Welcome!
Real nice history on your Challenger! Great to hear it and how it landed in your lap!
Have you found a build sheet for it? Looks under the seats/seatbacks (front/rear), under the rug, taped to glovebox insert...
If you have a pic of the fender tag we can decode most of it for you!
As far as the hood goes, if the '74s were like the 72's, you could special order a performance V8 (360 in your case) with a base Challenger. It would include the Rallye hood, dual exhaust and chrome exhaust tips. Your car probably lacks the A57 code for the Rallye option as you do not have the Rallye gauge cluster. The Rallye option would also include the Rallye suspension, other visual ques also like a flat black grill.
The shifter is interesting as Brad pointed out it's a 70 knob. Also, it doesn't say "Slap Stik" belo the "1" as the later cars do so I wonder if the shfter is not original, as evidenced by the missing shifter/cosole cover.
Nice it has rear defrost! Does it have factory body side moulding?
Nice car! Keep the dream alive!
Feel free to ask questions!