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Spyder Plante

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Hello
I have a 1971 Challenger R/T in my possession. It was owned by my better half's deceased husband. He purchased the car in 1978. However there are a lot of questions (on my part) as to what is actually going on with this car. He was a body man and painted the car before it went into storage for many many years ( and it looks really nice)
So my better half and I are trying to bring it back to a very nice driver car. It needs some work and we have started the work.
While researching about the Challenger there are some areas that don't quite seem right to me. This is a 340CID which matches the VIN# on the Dash and door. However, it is my understanding that in 1971, 340CID engines were orange and this engine is blue. I cannot find the serial number on the engine as of yet. I cannot find the Vin# - or is it sequence number - on the radiator support.
 

rklein71

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Sequence number is usually under a sticker on top of the core support directly in front of the battery. There is also a sequence number on the cowl near the driver side plastic screen and one on the trunk lip, I believe. All engine assemblies carry an engine identification number. On all eight cylinder engines, the E.I.N. is on a pad located on the right side of the block to the rear of the engine mount.
 

moparlee

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Sequence number is usually under a sticker on top of the core support directly in front of the battery. There is also a sequence number on the cowl near the driver side plastic screen and one on the trunk lip, I believe. All engine assemblies carry an engine identification number. On all eight cylinder engines, the E.I.N. is on a pad located on the right side of the block to the rear of the engine mount.
E-bodies do not have the sequential number on the side rail under the trunk weatherstrip. But B-bodies do.
 

rbbruno3

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The block should have a casting number followed by size 340 under the head driver side and a casting date of the production year under the head on the passenger side. The Vin number should be found just above the oil pan rail
 
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340challconvert

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Spyder
:welcome: to FEBO from New Jersey
Some good information above.

Your casting number should be 2780930
All 68-73 340 blocks should have this number on the left side of the block with the casting date above it. (except for TA blocks)

There is a number as noted by other members right below the driver's side head on the front of the block- your correct number should starts like this: GW340P,+ 4 number date code and 4 number build sequence.

upload_2019-5-6_8-1-34.png


Your original engine would start with G for 1971, W= Windsor Canada engine plant, P= premium fuel and the next 4 numbers on the assembly date of the engine followed by the build sequence number.
As far as the color; it should be blue for 1971, but as moparleo said "not always". Early 1971 engines could have been painted the earlier color.

According to this chart I found; early 340 engines were painted red, and later, being painted hemi-orange for 1970-71. The switch over to the blue took place at some time early in the 1971 model year. Confusing as Heck.
Mopar engine colors 1960 - 1973

Enjoy the Mopar Journey!
Dino2 (1).gif
 
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Spyder Plante

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Wow - Thank you very much.

Yeah - the reason I was asking about the color of the engine was because, as some have noted, I had read that the 1971 engine was orange and that the color changed after that to blue. So I was wondering if the correct engine was in it. I have looked at the block and cannot see the EIN. But now that I have more definitive info, I will now loo
IMG_2398.JPG
k again. Where I thought the EIN should be appears to be just smooth metal.

The reason that I am asking some of this info is that for a car that was supposed to be his "baby", but it has a lot of problems that I find wierd. For instance, it is missing the door hinge springs. I bought new springs, but have been unsuccessful installing them. It appears that the door hinges are the same unit but one side installed upside down compared to the other side. Is this correct? Also, do I need to remove the hinges to install the springs?

I have posted a picture of the car before we started working on it, from a couple of weeks ago.

It is a manual steer car - wow, it is a two hander to make intersection turns. It is also manual drum brakes. Anyway, my better half and I are working on the car. Last night I was working on the visors and she was working on trying to make a cover for the driver's door armrest. I see that one of the vendors does sell a single armrest, so if we are unsuccessful at the cover, I guess a new armrest is in our future.

We were out for a ride and couldn't get anything on the radio. Then I found out that the antenna cable was cut right were it enters the antenna. Also, there is a toggle switch on the dash with no label. Don't know what it is for yet.

hopefully this week I can get it on the lift to look underneath and take the wheels off to repaint the black on the wheels.

Oh yeah, no it is not air conditioned.

Thank you all again for the information. I will see if I can find all the info and I'll keep you abreast.
 
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