The Dodge Challenger Message Board

This car would have been made at Hamtramck, MI. USA and then shipped overseas for final assembly.

Barry

fbernard wrote:

The "real" VIN would be BH23A0B170074, which would decode as a 170ci model.

In three different places is stamped 08 not 0B. Dash, tag and body number.
I haven´t any originals papers or build sheet on this car, this car was been many years in Sweden and coming to Finland 1991.

tyly wrote:In three different places is stamped 08 not 0B.

Yeah. They did that on the ones finish assembled in Europe.

dave-r wrote:

tyly wrote:In three different places is stamped 08 not 0B.

Yeah. They did that on the ones finish assembled in Europe.

Actually, the "8" looks like an upside-down keyhole pattern (flat top). And i've seen one on a dash VIN tag last week-end... on a 1990 Chrysler LeBaron 3.0L V6 5spd convertible. It was the exact same font.

the 08 (not 0b) cars were made (assembled) in 3 countries in Europe

haven't seen any 18 so i think they stopped before the model year 1971

there were also A and B-bodies built

all begin with 0817

and TYLY has the lowest VIN that i know of

Lets start over with the basics.

There were only two assembly plants in the world that made 1970 E-Bodies.

They were located at Los Angeles, CA and Hamtramck, Michigan.

The LA plant did not build cars for export.

Hamtramck did.

The 1970 export cars that were made at Hamtramck as incompete cars carried a partial VIN that started with "08".

0 is the last digit of the model year - 1970 and the 8 designates that it was built at Hamtramck and shipped to another country for final assembly.

1970 Hamtramck cars with 17xxxx VIN numbers were likely scheduled to be built in November of 1969. (1970 model year)

Barry

yes, Barry thats the facts

but I'm not sure about the built day because as you know they also made 17xxxx beginning cars with the B plant code, 0B17XXXX

if i remember right i have seen the same vin with B and 8 plant code, i've to try to check this out

november would sound alright because the north american market had already got they share of the new model year cars so it would now be time for the rest of the world.
usually the new model year cars was showed later here in Europe than the north america

Just for whatever it is worth;

The earliest SPD I have for a 1970 Hamtramck export car so far is 9-2-1969 and the latest is 6-16-1970.

Any particular order for cars would get assigned VIN numbers as the orders came in. If this group of cars with the 08 17xxxx numbers were all recieved at the same time, from the same place, the VIN numbers would very likely be sequential.

Barry

Alaskan_TA wrote:Just for whatever it is worth;

The earliest SPD I have for a 1970 Hamtramck export car so far is 9-2-1969 and the latest is 6-16-1970.

Any particular order for cars would get assigned VIN numbers as the orders came in. If this group of cars with the 08 17xxxx numbers were all recieved at the same time, from the same place, the VIN numbers would very likely be sequential.

Barry

There were a handful of "special orders" (including my own JH27N0B232739, SPD January 15th, 1970 if I remember correctly), and a batch of 24 cars ordered at the same time for 1970.
For the first "special ordered" cars, I don't remember the quantity, but it's below 10. How all the others were titled is a mystery, since there si no record of a crash test, and more than 15 cars could not be titled without one. But some of the 24 were probably sold new in adjoining countries (Belgium, most likely).

Not all export cars for europe had the 08 in the VIN, at least for 1971.
I used to own a 1971 barracuda A93 and that car was a Hamtramck built special order export car for belgium. It was a sold car and was destined to be at the 1971 show in brussels. The VIN was BH23BIB...... with a scedualed production date of november 1970.

Antoon

Hi everybody,

Every now and then, something turns up that changes what we thought was true...

Yesterday, I was talking with a member of my club that's the local expert on French-"built" Mopars.

Well, it turns out he interviewed one retired worker from Peugeot (formerly of Talbot, formerly of Simca), who remembered the Challengers and Barracudas. He also distinctly remembered that all the cars that were assembled here were in fact not assembled at the Simca plant in Poissy. At the time, the only plants in Europe that did the assembly were in Holland and in Switzerland.

All cars that were sold new in France, except for the special orders (convertibles, racecars and a handful hardtops), were assembled in Schinznach.
(which brings the question why, since it was previously believed to be done to avoid importation taxes - I wonder if they were any worse for the US than for Switzerland)

I have found an intresting article. I think it was printed in 1969. It is in swedish though, so I have tried to translate it into english. Do you got any comments?

