Retro pics, the good old days.

[benlavigne]

@benlavigne  I understand you could get the hood, You could get a rallye cluster and a 4-speed on any V8 E-Body. 

@JS29 A62 Rallye cluster and 4-speed are listed in period order books and documentation, I just re-read the documentation Barry has put on line at hamtramck-historical, and cannot find any info on J54 sport Hood being offered as a standalone option... In fact, V21 Hood blackout is listed as being available on JH models only if equipped with 340 (A66 package included sport hood). I think Barracuda was different,Sport hood was available as a separate option on BH models.
I'm sure @6bblgt can shed some light?

Ben

[RUNCHARGER]

Redlines on the front, whitelines on the rear. Preproduction car methinks.

[6bblgt]

@benlavigne  I understand you could get the hood, You could get a rallye cluster and a 4-speed on any V8 E-Body. 

the sport hood (J54) was NOT a stand alone OPTION on the '70 Challenger line, it was STANDARD with R/T (JS) & included with 340 package (A66) * NOT AVAILABLE OTHERWISE
rallye gauges were OPTIONAL on any JH with a V8
4-speed was available with any V8 except 383-2bbl (E61)

[Chryco Psycho]

 

[JS29]

 :thankyou:Dan @6bblgt for the Correction on my part. 

[RUNCHARGER]

Not totally true. I had an A66 and it did not come from the factory with a sport hood.

[three two barrels]

 

[6bblgt]

Not totally true. I had an A66 and it did not come from the factory with a sport hood.

yes, there are a few 340 Challengers without a "sport hood"  -  but there is NO known "rhyme or reason" why they exist       @mccannix had a '71 JH 340 flat hood car when NEW

[mccannix]

Here's one...road test of a 1970 flat hooded 340.

[benlavigne]

Here's one...road test of a 1970 flat hooded 340.

This is a 318 car that Dodge put a 340 in for the road test, still had the standard suspension...

Ben

[RUNCHARGER]

Dan: Mine was an October 69 build.

[Chryco Psycho]

 

[mccannix]

Here's one...road test of a 1970 flat hooded 340.

This is a 318 car that Dodge put a 340 in for the road test, still had the standard suspension...


Ben

I dont know where you get that idea.
No where in the article is that mentioned...it does say car had
"RALLYE SUSPENSION, wide rim F-70-14 inch tires, 3:91 rear, 340 with dual exhaust.
A lot of things to change just for a test drive.
Also sports flip top gas cap.
Mentions suspension could be made race  ready with rear stabilizer bar, which was obviously an option.

[xx88man]

Not totally true. I had an A66 and it did not come from the factory with a sport hood.

yes, there are a few 340 Challengers without a "sport hood"  -  but there is NO known "rhyme or reason" why they exist       @mccannix had a '71 JH 340 flat hood car when NEW

For 1971 didn't all the JH 340 cars get flat hood and JS 340 cars get sport hood?

[benlavigne]

Here's one...road test of a 1970 flat hooded 340.

This is a 318 car that Dodge put a 340 in for the road test, still had the standard suspension...


Ben

I dont know where you get that idea.
No where in the article is that mentioned...it does say car had
"RALLYE SUSPENSION, wide rim F-70-14 inch tires, 3:91 rear, 340 with dual exhaust.
A lot of things to change just for a test drive.
Also sports flip top gas cap.
Mentions suspension could be made race  ready with rear stabilizer bar, which was obviously an option.

I am trying to find the subsequent road test of the same car from another magazine that said so. I think it was Road Test, it had a color pic of the car, now wearing 15'' Rallyes.
That was an early car put together bfore A66 was available, as Road test was done on September 15th (The day after the 1969 Talladega 500). Also, 15'' tires and wheels were required until October 20, and although it mentions ''Rallye Suspension'', it also mentions 3.91:1 (?) gears. It also has wheelwell moldings, which would have been deleted on an A66. Author was not a regular journalist, more like an invited race driver, so he does not have same product knowledge as a journalist. Rear stabilizer bars were not available before the T/A's came out, no?

Press cars were often not fully representative of actual production cars, especially early in the model year, this might have actually been a development mule for the A66 package.
That being said, there are indeed a few A66 cars that are documented as having been built with the flat hood, early in the production. Easy mistake, as I think the J54 was not on the broadcast sheets early on, and someone could have thought it was only for the R/T's, as A66's were introduced later, and sent it down the line with a flat hood? I recently had a friend send me some early pics of an Alberta 340 car with a flat hood from new, so they are out there...

Ben