The Dodge Challenger Message Board

Anyone know about Europen assembley of Challenger's?? In Sweden there are 3 cars 2 1970 and 1 1971 years that according information should be of European assy. This cars don't have any normal VIN only a number. The both 70's are scrapped and the 71 I have not been able to reach the owner.

The chassis id are following for the 70's "08178660" and "Å08170407"
Could it be Graz production in Austria? I don't know when Chrysler started there or could it be made from CKD kits??
As I mayself has worked international in the automotive industry for 30 years I know that for CKD kits normaly the supplier gives the identity chassis no. and not the assy plant.

Regards
PeO Peterson

We have threads on here that give the details on this. I don't have time at the moment to find them but have a look around. Also look up Jens 'survivor' in the photos section as I think there was some info with that?

Thanks, I'll search around.
PeO

I think the thread "Challengers assambled in Europe" was deleted when we moved to this new MB. I have tried to find it but I can´t. Anyway, here is a link to Jens I-code car: http://challenger.mpoli.fi/phpbb/viewto ... =7166#7166

From that thread;

Right Dave. My car was direct factory order, build in the US, shipped factory direct to the importer in Switzerland in 1971 and was converted to Euro specs.

The funny VIN numbers are from some european states, the vehicle inspectors have own numbers for better identificaton. So they put those numbers right on the car and they removed the old VIN number. I had this done to another american-build car around 12 years ago.

I have seen these funny VIN numbers myself. In particular on the French cars sold through SIMCA dealers. But I am sure all the cars were shipped almost complete and not assembled in Europe.

dave-r wrote: But I am sure all the cars were shipped almost complete and not assembled in Europe.

I think you are right on spot there, Dave.

Something to read about on a rainy sunday....

[quote="PeO"]Anyone know about Europen assembley of Challenger's?? In Sweden there are 3 cars 2 1970 and 1 1971 years that according information should be of European assy. This cars don't have any normal VIN only a number. The both 70's are scrapped and the 71 I have not been able to reach the owner.

The chassis id are following for the 70's "08178660" and "Å08170407"
Could it be Graz production in Austria? I don't know when Chrysler started there or could it be made from CKD kits??
As I mayself has worked international in the automotive industry for 30 years I know that for CKD kits normaly the supplier gives the identity chassis no. and not the assy plant.

Regards
PeO Peterson[/quote]

I would think it entirely possible that the Chassis ID #s are just that, so if the importer mistook the 0B for 08, then the Chassis numbers from Hamtramck would have been 0B 178660 (Most likely a Cuda) and 0B 170407 would have most likely been a Challenger, both are based on other VINs near them that I have on file.


T/Ake care,
Barry

I think I wrote the following on the old board:
On a message board in switzerland (www.mopars.ch) was the same discussion.
Someone there told that in the AMAG Schinznach were US cars assembled (mostly A-Body´s).
Also the AMAG Schinznach was the main enterprise which imported US cars.
They got sometimes the chassis and the rest of the car and assembled it (there should be some E-Body´s around which were assembled there).
These cars could be recognised by a plate beneath the fender tag on which stands AMAG Schinznach.

Alaskan_TA wrote: I would think it entirely possible that the Chassis ID #s are just that, so if the importer mistook the 0B for 08, then the Chassis numbers from Hamtramck would have been 0B 178660 (Most likely a Cuda) and 0B 170407 would have most likely been a Challenger, both are based on other VINs near them that I have on file.


T/Ake care,
Barry

Such a good idea, Barry! I find it very likely that you have solved this mystery. (....or )

Well, I would like to think so, but I know nothing of EU assembled cars.

Hopefully some one can locate one of these cars and supply some photos of the numbers, that would clear it up.

Barry

This EU assy story continues!
There are (has been) 6 Challenger with suspicious VIN.
1970 08170407
1970 08178660
1971 08177236
The other three I don’t know if there are misprint by the authorities at import but serial no. are also starting with 0817***
1970 JH23A0817661
1970 JH23A0817654
1970 JM23A0817307
I don’t know if these three cars shall be with engine code H and the 8 should be a B??

I have been able to find some pictures of “EU assy” cars not Challenger but one Cuda and one Charger.

I thinl these pics is what Barry like to see.

Regards
PeO

Sorry one pic was dubble, should be this.

Today I mess up everything, the correct VIN for the three last should be.

JH23A08178661

JH23A08178654

JM23A08170307

I think it's time to sleep now!!!

PeO

One of the French guys has a HemiCuda with a VIN like that.

Very cool PeO,

I have not seen those dash tags before. Are the photos of 08174924 and the fender tag for 287147 on the same car? If so, it seams odd that the last six digits would not match for the EU cars. There is no Chrysler Corporation logo on the 08 tag, and it is hard to tell if that is a rivet or screw but it is not the normal rivet for sure. I am wondering if the importing authority removed the original VIN and replaced it with their own?

The photos deffinately blow my little theory of "08" could be "0B" right out of the water.

