Researching 74 Challenger options

[blown motor]

I'm researching 74 options and getting mixed results. Some places say that front disc brakes, 3 speed wipers and power steering were standard and some say they were optional. Does anyone know for sure?

[318Stroker]

Go to Hamtramck Historical website. On the left side of page, open up the library and scroll down to saleman's pocket guides.
Hit the Dodge button under 1974. For Challenger, the 1st page is engines, transmissions, and misc. The options and std equipment are listed. I see you have a 74 Rallye. Your options depend upon whether you have a 318 or a 360. The A57 Rallye pkg. included the Rallye gauges. With the Rallye gauges the 3-speed wipers were standard. If you have a 318 with the A04 basic group, the p/s was part of the pkg. and the p/b would have been an option. If you have a 318 w/o the A04, the p/s and p/b were optional. The A04 pkg was not available with the 360. If you have a 360, the p/b were a required option, and the p/s was optional. Clear as mud?... Hope this helps!

[blown motor]

@318Stroker Thanks for the reply. If an item was included in a package, eg. J21 clock is included in J97 rallye cluster, would the J21 be listed on the fender tag?

I thought I had the A01 light package because I have a glove box light and an ashtray light. However there is no trunk light, map light or fender mounted turn signals. Now mind you, the left front fender has been replaced so I suppose the turn signal indicator on the right side could have been removed and the hole filled in.

This all a little murky as I'm the fourth owner and some things have been changed. Some things are there and some are missing from some of the packages.

It was originally a yellow 318 car with a vinyl roof. It's now a black 340 car with no vinyl roof. However the vinyl roof trim is still there which has caused the odd person to pause and study the car knowing something wasn't quite right. I get a chuckle out of watching them study it trying to figure it out, and some do.

[318Stroker]

@318Stroker Thanks for the reply. If an item was included in a package, eg. J21 clock is included in J97 rallye cluster, would the J21 be listed on the fender tag?

I thought I had the A01 light package because I have a glove box light and an ashtray light. However there is no trunk light, map light or fender mounted turn signals. Now mind you, the left front fender has been replaced so I suppose the turn signal indicator on the right side could have been removed and the hole filled in.

This all a little murky as I'm the fourth owner and some things have been changed. Some things are there and some are missing from some of the packages.

It was originally a yellow 318 car with a vinyl roof. It's now a black 340 car with no vinyl roof. However the vinyl roof trim is still there which has caused the odd person to pause and study the car knowing something wasn't quite right. I get a chuckle out of watching them study it trying to figure it out, and some do.

Not sure

@318Stroker Thanks for the reply. If an item was included in a package, eg. J21 clock is included in J97 rallye cluster, would the J21 be listed on the fender tag?

I thought I had the A01 light package because I have a glove box light and an ashtray light. However there is no trunk light, map light or fender mounted turn signals. Now mind you, the left front fender has been replaced so I suppose the turn signal indicator on the right side could have been removed and the hole filled in.

This all a little murky as I'm the fourth owner and some things have been changed. Some things are there and some are missing from some of the packages.

It was originally a yellow 318 car with a vinyl roof. It's now a black 340 car with no vinyl roof. However the vinyl roof trim is still there which has caused the odd person to pause and study the car knowing something wasn't quite right. I get a chuckle out of watching them study it trying to figure it out, and some do.

Not sure about the the rallye cluster clock being on the fender tag, but I don't think so.

Some additional info on the 3-speed wipers.
On your 318 car, if it's an A57 rallye pkg car, the rallye gauges are standard, and they include the wipers.
If you have the A04 basic group, the wipers are included in the pkg. Otherwise they are a stand alone option.

Do you have a fender tag?

[blown motor]

No, I don't have a tag. I'm thinking of getting one made, that's why I'm trying to figure this all out. I have notions about how some things were originally. For example, the parcel tray, before I replaced it, had the little round surface holes for a speaker on each side. I think that was only available with AM/FM radio but maybe I'm wrong on that. The car had an aftermarket radio when I bought it so that's my only indication that it originally had an AM/FM. I don't know what wheels it originally came with, I have to study this out some more. Thanks for directing me to the pocket guide.

[YellowThumper]

I'm researching 74 options and getting mixed results. Some places say that front disc brakes, 3 speed wipers and power steering were standard and some say they were optional. Does anyone know for sure?

Front discs were standard for 74.
Power steering was not.
Front sway bar was not.
No information on requirements with Rallye dash.
Standard dash was 2 speed.
Also foot pedal for windshield washers.
Radiator overflow tank was 74 standard.
Mine came with a 19" radiator. Smallest I have ever seen on anything else is the 22"

My 74:
318, 3spd on the floor.
Manual disc, no ps,
No front sway bar.
Integral shoulder harness seat seatbelts with buzzer (whiteish box under left side of dash) and starter interlock.
74 only then would be the roof mount shoulder hanger for it.
Rear interior panels are also "unique" to 74. They have cut split and opening at bottom for seatbelt to pass thru. Below it is shoulder belt ratchet mechanism. Other year panels can easily be modified. However, there is an additional cover piece for each side that conceals the cut opening. This bolts directly to the seatbelt ratchet mechanism.
Heavy crash bars added. Bumper mount brackets front and rear are unique to 74.
73 different and also 72 different.
73 ans 74 front bumper guards are same size.
Rear bumper guards are unique to 74.

[blown motor]

The Rallye package A57 included the rallye cluster J97. The rallye cluster included tach, clock, three speed wiper with electric washer and tripometer. Would the J97 code for the rallye cluster be included on the fender tag if you had the rallye package? Or would the A57 code negate including J97? How was the tag typically printed when one package is included in another?

