71 Challenger 440-Sixpack Convertibles

[hemi71]

The 383 four barrel was the largest engine available in a 71 Challenger 'vert, and only as a JH model, not the JS.

Barry

 

No Challenger R/T droptops in 71.....biggest engine available was the 300HP 383 4 bbl. All 71 ragtops are JH27 cars.

[70RTdroptop]

Yep, Alaskan_TA nailed it on the head. No RT convertibles in '71.

[JS27N0B]

Better pay up, they made 2,165 Challenger convertibles for the 71 model year.  Of course as stated already, no R/T model and largest engine was the 300hp 383 4bbl.

Just for comparism, they made 3,173 Challenger convertibles in 1970, plus 1,070 Challenger R/T convertibles.

[ChallengerGary]

If they existed why haven't we seen any on this site?? I still say NO.

HAve you seen my avatar?  That was my "old" 71 Challenger convertible.  It was a factory "N" code 383 4 Barrel car which was the biggest engine avaiable in a a 71 Challenger droptop.  I had a post going here of my build last year.

I have owned 4 1971 Challenger convertibles including my latest project - a Plum Crazy, white interior, white top, 318 with  factory a/c .  This car is currently getting ready for paint and should be beautiful when complete

The reason you hardly ever seen any 1971 Challenger verts is they made only 2165 of them and frankly they were prone to cancer.  I had to trash a car a few years back that literally folded in half (but not until the rear frame rails collasped through the floors and the front suspension was no longer suspended).  Also, since they did not make any 1971 R/T convertibles, people may have crushed them more readily than they did the Cuda convertibles due to the fact that they were not performance cars - afterall the vast majority of the 2165 convertible Challengers built in 1971 were 383-2 barrels or 318 cars. I believe the number of "N" code 383 cars was around 179 or so...

[tancuda]

You're right Alaskan TA, 383-4 BBL on JH model, here's what I've got about
production numbers:

71 challenger convertible total production : 2165, and 167 were 383-4bbl (41 4 speed and 126 auto)

 

 

[DAYTONA]

there were definately 71 Challenger convertibles(still several in town)....

....no RT versions were available, no SIX PAK versions were available for 1971.....

CUDA and Challenger convertibles were both discontinued after the 1971 model run....

[Challenger6pak]

I have to redo it; but it's real.  I've owned it since 1980. 

[kudakidd]

I have to redo it; but it's real.  I've owned it since 1980. 

and it looks like you haven't touched it since then!

[Challenger6pak]

LOL. Pretty close to it.  I've held on to it through marriage, divorce, child custody battles and now 4 hurricanes. It has been in storage for 12 years.   I have been working on getting the parts together for it and am going to redo it soon.  Challengergary is a good friend who is doing one now.  It has given me the bug again.

[MEK-Dangerfield]

LOL. Pretty close to it.  I've held on to it through marriage, divorce, child custody battles and now 4 hurricanes. It has been in storage for 12 years.   I have been working on getting the parts together for it and am going to redo it soon.  Challengergary is a good friend who is doing one now.  It has given me the bug again.

Hey man,
   From looking at your signature, you have quite a nice collection there.  I guess it's tough to give them all attention.

  Mike

[hotrod98]

I owned a 71 challenger convert a few years ago, JH27L1b, 383 2 barrel. The car was from Wisconsin and had rust in every crack and crevice. I bought it for $500, removed about $3000 worth of parts from it and crushed the shell. No way could that car be saved and be safely driven. Some people think that you can use a non convertible shell to repair them and they're dead wrong. The rockers in that car weren't sheet metal, they were solid steel. It took forever to cut through them with a torch. The inner quarters where the convertible top frame bolts up are beefier and much different than hardtops and the wheelhouses were totally different as well. That car just couldn't be saved or I would have. Thankfully, my 70 convert was almost rust free.

[daves70]

Okay,Okay!!! I allready have paid up. It's just that I was sure I read someplace vert production ended after 70. I did do a check on 70 challey history and it says very few 71 challenger verts were made after Jan. 15 of 71.  

[Challenger6pak]

Thanks Mike.  Unfortunately none of them are running.  I've been through some tough times over the last 10 years and was fortunate enough to hold on to some of them.  None of them have been licensed since the '80's.  I'm looking forward to tying back into them.  I have 80% of the parts for them in NOS parts.  It won't be too bad to put them back together.

[common 27]

 Yeah  Dave did pay up but it also got us wondering why there was no 440's or Hemi convertibles? Was the options just not there? Thanks guys!

[JS27N0B]

Yeah  Dave did pay up but it also got us wondering why there was no 440's or Hemi convertibles? Was the options just not there? Thanks guys!

Option not available due to slow sales the previous year.