PHOTO 7: The rear upper seat cushion is hung from this clip. Remove the seat by pushing it back and up to free it from the clip.
PHOTO 8: A more commonly found type of window regulator knob retainer is the spring clip. The tool shown with this clip is necessary to remove this type of clip. The tool slips behind the regulator knob to push the retainer clip free of the knob and release the knob from the regulator.
PHOTO 9: Here are three different trim panel retainer clips and the tool I use to remove them. The clip on the far left was used to retain the upper door trim panel on the Charger and is still used today on many vehicles. The center clip was used on the lower door trim panel and is rarely used today. The right clip is a plastic clip found on most vehicles today. It can be used in place of either of the metal clips.
PHOTO 10: I remove the upper trim piece using the same tool while being careful to gently pry each clip free of the doorframe and not damage the trim piece. Once freed, the trim piece can be lifted up and off the doorframe.
PHOTO 11: To remove the headliner, all of the metal clips holding it in place must be removed. We will reuse the clips when we are ready to reinstall the new headliner.
PHOTO 12: With the retainer clips removed we begin working our way around the perimeter of the headliner, pulling it free of the adhesive holding it in place, leaving nothing but the bows that hold the headliner in place.
PHOTO 13: To remove the headliner, gently grasp the bow and pull it down. Since the bow is actually a spring, it will pop down and come free of the retainer clips found along each side of the roof assembly.
PHOTO 14: The kick panels go next. Notice I wear protective gloves to protect myself against “bites” from parts.
PHOTO 15: The scuff plates come out next. I label them and store them with similar parts.
PHOTO 16: Why is it consoles are always full of junk? This one was no exception. The unit comes out in one piece thanks to two bolts located inside this compartment, plus two more located under the shifter.
You may have to remove the accelerator pedal to free the carpet. The bolts holding the pedal in place are located either in front of the pedal, behind the pedal, or underneath the vehicle. The ones in my Charger are located under the car. The carpet should be ready to come out now.
Hopefully you find a pristine floor pan under the carpet just waiting for a fresh coat of paint. I find some rust under the dash area on the driver’s side of the car. Fortunately, it is minor and will not require any sheet metal replacement. If you find rust in your vehicle, it may be time to pull out the sheet metal source catalog and place an order.
Now we are at a point where the only things left to remove from the interior are the glass, dash, and a few small trim clips. I remove, label, and store away the tiny trim clips, including the mounting clips for the roof-mounted seat belts and the headliner retainer clips. I’m leaving the dash until later.
Next we will tackle the removal of the windshield, back glass, door glasses, and quarter windows along with their associated components, as well as the belt moldings, latches, and exterior handles on the doors.
PHOTO 17: Finally, I remove the carpet. In this case the padding comes out with the carpet. I separate them later, as I will need to use the padding as a pattern when cutting out the replacement padding to put under the new carpet.
PHOTO 18: The interior of the Charger is mostly gutted, and the floor pan shows very few signs of rust. I will remove the shifter mechanism, glass, and dash later.
PHOTO 1: Finally, the seal strip and the belt molding can be removed. The belt molding was held on with Phillips head screws while the seal strip was held on with metal spring clips.
CHAPTER THREE
Glass Removal
When removing glass, I prefer to start with the driver’s door. I often find broken or damaged runners, slides, glides, and rollers in the bottom of the door when I tear it down, and I don’t always know where and how each of those parts is supposed to work. Getting a look at the broken or worn-out parts fixes them in my mind so when I begin teardown on the passenger side, which is usually in better condition, I am quickly able to determine where and how each of these damaged items should work. I also take photographs.
The Charger has manual windows, and after operating the driver’s side regulator, I decide to note this mechanism on the master checklist as badly worn. The crank handle is hard to turn and the glass has a tendency to shift in the guides as it moves up. This indicates that the regulator has seen better days so I place the regulator on the salvage parts list as well, just in case I get lucky and find a body with a good regulator still in the door.
Remove Door Glass
I start by rolling the door glass three-quarters of the way up and removing the C-shaped rear run channel found at the rear of the glass. Next, I unbolt the regulator by removing the four bolts holding it in place. Then I slip the regulator arm from the channel attached to the bottom of the glass and remove it from the door. Note: You have to physically hold the door glass up to prevent it from dropping to the bottom of the door as you remove the regulator. Once you’ve removed the regulator, you can allow the glass to slide slowly to the bottom of the door. Caution! Don’t let the glass drop!
The vent glass assembly has six bolts holding it in place: two are hiding behind plastic trim buttons near the front of the door, one is located underneath the door, and the others are near the upper hinge. But that’s not all. Chrysler’s sense of humor was running rampant in 1970. It chose to hide an additional hex (Allen head) bolt behind the small access hole. I have to loosen it before the vent assembly will slide back so I can lift it up and out of the door. Note: As you lift the vent glass assembly out of the door, allow the door glass itself to travel down free of the forward run channel, which is a part of the vent glass assembly. I will disassemble the vent glass unit later, but for now let’s continue with the door glass teardown.
The door glass has a small plastic knob located near the lower rear corner of the glass. I remove the Phillips head screw from the knob and then the knob from the glass using a pair of pliers to gently