[Bullitt-]

  This old post may reveal to you the answer

 http://files.mpoli.fi/The.Dodge.Challenger.Message.Board/challenger.mpoli.fi/board/topic-5564.html

[blown motor]

Thanks @Bullitt- I'm not sure if it helped or confused me more. That tag had A57 Rallye Package which includes J97 Rallye cluster. Both the tach and the clock are included in the rally cluster and yet one is on the tag but the other is not. So I guess I still don't know the answer. I think I have all of my codes figured out but I don't know if they all go on the tag. And I don't know what order they would go on the tag. Or does that part matter as long as they're in the sales code section of the tag?
Can anyone else help?

[blown motor]

I'm also wondering if standard features such as drip rail moldings and wheel lip moldings were listed on the fender tag.

[HP2]

There is a sequence to codes for engine, trans, trim, paint, vin and sequence, and model info on the bottom two lines, and there are a few other required features on the third and 4th line, but that is also where other options mix in. I'm not so sure how they sequence the other options into the remaining lines of codes.

My 74 does show M21 drip rail molding and M26 wheel lip molding on the 4th line up from the bottom. Mine has three rows of options listed but none of them are packages, although some of my options were available in packages.

Something my tag doesn't have is the END code on it.

Sequence on my Challenger:
5th line up left to right - radio code, side stripe code, radiator code, unknown code, unknown code.
4th line up left to right - heater code, wiper code, fender turn signal code, drip rail code, fender lip code, coolant recovery code
3rd line up left to right - roof option, country spec, brake code, seat code, window code, mirror code
2nd line up left to right - body color, trim code, door panel type, build date, order number
Bottom line break out will be left to right - engine code, transmission code, model code, engine assembly plant, sequence code


This layout is consistent with a 74 Duster that I have although its option list is very short, only part of one line, and it has the end code n its tag.

[blown motor]

There is a sequence to codes for engine, trans, trim, paint, vin and sequence, and model info on the bottom two lines, and there are a few other required features on the third and 4th line, but that is also where other options mix in. I'm not so sure how they sequence the other options into the remaining lines of codes.

My 74 does show M21 drip rail molding and M26 wheel lip molding on the 4th line up from the bottom. Mine has three rows of options listed but none of them are packages, although some of my options were available in packages.

Something my tag doesn't have is the END code on it.

Sequence on my Challenger:
5th line up left to right - radio code, side stripe code, radiator code, unknown code, unknown code.
4th line up left to right - heater code, wiper code, fender turn signal code, drip rail code, fender lip code, coolant recovery code
3rd line up left to right - roof option, country spec, brake code, seat code, window code, mirror code
2nd line up left to right - body color, trim code, door panel type, build date, order number
Bottom line break out will be left to right - engine code, transmission code, model code, engine assembly plant, sequence code


This layout is consistent with a 74 Duster that I have although its option list is very short, only part of one line, and it has the end code n its tag.

Hey that's great @HP2 , thanks. Jaybee sent me 4 tags he found online and I'm waiting for @jimynick to send me a picture of his. interesting on two of the tags Jaybee sent me the radio code is in the fouth line on one and the top line on another. It's making me wonder if there really is ay particular order to the options codes. The bottom part of the tag is laid out in the resources section of this great forum. Now I'm looking for how the options were listed in that section of the tag. I'm starting to see patterns. This is a fun little project. 

[blown motor]

There is a sequence to codes for engine, trans, trim, paint, vin and sequence, and model info on the bottom two lines, and there are a few other required features on the third and 4th line, but that is also where other options mix in. I'm not so sure how they sequence the other options into the remaining lines of codes.

My 74 does show M21 drip rail molding and M26 wheel lip molding on the 4th line up from the bottom. Mine has three rows of options listed but none of them are packages, although some of my options were available in packages.

Something my tag doesn't have is the END code on it.

Sequence on my Challenger:
5th line up left to right - radio code, side stripe code, radiator code, unknown code, unknown code.
4th line up left to right - heater code, wiper code, fender turn signal code, drip rail code, fender lip code, coolant recovery code
3rd line up left to right - roof option, country spec, brake code, seat code, window code, mirror code
2nd line up left to right - body color, trim code, door panel type, build date, order number
Bottom line break out will be left to right - engine code, transmission code, model code, engine assembly plant, sequence code


This layout is consistent with a 74 Duster that I have although its option list is very short, only part of one line, and it has the end code n its tag.

Hey that's great @HP2 , thanks. Jaybee sent me 4 tags he found online and I'm waiting for @jimynick to send me a picture of his. The bottom part of the tag is laid out in the resources section of this great forum. Now I'm looking for how the options were listed in that section of the tag. I'm starting to see patterns. This is a fun little project. 

[YellowThumper]

This is my 74 tag if it helps.
I definitely had wheel well trim.
Drip rail trim as well.
I also believe it had the factory center door gard trim.
Never dove into the codes for it.

[Jay Bee]

Not sure if this is helpful either. Taken from For A Bodies Only. might or might not also apply to '72 and up E's
Aug 7, 2014
#18
1972 Order Code List as Listed by Factory
A - Accessory Group
B - Brakes
C - Console
D - Transmission and Axles
E - Engines
F - Heavy Duty
G - Glass and Mirrors
H - Air conditioning and Defrost
J - Miscellaneous Items
L - Lights
M - Moldings
N - Engine Accessories
P - Power Equipment
R - Radios, Antenna and Speakers
S - Suspension and Steering
T - Tires
U - Tires
V - Roof Selections and Stripes (Vinyl)
W - Wheels and Wheel Covers