Help! Trying to locate 1970 Challenger 440 RT/SE

[Alaskan_TA]

E is the plant code for LA, Cody on this site can help you. His website is at www.lamopar.com be sure to check it out as well.

What are the unique features?

T/Ake care,
Barry

[tillie]

Well it is an SE without the small back window, it has a luggage rack, transmission cooler, 318, I believe with a 727 tran and 3.23 rear end.  We believe it originally had a trailer hitch also.  The build date on the door tag says September 1969.

When I used to take it to car shows people used to always argue that it could not be an SE, but all of the numbers say it is, its a JH29 car. 

[Alaskan_TA]

Very interesting! The SE window plug could have been removed at some point maybe? How long have you owned it? Can you post a photo of the trim tag? The codes would tell us a lot.

Barry

[Total BS]

Barry,

Not to hijack the thread, but a friend of mine ran across a Challey at Carlisle with a V in front of the JS in the vin number.  Have you ever run across that before.  I am not sure what year it was..

[tillie]

We thought that about the window plug but the rear window does have the chrysler tag on it just like the others.  I have owned the car since 1983, bought it in Spokane Washington, from a used car place that said that I was the second owner -- never really checked on that.

I have tried to decode the fender tag, if that is the correct one, here is a list of the numbers I couldn't find out what they mean.   L31, M21, M31, V1X, C26 and C55 all of the rest were accounted for in the book that I have.  This weekend I will try to get a good picture of tag.

[Alaskan_TA]

L31 - Fender top turn signal indicators.
M21- drip rail mouldings
M31 - body belt mouldings
V1X - Vinyl top, black
C26 - Overhead consolette
C55 - Bucket seats

If the window was replaced early in the cars life, Chrysler would have been the only supplier so it would have their trademark on it. Try and get a clear shot of that too, we can compare the date code on the glass to the cars sheduled production date, if the glass is dated way after the car it will solve that mystery for you.

T/Ake care,
Barry

[tillie]

I get photos on Friday when we have the car out.  It would be nice to solve the mystery of the back window.  It has stumped many aperson.  Thanks for the codes, the car does have all those things.

[tillie]

So yesterday we got the Challenger up on the ramps and found much to my surprise , if we were looking in the right place, that the number has been ground off the engine.    I don't know how much this effects the value of the car since all other numbers match, but I also don't know that I could ever sell the car.  We found a spot on the block on the passenger side mid - front that appears to be very smooth.... I will try to include that photo also.

Anyway are a few pictures one of the stamp on the back glass and a few more of the car sitting around at home.  I guess I should have taken some in the sun also, but here they are.

[RusTy/SE]

After "AS2" the "69" translates to June 1969

Russ

[Alaskan_TA]

Tillie,
Does it look like the engine number was actually ground away or was it possibly just not there? The pads usually show some "swirl" marks from the tool used to clean up the pad from the raw casting. If the number  was just not stamped then the engine could be a warranty block or over the counter replacement.

On the glass, are all the other windows marked TINT as well? Please check that and post a fender tag shot as well, we may figure out this large rear window thing yet....

Barry

[Robb]

What about the block casting numbers ?   are they correct for a 70 ?

big window, small window, whatever...    its a JH29....  therefore its officially an SE.



What kind of headliner do you have on the inside ?   Got any pics of the headliner around the back window ?


a G motor SE isnt going to be a huge impact for matching numbers most likely...   difference of maybe $1000 on a good day
Big block cars seem to have more of a significant situation when it comes to matching numbers


SE cars are not common, but there just doesnt seem to be as much demand for them (no more than a standard Challenger) unless they are and R/T-SE

[tillie]

The engine tag spot just seems to be blank, a little rough in spots but not deep groves or anything.   

As for the windows the others do not have the word TINT but the small side windows have
Safeguard
Solid Tempered
pentastar ppg (logos)
AS2 M8.7 2669
DOT 18

The headliner is a felt like material, it is a fabric of some sort.  It matches all the way around and on the over head console.
 
And here is the fender tag.

[Alaskan_TA]

OK, That helps a lot then! 

Window options were limited to three choices;

1. All clear glass
2. Tinted windshied only.
3. All tinted glass.

Tinted rear winow only was not an option.

So, based on the fact that it is an SE and should have the smaller rear window and plug, I would have to say that someone for some reason changed the rear window, vinyl top and headliner at some point?

Awful lot of work, I wonder why?

The car looks great by the way!

Barry

[RedLine]

Congrats on your new SE.  looks great   

[tillie]

If the window was changed then somebody did an excellent job a long time ago, since I got the car in 1983.  Is it possible that someone ordered it that way?
Now I wish I knew who had it before me so I could ask why they would do that, especially since that glass according to RusTy/SE was pressed in June of 69...the mystery about it may never be solved.
My guess is that the car was used to tow something...it may not have had the full tow package but it did have a hitch at one time and had problems that would arise from pulling a heavy load such as the rear end assemby had to be replaced because it had excessive play.  I does have a transmission cooler on it also.  Maybe they didn't like the small window for with a trailer.  I just don't know.  Maybe I should see if someone can locate a build sheet for the car.