1974 Challenger Build Dates

by **David Robson (Admin)** » 12 Jul 2002 20:23

An amazing percentage of you guys on here have 1974 Challengers. What are your build dates?

A guy here in England has a 74 with the fender tag date April 22nd 1974. The VIN number is JH23G4B381969. Anyone got a sequence number near that??

On my own web page it states that the last Challengers were built in March.

There are several options here.

As the date is just a scheduled production date and not the actual build date could they have built the car before April?

As this is an export car (for France) could it be that it was the USA spec cars that ended in March and these foreign orders were finished off after that?

Or did production carry on until June?

Any one know? Any one got a late build date on their car?

by **Dave-R (Roppa440)** » 15 Jul 2002 10:43

Well this thread is popular isn't it!

Come on all you 1974 owners! Any March or later build dates?

Anyone any thoughts or info on when the last Challengers were made?

by **David Willekens (Dodgefre** » 09 Sep 2003 15:04

HI i'm david from belgium(europa) i just bought myself also a '74 challenger(came from california), the sticker inside the left door also tells me "date of manufacture 4-74-c"
the Vin number is : JH23L4B373198, dodge does'nt exist officilly in belgium, any kind of information is welcome, the car is in bad condition, i would like to make him new again!
it was sold me as a real "rallye" version (paid the import-dude 9500euro).It has the special hood and al the rest that a rallye needs, but it has magnum wheels... is this original?
ps = where do i find the fender tags?

by **Dave-R (Roppa440)** » 09 Sep 2003 15:17

The fender tag is on the top of the inner fender.

This link shows you where.
http://www.challenger440.pwp.blueyonder. co.uk/cgi-bin/disc/show.cgi?tpc=6&post=4 119#POST4119

If your car still has the tag please reproduce it in the VIN/Options section of this board under a new thread so we can see what options it came with originally.
14 inch magnum wheels are most likely correct.

by **Doug Orr (Doug444ut)** » 10 Sep 2003 17:04

Well, my '74 was built way before the end, it would seem, from the VIN sequence of 202911. No fender tag or build sheet, so that's all I've got to go on.

by **dodgefreak** » 23 Oct 2003 16:40

Dave-R (Roppa440) wrote:The fender tag is on the top of the inner fender.

This link shows you where.
<a href="http://www.challenger440.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/cgi-bin/disc/show.cgi?tpc=6&post=4119#POST4119" target="_blank">http://www.challenger440.pwp.blueyonder. co.uk/cgi-bin/disc/show.cgi?tpc=6&post=4 119#POST4119</a>

If your car still has the tag please reproduce it in the VIN/Options section of this board under a new thread so we can see what options it came with originally.
14 inch magnum wheels are most likely correct.

here is a picture of the vin-codes...

by **72 Challenger (Hans)** » 23 Oct 2003 19:19

I assume you like to know your tag specified, well here are the codes as far as I know or can find them. (you know it's been a while)

E58 - 360 4bbl
D34 - 727 TorqueFlite trans
JH - model Challenger
23 - body model 2dr hardtop
L - 360 4bbl
4 - 1974
B - Produced at Hammtrack
373198 - Seq. Production #

FE5 - Rally Red exterior
A6X9 - Black vinyl bucket interior
000 - don't remember
412 - Built date April 12th?
C29985 - Dealer order #

V1X - Black side (rallye) stripes
C - Built by Canadian specs
A57 - Rallye package
B41 - Front power disc brakes
C16 - Center console
C56 - Bucket seats

G55 -
G65 -
G75 -
J25 - Var. speed wipers w/ electric washer
J54 - So called R/T hood
M05 - Door edge protectors ?

M21 -
M26 -
N41 -
N42 -
N76 -

N95 - Emission control
R11 - AM Radio
V6X -
26 - 26" radiator
L2 - End of option list
505 -

Hope somebody can cover the blanks and/or decode the ones I have done wrong, as said, it's been a while since I checked into option codes etc. These I knew out of the big head but the others...

