Date of last 74 Challenger produced???

[VTMopar]

Somewhere, I ran across a copy of an apparent article announcing the death of the Challenger from the Chicago Tribune, dated Sunday, March 24, 1974......

Vermont MOPAR

[Alaskan_TA]

Somewhere, I ran across a copy of an apparent article announcing the death of the Challenger from the Chicago Tribune, dated Sunday, March 24, 1974......

Vermont MOPAR

Somewhere? 

http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/images/oddities/death%20of%20the%20e%20body.jpg

[VTMopar]

Well -- now we all know where Somewhere is!   

Vermont MOPAR

[trublu]

Hey V.M., what you have there is just about priceless. At least to me. Could you give us some of the text? I'll send you a lollipop if you do!!

[Alaskan_TA]

Just click on the link above. When the page comes up, click on the image to make it bigger. It is quite readable. 

[VTMopar]

trublu      Not sure how to take your post      I tried to be helpful and posted the best sized pic of the article that I could.   
As to the article itself -- Barry correctly points out where I "found it"   (I forgot -- when I first got my '74 a few years ago I was looking all over for info and must have downloaded it off his site).    As he notes above -- if you want to read it -- just go to his link.....   

Vermont MOPAR

[wagesofsin]

this is some interesting reading, do carry on please!!!   

[Super Blue 72]

I've heard that too, that the Barracuda was out before the Mustang... 

[kissalien]

Often information like this can be found in local newspapers. Anyone ever think about calling up any libraries in the Hamtramck area and see if they can research it for you?

[challengermaniac]

I thought my former 1974 B5 Blue Rallye Challenger was very close to the end of production with a May (if I remember correctly) build date.  I'll post the Broadcast Sheet and you guys can look it over.

Charlie 70 Challenger
69 Camaro RS

[Alaskan_TA]

This one is hard to read, but it looks like your SPD may be 417? If so that is April 17th.

Do you have a larger scan you could email to me?

[challengermaniac]

email with attachment sent.  Thanks Barry.

Charlie

[Alaskan_TA]

Yep, got it! It is 417. I have heard of only one with a higher VIN so far, it is JH23G4B397584 - it likely has the same SPD, but I do not know for certain.

Barry

[femtnmax]

My 74 challenger vehicle order number starts with 829, but my VIN ends with 1168XX.  Does the 829 suggest built in August??  doesn't sound right.  I must be missing something.

[Alaskan_TA]

VIN number does show the order they came down the assembly line

This is a common myth actually. All of the plants built cars out of sequence for whatever reason, it is something I am researching in-depth for 1970 right now.

Until then, think about this.....

This thread is about a 1974 Challenger, they were all built at Hamtramck. Hamtramck had two assembly lines. So, IF (big if) the cars were built sequentially by VIN, odd number cars would have to come from one line, while even numbered cars came from the other. They would also have to time each build EXACTLY so one line did not get ahead of the other to have the cars leave sequentially.

Did they do it that way? Nope. It would have slowed the lines down to a crawl trying to micro-manage it to that degree.

The actual broadcast sheet sequence numbers have a whole lot more to do with the actual build sequence than the VIN does. As an example, broadcast sheet # 1000001 was printed for BH23G0B100052.

So, right there, for 1970, Hamtramck started 51 VINs behind. 

It is common for cars 6000 to 7000 VIN numbers apart to have been one behind the other on the assembly line.

Research as always, continues............