New Project Ideas

[hotrod98]

I guess you've priced the correct parts. Last I checked the steel plug was $2400 and the glass was over a grand. Then you have to fab up the moldings. Vega hatches usually run less than $500 and include the plug, glass and moldings. I can alter a vega hatch and install it in about a day.
I'll bet there's a good chance that the steel that was used to make the vega hatch came from the same place that Mopar bought their steel from. 
I guess it depends on just how correct you want your clone to look. Remember...it's still a clone. Usually only knowledgeable Daytona guys can tell the difference.
I say use a vega plug and spend the dollars on something more important.  

Can you easily tell that this car has a vega hatch?

[jonw29]

I did not know that they were that affordable.

[hotrod98]

I'm a cheap b*st*rd. 

[Daytona R/T SE]

There ought to be a bunch of them things out there somwhere 

[Mike DC]

             
Wow, I didn't know anyone was making a steel repro of the window plug itself.  I knew the glass existed but I thought the plug would have to be a fiberglass copy. 

I didn't know the factory option was gonna add up to that kind of coin, either.  That helps make the Vega option start looking better again.



Has anyone ever put together a comparison photo of the two windows? 
 

[Daytona R/T SE]

           




Has anyone ever put together a comparison photo of the two windows?  
 

I don't know where I swiped these pics, but here goes:

[jaak]

           




Has anyone ever put together a comparison photo of the two windows?  
 

I don't know where I swiped these pics, but here goes:

Ive never seen a vega-hatch and a plug side by side....almost looks like the glass is up side down on the vega hatch....Daytona has bigger radius at top corners, smaller radius at bottom, and the Vega is vise-versa. Still close though.

Jason

[CornDogsCharger]

Thanks to everyone on the comments on my tallents.  It really means a lot to me. 

If I was on a budget where money was not an option, then I would have bought the $2K piece.... but as many of you here are, I too am on a shoestring budget.  I knew the wingcarfab piece was a high dollar piece.  That is why I didn't even think about going down that road. 

Justin
"CornDog"

[Charger-Bodie]

           




Has anyone ever put together a comparison photo of the two windows?  
 

I don't know where I swiped these pics, but here goes:

Funny thing about it is that the Vega opening matches up to the deck lid shape better than the original part....kinda looks at home if you ask me. The original style part is right I know , but the Vega part is a good option for the diff. in cash.

[hotrod98]

The main two things that I do to make the vega plug fit is 1.... I make a slit in both Charger sail panels so that the hatch fits down into the opening better, and 2...I use an english wheel to relax the lower part of the vega plug to make it lay down properly. You still have to make a couple of cuts at the lower glass corners to prevent it from buckling. I make the new trunk drip trough using a dutchman from a 71-74 b-body. To use this dutchman, you have to make the front lip of the altered deck lid a little wider to make the gasket fit properly to the step in the dutchman.
I will admit that the correct steel plug would make the conversion much easier but my labor is cheaper to me than the true Daytona parts. Besides it's kind of cool proving to yourself that you can do it. And, each one I do is a little easier and a little faster.
The real secret is to "not" weld anything up until everything is in place and you see that everything is going to fit.

[Mike DC]

  
These pics confirmed what I thought I had noticed about the Vega plugs in the past - the glass shape is extremely close but it looks upside-down compared to the stocker. (Hence the comments that it looks more correct against the decklid.)

I was going to suggest inverting the Vega plug, but then it occurred to me that the shape of the window at the sides would give it away.   

[hotrod98]

 
These pics confirmed what I thought I had noticed about the Vega plugs in the past - the glass shape is extremely close but it looks upside-down compared to the stocker. (Hence the comments that it looks more correct against the decklid.)

I was going to suggest inverting the Vega plug, but then it occurred to me that the shape of the window at the sides would give it away.   

That and the vega glass is couple of inches wider at the bottom. Would look kind of weird. 

[Mike DC]

Yeah, that's what I meant.  The bottom of the window is wider than the top.

   

[CornDogsCharger]

I posted an ad on craigslist looking for a complete OEM hatch.  The only reponse I got was a local guy saying that he had just a back glass and he wanted $35 for it.  I didn't jump on it right away.  Anyways, I have been getting most of my friends to keep an eye out for one.  On the Pull a Part website, I checked the local yard and surrounding areas to see if they had any Vegas on the lot.  The closest Pull a Part that had a Vega actually had two of them.  It was in East Atlanta which is over 6 hours from here.  They do not specify if it is a hatch or a wagon.  I didn't want to drive over 6 hrs one way to find two wagons sitting there.  I called and tried to talk with someone but you can not get a real person on the phone... only automated messages.  

So I contiuned calling friends to keep an eye out.  I called a friend of mine who is a Rep for Dupont.  He travels from body shop to body shop helping with any paint issues they might have.  Surely he could come across one in his travels.  Towards the end of our conversation I made the comment "I haven't seen you in a while, where have you been lately" and he said "Since the middle of last week I have been in Atlanta for a bunch of meetings and new products".  I said "Reeeeally, you would mind doing me a favor?"  

So yesterday morning he called me and said he was looking at my hatch.  Both Vegas were hatch cars but the other car was already missing it's hatch.  The only thing is, the back glass was busted out.  I told him about the $35 deal for the glass and to go ahead and get it.  Pull a Part sells everything for pretty much scrap value, plus a little.  So for the hatch without the glass was a whopping $26!!!  That pretty much made my day yesterday.  I can't wait to see it.  He said the window channel looks good but it has a little bit of rust on the rear lip, which doesn't really matter.  When I get it from him I wll post pictures.

Justin
"CornDog"

[moparstuart]

  :2thumbs:awesome 

[hotrod98]

What year is the vega? There are two different hatches. The early hatches had a vent right in the middle and makes them a little harder to use. Seems like the 71-73 hatches were the early style and the 74-77 were the late style.
All of the glasses are the same. The hardest part is finding a glass that someone hasn't scratched up using a kitchen utensil to scrape the ice off of them in the winter. Maybe that's a southern thing since we don't get much ice and people don't usually carry a regular ice scraper.

[jonw29]

Justin.Great deal.

[CornDogsCharger]

This one was remoned from a '76, so it's gonna be the smooth one.  I'm glad for that but I would have taken either just to have something to work with.

Justin
"CornDog"

[hotrod98]