No one bought a V-Code (440 cid SixPack) Challenger for its nimble cornering. Whoever ordered this 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T in Appleton, Wisconsin enjoyed an unfair advantage. When it comes to stuffing a big motor in a small car, this Dodge is the vehicular equivalent of walking into a bar with a roll of quarters in your pocket, and they ain’t for the juke box. This one has a non-original motor, but the sweet Six-Pack setup remains, and the original numbers-matching four-speed manual transmission. The listing here on eBay has garnered at least nine bidders and a value above $15,500.
Wearing flashy orange and black paint, tires so fat they don’t fit in the wheel wells, lettering and stripes everywhere, and a wing on the back, this Dodge challenges everyone on the road to an acceleration fist fight. If you sometimes let that schedule-crunched V6 minivan-driving mom get in front of you because the light’s turning red anyway, DO NOT buy this car. The driver of this car will smoke every Prius, SUV, Civic, and modern muscle car they can, at every light, all day long; lather, rinse, repeat.
Though removed, bucket seats (shown in the listing) come with the sale, including their tattered but ultra-mod orange plaid inserts. The all-business black interior, black vinyl roof and black stripes combine to complete the scary Halloween theme. The four-speed manual could probably scare most ’70s-era tires into black stripes in any of the first three gears.
An R/T-only feature, the “SixPack” (a trio of two-barrel carbs) looks like a nightmare to setup, but fans praise the concept. Most of the time you’re using the thrifty center two-barrel for decent fuel economy. Well, decent for a 10.3:1 compression 7.2L V8 anyway. Stand on it, and the two outer carburetors spring into action, inhaling copious air and fuel and kicking you in the pants. While the famous 426 cid Street Hemi sits above it on the order chart, a Hemi driver had better be on their game to take down a V-Code 440. Do you have enough attitude to own this potent pony car?
This one would bewilder even Kowalski. Says original 440 6 pack, but its not the original mill. You see rot underneath hear, there and everywhere. No pics of the mill. As the truckers used to say, they kept the shiny side up and the dirty side down.. You would need to sort out the junk inside and decide after a good insp. $15,600 already no reserve. Good luck! Stay safe.
Cheers
GPC
This engine was far better (and cheaper) then a hemi. Race prepped and used just for that, the hemi was the way to go, but on the street and for most race applications, the 440.6 was king. Actually, the six pack was hard to tune, the standard 440.4 was much easier. Of course, for average humans, the 318 was always the greatest choice. A 318 with a small 4 BBL was great for California, too bad other places couldn’t have that.
The 318 was an under appreciated base V8 motor for sure. But the best small block Mopar ever IMHO was the 340. Whether it was a Carter AFB or later Thermoquad on top, or the 340s own version of the 6-pack, those motors were terrific. Revved well, fairly bulletproof, and surprisingly good fuel economy. I’d love to own a 440-6 monster like this, but if I could only have one as a driver, I’d take an A body Dart or Duster with a 340 over it
I had a customer in the late 70’s who owned a Jensen Intercepter with a 440 plus 6Bbl…Now that was fast,even today it’s a fast car. The manifolds were made for Mopar by Edelbrock . that lag between mid range a full throttle is something they all have and it’s not possible to tune out.
Tom Hoover knows how to tune it out.
A friend of mine in high school had a R/T 440/Six-Pack 4 spd. I remember riding in it for the first and it made a believer out of me. Like Pratt & Whitney’s catch phase is,”In Thrust We Trust” it also applies to Mopar big blocks.Great street engine.
Brilliant.. I live in Newport Pagnell too (UK)
My high school buddy traded his 69 highly modified Z/28 with 4.88 gears in on a brand new 70 Challenger 440/6 with a 4 speed. It was equipped with E78x14 whitewalls and wheel covers, the original wheel/tire combo had been stolen off the lot at Grand Spaulding Dodge and these were “temporary” until replacements arrived. He wanted it on the spot and it was sold with the super skinny tires. It was Plum Crazy, white vinyl top and interior, real hard to miss. He beat on that car from day one (break it in the way you plan to drive it, he said) put on a set of Mickey Thompson L60x14 that were much too wide for the wheels, it was one of the fasted unmodified cars in the northern suburbs of Chicago. The original engine let loose just shy of 10k miles, he went in the Navy and never heard of him again. His first car was a 68 Chevelle SS396/375 with the L89 aluminum heads, and the typical mods. The guy had some fast rides…
Gosh, so many new cars for such a young man. Did he have a paper route?
Actually he did. He worked in a family service station at a fairly young age. He was held back a year in elementary school… he got a head start on the rest of us depending on how you looked at it.
That boy must have had a really good paper route.
Nice find but where is that numbers matching 440???? There seem to be enough rust on it to consider bringing down to bare metal!!!!! Could be a nice project!!!
The last of the real mopar maniacs, if straight line acceleration out of the box was your thing.
No doubt it will be restored to trailer queen status, instead of street sweeper missions I’m sure it carried out….and not bashful about it.
I graduated high school in 1974. A girl in the class behind me named Kathy bought yellow 1970 440 Pack Challenger. 4 speed. She had it a few years and I never saw it again. It was beautiful. All stock. Think she put L60 Lee tires on the rear with Gabriel Hijackers.
I’m surprised the rear spoiler was mounted that far forward. Maybe only in ’71? Rear tire quite darn close to the qtr panel.
It’s definitely in the wrong place and it’s a 70 wing.
At 15 grand it’s cheap. Anyone else here go to Nicks Garage on Youtube to see his kowalski tribute car? It’s a genny 440 6BBl four speed car too which was in similar condition but completely stripped when he bought it a couple of years ago. He has dynoed his engine which he says is quite mild, at 500HP plus.
Saw the movie, “Bullitt” in early 69. Saved my money for a 70 Charger 440-4. Ten months later, took it to Grand Spaulding Dodge for a dyno tune. Not sure it made any more power but it was a smoother, quicker ride to redline than before. A month later the car was stolen and never recovered.
Still best times I ever had on the road.
I’d say that was me. Buy not. It totally sounds like my story. But mine was a 70’s Camero. Never lost a race with those big tires in North Chicago/Navy Base.
I’m a Chevy guy, but I see this car going for around $30,000.00.
A few years ago I sold my 1971 Challenger R/T 440-6 pak, 4 speed, 4.10 Dana axle car, FC7 color. It had the shaker hood option that in my opinion was and still is on even on the new Challengers a ridiculous looking hood. I know everyone seems to like them but the standard performance hood looks so much better.
Right out of high school I purchased a used 1971 challanger 440 6pak car. I loved that beast. Raced it too. MY challanger could not be beat. Well one car a 1963 ford r code galaxie was faster..Them damm fords…
Right out of high school I purchased a used 1971 challanger 440 6pak car. I loved that beast. Raced it too. MY challanger could not be beat. Well one car a 1963 ford r code galaxie was faster..Them fords…