PHOTO 4: The bumper mounting bolts are found near the core support on the outside of each frame rail.
PHOTO 5: With all of the bumper retainer bolts removed the bumper assembly can be slid forward and off the car. Having two people for this step really helps: one to remove the bolts, the other to remove the bumper.
PHOTO 6: Bumper teardown begins with the bumper mounting brackets. There are two of these Y-shaped assemblies on the bumper, one on the right and one on the left.
PHOTO 7: You can access the small bolts holding the headlamp doors in place through this small hole on the grille mounting panel.
Since I’m talking about the valance panel, take a close look at the condition of this one. Under normal circumstances I would remove and trash this panel. However, valance panels for 1970 Chargers are hard to come by. Despite the major damage to this one, I decide to repair it. I’ll show you how later.
With the bumper assembly removed from the car and placed face down on the workbench, I can begin disassembly. I remove the bumper mounting brackets first, and label each one’s location (right/left, inner/outer) as it’s being removed.
Next to go are the headlamp doors. With the actuator motor and the actuator rod already removed, the doors open and close freely. When the doors are opened just enough to expose the bolts through small access ports in the grille frame, I find the retainer bolts. (See the pointer in the center of photo 7.) I remove the bolts and slide the doors free of the grille assembly.
The grille is bolted to a grille surround panel, which is mounted to the bumper. A variety of bolts and screws attach the grille. Remove the bolts and screws, turn the entire bumper assembly over, and carefully lift the grille out.
The grille surround panel goes next. I turn the bumper assembly back over and remove all of the remaining bolts. Note: These bolts are stove-bolt-head-type bumper bolts and are only accessible after the grille has been removed from the surround panel. The surround should lift free of the bumper once the bolts are removed. I leave the surround intact for now. I then set the surround panel aside along with the bumper mounting brackets, and photograph them. I will disassemble and refinish these parts later.
I will remove the fenders in the very near future, so now is the time to go ahead and remove the headlamp bucket assemblies. Each bucket assembly is mounted in a specific location. I mark each assembly as I remove it (right/left, inner/outer). I do leave the adjustment/retainer screws in place because I determine that it would be almost impossible to remove these items now with the fenders still on the car, without breaking them. Since they are made of plastic and are old and brittle, I will replace them with new ones later on; but for now I prefer to have them intact.
Remove Tail Lamps
I begin by unplugging the lamp sockets from the tail lamp assemblies. I inspect the sockets for rust, broken wires, and anything else that might be wrong with this part of the wiring. Then I remove all of the bulbs and store them where they won’t be broken. I’ll be replacing the bulbs with new ones later, so the only reason for keeping them is to get an accurate count of how many 1157, 1156, and 1895 bulbs I’ll need when I start putting the Charger back together.
PHOTO 8: With the bolts removed, I slightly turn the headlamp doors.
PHOTO 9: The plastic grille is inset into the bumper assembly and must be removed from the front side. With the screws and small bolts removed, the grille will come right out.
PHOTO 10: Removing the grille exposes the grille surround panel bolts. After removal, place the bumper face down and lift out the grille surround panel.
PHOTO 11: Which is which and how does it go? We’re not ready to break these components apart yet, but having a photograph of the entire unit will be helpful once these pieces are broken apart for refinishing.
PHOTO 12: The headlamp mounting panels are actually part of the fenders and not part of the core support. Removing the headlamp bucket assemblies is as simple as unscrewing the retainer spring and sliding the assemblies out of the adjustment screws.
PHOTO 13: As long as we are tearing down the bumper assembly we might as well remove the rubber bumper-to-fender filler. Also notice I have already removed the vibration damper as well as the bumper-to-fender bracket.
The tail lamp mounting bolts are inside the trunk. I remove the bolts, lift out the assemblies, and inspect both lens and housings for cracks. The cracked housing can be repaired and the reflective coating can be replaced using the Eastwood Company Reflective Aluminum paint #10005Z. A cracked lens must be replaced, so be sure to note the condition of all these parts on your master checklist before storing them.
In addition to the tail lamp assemblies, the Charger also has a tail lamp bezel that covers the entire rear body panel. Today this bezel is referred to as a finish panel. It’s bolted from the inside. I remove the bezel and note the condition of the panel on the checklist as good with a note that it needs to be polished and then refinished to remove a number of small scratches.
I also remove the front and rear side marker lamps as well as the backup lamps. I note the condition of each of the lamps on the master checklist, and then store them to be cleaned, polished, and refinished later.
Remove Moldings
Fortunately, from the standpoint of having to replace damaged moldings, the Charger has relatively few exterior moldings. I’ve already removed the door and quarter panel belt moldings as well as the moldings around the windshield and back glass. This leaves only the left and right quarter-to-sail panel trim moldings to remove.
Quarter-to-sail panel trim moldings are two-piece V-shaped moldings that wrap around each sail panel to separate the painted area of the quarter panel from the vinyl roof cover. Each molding is bolted and clipped on using plastic clips. The bolts can be found by crawling inside the trunk and looking up.
With the speed nuts removed, I like to use the door trim panel tool to gently pry the moldings free of the plastic clips. The right outer molding on my Charger is broken. I add it to the master checklist as well as to the salvage parts list in the hopes of finding a used one later on.
The drip moldings, not to be confused with the quarter-to-sail panel trim moldings, are narrow chrome covers found over the drip channels running along the sides of the roof panel. There are at least two drip moldings per side. Note: Drip moldings are fragile—very fragile—and if they are not removed correctly, they could easily be destroyed.
