The Dodge Challenger Message Board

HELP!!!! Can anyone tell me the correct color for the tail panel on a 73 Challenger with the Rallye option. The car is B5 and currently has argent paint on tail. Is this correct, I can't seem to find anything definitively on the internet or in the Dodge bodyshop manual.

According to my restoration guide, the rally featured a blacked out rear panel.

There might be some information in this old thread.

http://challenger.mpoli.fi/forum/viewto ... 6770#16770

Its just satin black. I think they call it suede in America. Which is halfway between matt and gloss. See mine, Blue 73, 340 Rallye. The red one has slightly less flattening agent added, ie, bit more gloss. Unless he has just polished it.

Goldenblack440 wrote:Its just satin black. I think they call it suede in America. Which is halfway between matt and gloss. See mine, Blue 73, 340 Rallye. The red one has slightly less flattening agent added, ie, bit more gloss. Unless he has just polished it.

This post is over a month old but I just joined and thought I'd give my $.02

The tail panel on a 73 Challenger with the Rallye pacage should be painted with textured argent. The sections of the tail panel that surround the tail lights should be painted with black "organisol" paint. That paint has a slight texture to it and was also used on the T/A and AAR hoods. 1972 Challengers might have had the entire tailpanel painted with "organisol" but I'm not sure. 73's however should have been painted argent.

I have been in the middle of a heated discusion on another web site about this very subject. There are two different shades of argent paint.(light argent and med/dark argent) The med/dark argent is supposed to be correct for the 73 Challenger tailpanel, however the only argent paint available for sale at this time is in spray can form only. Both shades that are currently available are NOT 100% correct in finish. I am using a combination of both paints for my 73. The med/dark argent is too dark for me and the light argent is too light.

Here is a picture of my car. My father bought this car brand new. This is how the tail panel should look on a 73 Challenger.

Well it looks like there is no definitive answer as to which is the correct color. I think I will go with black because I think it will look better on mine. Thanks guys for all the comments.

While I have nothing against modified cars (like my own) I am very glad there are people out there that see the need to restore cars CORRECTLY and copy any original finishes found on the car.

Unless you know how these cars started out you can't tell how far any particular car has "evolved" over time.

dave-r wrote:While I have nothing against modified cars (like my own) I am very glad there are people out there that see the need to restore cars CORRECTLY and copy any original finishes found on the car.

Unless you know how these cars started out you can't tell how far any particular car has "evolved" over time.

Well said Dave

I am also in that opinion, impressed of those who take their time to super restore to stock look/ really detailed stock look... and how they can be so well read and have the knowledge to get into each small detail, like hand painting numbers on details in engine bay, under car, on rear ends, gas tank or get the right spray/ over spray of the colour in some areas, take their time to collect the right parts with matching numbers and really really get the details right, everything to make the car look exactly as from factory 1970-74... Unbelievable! priceless research & work that are appreachiated. Very cool to see such cars!

Its also nice to add your own touches to a car to make it your own. I think that argent looks cheap, I would go with the black. But everyone has their own opinions.

Chris wrote:Its also nice to add your own touches to a car to make it your own. I think that argent looks cheap, I would go with the black. But everyone has their own opinions.

yes i agree with all these comments. Its great to see the factory detail being sought after and copied. Its a great feeling of success to get it accurate. And not easy. But my 2c worth is that the argent colour looks a bit 'wonderland', i think the black semi-gloss really makes the rear stand out in a tough way, especially with yellow, orange, red and blue colours.

If it was a rare hemi or sixpack car, i'd definitely go original (eg Billboard stripes which i don't particularly like either) but as an everyday driver car i love the black.

BTW, thanks for letting us know about the textured part. Now i know why my black panel is a little rough to the touch.

Everyone has the right to do what ever they want with there car. I like looking at modified cars just as much as the ones restored to factory condition. I was just just trying to answer the origonal question which was "can anyone tell me what the CORRECT color is for a 73 Challenger with the Rallye option." I believe that the 73's and 74's came with an argent panel. I also believe that the 72's had the blacked out panel when you ordered the Rallye because the Rallye was its own model that year.