by **moparmaniac (owner4)** » 24 Oct 2003 11:08

000- Full door panel
G55- LH sport mirror/ painted
G65- RH sport mirror/ painted
G75- Dual sport mirrors
M21- roof rail mouldings
M26- Wheel opening mouldings
N41- Dual exhaust
N42- Chrome exhaust tips
V6X- Sport stripes/ Longitudinal stripe/ Black
V1X- Black vinyl top

by **dodgefreak** » 25 Oct 2003 8:53

moparmaniac wrote:000- Full door panel
G55- LH sport mirror/ painted
G65- RH sport mirror/ painted
G75- Dual sport mirrors
M21- roof rail mouldings
M26- Wheel opening mouldings
N41- Dual exhaust
N42- Chrome exhaust tips
V6X- Sport stripes/ Longitudinal stripe/ Black
V1X- Black vinyl top

what are "roof rail mouldings?" :oops:

by **dave-r** » 25 Oct 2003 9:57

They are the polished stainless steel trims that run along the edge of the roof over the side glass area.

by **Jen** » 27 Oct 2003 12:44

N76 coolant recover system ?

by **moparmaniac (owner4)** » 27 Oct 2003 23:39

yep, your right! oops, I missed that one. Thanks.

by **Jen** » 28 Oct 2003 13:04

V6X- Strobe stripes black
Starts at front fender scoops

by **transman** » 30 Oct 2003 14:59

My 74 has a build date of April 12th.
vin JH23L4B373140

Graham

by **insuranceguy** » 30 Oct 2003 16:55

Is the build date on the second to last line on a fender tag, after the 000?

by **dave-r** » 30 Oct 2003 17:10

Yes. first digit or letter is month. Second two digits is the day.

Example. 403 is April 3rd while B14 is November 14th.

by **transman** » 30 Oct 2003 18:26

I'm going to try this again, as I'm having server problems at home.
I had it pointed out to me , at a recent Mopar show, that April 1974 was the last month - year, the Challenger was built.
This makes sense, as the factory has to tool up for the new model year, and typically in the old days, new cars (in this case 1975 models) would be introduced in September of 1974.
I worked for a GM dealer in the early 70's and as I recall, the last month for factory ordering a new car , for the current model year, was February.
It would really be interesting though to find out if anyone has a Challenger with a build date of later than April.

Graham

by **insuranceguy** » 30 Oct 2003 20:43

Looks like mine is 08/29/1973. Thank's Dave!

by **dave-r** » 30 Oct 2003 20:45

I am very interested myself in finding out exactly when the last Challengers rolled off the lines at Hamtramck and at the LA plant.

I have a pencil rubbing of a tag with a build date of April 22nd 1974. Number 381969. Export car.

by jr » 30 Oct 2003 21:29

Here's mine. Not April tho. Someone decoded codes for me couple years ago.

L2 154
J25 M21 M26 N76 R11 V5X
KT5 C B41 C16 C56 G51
KT5 A6X9 000 313 C65634
E44 D34 JH23G4B354956

E44 = 318 V8
D34 = AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
JH23 = CHALLENGER 2 DOOR HARDTOP
G = 318 V8/150 HP
4 = 1974
B = HAMTRAMCK MICHIGAN
354956 = PRODUCTION NUMBER
KT5 = SIENNA TAN METALLIC
A6X9 = BLACK VINYL BUCKET SEATS
000 = UPPER DOOR FRAME PAINT
313 = 13 MARCH 1974 (WEDNESDAY)
C65634 = ORDER NUMBER
C = MANUFACTURED FOR CANADIAN MARKET
B41 = FRONT POWER DISK BRAKES
C16 = FLOOR CONSOLE
C56 = BUCKET SEATS
G51 = LEFT HAND OUTSIDE CHROMED MANUAL MIRROR
J25 = VARIABLE WINDSHIELD WIPERS
M21 = DRIP TROUGH MOULDINGS
M26 = WHEEL LIP MOULDINGS
N76 = COOLANT RECOVERY SYSTEM
R11 = AM MUSIC MASTER RADIO 2 WATT
V5X = BLACK VINYL INSERTED BODYSIDE MOULDINGS
L2 154 = ???

by **dave-r** » 30 Oct 2003 22:46

L2 is production line two. Used to be marked as EN2 on older tags. i suspect the numbers after it are inspection marks of some kind.

by **dodgefreak** » 03 May 2005 17:16

dave-r wrote:I am very interested myself in finding out exactly when the last Challengers rolled off the lines at Hamtramck and at the LA plant.

I have a pencil rubbing of a tag with a build date of April 22nd 1974. Number 381969. Export car.

dave, did you actually found the last challenger ? or the last challenger alive? i was hoping that mine was the youngest survivor....

by **dave-r** » 03 May 2005 18:22

No I didn't! It would be interesting to find out.

by **JackT** » 08 May 2005 20:53

An friend of mine just bought a 74 318 Challenger..... I'll have to get the date that one was built and throw it in here.