Fully Restored 1973 Dodge Challenger Rallye 340

For my tastes, reimagining the first-generation Dodge Challenger to create the perfect appearance would mean taking a 1970 model and swapping in the rear panel from a 1972 through 1974 car, minus any bumper guards, as I’ve been a fan of the odd-angle taillight lenses ever since I was a kid.  However, there was never a period when any Dodge E-Body didn’t look sweet in factory form, though the first couple of years offered better performance capabilities than in the latter period.  This 1973 Challenger Rallye is described as having been remarkably restored, and even after carefully scrutinizing the photos, I’m not seeing much that would lead me to believe otherwise.  Located in Lakeland, Florida, reader Curvette spotted this one here on eBay, and we’d like to thank him for this fine Mopar tip!  So far, the opening bid of $30,000 has not been placed.

For the first couple of years, the R/T was known as the bad-boy Challenger, with a 383 as the minimum engine available.  However, in 1972, that model was dropped and replaced with the Challenger Rallye.  By now, power options had also dwindled considerably, with big-block availability now history and the 340 reigning supreme.  Fortunately, that one was still a decent performer, and it’s what’s in the bay here, with the seller confirming this is still the original small-block.  Things under the hood appear nearly show-quality, thanks to cleanliness and order, and the 340 is paired with an automatic transmission.

The owner breaks down the fender tag information for us, which reveals that this car was originally painted JF8, the corporate code for Dark Green Metallic.  That hue has gone by the wayside, and no details are provided about what bodywork was performed before the car was resprayed, if any.  This one’s reported to have come from Arizona, so if it was properly stored, perhaps few sheet-metal repairs were required.  While this remains unknown, whatever has been done outside appears to be of high quality, and I’m seeing nothing from any exterior angle that suggests it isn’t excellent workmanship.

Inside, the components are still mostly dark green and appear to be in very nice shape overall.  The factory AM radio, or one like it, is still in the dash, plus it’s always nice to have that rallye gauge cluster staring back at you.  One other tiny detail that initially caught my eye was the fender tag not being Dark Green Metallic, but it could have had the finish stripped, and the slight bend on the left edge is common, where these plates were sometimes angled up for the assembly line workers to view the codes more easily before the final right screw was installed.  This 1973 Dodge Challenger Rallye appears to have received a meticulous restoration, and I’m spotting very little that would cause me to hesitate pursuing this one.  How about you?