Remember that the argent paint is also used for shaker bubbles and Cuda grills too. 71 Challengers I believe also have argent paint around the tail lights and in the front grill area.

Here is a picture of the two argent colors...med/dark argent is on the left and the light argent is on the right. The middle color was achieved by spraying the light argent ontop of the med/dark argent while it was still wet. That is what I am using on my 73.

burdar wrote:I believe that the 73's and 74's came with an argent panel. I also believe that the 72's had the blacked out panel when you ordered the Rallye because the Rallye was its own model that year.

Yes. Since those other posts were written I eventually came to the same conclusion. Although with Chrysler there are always exceptions of course.

What do you mean when you say that rallye was a model of its own in 1972? Rallye was a special package option, different from base model on every year between -72 to -74 yes? Please explain the difference you are talking about... I know that mopar70 has told me something similar once, and in his registry on the web he has the registered Challengers in Sweden, with this option from -72 marked as rallye, but the rallye from -73-74 he has not marked as rallye, because of some strange reason(?) Is'nt a 1973 or 1974 Rallye a Rallye or what?

Jimiboy wrote:What do you mean when you say that rallye was a model of its own in 1972? Rallye was a special package option, different from base model on every year between -72 to -74 yes? Please explain the difference you are talking about... I know that mopar70 has told me something similar once, and in his registry on the web he has the registered Challengers in Sweden, with this option from -72 marked as rallye, but the rallye from -73-74 he has not marked as rallye, because of some strange reason(?) Is'nt a 1973 or 1974 Rallye a Rallye or what?

The first year for the Rallye was 72. In 72 the base model Challengers had a VIN that started with JH23. The Rallye Challengers had a VIN that started with JS23. In 73-74 all Challengers had a VIN that started with JH23 and the Rallye(code A57) was an option on the base Challenger. It was no longer a separate modle. Just like the final years of the GTX, it was no longer a separate model...but an option on the Road Runner.

Also, the base engine for the Rallye was the 318. The 340 was optional. You could also get the 340 engine without ordering the Rallye package. Some of the equipment on the Rallye package was standard if you ordered the 340 but not all. Did that make sense?

Finally, in 70-71, Challenger R/T's also had a VIN that started with JS23 instead of JH23. All Challenger T/A's have VINs that start with JH23 because they were made from standard Challengers NOT R/T's.

I get it. I have a 73', 340 Rallye car. There is no place on my fender tag, that say's A57(Rallye Package). All the same, it still a Rallye car. 340, 727 trans., Rallye cluster,hood, rear valence, strobe's and side molding. Light package to boot. It's unique and, beside's the color, it's all original.
I think sometime's, Chrysler just did what they wanted to do.

Thanks for explaining this for me. I get the difference. This feels really strange...

In -72, was it possible at all to get the base model equipped with stuff from the rallye then? like the 340 engine? or the suspension or what ever...(?)

Is my car and other -73 or -74 with rallye package and 340 engine that have JH23 A57 and all the options that should make it a rallye.. a Rallye?

Or is it just a "A57 rallye package equipped base model?" NOT a rallye?

Is Pat's car a rallye because of the same reason? he got all the right parts on his... Or is it a "rallye equipped base model?" because he does not has A57 on the vin?

I bet you are gonna tell me you can "say" that both car's is a "rallye" but not quite true, because the lack of those letters "JS" correct?

Should i say that my car is an Challenger with "A57" package instead of an rallye?
What should Pat say that his car is?

But with the "A57" on the vin it should be called rallye? Because The -70's TA:s have the same problem on the vin..? Just "JH"

Sorry, i just find this quite amusing.... my car is not a true rallye... but, it is.. still not

In 1970-71 the car is a R/T if the VIN starts JS
In 1972 it is a Rallye if the VIN starts JS.
In 73-74 it is a Rallye if it has A57 on the fender tag or Broadcast sheet.