Thanks for the photos!

Barry

Alaskan_TA wrote: I am wondering if the importing authority removed the original VIN and replaced it with their own?

The photos deffinately blow my little theory of "08" could be "0B" right out of the water.

Barry

Isn´t it a bit too early to discard your theory, Barry? What if the VIN plate and the door sticker were destroyed during transportation from US to europe. Maybe the authorities thought it was the best way to check the numbers on the engine and trans, and rename the vehicle according to these numbers? (See also: http://challenger.mpoli.fi/phpbb/viewto ... =4119#4119 )

Hey Christer,
I hate to throw any theory by the wayside if it has any merit, weather it is one of mine or not.

The only way to really prove my theory would be to have photos of the chassis number and the 08 VIN from the same car.

A way to disprove it would be to show an 08 VIN on a car not built at Hamtramck in 1970, ("0B") like a Charger or other B-body perhaps?

I am quite curious about this and know less, so any comments or photos would be appreciated.

T/Ake care,
Barry

Hi peo thank you for the link i am looking also for the same info ;happely Mike from Dunkirk helpt me out with some info ,if i find somethings out ill keep you informt

Hi i own a 71 Challenger RT ( 383 magnum / now hemi 426 )

Witch was build at schinznach switzerland.

The schinznach tag no = 60429

In my second tag there is a Y39 ( special order) code wich i dont know
what it means ? anyone else on this forum who has / knows it ?

This car has full option lists. ( airco / electr windows 4 / powers / power
brakes / etc etc.

If anybody needs info or nows info , like to chat !

Thanks !

At last! Photos of the dash tag and fender tag, it does look theer is a correlation between the "08" and the "0B";

2

3

It is a '70 Barracuda now for sale stateside;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... _Stores_IT

In my second tag there is a Y39 ( special order) code wich i dont know
what it means ? anyone else on this forum who has / knows it ?

This car has full option lists. ( airco / electr windows 4 / powers / power
brakes / etc etc.

Y39 is Special Order.... many heavily-optioned cars were Special Ordered cars. If you have the fender tag, please post it line by line as it appears and we will be happy to decode it for you.

I don't see any Challenger Schinznach tags here, so for what it's worth, I'll post mine. With a strong will and a looking glass you can actually see the chassis numbers

AMAG in Schinznach, near Zurich, Switzerland was the biggest importer for Chrysler cars in Europe back then. As far as I know, only for cars for the Swiss market, this was the biggest market in Europe back then for Chrysler. People in Switzerland loved US-Cars back in the 60's and 70's. It was hip and chic to drive an American automobile. Those cars were shipped partly assembled to Switzerland and AMAG did the final assembly of the cars. The parts that AMAG put on were for example: front lights, fenders, hood, interior parts... My car for example is a 72 Rallye, the fenders were put on by AMAG, with studs, instead of the regular screws. The same studs the T/A Challengers have. I am sure there are other AMAG Challengers with T/A fender studs. Rust was a big problem in Switzerland, so most cars were sprayed with "Tuff-Cote-Dinol" for rust protection, they drilled small holes in the body and spayed it in. This helped, it even works after 35 years ! So back to the point, if you see an Export Challenger it is probably a Swiss AMAG car.

A few cars were shipped to France, to the Simca Company. FBernard owns one, he can answer questions about the French Challengers better than me.

I am not sure about Sweden, Christer should be able to help.

There were a few cars officially exported to the United Arabian Emirates (Dubai...) and to Lebanon. I know of two Export Challengers that were sold new in Beirut by a Chrysler Agent. There will be a story about those two cars on my website soon.

Thanks, Jack, Jens, Barry, neat interesting info. BTW, Jens, we had a Tuff Cote Dinol rustproofing facility here in Ind. about 15 years ago. They rustproofed my W-150 Power Ram 4x4 when I purchased it new in late 89. There is not a speck of rust on it. They dont/didn't use the milky caramel looking stuff of todays rustproofers. It resembled the old sixties alsphaltic, tar based stuff. They went out of business here after a few years. It was the best 180.00 I spent on that truck. In this area rust free Dodge trucks of that age are a rarity, bigtime!!I didnt know they were or had an international heritage.

This is tags on my barracuda -70 198 six and floor manual. Grille is -71 model and probaply original. I don´t know, what is the original colour, now she is FC7.This car is made in Antwerben, Belgium?

tyly wrote:This is tags on my barracuda -70 198 six and floor manual. Grille is -71 model and probaply original. I don´t know, what is the original colour, now she is FC7.This car is made in Antwerben, Belgium?

Most probably not the original grille, since this is a 1970 model.

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

It doesn't have to be made in Belgium, maybe it was just sold there.

It certainly was "assembled" in Europe though : the dash VIN plate is clearly like the French ones, with only the last 8 digits of the VIN stamped on it. BTW, the '4' looks funny with the incomplete diagonal bar (it's probably all original though, since you have the proper rivets).