The seller admits that this 1971 Dodge Challenger Convertible was nothing special or extraordinary when it was new. However, a rotisserie rebuild has left it presenting superbly. That is the tip of the iceberg because its engine bay houses a V8 that lifts performance to a significantly higher level. This classic needs a new owner who will enjoy the top-down touring it promises this summer. The Challenger is listed here on Craigslist in Ramona, California. The seller set their price at $62,000, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Tony P for spotting this beauty.
Dodge introduced the First Generation Challenger in 1970 as one of two cars produced on Chrysler’s new E-Body platform. It shared many styling cues with its Plymouth Barracuda cousin, although the Challenger received a slightly longer wheelbase and was larger in both overall width and length. This Convertible rolled off the line in 1971, and no information about the original paint shade is supplied. However, it underwent a rotisserie refurbishment a few years ago, and the results justified the effort. Its dazzling Bright Blue Metallic paint shines beautifully, with no apparent flaws or imperfections. It covers panels that are laser-straight and feature tight and consistent gaps. The underside shots reveal floors you could eat off with no signs of corrosion or penetrating rust. The White power top fits tightly and operates as it should. The glass is crystal clear, and the chrome is spotless. The Rally wheels add a sense of purpose, but the shaker poking out through the hood confirms there is more to this classic than a pretty face.
Dodge offered an array of motors to power the 1971 Challenger Convertible, but the V8 occupying this engine bay isn’t original. The first owner ordered a 318ci and a three-speed TorqueFlite, placing 230hp and 320 ft/lbs of torque at the driver’s disposal. Performance was pretty respectable, but this car pushes that to a higher level. The 318 is a memory, and a 340 now occupies its rightful place. This isn’t any ordinary 340, inhaling deeply through a Six-Pack setup. The remaining major mechanical components include a three-speed A-727 transmission, a 3.55 Sure Grip rear end, and power assistance for the steering and front disc brakes. It is unclear whether the V8 features any internal upgrades, but it should still launch the car through the ¼-mile in around 15.3 seconds. That is a significant improvement over the 17.6-second ET it would have produced off the showroom floor. This engine bay presents as beautifully as the rest of the car, and its looks aren’t deceiving. The seller confirms the car runs and drives perfectly, with no vices or issues.
No aspect of this Challenger escaped the seller’s attention during the build, and the short period that has passed since work ended means there hasn’t been the chance for its interior to become tired or worn. I’m unsure whether I would describe it as perfect, but if the new owner rocks up to a Cars & Coffee with the top down, they can do so with their head held high. The White vinyl upholstered surfaces are spotless, and there are no visible faults with the carpet, dash, or console. The seller has resisted the temptation to load the interior with aftermarket items. Factory features include a Rally gauge cluster, tachometer, and an AM/FM radio. There isn’t air conditioning, but who needs it when you can drop the top?
Some classics are like Vanilla ice cream; Most people find them okay, but they lack something indefinable to make them stand out. This 1971 Challenger Convertible probably fell into that category when it was new, but the seller has ensured that is no longer true. The presentation is stunning, and the mechanical components promise exhilarating performance. It is begging for a new home, but are you tempted to make it yours?
Nice Challenger , but No Fender Tag or build sheet for $62,000 ? No A/C
Expensive engine , ? intake ? six pack ? I think it would have been nice to see what it was “born as”.
You want to see my baby pictures ? He states it more than once – it’s a six pac clone and as a 1971 low prouction – the price is about right and maybe a steal.
Apparently you don’t read!! Nor do you know anything about Mopar cars!! It was a 318 car originally!! Why would you want a build sheet!! Which mind you the fender tag is all you need!!
Sweet!! Looks and sounds like a great deal, i hope it sells.
If it’s condition matches the description it seems reasonably priced. The car presents well, the color, wheels/tires and shaker look great on the car.
Steve R
With only 1,857 1971 Challenger convertibles built, I would argue that every one of them that has survived is something special.
