3rd Gen Charger Experts - 1973 Charger SE 440 Questions...

[xs29j8Bullitt]

I am primarily into 2nd Generation Chargers, but have a 1973 Charger SE with a 440 HP engine...

Here is my first try at decoding the fender tag:

VIN # WP29U3G111609

E86 – 440 4BBL HP Engine (280 HP)
D34 – Std Duty 727 Torqueflite Automatic Transmission
FY1 – Top Banana Yellow Hi-Impact Paint
E6XW – White & Black Interior
TX9 – Black Upper Door Frame Paint
906 – September 6, 1972 Scheduled Build Date
129278 – Vehicle Order Number
V1W – White Full Vinyl Top Roof
U – Build to USA Specifications
B41 – Power Front Disc Brakes (Drum Rear Brakes)
C16 – Console
C56 – Bucket Seats
G11 – Tinted Glass on All Windows
G35 – LH Outside Remote Racing Mirror
H51 – Air Conditioning
J25 – 3 Speed Windshield Wipers
J52 – Instrument Panel Mounted Hood Release
L31 – Fender Mounted Turn Signal Lights
M21 – Drip Trough Mouldings
M25 – Body Sill Mouldings
M26 – Wheel Lip Opening Mouldings
M31 – Belt Line Mouldings (Door & Quarter Panel)
M36 – Deck Lid Finish Panel
N41 – Dual Exhaust System
N42 – Bright Exhaust Tips
R35 – AM/FM Multi-Plex 10 Watt Stereo Radio
V7X – Black Longitudinal Stripe
28 – 28 Inch Wide Radiator
END – End of Codes

A few questions...

1) Any errors in my decoding?
2) How many 1973 Charger SEs were built with the 440 HP engine?  (Have seen very few so far...)
3) Was a power bulge hood available on the SE separately, or only as part of the Rallye package?
4) Was the "louvered" rear side treatment on all Charger SEs?
5) This car seems fairly highly optioned to me... Is it?

Thanks for any help you can provide!...

A few pictures below.

XS

[Charger1973]

I am primarily into 2nd Generation Chargers, but have a 1973 Charger SE with a 440 HP engine...

Here is my first try at decoding the fender tag:

VIN # WP29U3G111609

E86 – 440 4BBL HP Engine (280 HP)
D34 – Std Duty 727 Torqueflite Automatic Transmission
FY1 – Top Banana Yellow Hi-Impact Paint
E6XW – White & Black Interior
TX9 – Black Upper Door Frame Paint
906 – September 6, 1972 Scheduled Build Date
129278 – Vehicle Order Number
V1W – White Full Vinyl Top Roof
U – Build to USA Specifications
B41 – Power Front Disc Brakes (Drum Rear Brakes)
C16 – Console
C56 – Bucket Seats
G11 – Tinted Glass on All Windows
G35 – LH Outside Remote Racing Mirror
H51 – Air Conditioning
J25 – 3 Speed Windshield Wipers
J52 – Instrument Panel Mounted Hood Release
L31 – Fender Mounted Turn Signal Lights
M21 – Drip Trough Mouldings
M25 – Body Sill Mouldings
M26 – Wheel Lip Opening Mouldings
M31 – Belt Line Mouldings (Door & Quarter Panel)
M36 – Deck Lid Finish Panel
N41 – Dual Exhaust System
N42 – Bright Exhaust Tips
R35 – AM/FM Multi-Plex 10 Watt Stereo Radio
V7X – Black Longitudinal Stripe
28 – 28 Inch Wide Radiator
END – End of Codes

A few questions...

1) Any errors in my decoding?
2) How many 1973 Charger SEs were built with the 440 HP engine?  (Have seen very few so far...)
3) Was a power bulge hood available on the SE separately, or only as part of the Rallye package?
4) Was the "louvered" rear side treatment on all Charger SEs?
5) This car seems fairly highly optioned to me... Is it?

Thanks for any help you can provide!...