In all other cases your car cannot be a R/T or Rallye no matter how it is optioned or even if it came with R/T badges like most 1970 340 package cars.

Simple.

dave-r wrote:In 1970-71 the car is a R/T if the VIN starts JS
In 1972 it is a Rallye if the VIN starts JS.
In 73-74 it is a Rallye if it has A57 on the fender tag or Broadcast sheet.

In all other cases your car cannot be a R/T or Rallye no matter how it is optioned or even if it came with R/T badges like most 1970 340 package cars.

Simple.

I agree with everything stated above except for the 70 340 package cars. I don't know much about them so I won't make any conclusions.

As far as the car that has all the Rallye equipment but doesn't have the A57 code on the fender tag...Are you sure it's all origonal? Does it have the louvers on the front fenders?

In 72 you could order a stripe delete on the Rallye but you still got the louvers on the fenders. I don't think there was a delete option for the stripes in 73-74.

If you ordered the Rallye package you got; Rallye hood, blacked out grill, Rallye gauges, HD rear suspension and rear swaybar. The rear swaybar was only supposed to be offered with the 340 engine but many Rallye's that came with the 318 got the bar too. Dual exhaust was only available with the 340.

Now...if you ordered the 340, but not the Rallye package, you still got the Rallye hood, HD rear suspension with rear swaybar and maybe the blacked out grill.(I'm not sure about that one) You did not get the Rallye gauge cluster. It would be easy to assume that your car is a Rallye if it has all that rallye stuff on it, but that's not the case. IF the car has the standard gauges, it is not a Rallye. Is it possible that someone changed out the gauge cluster when the car was very new. I still think it should have the A57 on the fender tag.

burdar wrote:I agree with everything stated above except for the 70 340 package cars. I don't know much about them so I won't make any conclusions.

Well you just learned something new then.

Most of the 1970 Challengers ordered with the 340 performance package at Hamtramck were given R/T badges as well. Seen many many example of this. It's well documented. Hardtop and Convertible.
I think they had quickly realised that they should have officially offered a 340 in the R/T and made it so for the 1971 model year. With the 340 package you got everything a 383 R/T got except for Rallye dash and the R/T badges.
We have had a few people on here over the years thinking they had a "1970 340 R/T"

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I agree with everything stated above except for the 70 340 package cars. I don't know much about them so I won't make any conclusions.

As far as the car that has all the Rallye equipment but doesn't have the A57 code on the fender tag...Are you sure it's all origonal? Does it have the louvers on the front fenders? [/quote]
Yes, it has all that, too. Rallye cluster with the (N85) Tach. on the fender tag. I guess, you could just call it a 340 Challenger but, it's still a true Rallye car, in my mind. Original duel exhaust, with the cut out's on the rear valence, sway bar's, all that... I've seen several A57 318 Challenger's, with no duel exhaust. I didn't notice, if they had rear sway bar's or not. In 73-74, it came down to this, A57 is a dress up package, that is all. Plymouth did the same thing with the Cuda'in those year's but, still had the BS, instead of the BH, on the fender tag. Those Rallye and Cuda' code's for 73-74 never gauranteed anything hotter, than a plain old 318. Seems just wrong, huh? I'm just glad, I have a real 340 car. Not having A57 on my tag doesn't bother me. Now, if I had A57 on my tag, with a "G or E44"318 to boot, I think I would have to change out my power plant. Only my opinion, that's what makes the world go around.

Chrysler did some funny things, back then. And I think, they still do.

Just found this old thread from 2002.

http://challenger.mpoli.fi/forum/viewto ... =5523#5523

dave-r wrote:In 1970-71 the car is a R/T if the VIN starts JS
In 1972 it is a Rallye if the VIN starts JS.
In 73-74 it is a Rallye if it has A57 on the fender tag or Broadcast sheet.

In all other cases your car cannot be a R/T or Rallye no matter how it is optioned or even if it came with R/T badges like most 1970 340 package cars.

Simple.

Thanks Dave...