Production number question

[beekppr]

Just picked up my first E-body and I'm trying to learn more about them. The serial number is 100750 so I figure it is a fairly early build date. My Bee is 243000 (roughly) and I know it's a late build date.

This Chally is an LA plant car. My question is did each plant start serial numbers at 100001 and go from there or is the serial number a reflection of every single car Dodge produced that year including trucks and so on? Seems that each plant must have started at 100001 since my late production Bee was 243000 and we know Dodge produced way more total vehicles thab that.

I would love to figure out roughly where my Chally sits within the production runs if that is even possible. I know it would be impossible to say it was number such and such ever built but is there a way to roughly estimate that it could have been one of the first couple hundred ever produced?

It's a fully numbers matching car so it would be cool to know even though I don't ever intend to sell it.

[DAYLEY/CHALLENGER]

Welcome to the site there beekppr.   Keep us informed on the rebuild of the chally.  I can't help with the production number though. 

[beekppr]

I checked out your site. It's inspirational!  I like the idea of posting pics of the car at various points in the resto project. I hope to really take my time and do even more hands on work than I did on the Bee.

['Cuda Hunter]

I have a challenger that is a 72. It is 100092.  I do believe it is in the first hundred built. 

Welcome to the site.  Nice bee. 

[Alaskan_TA]

did each plant start serial numbers at 100001 and go from there

Yes for 1970 cars. (some plants also started numbers in the 500,000 range for some years / models)

Your VIN would have been the 750th one assigned at the LA plant for 1970, but cars were not built in VIN order so there is no way to know what it's build number was down the assembly line. In most cases there is also no way to know if the cars was built on its SPD (scheduled production date).

LA built A, B & E bodies this year & the lowest SPD I have seen so far is 801 for August first, 1969 which was the first day of the 1970 model year.

If you want to register it see http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/register.shtml

[Alaskan_TA]

I have a challenger that is a 72. It is 100092.  I do believe it is in the first hundred built.

Hamtramck cars are easier to track in one way - if you have the broadcast sheet. If so, what numbers are in the first two boxes of the top line under where it says SEQUENCE NUMBER?

[beekppr]

My build sheet on my Bee is "617" so I'm guessing June 17, 1970?

The car is being deliverd this weekend and I plan to strip the interior and clean it first thing. I really hope to find the build sheets but I am not holding my breath. I found three of them in my Bee and they all look great. I know the carpet in this Challenger is original but it looks pretty wasted and chewed up so I doubt the build sheets survived.

Do Challengers have one behind the dash?

Maybe the federal safety tag is still on the door jamb. The paint is original so hopefully it didn't fall off or get removed. I assume Challengers had these on the door jambs?

I'll add to this post and let you know what I find once I inspect the car better.

['Cuda Hunter]

You could find the build sheet in many places.
Behind the glove box, in the headliner, under the carpet, in the seats, both front and back both tops and bottoms.  I have seen a picture of one that came out from between the gas can and the tar mat that gets put down.
That build sheet could be anywhere. 

[Super Blue 72]

Hi beekppr, welcome! 

Very cool looking Challenger!  I love the seat covers!  Very cool!    From the pics, I don't see a fender tag, yes?  Is there a vinyl top on the car?  What color is it?  It doesn't look the typical black.

I have a challenger that is a 72. It is 100092.  I do believe it is in the first hundred built. 

Sorry, not to go off topic...'Cuda Hunter, what is your schedualed build date?  That's a real low VIN!  Do you have '71 parts on your car?

['Cuda Hunter]

Superblue,
Not trying to get off this topic so go here.  Dig a little.
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=72469.0


Those seat covers are cool looking.  Looks like that orange and black halloween interior.
Was that available in a Cuda.

[beekppr]

I'm not sure about the vinyl top. Someone removed it a while back to keep it from rusting out I suppose. Aside from the surface rust, the top and inside trunk area look perfect. Not a single rust bubble. I assumed the top was once black since the interior and side stripes are black.

As far as the fender tag, it is not attached so I am guessing whoever switched the fenders and welded on the new radiator support must have threw it away. The car has lots of crates of extra parts in the trunk and back seat area so maybe it will be in there....I doubt it though.

I dig the seats but I am not so sure they were original. The insert material is more red than orange but maybe age and sun changed it. The insert is cloth not vinyl and it feels kinda fuzzy. I removed the back seat when I inspected the car and the underside looks original to me, old burlap and all. The stitching and the surrounding black vinyl sure looks original too. If I saw these covers on another car, I would be certain these are original but since I have never seen them in another Chally, I have to believe they were redone.

They are in great shape though. Good cleaning and they will work just fine for a while. That can be one of the last things on my to-do list. In the meantime, I can make up stories and see who buys it. 

[Super Blue 72]

I'm no expert, I'm sure others may chime in on this but my guess is that those are factory original seats.

Look at this pic.  Granted, they are different color, but they look like the same pattern material, IMO, and the stitching/seams look the same.  I may have seen this color scheme before too.  Look under the seat to see if there is a buildsheet or if there are any tags on the seat springs.  Maybe there is an interior code that might help?

http://www.chooseyouritem.com/classics/files/97000/97310-4.1970.Dodge.Challenger.RT.SE.html

[Alaskan_TA]

Orange & black was not an available combination for '70 models, see http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/dealerships/1970ColorAndTrim-01.shtml

The seat frames may be the originals though.

[beekppr]

The location of the inserts seems to match so maybe the car was originally ordered with the cloth inserts. Thanks for that pic, I saved it for future reference. I plan on carefully checking for that buildsheet. Do seats have a tag on them?

I still think someone may have changed the inserts since they are more velour like in texture. If the seats had the inserts originally, it would have been easier I'm guessing for an upholstery place to replace the inserts only with something a previous owner may have wanted. Running your hand across the fuzzy material makes me think of disco 70's. Maybe the car was owned by a famous TV person like "Huggy Bear."

[Alaskan_TA]

OK, more questions, the answers may help determine what your seat pattern was originally.

Is it an SE? (JH29 or JS29 VIN prefix) or does it have a JH23 or JS23 VIN prefix?

If it is a JH23 or JS23 does it have either or both of;

1. Carpet on the lower door panels with red reflector.

2. Rear seat ash trays in the plastic side panels.

Alos, the seats should have tags hog-ringed to the frames with part numbers & date codes. Some are cardboard & some are metal. Bucket seats will have a tag for the bottom & the back. Bucket seat rails are date coded also.