Beautiful car. A good looking car made even better.
Whats up with all the Caps? The names of colors are generally not proper nouns. Words such as blue, green, orange, yellow, red and white are all common nouns, so they are not capitalized. Plus a Bunch of Others.
Oh, yes a really nice car. Beautiful when it was made and perfectly shown here.
I understood there would be no punctuation police….that’s from a guy whose 1st grade teacher misspelled my name on both sides of my report card and expected me to do the same.
It’s enough to drive you crazy when someone doesn’t read about something and then makes comments about it. The car doesn’t need fender tags when the owner explains in detail how it started life and what it is today. No way you’ll buy and build a car like this and as clean as it is for any where near this kind of money unless you build it yourself and it WILL cost the same amount and if you have the time, it will be yours this time next year so why not this one? Looks like you’ll be buying a brand new 1970 challenger and with the market the way it is you can enjoy it for a while and get most of your investment back. That is as long as you take care of it. The only flaw I see is if I were going to put this much into it, it would have AC. Just my opinion. Looks like fun!
A/C wasn’t a factory option with the “Shaker” I believe.
“Delivery Man” with Vince Vaughn starred a 1970 Challenger similar to this one. Sort of a goofy movie but it was downright painful to watch what happened to the car. Be forewarned if you happen to catch this flick streaming late at night. Bad dreams for sure.
Vanishing point ☝️!!
Is the transmission lever on the column or the floor?
Console with T handle auto shift on the floor clearly visible.
I’m curious if the factory made a ’71 340 6pak Challenger. Like a ’70 T/A, but without the label? Maybe you could special order one?
Most likely, not in convertible form.
This build is very interesting, and an E body convertible will never be a cheap buy.
That would of been the ultimate sleeper!! Unfortunately both Dodge and Plymouth were AR only.
I’d bet there were a few dealer installed Six Pack units, think Mr. Norm, but not likely from the factory. Dodge was planning on a 1971 Challenger T/A, I have several fall of 1970 performance magazines that featured an ad for the 1971 lineup of Dodge performance cars with a short description and the actual prototype cars fanned out for the picture. It mentions the T/A by name and is clearly visible.
Magazines in those days had a lead time of many months and it was dropped prior to production. There are examples of other manufacturers making press releases or including packages in or engine options in manuals or parts catalogs that never went into production. I think Muscle Car Review or similar magazine ran at least one article about this subject.
Steve R
Thanks, Steve R. Glad that you are back. You provide a lot of great info here.
Not like King (Turd) Creole. Funny how the name rhymes with Troll.
You aren’t one bit funny and I hope you get kicked, once again.
Start acting your age – which is incredibly old by your own admission.
PRA4SNW, you are welcome. For whatever reason, my phone doesn’t like this site, after a while it acts up, eventually not letting me respond or even view featured cars. Then after 6 months or so, it resets. That happened multiple times.
As for the troll, I prefer not to comment about pathetic losers.
Steve R
If you’re talking about the yellow ’71 T/A in the ads, which is the only one I’ve ever seen; the story goes that it was a ’70 model picture that the promotions people airbrushed the grille to look like a ’71. In that pic the front bumper guards are also airbrushed out and the bumper was airbrushed black and yellow, which was never a production option. The unaltered pic, clearly of a ’70 car, also showed up in a few ’71 ads.
I’ve only paid attention to all this because the original owner of my T/A claimed that it is the actual car in these pics. HE claimed that to get a yellow 4 gear, his local dealer had to accept a promo car from “across the country”, and that it arrived as new but with just over 100 miles on it. That’s plausible I guess, since the cars appear to be identical, but could just as easily be made up.
Melton Mooney, that’s the one. Thanks for the history behind the picture.
Steve R
yes…..
My friend has one, almost identical but his is a factory 440 RT, and it had a complete frame off restoration. it’s insured for 250k, so 62k for a nice clone sounds like a decent deal