The M46 Barracuda - What were the differences and how

[426HEMI]

Hey Josh,  I have searched my car for the stripe as well but did not see anywhere where it was.  Not sure that it had one on it but it might have.  Gordon

['Cuda Hunter]

I guess I havn't seen many pics of your car of detailed areas.  Did your car have a repaint?  Was it properly stripped before the repaint or primer job.  I do remember yours as having red primer all over it.  Kind of like mine having grey primer all over it. 

[426HEMI]

My car was not repainted and after almost 40 years in the body work field I know I could tell for sure.  I have looked several times for the strip even on inside the doors and around the valance panels.  I am just not sure it ever had a stripe on it.  Stripes like those leave a sign on the paint where you can tell even if it has been primered like mine which was not done correctly.  It would be so nice to have pictires of it when it was new but dont have any of it like that.  Gordon

[Finoke]

Are there any known 71 M46 Barracuda's? Rumor has it that it was a 71 option that was dropped.

[hemiken]

So Ken, Does your car have any sign of the reflective stripe?  I havn't seen an M46 yet without the stripe or at least remnants of the stripe.  I can't see any on your car there.  Looks as though it was removed or never installed.

Hey Josh,
There is no stripes on it any where.  But there are signs of where it has been, my cell phone camera does not pick up detail real good and the area is real faint, you really have to look to see it buddy.  This is why i have no idea what color stripe my car may of came with, the Blue or the Red ?

[Alaskan_TA]

I did some research on the grilles. This is from the 1970-71 Parts Book;

 

[Moparal]

Barry, what does that mean?   I don't understand.   Sorry

[Alaskan_TA]

Hey Al,
It says the AAR & only the AAR had a different grille. AAR Grilles were black, so that only leaves one choice for you M46 owners. ;-)

Barry

[Moparal]

So they could be argent and then painted black?   Or just argent?   M46 that is

[Alaskan_TA]

Just argent.

AAR Grilles were cast in black plastic.

The M46 cars were available from the start of the 1970 model year, Aug 1st, 1969.

The AAR (with the black grille) did not debut until March of 1970.

So, black grilles were just not available in anything at all until March, & the parts book says they were used in AARs only.

[Moparal]

Cool   So mine being argent and not (painted) black may be correct?  I left mine the way I got it with the car. It had 1 chrome trim on a bench and it was bent so I didnt bother with replacing them

[bb71challenger]

I would not bet any money on how any car was built in the early 70's I would not even trust the build sheet totally.  I was at dealerships during that time.  I know what happened.  I just do not think that Chrysler keep any information on all of the cars they built.  They may have stated they were going to build them but it often changed as it went down the line.  Gordon

Hey Gordon, when you were at the dealership did you ever remember seeing an M46 with no stripe at all along the bottom? I swear that back in 83 or so I saw a 383/4 Barracuda, FE5 red with no stripe along the bottom, just the scoops in black, much like the pic of the red one except it was all red of course. I did not see the tag and even if I did I would not have known to look for the M46 callout back then. I am just wondering if this was a real M46 car or if the dealers possibly could have added it per the buyers request when it was purchased?

[426HEMI]

When I was at the dealership I did not see any M46 cars.  The dealer did not order any specialty cars or even a Cuda without the customer paying for it and then he would order it.  I did not see any M46 cars till I bought mine in the 90's.  I am glad that Barry found that information on the Grille's I did not think mine had been changed.  Thanks for your work on this Barry.   Gordon

[hemiken]

Yes this is some good feedback, i wonder how some of the guys ended up with Black grills then

Could they have been fitted after a certain build date perhaps and not recorded as correct by the records ?

[426HEMI]

What I am thinking it was, was where some guys painted there grilles black because they liked the color combination.  We had some Cuda's blacked out as well by guys.   Gordon