70 Challenger RT/SE 440-6pack "shaky SHAKER"

[TobiasM]

Hi folks,

I introduced myself to this great board in the proper section already (https://forum.e-bodies.org/new-members-introductions/3/one-more-member-from-autobahn-country/1973/) so it is time to introduce my e-body to you.

Luckily, I was able to purchase a great piece of e-body-artwork by end of last year: one of approximately 130 6-pack RT/SE-Challengers built from the factory with 4-speed in 1970. This car has a very desireable colorcombo (sublime, black vinyl-roof, black interiour) and options (2 fendertag-car). Best option besides engine/trans-combo is Shaker-Hood. Yes, it still has its DANA60 with it.

The car is a project and has a bit shaky history, so I dubbed it "shaky Shaker"...somewhen in the 1980`s it once was "Gone in 60 seconds" but recovered. I guess at the time of theft-recovery, my Challenger had been quite gutted in the usual manner and "quick to remove parts" as enginge/trans/interiour/six-pack went different routes than the body.

Alternatively the thieves might have damaged the car while having a joyride or a chase with the police and when recovered, the new owner had put then into the engine-bay what was available to him...don`t know, but I think the "steal it and strip it" theory is the most likely one...because after theft-recovery this Challenger was for many years a drag-strip car, for which to build it is a positive, when you can get it cheap (police-auction) AND already stripped ;-)

My Challenger still has half rollcage (rear-seat-area) and last owner=seller seems to have brought it quite a bit more to the street than to the strip-side, but you can see it must have seen some serious drag-racing earlier in its life, as there are traces of ladderbars and provisions for a full cageing ending at the front frame-rails.

Anyway, I found this by end of last year up for sale in Georgia. Paperwork was good with a clear title, VIN-plate and door-sticker present as were the 2-fendertags...at least during auction, but more to come on that topic "fendertags" later.

I took the chance and ordered a lot of new and used parts and the seller Terry (a professional car-dealer) was very helpful with managing to store all the stuff I ordered into my Challenger. Shipping started from the harbour of Savannah, GA.

As with my MOPARS before, I took care about getting shipped here overseas to Germany and put the same German company in charge. But this time I became unlucky...starting with a brand new set of Y1-9x17"-rallye-wheels and a used but complete BarryGrant-six-pack-setup...both got "lost"...last seen when the office in Savannah signed for receiving them...my German shipping-company is investigating what their US-counterpart has done with the wheels/carbs or where afterwards they might have gone lost...one month has passed...still waiting for result of investigations....so if somebody is offered new 9x17 Rallye`s and/or a used BarryGrant-6-pack septup for way too cheap and from arround the Savannah,GA area, you know it`s probably my stolen parts and a hind would be really appreciated.

My unlucky series goes on... ...the Challenger finally is delivered to my home on a trailer-truck...when wanting to unload my car from the trailer, suspicous spots of oil were on the trailer and on the floor under my car...some stupids broke the deep 9qt milodon-oil-pan, when the pulled the car out of the container and put it on the trailer-truck...my biggest hope is that they got my car onto the trailer without starting the engine...nightmare would be if they reved the engine despite they broke the oil-pan and merely 3qt`s of oil left inside...still waiting for compensations by the German shipping-company...

Not enough, damage during transportation continues: fuel line bent/squeesed by forklift or sth. alike, a 2-feet-scratch on driver-side, the fiber-glass-made trunk-lid was broken out of its hinges.

This time a lot of trouble with shipping...hope it all clears out.

But trouble continues...now from another direction: fendertags are not with the car!!! During sale-communication the car-dealer agreed to mail me the 2 fendertags of that car separately, because I was afraid they might get lost when on the car during shipping, cause only attached with philipps-screws, so an easy souvenir for anybody in the shipping-business and knowing of old cars.

Seller also claimed to have a racing-log book of my car and some paperwork from history-research he did and he all wanted to ship this to me. Nothing has reached me since then (November/December 2016)...so I guessed/hoped that that additional paperwork was in the car and that he pop-riveted the fendertags in place (which I suggested alternatively and so save him of shipping-charges)...but as the car arrived at my place, there was no additional paperwork and worst of all: NO FENDERTAGS!