A few pictures below.

XS

It looks right to me but im not an expert at reading the codes, or production numbers.  SE cars always had the flat hood with the SE hood ornament, and the rear quarter window louvers.  Theres a good amount of options there for sure.  FY1 is my favorite of them all though, love that color... although with the white top it would look like a banana cream pie.      You might be interested to know that, FY1 was the only extra cost paint option available in 1973.    

[xs29j8Bullitt]

It looks right to me but im not an expert at reading the codes, or production numbers.  SE cars always had the flat hood with the SE hood ornament, and the rear quarter window louvers.  Theres a good amount of options there for sure.  FY1 is my favorite of them all though, love that color... although with the white top it would look like a banana cream pie.      You might be interested to know that, FY1 was the only extra cost paint option available in 1973.    

Thanks for the information!  I agree about the white vinyl top, a black top would be a better choice.  I do like the original white interior option, although someone converted it to black...  I did not know that FY1 Top Banana was the only extra cost paint option in 1973  Cool! 

XS

[TruckDriver]

You can check your decoding here to see if your right.

http://www.stockmopar.com/mopar-fender-tag-decoder.php

[no318]

What is the V7X longintudinal stripe on an SE? 

[greatwn73]

you could get a SE without the louvered rear side windows but not common. the only stripe was a thin pinstripe along the top of the fender door and quarter

[jasonfromIKILLYA]

wow man!  great car!!  restore it!

[pettyfan43]

What is the V7X longintudinal stripe on an SE? 

It's a pinstripe that runs along the top character line on the car. X indicates it was black on this car. Most S/Es had that stripe.

That is a really cool car, The side louvers WERE optional. The car looks to be really nice and straight and I think (Personally) the yellow with white trim would be really cool looking.

440 S/Es are pretty doggone rare though. IF you are gonna restore the car, I'd do it back correct, those cars are starting to disappear and they are starting to become expensive.

[Nacho-RT74]

1) Any errors in my decoding?
2) How many 1973 Charger SEs were built with the 440 HP engine?  (Have seen very few so far...)
3) Was a power bulge hood available on the SE separately, or only as part of the Rallye package?
4) Was the "louvered" rear side treatment on all Charger SEs?
5) This car seems fairly highly optioned to me... Is it?

1- I'm not in codes either but does look correct to me. Being SE the FULL TOP is really 3/4 top.
2- Twilt could know it better but I think is around 2000 in total between Rallyes and SEs.
3- Absolutelly no. Bulge hood is only rallye stuff. Not even an option on non rallye cars. Only Rallye stuff you could choose is the mid body side rallye stripes and some other stuff of rallye package, since SEs and Rallyes already shares Rallye cluster.
4-Yes, even you had two options more: no louvered insert at all and rolling quarter glass instead that, like a hardtop, and the celebrity option as far I know, with a frame instead the louvers but still non rolling quarter glass andstill the body plug filler with 3/4 top. On this one 74 was called spring special package and opera window frame was a little bit larger but was to WH23 cars.
5-pretty high but still not the highest... REALLY NICE thought. Would rest rear deffog, sunroof, cruise control, rear valence with exhaust cut outs, Cassette player, tach, powered windows, Right hand mirror. Of course some of these are pretty rare. The commons of the ones I posted on SEs are rear deffog, Powered windows, and Right Hand mirror. The nicest of what you have is beside engine, multiplex Radio, 3 speeds wiper, A/C.

Does look it has missed the front bumper guards

My opinion about this Charger: looks like a WINNER to be "restored", I would like original condition on this, but is just an opinion.

What is the V7X longintudinal stripe on an SE? 

pinstripe allong the body, just below the upper bodyline

[41husk]

I thought U code was a 440 car??? only available on SE and Rallye in 73.

