Buying a new Challenger..Need some pointers on drive train.
 

Hi all,

I'm pretty sure I may have posted on this site a long time ago in the 2008 SRT section. At that time I was planning on buying a new SRT. Funny how life can get in the way some times eh?:p

Anyway, I just sold off my 87 Porsche 930 and that gave me a little cash to look around for a decent muscle car. I've always wanted a Challenger but never could afford it. I stumbled on this. What he's asking for this car is rediculously low since it is a 73 R/T clone with a 440 transplant. I'm not saying till it's in my garage. :D

http://www.alliedtechnologysystems.com/pics/chally1.jpg

http://www.alliedtechnologysystems.com/pics/chally2.jpg

http://www.alliedtechnologysystems.com/pics/chally3.jpg

I'll be the first to admit that I know very little about muscle cars. Especially Mopars. Now the gentleman that owns the car says the car was originally a 318 car and the previous owner was attempting to sqeeze whatever he could out of the 318. This guy said he had acquired a 440, trans, driveshaft and rear end from a '71 Challenger that was parked and was hit from behind thus totalling the '71. The guy seems really honest and straight forward. In my 44 years on this planet I'm pretty good at detecting when someone is trying to BS me.

So, I noticed elsewhere in this forum that Dodge didn't offer a 440 option on '71 cars. Is that correct? Could it be that this guy may have his years crossed? How can I tell if the motor, trans and rear end are a matched set as he claims? Is there a way to tell what year they were manufactured?

Also, what is an 8 3/4 Sure-Grip rear end? Is it junk or is it what would have normally been paired on a '71 440 drive train?

Sorry for so many questions but I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on this car and it can be quite scary when you have little to no clue what you are getting ready to buy. The car is so clean, and the seller is so willing to talk about the car that I suppose he could be making an honest mistake about the year Challenger he got the drivetrain from.

Here is his add;

This 1973 Challenger R/T 440 Magnum is a car that Dodge should have produced. 1971 was the last year for factory installed 426 Hemi and 440 6-Pack engines, the last year for the E-body Convertible and there were no factory produced R/T, With all of that being said, this 1973 Challenger was restored as a car that I feel should have been produced by the factory.
With a Hemi & 440 6-Pack Cuda’s and Challengers bringing ever rising prices, it is hard to say what this car will be worth in the future.

Options on the car are the following:
Power Steering
Power Brakes
Black Bucket Seat Interior
Slap Stick Console Automatic Shifter
R/T Side and Hood Stripes
15” rally wheels
1971 440 Magnum 375 HP Non-Numbers Matching motor (Originally a Small Block)
727 Automatic Transmission
8¾ sure-grip rear end w/355:1 ratio

You could get a 440 in 71... now 72 is a different story. 8 3/4 is a good rear end and will hold up to alot of abuse. Chryslers version of the 9". He seems to be telling the truth, but I do not know how to find out about # matching drivetrains. The 440s and all big blocks use a bigger u joint in their rear ends. Other than that they are the same as a performance small block. ie 340 or 360. That is a nice looking Challenger and in sleeper mode as a rallye.

Looks as if he did a nice job in updating the 73. As lear4406 stated the 440 was offered in the 71 Challenger as well as the entire range of performance (and non-performance) engines The 8 3/4 rear is all you need for the street, and works behind the 440, even if you were to "build" the engine. The Dana rear was top of the line for heavy-duty high-performance use..but is over kill for street machines, and very $$$$ today.
The 73 was available with only two engines, the 318 and the 360 small blocks.
One question...does the Challenger have the Rallye dash? (Four large gauges surounded by wood grain panel)...not really needed but just prefered by many.
If it's priced well, it would be a good buy....it all depends on the price....
(Looks a lot like one that for sale in Scottsdale at the Russo and Steele car auction last January)