I contacted the seller, Terry, doesn`t reply by phone anymore, but he sent me a text a month ago "Have the fendertags here with me, didn`t want it to go with the car, think it was safer so they don`t get lost, send me your adress and I`ll fed-ex em over to you!" OHH, WHAT A RELIEFE TO ME...at first...cause as you can imagine, I immediately replied to Terry`s text-message and named them my adress-data...guess what: though a month ago, nothing has reached me yet...Terry doesn`t reply to calls nor to text-messages. I am really super-annoyed...will wait one further week and then go the next step in receiving these fendertags.

Luckily enough, I have a photo of them, so I could get tags remade, but I want the original ones! Guess you all can put yourself in my shoes and how bad I feel in these days, though having that beautyfull V-code Challenger in my garage at home.

But I keep thinking positive and looking forward, hoping that everything will clear out.

By the way: scheduled production date on fendertag is April 15th 1970 (fendertag), which matches perfectly to the information on SPD`s due to a shortage in shaker-hoods. Sequence-number is 308xxx, which also matches perfectly to other Hamtramck-Challengers with an April-SPD. Door-sticker also states "4-1970" as date of manufaction. My investigation showed that in this mid- to late April-span, there where a lot of performance e-bodies built (R/T`s and T/A`s).

Ah, forgot that my Challengers fendertags have a factory-typo on one of them, as it says "P37" which would be "power-roof" (electric powered roof on convertibles)...but it should have been "P31" which is the correct code for "power windows"...but as numbers "7" and "1" are visually of very same style, this explains how my car got incorrectly the code "P37" instead of the correct code "P31".

My car still hast the provisions for the power-window-switches in all four side-panels, but mechanisms and 3 switches had been removed due to dragracing (lightweightening). 

After having you bored now with my long post, I will finish with some pics of my Challenger... are at the dealers shop (Terry).

[Cuda Cody]

Man, I love your Challenger!     That's a true muscle car.   

Sorry to hear about the Fender Tags.  At least you have a photo.  Is there something we can do to help?  We have a lot of members all over and maybe someone knows the guy who has them?   

[TobiasM]

Cody,

I like that u like my  and appreciate very much you`re offering help to me.

Might take a chance on the offered help in one of my next steps, but have one or two ideas left I wanna try first...though I guess face-to-face situation would work out best...a lot of water between the US and good old Germany.... 

BTW: have been to Washington-State (Spokane) few years ago for starting a road-trip to NYC with my Dad...liked WA very much!!!

[1 Wild R/T]

Cool Car!! Lots going on there... And somehow the thing I've gotta ask about is the power window door panel that was cut for manual cranks.....  Those panels were harder to find than the window regulators.... I guess now that the panels are reproduced it doesn't really matter but for those who have searched for those panels that hurts....  So was it a power window car or just that he found a power window panel & had to cut it to fit his car? 

[TobiasM]

Cool Car!! Lots going on there... And somehow the thing I've gotta ask about is the power window door panel that was cut for manual cranks.....    So was it a power window car or just that he found a power window panel & had to cut it to fit his car?

Thanks for complimenting my Chally!

To answer your question: yes and yes...my car is/was a power window V-code Challenger and yes, these door panels seem to be the original ones, as the holes for cranks were cut in afterwards, which was good to see when I removed the door panel.

[Pero]

Welcome Tobias, a very very nice Challenger you have  I hope to see you here at some car shows. 

[303 Mopar]

Nice looking Challenger!  Thanks for the pics!   

[TobiasM]

Welcome Tobias, a very very nice Challenger you have  I hope to see you here at some car shows. 

Thanks Pero, will definately be at the MoparNats on first August-weekend in Herten with 1/4mile race at Flughafen Loemühle in Marl-Sinsen...but with my RoadRunner...as I plan to have my shaky Shaker Chally ready /street legalized next year.

Would be nice to meet you there in Herten, it's a great event with international participants...and not only displaying cars, but driving them  Also it's only a 3 hrs ride from your location in Mainhätten. Check youtube or mopar-forum.de if you don't already know that eventl

Only have these two pics from MoparNats on my ipad harddisc, showing my RR at the Loemühle-strip.