[Nacho-RT74]

I thought U code was a 440 car??? only available on SE and Rallye in 73.

it is... what's the doubt ? 440 is in and code is there

[konigcharger]

N42= rear valance with exhaust cut outs

[xs29j8Bullitt]

you could get a SE without the louvered rear side windows but not common. the only stripe was a thin pinstripe along the top of the fender door and quarter

Thanks for the info... I was hoping the stripe was the wide one like the Rallye cars... Oh well... 

wow man! great car!! restore it!

Thanks!

What is the V7X longintudinal stripe on an SE?

It's a pinstripe that runs along the top character line on the car. X indicates it was black on this car. Most S/Es had that stripe.

That is a really cool car, The side louvers WERE optional. The car looks to be really nice and straight and I think (Personally) the yellow with white trim would be really cool looking.

440 S/Es are pretty doggone rare though. IF you are gonna restore the car, I'd do it back correct, those cars are starting to disappear and they are starting to become expensive.

Thanks... From what I have seen of the car so far, the Charger is very solid.  Although I bought the car several years ago, it has been in dense-pack storage... so I have not had a chance to open it up & clean the car up.  I am planning to do that soon, maybe as early as this weekend.

My plan for the car was to restore it with a few changes.  The changes would be the addition of a bulge hood (already bought), changing the vinyl top color to black, and using the wide body stripe instead of the accent pin-striping at the top.  I would paint the original hood during restoration to have the option to swap it back on the car.

5 - pretty high but still not the highest... REALLY NICE thought. Would rest rear deffog, sunroof, cruise control, rear valence with exhaust cut outs, Cassette player, tach, powered windows, Right hand mirror. Of course some of these are pretty rare. The commons of the ones I posted on SEs are rear deffog, Powered windows, and Right Hand mirror. The nicest of what you have is beside engine, multiplex Radio, 3 speeds wiper, A/C.

Does look it has missed the front bumper guards

My opinion about this Charger: looks like a WINNER to be "restored", I would like original condition on this, but is just an opinion.

Thanks for the info... I assume the front bumper guards & hood emblem were taken off.  Maybe it should be kept all original, or at least where it can be converted to original within hours by changing bolt-on pieces... 

I thought U code was a 440 car??? only available on SE and Rallye in 73.

it is... what's the doubt ? 440 is in and code is there

Yeah... What??? 

N42= rear valance with exhaust cut outs

Not sure what you meant... No Bright Tips??? 

THANKS to everyone for the great input... It is appreciated!

XS

[konigcharger]

Not sure what you meant... No Bright Tips??? 

THANKS to everyone for the great input... It is appreciated!

XS

sorry should have been clearer it was meant for nacho he should have known N42 Exaust bright tips included the valance with cutouts

it a sweet car and is optioned almost identical to mine other than the color, i say restore it to factory specs (of course i say this as i am currently adding hideaways to mine) 

[Nacho-RT74]

Not sure what you meant... No Bright Tips??? 

THANKS to everyone for the great input... It is appreciated!

XS

sorry should have been clearer it was meant for nacho he should have known N42 Exaust bright tips included the valance with cutouts

it a sweet car and is optioned almost identical to mine other than the color, i say restore it to factory specs (of course i say this as i am currently adding hideaways to mine) 

yeap, I should know it LOL

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Thanks... From what I have seen of the car so far, the Charger is very solid.  Although I bought the car several years ago, it has been in dense-pack storage... so I have not had a chance to open it up & clean the car up.  I am planning to do that soon, maybe as early as this weekend.

Well, because of the incessant rain and other priorities, it took me a month to get a chance to extract the Charger from storage.  Finally got the car out yesterday when the latest storms broke up right before they were going to hit... about time I got a break from the weather! 

Here are some new pictures of the Charger...

XS

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Started to clean the Charger up today... 13 years of barn storage grunge is going to take a while...

XS

[xs29j8Bullitt]

The interior is not too bad... once the empty cans and other debris was cleaned out & a quick vacuum job was done.  More cleaning will be required!

XS

[xs29j8Bullitt]

The engine compartment looks fairly intact as well... although the alternator & starter were removed and stored in the car.

