to headlights, true, but still work. And you still can play with the bumper itself in and out depending on how close you want to save the gap left by fillers

Wiring harness can be done at home if you don't care about wiring correctness just to make it work, and still if you are picky with this, can be done really close to the original getting the plugs and colored wires. Any regular 5 pins bosch relay can be used to make it work. Doesn't need to get repro harness or relay.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

71 Bumper diagram where the reinforcement beam ( labeled as brace ) is shown between Y brackets. Also the diagonal brace I'm talking around the impact pad area

 

[bugsydog]

thank you Nacho,
the picture I posted still has 74 bumper etc....once I receive the 72 set-up ill mock up and attempt to locate braces between fender and bumper...again I really appreciate the valuable information.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

And the electrical part... this is a diagram I made LOOOONG time ago and has been used in several places

 

[bugsydog]

thank you for the diagram

 

[Nacho-RT74]

I think these are the top of fender to bumper 71/72 braces. ( Althought to me they have some weird shape ), but if not, they are pretty damn similar with similar bends. You can notice how diff are from your actual 74. The design and position of the bumper provision for these is way diff, hence the reason to get the correct ones

About the wiring diagram, it seems came out some blurry on the attachment, but if needed I have the original diagram made at my laptop. I'm posting at this moment from my iPad and searching pics already hosted on web

 

[Nacho-RT74]

on a side note, never have know has been needed, BUT you could need to trim a bit the rubber from the impact pads or get 71/72s pieces, depending on how close you want the bumper to body. The 73/74 pads get some room into the bumper yet, but at your own.

 

[Montclaire]

on a side note, never have know has been needed, BUT you could need to trim a bit the rubber from the impact pads or get 71/72s pieces, depending on how close you want the bumper to body. The 73/74 pads get some room into the bumper yet, but at your own.

If you search you can find another thread on here that also went into good detail about adding the hideaways. Nacho is right, you can slot the 73/74 bumper brackets to get a tighter reveal but if you want it super tight you’ll have to mod a little more.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Can't tell at this moment if the impact pad bolt holes can be also enlarged enough instead trim away the rubber, but I think not extensively, because they are somehow shaped the the fender inner area

 

[chargervert]

I put the 71 Charger hidden headlight grille into the 73 bumper, and slotted out the holes in the bumper brackets to get rid of the fillers. I had to make two brackets to attach the grille surrounds to the bumper in the upper outer corners. The headlight buckets are close, but still clear the headlight doors.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

I had to make two brackets to attach the grille surrounds to the bumper in the upper outer corners. The headlight buckets are close, but still clear the headlight doors.

Question: The brackets you had to make is to fabricate this provision your 73 top reinforcement didn't have?

Or maybe the much further outer attached straight to the bumper?

I ask this because if he is getting a full 72 bumper assembly he can use the 72 top reinforcement without to fabricate this provision if his 74 didn't get it.

My 74 got this provision though. Maybe earliers reinforcement leftovers. I have seen a mix of this piece on 73/74s. And in fact mostly 73/74 I have seen got this piece with the provision

 

[Montclaire]

Please post a follow up and pics once you get everything mounted.

 

[71charger_fan]

More info on relays
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,8077.0/all.html

 

[chargervert]

I made up two L brackets for the upper top corners, because the 73 bumper had different mounting locations for the top corners of the grille surrounds.the plastic original grilles don't need the support that the cast metal grille assemblies need,nor do they have tovdeal with the torque of the motor opening and closing the headlight doors.