[TobiasM]

Ok, fellows, still haven`t received my cars 2 fendertags from its seller, Terry Bradley of Terrys Musclecar Garage in Winder, GA... "thank you" for all the empty promises, Terry!

But there is also some good news: as I mentioned, somewhere in its timeline my Challenger lost its factory 6-pack-setup and came to me only with a 4bbl-carb. My plan is to bring the Chally back to former glory in major points and by this get him back that carburation that he was named after.

Finally a really cool Mopar-guy from the Netherlands supplied me not only with a full set of 6-pack-carbs, but with an Edelbrock STR-14-6 intake, too, and all that for a very reasonable price...thank you very much, Wishnu!!!

As  I attached pics of my carbs, the intake and of both losely attached together. The parts are not show condition and some small bits and pieces are missing/not attached yet, but I hope you agree that purchasing this setup is one important step done. Enjoy the pics!

[RUNCHARGER]

Interesting story. Good thing you got photos of the tags. I would recommend you get a spare set made anyway, you can run those on the car and keep the originals in a safe when you get them. Sorry about the troubles with shipping,it's always stressful and anything can happen. This was my 440, 4 barrel car I sold last year with a transplanted 528 Hemi and added shaker.

[Cuda Cody]

Let me know if you need help tuning when you get those carbs running.  I love Six Packs!

And no cool to hear Terry Bradley of Terrys Musclecar Garage in Winder, GA has not followed through on getting you the tag.  We might have someone close to there that can pick them up and send them to you?     He might be easier to deal with if someone is standing in front of him.

[Rev-It-Up]

Let me know if you need help tuning when you get those carbs running.  I love Six Packs!

And no cool to hear Terry Bradley of Terrys Musclecar Garage in Winder, GA has not followed through on getting you the tag.  We might have someone close to there that can pick them up and send them to you?     He might be easier to deal with if someone is standing in front of him.

I'm less than 30 miles away! Let me know if I can help.

[TobiasM]

Let me know if you need help tuning when you get those carbs running.  I love Six Packs!

And no cool to hear Terry Bradley of Terrys Musclecar Garage in Winder, GA has not followed through on getting you the tag.  We might have someone close to there that can pick them up and send them to you?     He might be easier to deal with if someone is standing in front of him.

I'm less than 30 miles away! Let me know if I can help.

@Cody: I guess you're very right...face-2-face action is for sure first choice in effectiveness.

@Rev-It-Up : less than 30mls away...how much better can it get!?!

To both of you: thanks for offering help, will send Terry one last email this weekend and if that is without an effect, I would be gratefull for your help! Thanks in advance! 

[Cuda Cody]

We're standing by to help whenever you need it.

Let me know if you need help tuning when you get those carbs running.  I love Six Packs!

And no cool to hear Terry Bradley of Terrys Musclecar Garage in Winder, GA has not followed through on getting you the tag.  We might have someone close to there that can pick them up and send them to you?     He might be easier to deal with if someone is standing in front of him.

I'm less than 30 miles away! Let me know if I can help.

@Cody: I guess you're very right...face-2-face action is for sure first choice in effectiveness.

@Rev-It-Up : less than 30mls away...how much better can it get!?!

To both of you: thanks for offering help, will send Terry one last email this weekend and if that is without an effect, I would be gratefull for your help! Thanks in advance! 

[Rev-It-Up]

Let me know if you need help tuning when you get those carbs running.  I love Six Packs!

And no cool to hear Terry Bradley of Terrys Musclecar Garage in Winder, GA has not followed through on getting you the tag.  We might have someone close to there that can pick them up and send them to you?     He might be easier to deal with if someone is standing in front of him.

I'm less than 30 miles away! Let me know if I can help.

@Cody: I guess you're very right...face-2-face action is for sure first choice in effectiveness.

@Rev-It-Up : less than 30mls away...how much better can it get!?!

To both of you: thanks for offering help, will send Terry one last email this weekend and if that is without an effect, I would be gratefull for your help! Thanks in advance! 

Happy to help!