Chrysler 1969 - american cars built in europe.

The 1969 Chrysler models sold by ANA in Sweden are imported, with a few exceptions, from the Chrysler factory in Rottterdam. This means that the cars are now more "europe-ized" and abundantly equipped than before. All V8 models have power steering, differential lock, special anti-roll bar as standard . All cars (both cars with 6- and V8-engines) are equipped with fully automatic transmissions, high-speed tyres, electric clocks, full-light flasher and so on. In addition, reel seat belts and an anti-theft lockers were mounted in Sweden. As before, all models are still equipped with power brakes and disc brakes on the front wheels. The front and rear seats are substantially more comfortable than before, particularly in the common Valiant and Dart models. The production in Rotterdam is fully tailored to the Swedish requirements. For instance is rust protection and undercoating treatment done according to Swedish practice. It works both as a sound isolation and as a protection against rust and corrosion.

Interesting stuff that, reminds me of all those rotten GM cars that came from Antwerp

Adrian Worman wrote:Interesting stuff that, reminds me of all those rotten GM cars that came from Antwerp

Aren´t ALL GM cars rotten?

My 1972 Challenger is a Belgian import.

Here is the VIN.

JH 23C2B399861

Not getting anything on Barrys Hamtrack decoder....

RedRaven wrote:Not getting anything on Barrys Hamtrack decoder....

What do you want to do? I am not sure I follow you. I did use another decoder on the net and got this answer:

Car Line: J = Dodge Challenger
Price Class: H = High
Body Type: 23 = 2 Door Hardtop
Engine: C = 225 110HP(net) 1-1BBL 6 CYL
Model Year: 2 = 1972
Assembly Plant: B = Dodge Main, Hamtramck, MI, USA
Sequence Number: 399861 = 299861th Vehicle

(From: http://www.dodgechallenger.co.uk/challe ... decode.htm )

I could have told you that without a de-coder.

It's the tags on the inner fender and the dash plate that might be different to a US version. As well as the Km speedo of course.

I was just talking with Craner about this Chally and the fact that its a Belgian import.......not too many Challys around with that kinda history plus the Primal Scream connection to boot, I am gonna do a peak about vid on sat to show the condition of her as she aint really that bad and I know she was a 6 banger but she has a 440 to go with her......

As I said mate. It is the other tags that will show it is a European version. Although there is probably something on that build sheet too if you look in the right place.

Do you have a photo or scan that shows the whole top line of the broadcast sheet?

Here it is.

Think we need a clearer picture than that mate.

Can you do a photo of the top section that is in focus at all??

Or scan it and then save the image and then post it up
Will the broadcast sheet have information on it directly relating to European assembly?
How much actual manufacturing and assembly was there to be done at the US factory and how much at the European factory?

It was only minor stuff done in Europe. Lighting and stuff like that where it has to conform to Euro Spec. Just the same as my Corvette.

I was chattin to the bollox Wayne on the phone at lunchtime and we were discussin this topic. My 72 car was a very plain spec car regarding creature comforts, but it seemed to be well specced for safety, power steering, power discs, 8 3/4 rear with big drums, elec ign, 3 sp wipers, driver and pass door mirrors etc.
Is it possible this car was made to the same specs as a Euro export car and then not sold to Europe? Did all the later cars like the 72-4 come from the factory with similar specs to this as standard? Only interested cos I can't see why you'd bother doin all that to a 318 poverty spec car, I always thought the buying public at the time would rather spend money on electric windows, adj mirrors, air etc

I thought electronic ignition was from 73-on? I might be remembering wrong.

But power steering and power brakes, door mirrors etc were pretty much the norm by then. All Challengers (apart from manual 440 and 426 cars) came with the 8-3/4 axle anyway. No, the spec of your car is nothing special really for that time. Insurance problems made anything bigger than a 318 just about unaffordable. Safety was starting to become a selling point too. I don't know but I can imagine the insurance companies might have been offering lower premium quotes on the cars with safety options?

Yeah I can understand the industry U turn on their marketing of what was once a product sold based only on its performance potential.
It was the safety options that the European markets would have required that got me and Wayne thinking about it.
When I look back at the advertising efforts of the later models its easy to see the manufacturers distancing themselves from any performance aspirations.
The demise of the muscle car is a very interesting topic

Yeah those safety features were a must in order to conform with Euro spec Id say.

Here she is in her current condition.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa4C-DGGtxI