I think it's lost to time and a hurricane. 71 Charger R/T

[biomedtechguy]

In 1979 I sold my yellow and black 71 Charger R/T to a guy who lived off of St Bernard Highway in Chalmette, LA.
I was offered a new car as a high school graduation gift and got a 79 Aspen R/T.
About a year later, I spotted the 71 power bulge hood w/louvered insert on another Charger, and I don't recall the reason, but it didn't bode well for my old car's story. It was stock, 440 4bbl, Slap Stick auto console, A/C w/an open 8¾ rear axle. Disc brakes up front, and factory Magnum (5 spoke) wheels. It would have had around 65k miles on it. Krinkle Black aluminum M/T valve covers. Missing the lower front gravel pan, gray primer on the passenger front fender.
Here's a picture close to when I sold it.

Just wanted to know if anyone knows what happened to it. I think it may have been flooded out in a hurricane.
I'm forever grateful for having it when I did, in 78 and 79 when I was 16 and 17 and a junior and senior in high school, with an active cruising scene in New Orleans where I lived. There was a black on black 71 R/T Charger like mine another guy at school had. That looked pretty awesome too.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

I would like to have my old 71 Charger back as well. Triple black, 383 Magnum car. (I had it in 1978/79 also. I was 20 years old in '78.)Have been regretting selling it ever since. Pic is me and the car in '79...

 

[Thrashingcows]

Any chance you have the VIN around, might be easier to track its survival.

 

[biomedtechguy]

Any chance you have the VIN around, might be easier to track its survival.

Unfortunately no. I even found the build sheet back when I had it, but I don't remember what happened to it.
I'm only curious.
I like my Roadrunner for the time of life I'm in now.
It's so much faster than that Charger, but then again, it's not stock either, and the SureGrip 4:10s, even the 3.54s made a difference, the traction on both wheels especially.

 

[eldubb440]

you gave that up for an Aspen?

 

[biomedtechguy]

you gave that up for an Aspen?

Aspen R/T w/E58 "police" 360 4bbl

My parents said "I didn't need 2 cars"
It would have been sold long ago anyway, and being my daily driver, it was nice having a brand new car.

 

[chargervert]

I was never a big fan of 71 and up Chargers. I was always a 68 to 70 guy. But my friends were into 71 Charger R/Ts and they grew on me, now I have four of them.

 

[biomedtechguy]

I was never a big fan of 71 and up Chargers. I was always a 68 to 70 guy. But my friends were into 71 Charger R/Ts and they grew on me, now I have four of them.

I can understand that. Just like the Roadrunner, 71 Charger was a big styling change, but it is more obvious (to me) on the 71-74 Roadrunner.
They got really "wide" across the rear quarter panels, and my eyes are drawn to the rear window glass bottom width, and downward to the wheel openings. It's worse on the Roadrunner, but to me, any 71 Charger or 71-74 Roadrunner that doesn't have really wide tires makes the width of the rear of those cars look like an obese woman with skinny legs wearing high heels. They MUST have wide rear tires!

 

[Tomcat]

I know this is late input to an old conversation, but I always get a kick out of the pre 71 post 70 opinions on Mopars. I was born in 66, so my love for these cars is sort of car specific, meaning, it has to do with detail things like stripes and moldings and etc. My true love has always been, and still is 71 roadrunners, and I've had numerous fuselage styled birds through the years, but have also some coke bottle Chargers..... my favorite being a N code 71 SE that was B5 in and out, hideaways, factory AC power bulge hood..... damn I wish I had that one back!! I've also had 67, 70 and 71 GTXs, and loved them all, but as partial as I am to the 71 body, I didn't care for the factory pin stripe and vinyl top on the 71. I guess my point is that while I find the 71 body to be the most sexy of all, when it pertains to a GTX, I prefer the 70 over the 71..... it's just interesting to hear what appeals to us all individually.... cool stuff.

 

[biomedtechguy]

I know this is late input to an old conversation, but I always get a kick out of the pre 71 post 70 opinions on Mopars. I was born in 66, so my love for these cars is sort of car specific, meaning, it has to do with detail things like stripes and moldings and etc. My true love has always been, and still is 71 roadrunners, and I've had numerous fuselage styled birds through the years, but have also some coke bottle Chargers..... my favorite being a N code 71 SE that was B5 in and out, hideaways, factory AC power bulge hood..... damn I wish I had that one back!! I've also had 67, 70 and 71 GTXs, and loved them all, but as partial as I am to the 71 body, I didn't care for the factory pin stripe and vinyl top on the 71. I guess my point is that while I find the 71 body to be the most sexy of all, when it pertains to a GTX, I prefer the 70 over the 71..... it's just interesting to hear what appeals to us all individually.... cool stuff.

My first nice Mopar was a 71 Charger R/T in 78-79.
It also has what my eyes see as "wide hips" that REQUIRE wide rear tires so as to not appear as I had described above. The GTO has the same effect. I find the Satellite has that effect magnified because of its design, and add that big bumper too, it all makes wide rear tires a must, JMO. I do like the 71 GTX/RR interior as it appears identical to my 71 Charger.

 

[Tomcat]

I have most definitely stuffed wide tires under some of mine, and I do prefer them that way, but then, I grew up in the time when everybody did that with all muscle cars, and I love them on all muscle cars.....however, I have also gone through some crap from having them, so i’m more apprehensive about them nowadays......too old to deal with the issues! Hahaha

 

[drhill]

I put wide ones on the back of mine.

 

[biomedtechguy]

I put wide ones on the back of mine.

View attachment 1308605

View attachment 1308606

Looks GREAT

 

[chargervert]

71 and up B Bodies need big fat tires filling up the rear wheel wells,! I have 295/50/15s on 10 inch wide wheels on most of my third generation Chargers.

 

[biomedtechguy]

There's a "difference" between the rear quarter flare of the Coke bottle shape of the 66-70 B-Body cars vs the 71 Satellite and Charger. I think a big part of it is the shape of the rear window and the deck below the bottom of the rear window. It looks really wide on the 71 on cars, and that requires wide tires to "square" the look. Thanks for the replies!

 

[Wookie316]

315/60R15

 

[chargervert]

If any of you guys want to build replicas of your old 71 Chargers, I will have 4 rollers that I will be selling in the near future. I have a 71 Charger R/T 440 4 speed Dana car with the N96 Ramcharger hood option. Only 332 built in 1971,and probably less than 100 with the N96 Ramcharger hood option. I have an N code Charger SE 383 Magnum automatic car, I have a 72 Charger topper that in better than 95 percent rust free with a rebuilt front end and disc brakes, and a new windshield. And the last one is a 71 Charger was 318 automatic, needs all the usual stuff, but has good bones and is buildable.

 

[6PKRTSE]

My first car a a teenager at 15 was a black 1970 Charger R/T. My second was 68' 383 Charger, third was a 71' Charger 500 owned all 3 at the same time at age16-17. My 4th still as a teenager in the 80's was my current red 70 Charger R/T S.E. that I still own today. See a pattern? I have always loved Chargers....

 

[Curiousyellow71]

I can relate!

My brother and I being twins owned two 69 chargers when we were 15 in 1987.
The first one we never got on the road...but we are finally working on it...its only taken 35 years. It is white w black top and blue interior.

The second 69 we bought a couple months later.
First pic we are driving it after painting it ourselves in the spring of 88 with a 383....And one of it today with the 510 still the same paint! It's had a top fuel hemi crank since 1994.

@biomedtechguy
...I hope your 71 is out their somewhere... It's was a really cool car.