Green 318...

[superdave]

    I really shouldn't start a thread on this car yet as it is really on the back burner but here goes. Helping my brother with his car I guess you could say I am getting anxious and thinking of putting mine back on the road before full "restoration". I'll try to post some pics if/when I get the new garage door functional (long story). Honestly I'm embarrassed at the condition of the car I can only admit that I failed to take as good of care of it as I should have since it has been in my care.
  I bought it in '82 and it was my daily driver until '88 or so. It is a '71 medium green metallic, white top and interior  318 Challenger convertible with air. I doubt it will ever be a show car and I'm not quite as concerned about correct date code parts etc. as some on here are (not that there is anything wrong with that! ). Having said that I would like to keep as much original metal as I can. It may be unrealistic to get it on the road with minimal work since it has been sitting for about 30 years
   I know it was hit pretty hard behind the passenger door and there is quite a bit of body filler in that repair. The interior panel was replaced with a black one that was painted white. I was quite relieved to discover this weekend that that panel is in better condition than I recalled except that the paint is coming off. It came to me with an RT hood but I'm pretty sure would have been a flat hood car. The hood is part of the bad news, (I  know it was a DUMB mistake) but I bumped it when pulling into the drive late one night many years ago and damaged the hood. Wondering if it is repairable? 
   If you read this far, thank you and thank you for any input.
   

[1 Wild R/T]

That hood is an easy fix.... Back when there were no repo parts I saved much worse......  Hows the underside?  If it's not rusty I wouldn't hesitate to fix that...

[superdave]

 @ 1 Wild R/T thanks for the input. It's not bad, little light rust.... the under pics aren't great but here it is.

[1 Wild R/T]

Yup, that hood is a keeper....

[Cuda_mark]

Looks like an awesome project! Keep the pictures coming.

[superdave]

   Found this when I pulled the rear seat out. The sad thing is that it was no doubt in great shape when I purchased the car in 1982, young and dumb (completely ignorant in this case). The good news is that I am 99% sure I have a good one in a file somewhere.

[Morty426]

That hood is an easy fix.... Back when there were no repo parts I saved much worse......  Hows the underside?  If it's not rusty I wouldn't hesitate to fix that...

By all means save that hood. 

Also it looks like it be an actual 71 hood which are very hard to find. 

Our fender tag will have J54 on the tag if the car came with the hood. 

Cool car BTW

[6bblgt]

the "bulge" 2-scoop (raisin bran) hood "J54" was never an OPTION on a Challenger (unlike Barracuda)

it was STANDARD '70-'71 R/T & '72 Rallye ("JS")
it was included with the 340/360 engine package '70-'74
it was included with the A57 "Rallye package" '73-'74

that's all

[Morty426]

the "bulge" 2-scoop (raisin bran) hood "J54" was never an OPTION on a Challenger (unlike Barracuda)

it was STANDARD '70-'71 R/T & '72 Rallye ("JS")
it was included with the 340/360 engine package '70-'74
it was included with the A57 "Rallye package" '73-'74

that's all

Since a 71 Challenger with a 340 is not a Package, like a 70 A66 package, how do you explain 71 340 cars with flat hoods and with bulge hoods?   

[6bblgt]

Since a 71 Challenger with a 340 is not a Package, like a 70 A66 package, how do you explain 71 340 cars with flat hoods and with bulge hoods?   

but it is

1970 A66 (340 package) was $258.90 when released, some content was removed & re-priced ~$190 by November '69
1971 base Challenger "JH" with 340, the E55 "engine" was $252.50 and included much of the same content as '70's A66

yes, there are a few flat hood 340 Challengers 1970 & 1971 - nobody knows how? or why? - one of those "unsolved mysteries" 

[Morty426]

Since a 71 Challenger with a 340 is not a Package, like a 70 A66 package, how do you explain 71 340 cars with flat hoods and with bulge hoods?   

but it is

1970 A66 (340 package) was $258.90 when released, some content was removed & re-priced ~$190 by November '69
1971 base Challenger "JH" with 340, the E55 "engine" was $252.50 and included much of the same content as '70's A66

yes, there are a few flat hood 340 Challengers 1970 & 1971 - nobody knows how? or why? - one of those "unsolved mysteries" 

It is a mystery since it's not list as an A group option and the engine doesn't indicate anything what gets included with it. 

I also say the 71 sales guide lists A21 and A22 for Challenger.  That code was never used for Challenger that I have ever seen

[anlauto]

Interesting

[superdave]

  The left quarter is far worse than I recall. Oddly the rockers don't look too bad... maybe there is body filler covering up the damage . The idea was to hopefully get it drive-able so I could cruise with my kids before a full restoration but that probably isn't realistic with this. Also needs full driver's side floor and rear passenger floor. I'll try to get under it to see how the frame looks but should probably focus my efforts elsewhere. 

[Morty426]

Well originally it would have had a flat hood if it had the turn signal indicators on the fenders

[superdave]

Well originally it would have had a flat hood if it had the turn signal indicators on the fenders

That's an interesting bit of information. I pretty much assumed the hood had been replaced by the time I purchased it in '82. Wish i knew more about it's history. I believe it came from the Omaha area, i bought in Kansas. It was hit pretty hard in the right quarter, enough so that the interrior panel is black or brown and painted white. The quarter panel lines are also there which I understand that they were filled in for convertibles. Ironically i almost passed on it because I didn't like the funny looking hood. Fortunately my brother talked some sense into me. Now I prefer the ralley hood over a shaker.