Cuda vs Challenger door handles.

[Cuda Cody]

The topic of door handles has come up and I wanted to share a photo so anyone that has the same question can see the difference. 

[Cuda Cody]

For awhile (I think in the 70's or 80's) Mopar made a "one curve fits all" E-Body door handle.  It wasn't as curved out as the Cuda so it could be used on the Challenger too, but it didn't really look right on the Challengers.  Now there are both options available again from Mopar.

[erik70rt]

Also to help clarify - the Challenger specific handles were only used in 70 and 71.  72-74 Challengers used the same handle as the Barracuda.  IIRC - The part numbers for the Challenger handles are 2999986 and 29999987.

[Burdar]

Yep, the 72-74 Challenger and Cuda handles are the same...flat.

Somewhere online I've seen a picture of a 70-71 Cuda handle on a Challenger.  You can easily tell that something isn't right.

[Chryco Psycho]

For a lot of years when someone pulled up on the handle too hard & snapped the handle off you put on whatever you could find before repros were available 

[FSHTAIL]

All of the door handles sold from Classic Industries are made in Taiwan. 

Much cheaper for the exact same ones from Summit Racing believe it or not. 

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

[MoparDave]

in 73 they superseded both versions into one to fit both models. Which to have the contour for the challenger is incorrect by standards.

  Select Level Ruling Superseded From Quantity Part Description Model Year In Model Year Out Interchangeable Effective Date
(MM/DD/YYYY)
1.   000  DSP3760214  03760214        2050  2050     11/07/2013 
2.   001  CS03760214  02999816  1     1951  1951     10/01/1973 
3.   001  CS03760214  02999882  1     1951  1951     08/01/1974 
4.   001  CS03760214  03796132  1  HANDLE  1974  1974  D  04/07/1979 

[303 Mopar]

For a lot of years when someone pulled up on the handle too hard & snapped the handle off you put on whatever you could find before repros were available 

Yep, happened to me.  My buddy got in the passenger side and was trying to be "nice" by unlocking my door when he actually locked it just before I pulled up on the handle.  Snap.   

[C_B5]

Yep, the 72-74 Challenger and Cuda handles are the same...flat

The 72 challenger models are a mixed bag on which style handles were used. Probably because there was a phase in of the new parts and the factory would use whatever was in stock.
This is also common on the 71 e-body models using a lot of leftover 70 "only" parts.

I have owned several 1972 challengers and some had the curved challenger only style and others with the flat handles. 
Even owned a car that had one of each! A low mileage original car with no signs of either door handle ever being replaced so believe it to be as built by the factory.