Hard Luck Challenger

[marc7071]

New member to the board here. I got enough responses to my intro that I thought I'd continue the conversation here with pictures.
My '71 Challenger Convertible. I guess I'm a sucker for hard luck cases because my car has had a rough life. I bought it back in 1988 when I was just 18. Second car I've ever owned.
I'll start this thread easy with nice pictures of it but, be warned, they will soon turn ugly when I show what my car has been through. Brace yourselves.

[GranCuda1970]

Bracing!!... She look good in those pics   

[ChallengerHK]

Beautiful car. did you design that stripe?

[marc7071]

Those pictures were before the turmoil began.
My car's hard life started well before I bought it. An oddity, it was built as an export vehicle and spent the first decade or so in a salt rich environment. By the time I got to it the salt had done a real number on the floorboards and trunk. I had to replace those just to keep from falling through the floor when I drove it. A few years after I initially bought the car, I was 't-boned' while out on a drive. While not too terribly bad it was enough to prompt me to start a semi restoration on it. Unfortunately, the only pictures I have are of the damage previous to the start of the project. Little did I know I should have taken many, many more.........

[marc7071]

Beautiful car. did you design that stripe?

Thanks but no. Not to insult but I never really liked them. They were just added by a previous owner so I had no say weather they should put them on or not. I would have preferred a factory correct strip if any but that's just me.

[Tonefiend]

It sure looks nice in those first pics!  The second ones, not so much.  

I'm looking forward to seeing some more of it's history.  Pretty cool you had that at 18 and kept it all these years. You and I are the same age and I sold my hot rod, a '73 Firebird 20 years ago and have regretted it ever since.

[marc7071]

I worked on the car, here and there and on and off for many years after that. I removed the original 318/727 and converted it to a 440/833 4spd. I even managed to drive it for a few years before the detail/restoration bug got a hold of me again. Since the body and interior will still in pretty good condition, I started with the drive train. I pulled the 440 for a rebuild and upgraded to a six pak setup. I rebuilt the hemi 4 speed and pistol grip shifter with all new components from Brewers Performance. Things were going well but that was not to last. With the engine and transmissions still on stand waiting to go back in the car the powers that be pulled the plug on my project. On July 27, (727. how ironic) 2012, I had a house fire and the garage with the Challenger still in it, burned to the ground. This leads me to the latest, and most horrific pictures in my posting. Like I said, you've been warned.....

[marc7071]

It sure looks nice in those first pics!  The second ones, not so much.  
........I sold my hot rod, a '73 Firebird 20 years ago and have regretted it ever since.

Thanks. Your statement, along with my love of the car, is the main reason why I have kept it. I can't tell you how many times I have heard the same statement from countless car enthusiasts. I vowed to never be the guy telling someone else how much I regretted getting rid of my car.

['Cuda Hunter]

  Oh my god!  That is terrible.  Just terrible.

Is there anything saveable?  Aw, that's just aweful!

I feel for ya bro!

So what's the plans now?

I was gonna ask anyway, what's the tag readout? Curious of the original colors and options.

[GranCuda1970]

     sad   

[Tonefiend]

Thanks. Your statement, along with my love of the car, is the main reason why I have kept it. I can't tell you how many times I have heard the same statement from countless car enthusiasts. I vowed to never be the guy telling someone else how much I regretted getting rid of my car.

That was my 2nd car bought in '88 when I was in high school  Sold it a few years later due to pressure from the parents and the cost of gas.  They weren't car lovers.  But, in all reality there is no way I would have been able to hang on to it all these years.  I think if I built my car into a show winning hemi I'd trade it for that 350 pontiac in a heartbeat. 

[Tonefiend]

Damn man thats horrible. 

['Cuda Hunter]

I see the aluminum intake is melted.
The engine stand has buckled from the heat and weight.
Looks like it was a pretty clean body before.
Was that a t/a fiberglass hood?


What's the other car that burnt?

[MizzouRT]

Well, that pretty much sucks!!!

[marc7071]

I was gonna ask anyway, what's the tag readout? Curious of the original colors and options.

My fender tag/s were rusted beyond recognition so they were mostly gone when I got the car. Not sure if this is allowed but to better answer your questions, here's a shot of my broadcast/build sheet. I was lucky enough to have found a near pristine one behind the glovebox liner and make a photocopy of it for safe keeping.
It's been years since I decoded it but, If I remember correctly, the car had some pretty cool and also odd options. Anyone that still knows how to read build sheets feel free to help out on this one.

I see the aluminum intake is melted.
The engine stand has buckled from the heat and weight.
Looks like it was a pretty clean body before.
Was that a t/a fiberglass hood?

What's the other car that burnt?

Yes. I had a T/A hood on the car. I forgot to mention. Along with the six pack upgrade I wanted to make it a true ram air six pack so I got a T/A hood and found a complete NOS T/A air cleaner assembly. Believe it or not, even with the 440, the air cleaner and hood still fit to work properly.
The other car was my '92 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin Turbo. While a fun car to drive, it's loss was meaningless compared to the Challenger.