Advice on buying a 1971 Challenger • The Dodge Challenger Message Board

by **dodge1969** » 21 Sep 2006 17:00

I have the opportunity of buying a 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T. It's almost compleat but needs a full interior and exterior restoration. The car has almost no rust, all the panels are good. Just needs a paint job. The interior is compleat, but all panels are in bad shape, can they be restored or must be replaced? The upholstery is not original, must be redonde, also the ceiling and carpet. The instrument panel is compleat, front console needs work. Some exterior chromes are missing. The front grill is broken.
However, the engine is not the original, it's a 383 from a 1963 Chrysler Newport. There's a posibility of getting a 440 engine from a 1967-68 Chrysler Imperial.

I have several questions: A Challenger without the original engine (the drivetrain is also not the original) is still worth something? How much? Is the Newport engine similar to the one used in the Challenger? Is the 440 engine from the Imperial the same as the one used in the Challenger? t's not the 6-pak, it has only 2 carbs. Perhaps it can be converted?

They are asking 4.5k for the car with the 383 or the 440 engine, it's my choice. I live in Peru, outside the US and it's not easy to get a Challenger. Please advice!

Also there will be a 1970 Challenger available, fully restored and with matching numbers for around 13k. But I guess I will have to restore it again. I've seen the work of those guys and it is very bad. Which one is a better buy?

thanks,
Javier

by **dave-r** » 21 Sep 2006 19:12

They are both good prices. But without seeing the cars in person it is difficult to say how good.

The prices and demand for R/T cars is such that it does not matter if it has the correct engine or not. It will be worth a bit less of course but you are still talking a lot of money for a R/T in good condition.

Buy the car that is the most complete. In particular with good exterior trim as this can be hard (and expensive) to replace.

The interior panels are reproduced but they are not as good as restored originals.

by **dodge1969** » 23 Sep 2006 22:34

Here are some pictures of the 1971 R/T. By the way, how do you tell it's an R/T? (Besides the VIN Number).

by **Eddie** » 06 Nov 2006 17:25

BUY IT!! Run, walk,crawl,hire someone if you have too! E-bodies are getting VERY difficult to find in rust free condition such as the little GEM you have. The price is very good.Trim parts are expensive in excellent condition. You will pay much more restoring old parts than N.O.S. in many instances. The metal work will eat you alive in money so you are ahead in that area. Missing trim can be bought and shipped o-seas from stephens performance, tonys parts,board members ect. Big Blocks 440s are all the same,only internals are different, closed chamber and open chamber heads. Sounds like a great deal to me. Projects, Rust free or close to it E-bodies in my area, without a drivetrain, sell from 10k up!

by **dave-r** » 06 Nov 2006 18:41

http://www.440source.com/ have a good website with a section on how to tell one mopar big block from another and which ones are best.

The only way to tell if it was originally a R/T is to look at the full VIN on the dash plate, fender tag, or broadcast sheet.

If you do not have any of these you cannot say for sure unless the car was originally a 440 or 426 engined R/T because these got the same chassis re-enforcements as the convertibles.

by **Eddie** » 06 Nov 2006 19:43

dave-r wrote:http://www.440source.com/ have a good website with a section on how to tell one mopar big block from another and which ones are best.

The only way to tell if it was originally a R/T is to look at the full VIN on the dash plate, fender tag, or broadcast sheet.

If you do not have any of these you cannot say for sure unless the car was originally a 440 or 426 engined R/T because these got the same chassis re-enforcements as the convertibles.

Good advice Dave!