1970 Challenger tail light panel. Body color or black?

[O5C]

Hello,

I have an unrestored, very original Canadian export sublime 70 Challenger R/T. The tail light panel looks to have been painted organosol black over the sublime paint.

Am I correct in thinking that the tail light panel should be body color? The only black tail panels I’ve seen are on the trans am cars. My assumption is that a previous owner sprayed the tail panel.

Thanks!

 

[pschlosser]

Body color. A common restoration error. Unlike the 'Cuda, the Challenger tail panel was body color, not black.

 

[6PKRTSE]

Mine actually has a black organisol bolt on tail panel like the silver S.E. tail panels. It came this way back when I bought it.

 

[NixDad]

TA's were painted organisol

 

[Xcudame]

I currently have the black tail panel on my 70 WSS. Originally the WSS and SE models had the astrotone (silver) panel code A63. Mine silver one got damaged and I found a perfectly good black one with the intention to eventually paint it silver. The Trans Am package was A53 and contained all the T/A and AAR goodies! If other cars had black rear panels, that's great as it's something new learned by me!

 

[marksmopars]

I would note that my ta originally had organisol but had body color underneath that, fyi.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

Body color. A common restoration error. Unlike the 'Cuda, the Challenger tail panel was body color, not black.

Unless you have a '70 RT/SE.........

 

[Steve340]

I thought I read in the Jim Schild book that if a car had a high performance engine fitted it got the rear tail panel and grille blacked out ?????
Mine has and it appears to be factory.

 

[Xcudame]

We all agree the Cuda got the rear panel painted black, correct? And obviously some Barracudas where optioned to be black.

On the Challengers let me try to layout what we're all thinking:

All Special Editions had black panels regardless of RT or standard. Had an actual panel that includes the chrome quarter mouldings.

All WSS had the astrotone (silver) panel. Also has a panel with chrome quarter mouldings.

All RT Challengers are painted black? No panel with quarter mouldings?

I've not seen a factory Challenger with the rear panel painted black. There's always been a panel with the quarter chrome mouldings. But it sounds like some came with that panel black and that's a cool learning experience for me! And it makes sense that the body color would be under the black paint as they wouldn't mask off that area and would apply the black paint after like on the Cudas.

 

[O5C]

Thanks for the info; it’s tough to do the forensics on these cars, even with a well-documented owner history.

My car is an unrestored factory Hemi 4 spd Canadian export car that is very original except for a Ford go-wing added by the original owner and a poorly-prepped re-spray in the original Sublime that was hosed on many decades ago.

The black organosol was applied to the tail light panel directly over the original sublime paint. There doesn’t appear to be any primer between the organosol and sublime. Whether this was done at the factory or during the early 80’s re-spray, I don’t know.

As I said before, my assumption has always been that the tail panel is supposed to be body color, like the car in the original Vanishing Point movie.

I will try to post some pictures of the tail panel tonight.

 

[challenger6pak]

Galen isn't around any more doing that sort of thing.

We all agree the Cuda got the rear panel painted black, correct? And obviously some Barracudas where optioned to be black.

On the Challengers let me try to layout what we're all thinking:

All Special Editions had black panels regardless of RT or standard. Had an actual panel that includes the chrome quarter mouldings.

All WSS had the astrotone (silver) panel. Also has a panel with chrome quarter mouldings.

All RT Challengers are painted black? No panel with quarter mouldings?

I've not seen a factory Challenger with the rear panel painted black. There's always been a panel with the quarter chrome mouldings. But it sounds like some came with that panel black and that's a cool learning experience for me! And it makes sense that the body color would be under the black paint as they wouldn't mask off that area and would apply the black paint after like on the Cudas.

All SEs were silver. It's been an on going debate if the moulding was black or silver with the RT package and moulding package. I have only seen silver originals with the exception of one. It was a TA with the moulding package.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

I prefer it black , original or not

 

[moparleo]

The bodies were always painted completely first. Black out and organosol were masked off and painted later.
Can't stop the paint line for masking. Decals were also applied later.

 

[EV2RTSE]

The only 1970 Challenger model to get a black painted TAIL LIGHT panel was the T/A.

1970 Challenger SE, R/T SE, and Western Sport Special FINISH panels (bolted on) were textured argent (astrotone) silver, some say a few early ones were black from the factory but I'm skeptical of that.

On every other 1970 Challenger model the TAIL LIGHT panel, high performance or not, was supposed to be body color. Those restoration books often do more harm than good.

Lots of 1970 Challenger TAIL LIGHT and FINISH panels got painted black over the years because people thought they look better that way.

Unrestored 6300 mile 1970 Hemi Challenger R/T, the only thing that's been repainted on this car is the driver's fender, everything else on the car is original paint:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-dodge-challenger-r-t-hemi/

 

[Xcudame]

Thanks EV2RTSE for sort of confirming most of my memory. My memory was correct on the SE, RT/SE and WSS Challengers. And it makes sense the T/A Challengers would be painted as they were neither SE's or RT's.

At this point, some 50 plus years later, I say unless it's a real valuable car, paint it how you want or how you received it.

 

[6PKRTSE]

I prefer it black , original or not

I agree. I prefer the way mine looks rather than painted body color.

 

[Challenger RTA]

VLP. Having bought it from the original owner. in the mid 70's. 71 RT 340. There was blue paint under the black. the gold is flash rust.
Two shipmates took me to meet the owner. Fox from Kentucky and Griffith from Tennessee. We rolled up behind it in the dark and she looked STUNNING!. They were flabbergasted! Think about it we were 19 and in the Navy. They couldn't believe it. ME nether. I gave him the $1500 dollars signed the title and on my way smiling!

 

[TomIGo]

The only 1970 Challenger model to get a black painted TAIL LIGHT panel was the T/A. 1970 Challenger SE, R/T SE, and Western Sport Special FINISH panels (bolted on) were textured argent (astrotone) silver, some say a few early ones were black from the factory but I'm skeptical of that. On every other 1970 Challenger model the TAIL LIGHT panel, high performance or not, was supposed to be body color. Those restoration books often do more harm than good. Lots of 1970 Challenger TAIL LIGHT and FINISH panels got painted black over the years because people thought they look better that way. Unrestored 6300 mile 1970 Hemi Challenger R/T, the only thing that's been repainted on this car is the driver's fender, everything else on the car is original paint: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-dodge-challenger-r-t-hemi/ View attachment 132812

Did anyone follow the link to bringatrailer.com as I did and notice that beautiful 426ci Hemi, A34 Super Track Pack 70 Challenger sold for over $500K in 2022?!! WOW!

 

[sixpactogo]

My 70 R/T SE came from the factory Rallye Red with the Textured Argent Silver grille surround and tail panel. I built it the way I wanted it. Candy Apple with black grille surround and tail panel since the original factory parts were already used up.

 

[Xcudame]

Finally dug into the E-Body Reference Guide. See photo below .