New 71 Charger way down South

[KiwiCharger]

Hi People, bit of a lurker here, I bought this 71 from Ontario and shipped it way down South here to New Zealand earlier this year.
It's a Canadian export model, factory TX9, 383, console with around 75,000 miles on it. Has had a respray about 5 years ago and has a few sins underneath it, will need front floor pans, trunk work and lower quarters amongst a few other bits that they all need, will just pick away at it and likely ask a few questions from those with a bit more in depth knowledge than myself.

On the plus side though, great interior and a healthy big cam 383 with headers, msd and a slapstik auto. Makes good power and can light em up no problem, but I get more fun out of cruising with my buddies in their cars and heading off to car events than drag racing it. Good to be back into a big block again though, my last Charger was a 74 SE 318, and I have had two 68's previously, a 318 and an R/T 440 in TX9 black as well. Had a 74 Duster and a 71 Aussie R/T Charger a few years back too, 265 six pack and 4 speed, that could eat up a stock 440 in the quarter.

Pretty well converted to the Gen III's now though, no question of that.
I fitted some 15 x 8 225/50/15 and 15 x 10 295/50/15's on last month and they suit it fairly well with a decent footprint. Got a real 80's rake too - and I'm fine with that.

Yes - I know it has a 73/74 rear taillight and front assembly, not ideal, but that's what I've got, fairly unlikely to come across 71 spares down here anyway.

Here's a few pics anyway 'since we all like the visuals.
Cheers

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[davek]

thanks for the pics

 

[Dennis H]

Love the Stance.

 

[71dodgechargerrt]

Congrats.

 

[mr. b]

congrats nice looking charger

 

[bandit67]

Congrats, yours looks way better than mine. I like your 71s flush mount side markers much better than the 72,73,74 protrusions .....

 

[71charger_fan]

Looks like a '72 front bumper. It's got bumper jack slots but still has the Charger arrowhead emblem in the center. Looks like it has holes in it for the bumper guard. Rear bumper could be anywhere from '72 to '74. If it has welded-in reinforcements on the back, it's a '73 or '74. It also has holes for the bumper guards.

 

[blue69runner]

Nice car and welcome to the site.  Had a 73 charger with 318 and slap stick. Lots of fun with that car.

 

[KiwiCharger]

Congrats, yours looks way better than mine. I like your 71s flush mount side markers much better than the 72,73,74 protrusions .....

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Hiya Bandit, yeah - just the design team must have had the brief to make them protrude, I reckon they look better flush or recessed. My old 74 Charger had them the same as yours. Nice looking Charger anyway - and you have the wheel edge and sill trim too! Like those Keystones too- sharp, I've always wanted a set of them - guessing they are 15 x 8, 15 x 10?.

 

[KiwiCharger]

Looks like a '72 front bumper. It's got bumper jack slots but still has the Charger arrowhead emblem in the center. Looks like it has holes in it for the bumper guard. Rear bumper could be anywhere from '72 to '74. If it has welded-in reinforcements on the back, it's a '73 or '74. It also has holes for the bumper guards.

Ok, thanks for the info, I will look for the reinforcements - yes, the front bumper has slots. Cheers.

 

[KiwiCharger]

Nice car and welcome to the site.  Had a 73 charger with 318 and slap stick. Lots of fun with that car.

Thanks Blue, your 73 would have been a lot of fun with the slapstick, my old 74 318 Charger and 68 318 Charger were both buddy/column, my 68 R/T was console, but man, I'm liking the slapstik - it's been getting a few workouts. 8-)

 

[Chargerjase]

Hi Kiwicharger, welcome to the site. Cool car by the way. Question, you mention a 74 318 Charger SE you used to have. Did it happen to be B5 blue? Was it this car pictured by any chance?

 

[KiwiCharger]

Hi Kiwicharger, welcome to the site. Cool car by the way. Question, you mention a 74 318 Charger SE you used to have. Did it happen to be B5 blue? Was it this car pictured by any chance?

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Hi Chargerjase - New Zealand is a small country, but Man! - Congrats on your detective work - Yes , my old 74 SE IY3378.
Such a good old bus, relatively stock as a rock and super reliable. Still even had a 2bbl on it! Had a bit of a cam and decent exhaust and just ran like a train, I miss it a bit actually, only sold it to get back into a big block car again.

Some interesting history on it though, it landed here in 1976 as a personal car for a FBI agent on transfer to Wellington. Deep undercover driving that around Porirua back then! He stayed for his 3 year stint, went back to the States and got his buddy to look after it, 30 years of dry storage and by then they were both old men with a car neither of them wanted I guess.
I can recall seeing photos of it on a local auction site back then being rolled out into the sun non-op for the for sale photos. A lady in Tauranga bought it and owned it for 8 years, doing all the flushing, brakes, general repairs to get it reliable again and used it as a daily driver - way cool.