XS

[41husk]

Hell exterior aint bad

[Charger1973]

Nice!  Looks like a really good project car.  Those front buckets arent original if you didnt know that already, but they look comfy.     Is that the stock shifter?  Strange a 400 car didnt come with the slap stick.   

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Nice!  Looks like a really good project car.  Those front buckets arent original if you didnt know that already, but they look comfy.     Is that the stock shifter?  Strange a 400 car didnt come with the slap stick.   

The front buckets appear to be leather covered... wonder if they are from a Gen 4 Charger/Cordoba?  The shifter appears to be a slap-stick of some sort... I'll have to check it out later...   BTW, its a 440 car!

The trunk floor is in great shape!!!    I have been scraping the padding from the trunk mat off of the floor to reveal the mostly factory paint covered floor!    There is a bit of rust staining on the driver's side, but the floor is SOLID!

XS

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Last pictures for today... Misc & the factory FY1 Lemon Twist color popping thru everywhere the black paint is not sticking too well.

XS

[Charger1973]

Thats what I was thinking the seats are out of.  Something along those lines.  They actually are the same seats just different foam and covers.  I knew it was a 440 car I guess I am just used to typing 400 now since thats what my car is.  Kinda of like when I type the word charge I automatically type charger 90% of the time...     They made 2 different type shifter in these cars but the slap stick had the T handle...  the other is just the round ball type standard shifter.  Im thinking it was just in the options though because my car was a 318 car and it had the slap stick. 

[xs29j8Bullitt]

Thats what I was thinking the seats are out of.  Something along those lines.  They actually are the same seats just different foam and covers.  I knew it was a 440 car I guess I am just used to typing 400 now since thats what my car is.  Kinda of like when I type the word charge I automatically type charger 90% of the time...     They made 2 different type shifter in these cars but the slap stick had the T handle...  the other is just the round ball type standard shifter.  Im thinking it was just in the options though because my car was a 318 car and it had the slap stick. 

Thanks for the input... that is exactly why I am posting the pictures!  I am trying to find out what is right or wrong on the car... to decide what to do with the car.  I am posting a couple more pictures of the shifter and seats... did the hard plastic seat backs exist after 1971?  I thought I remember a 1972 `Cuda I once owned having "soft" back buckets...

Anyone else know for sure?  Comments on other good or bad things visible in the pictures?  Thanks!

XS

[Charger1973]

I think the soft back seats are an E body thing.  I had a pair of E body seats without the hard back on them last year.  The 3rd Gen Charger bucket seats all have the hard backs on them.  Here is a couple pics of some correct seats I took out of my 73.

[xs29j8Bullitt]

I think the soft back seats are an E body thing.  I had a pair of E body seats without the hard back on them last year.  The 3rd Gen Charger bucket seats all have the hard backs on them.  Here is a couple pics of some correct seats I took out of my 73.

Thanks for the pictures!  I noticed another thread that mentioned a 1974 Charger SE Brougham... the door panels in the Charger have "Brougham" nameplates on them.  Could the interior be out of a 1974 Charger SE Brougham with leather interior (the back seat looks to have been re-covered in vinyl though)?  Maybe even the shifter is from the same donor car?

Thanks again... 

XS

[Charger1973]

All the Brougham option did was give you the "fancy" upper door panels with the pull handles. 

Your car is coded for white vinyl bucket seats.  The rear seat cant be original because of the material/pattern on it...  It wouldnt match the bucket seats.  It looks like its from a WL21 Charger which had VERY plain interiors and came with a split bench seat (not even a center arm rest). These cars had a different type pattern on the seats like your back seat, only if it is from one of those cars and was originally black, it should have had silver inserts...  has it been dyed?  Or maybe it came from a low optioned satellite?  I dont know my Plymouths very well. 

I am sure those front seats are not from a 3rd gen Charger and there was no leather option in '74.

