N-Code Former Racer: 1971 Dodge Challenger 383

This dusty Challenger is claimed to be a former race car that was ordered with some nice goodies, including orange paint, houndstooth upholstery, air conditioning, R/T-style stripes, and an N-code 383 V8. There aren’t many photos in the listing, and a quick image search turned up some older matches. That can raise red flags because it could be a scammer trying to harvest contact information or fishing for a sucker. Let’s take a closer look and see if we can determine whether it’s legit. Find the listing here on Craigslist out of Snohomish, Washington, where it’s listed for $13,000. Thanks go to Curvette for the tip!

There are no photos of the engine because, unfortunately, there isn’t one. The seller mentions that, except for the rear axle, the drivetrain is missing. So, add a big-block engine and transmission to the shopping list. Apparently, this car was originally ordered with an N-code engine. That means the VIN contains the letter N in the fifth position, indicating that it came with the high-performance version of Mopar’s 383-cubic-inch V8. It had a four-barrel carburetor and put out 300 horsepower! So, this was a serious muscle car back in the day.

Power was routed to the rear wheels through a floor-shifted automatic transmission. That does sound like a good setup for drag racing, so the seller’s racing claims could be true. Even if the racing wasn’t done at the strip, I’m sure more than a few stoplight drags happened. I’m not sure I’d want to drive this thing on the street with that tiny steering wheel, though. The car was equipped with power steering, but that wheel has gotta make things twitchy! You can also see what’s left of the houndstooth upholstery in the photos.

The five-spoke mags, slicks, and hood scoop are the only visible evidence of this car’s racing past. The more I look at this one, though, the more I think it could be legitimate. The photos and description seem to line up, and the asking price isn’t suspiciously low. If it really is as solid as the seller claims, it could be worth hunting down an engine and transmission and repairing the rust where the vinyl top was installed.

As with any long-distance purchase, tread lightly. Make sure there’s a clear title, and if you can’t inspect the vehicle in person, send an inspector before wiring any money. If anyone here picks this one up, please keep us updated!