I bought it off her, the vinyl roof was painted black and had cragars by then, still had the original trims though. Interior was mint! Had around 67,000 miles on it when I sold it October last year.
Funny enough, I found it's clone on a local dealers yard a year or so before, only had 50,000 mile , even the build sequence was within a month, loaded with options and same of everything, but just even better. A local guy in a Mopar club bought that one so I still see it around.

How come you came up with the photo of it, were you connected to the original owner from back then? Great pic too I must say, looks sharp then.

 

[Chargerjase]

Yes you are right, NZ is a small place. I was living in Tauranga and had purchased a 1973 Charger SE 400 big block car. At the time I had no where to store it, so I put it in a communal storage shed until I could move into my own place. Low and behold, when I got there, this little beauty was there. I met the owner (her name was June) and we talked for quite a while. She told me a similar story that you recounted, except she said it was a diplomats car. No matter, the story is essentially the same. Since I noticed it was a survivor, I photographed it as reference for my own restoration. I saw the car in Auckland a year or so ago and noticed it now had a black top and a black stripe. June put the Cragers on it, so I knew that was not done recently. The photo I posted is when I first laid eyes on the car and it was when she first purchased it, so it was very original. Cool car.

 

[440 PHIXX]

Beautiful car! Welcome aboard!

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

@KiwiCharger, Nice find , WELCOME & enjoy that ride!!
PLENTY of help here for ANY help you need.
LOVE KEYSTONE wheels too!! Miss my 71: flush markers MUCH cleaner. Have a 72, went with 71 tail, better then 72, 3-4 IMO.
Restomod, FAR from original

 

[KiwiCharger]

Yes you are right, NZ is a small place. I was living in Tauranga and had purchased a 1973 Charger SE 400 big block car. At the time I had no where to store it, so I put it in a communal storage shed until I could move into my own place. Low and behold, when I got there, this little beauty was there. I met the owner (her name was June) and we talked for quite a while. She told me a similar story that you recounted, except she said it was a diplomats car. No matter, the story is essentially the same. Since I noticed it was a survivor, I photographed it as reference for my own restoration. I saw the car in Auckland a year or so ago and noticed it now had a black top and a black stripe. June put the Cragers on it, so I knew that was not done recently. The photo I posted is when I first laid eyes on the car and it was when she first purchased it, so it was very original. Cool car.

Ahh, righto - that resolves it a little! Cool story. Yes - June is her name, nice lady, she was keen to buy it back off me but we couldn't put a deal together in the available time frame, caught up with her at the last Beach Hop though, is good.
I took off the black stripe later and the original V7 white painted stipe was underneath - looked better. You must have seen it when I was cruising around in it - I did plenty of miles, am in a couple of car clubs here - great car, it lives in Waihi now, will likely be at the next Hop.

Is your 73 a driver or in progress project? Any links to it here?
And you're in Germany now right - not too many Chargers there eh?
Cheers

 

[KiwiCharger]

Beautiful car! Welcome aboard!

Thanks 440 - finding my way around - plenty going on here

 

[KiwiCharger]

@KiwiCharger, Nice find , WELCOME & enjoy that ride!!
PLENTY of help here for ANY help you need.
LOVE KEYSTONE wheels too!! Miss my 71: flush markers MUCH cleaner. Have a 72, went with 71 tail, better then 72, 3-4 IMO.
Restomod, FAR from original

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Hi JD, great shots man - another vote here for Keystones, Hideaway lights and the colour - sharp looking car. Along with changing the rear lights.
I think my 71 had been in a prang at some stage so they possibly could only find 73/74 tails, not ideal. Pretty hard to find a complete set I would bet.
Big fan of the hideaways though, had them on my 68's, love em! Magic lights kids - now you see em, now you don't! 8-)

 

[Chargerjase]

Ahh, righto - that resolves it a little! Cool story. Yes - June is her name, nice lady, she was keen to buy it back off me but we couldn't put a deal together in the available time frame, caught up with her at the last Beach Hop though, is good.
I took off the black stripe later and the original V7 white painted stipe was underneath - looked better. You must have seen it when I was cruising around in it - I did plenty of miles, am in a couple of car clubs here - great car, it lives in Waihi now, will likely be at the next Hop.

Is your 73 a driver or in progress project? Any links to it here?
And you're in Germany now right - not too many Chargers there eh?
Cheers

My 73 is on hold. I have two of them actually. One is a parts car and one is the builder. Life has got in the way at the moment, working overseas and went through a divorce a few years ago. When I finally get settled again I will get her back on the road.
You would be amazed how many mopars are on the road over here. Because its heading into winter, they are starting to be put away, but in summer there are a lot to be seen.