[Charger1973]

This is the "WL21" interior I was talking about.  I bet your back seat is from a car with this interior. 

[1carcrazyguy]

I could be wrong but the shifter looks like out of a Magnum/Cordoba or maybe even a Mirada??   

[Charger1973]

I could be wrong but the shifter looks like out of a Magnum/Cordoba or maybe even a Mirada??   

Youre probably right.  I dont know what its from but it doesnt look stock to me either.  They did make a standard ball type shifter but I have never had one so im not that familiar with them.  That doesnt look quite right to me though. 

[xs29j8Bullitt]

All the Brougham option did was give you the "fancy" upper door panels with the pull handles. 

Your car is coded for white vinyl bucket seats.  The rear seat cant be original because of the material/pattern on it...  It wouldnt match the bucket seats.  It looks like its from a WL21 Charger which had VERY plain interiors and came with a split bench seat (not even a center arm rest). These cars had a different type pattern on the seats like your back seat, only if it is from one of those cars and was originally black, it should have had silver inserts...  has it been dyed?  Or maybe it came from a low optioned satellite?  I dont know my Plymouths very well. 

I am sure those front seats are not from a 3rd gen Charger and there was no leather option in '74.

Thanks again for the info & picture...

I am guessing the rear seat has been re-covered based on what I can see of the back of it (see pic below).

I may see if there are any broadcast sheets in the rear seat bottom or the buckets...

XS

[Charger1973]

I dont see anything out of the ordinary in that pic to make me think it was recovered? 

Heres what the one in my car looks like, its stock. 

[1carcrazyguy]

  I am posting a couple more pictures of the shifter and seats... did the hard plastic seat backs exist after 1971?  I thought I remember a 1972 `Cuda I once owned having "soft" back buckets...

Anyone else know for sure?  Comments on other good or bad things visible in the pictures?  Thanks!

XS

Our 74 Charger has the hard seat backs. 

[dukeboy_318]

My 74 charger also has hard back seats and its all orginal, so maybe it was an option?

[Charger1973]

All 3rd gen Charger bucket seats had hard backs. There were some in 71 that had 70 style seat backs but thats the only difference.  They all had them.   

[hemihead]

I could be wrong but the shifter looks like out of a Magnum/Cordoba or maybe even a Mirada??   

Magnum/Cordoba/ 300 shifter.

[xs29j8Bullitt]

I dont see anything out of the ordinary in that pic to make me think it was recovered? 

Heres what the one in my car looks like, its stock. 

Thanks for setting me straight again...   I thought the white webbing looked aftermarket...

Magnum/Cordoba/ 300 shifter.

Thanks hemihead!

For a thrown together mix of interiors, it still looks pretty good.     The only thing that looks out of place is the cheapo rear seat...

XS

[Nacho-RT74]

My 74 catalog ( April ) shows round shifter to 74 models... probably a mids 74 change since is not the first 74 with that one I see. However I think they were woodgrained finish, so probably that one is from a later

Front buckets looks to be from 75 and later Cordoba, however metalic and seat back is the same than mids 71 and laters B bodies. Soft seat back pabnels are to front bench cars. since 70 all e/B bodies are hard plastic backs, just than 70 and mids 71 were slightly different

Of course the Pocket on seat back was added.

Rear bench is definitelly recovered or changed from a WL21. Foam has nothing to do with cover... you couldn't tell if is recoivered or not checking on back of foam.

[xs29j8Bullitt]

I thought the white webbing looked aftermarket...

Foam has nothing to do with cover... you couldn't tell if is recoivered or not checking on back of foam.

I never said the foam had anything to do with the cover... I said the white webbing backing material looked aftermarket to me.  This was based on having the seats for my `Cuda recovered back in the early 1980s, and the upholstery shop replaced the original brown burlap looking backing material with a white plastic webbing which looked very similar to the material I saw on the Charger.  They told me the original type material was no longer available, and the plastic webbing was an aftermarket material that the upholstery shops all used...

XS