My new acquisition!!!

[71 SE3834V]

Hi all!

I'm the proud owner of a 1971 Charger SE which I acquired in June 2011. The story of it's acquisition goes something like this:

I called up a friend I've known for only a couple of years and asked him if he wanted to go fishing. He said "no I have to go to my moms and get a car running that's been sitting in her garage for some 15 years so she can put it up for sale." The little light bulb goes off in my head and I think "who stores a car for 15 yrs other than a classic" so I ask "what kind of car is it?" I nearly dropped the phone when he said 71 Charger. I told him "forget fishing, I'll help you if you give me first crack at it!" You see my father owned a '73 SE back when I was in high school which I loved to drive as much as possibe. Long story short, I helped him and bought the car!
  Spent last summer going over it trying to get it road worthy. Wasn't able to since it had been severly neglected and there was alot to do. With the early spring I was able to get back on it and got it on the road in May. Had some fun taking it to some shows and cruises.
  The car was brought up here to Michigan from Tennesee. My friend told me his father bought it for him while visiting family down there and he drove it until he went off to college and it was parked and not driven since. It must not have been driven much in our "Michigan winters" as it doesn't have any rust through. One soft spot on the lower fender and some surface rust but that's it! Paint is rough. It would be a prime candidate for restoration but I can't afford it. All I want to do is get it whipped into shape so I can have some fun with it. It's been 2 steps foward, 1 step back as I go over it. Major tune up, carb reuild, flush the fuel tank (ya it's rusty and should be replaced), rebuild front end and clean, clean, clean! Radiator is seeping so that's next on the list as well as replacing hoses. The last ride of the season resulted in a trans leak. Looks like the front seal (ahhh!). Now I have to decide, pull just the trans or the engine w/it as it could use new gaskets and a good cleaning.
  The car seems to have alot of options, about 18 as far as I can count up and decode it. Got the build sheet from under the seat but what I don't know are things like what comes w/the SE package? P. steering? P. disc brakes? A/C? Tint glass? etc.  Here's what I can see:

SE w/383/4V #'s matching
A/C
Pwr steering
Pwr disc brakes
Tint glass
Slap stick w/console
Hideaway headlights
Rallye gauges w/clock
Rallye wheels
Tuff wheel w/rimblow
Leather seats
Pedal dress up
Spare tire cover
Trunk dress up package
Driver side remote race mirror
Dual exhaust w/o tips
Variable wipers
AM w/cassette option (cassette missing)
3:23 axle

Whatda ya guys think of my find? I've got alot of pics and as soon as I figure it out I'll post some. I've spent some time on this forum and look foward to asking some questions in the future from it's well knowledged members.

[Brass]

Welcome - and good score!

[71 SE3834V]

Apparently my pics are too large and I don't think I have a program to resize them.

[nvrbdn]

sounds like a great find. on the pic's, bring the pic up and right click on it and say open with. you may have a program there to resize. if not, email it to someone with a program.

[hatersaurusrex]

There are a ton of websites that will resize for you.   A quick Googlin' brought this site up:

http://www.picresize.com/

Just don't use any that require you to download software, it's probably spyware or something.    

Edit:  In fact I just tried that one to make sure I didn't give you a link to some bogus site, and it worked like a charm.   It gives you the option to crop, rotate etc, and lets you set a max picture size at the end (the biggest allowed here is 200K).

We should sticky that site

[71 SE3834V]

Ok thanks. I think I have one. I know I can resize in my camera and redownload.
Huh! Don't know where my post went. Will try again. There we go! This is the day I brought it home.

[71 SE3834V]

After I got it cleaned up and on the road.

[nvrbdn]

thats very nice.

[skip68]

     Welcome to the site. 

[71 SE3834V]

It doesn't look quite as nice in person, cracked, peeling paint (poor previous paint job), cracked vinyl top, but a nice solid car!
A couple more before & after pics under the hood.

[Bob T]

Good score buddy , well done 
At least its driveable with no major repairs needing to be doing, you wont realise just how much money you have saved by getting into a Charger in this condition rather than a total resto job 
Neat looking 3rd Gen with the hideaways 

[71 SE3834V]

Good score buddy , well done 
At least its driveable with no major repairs needing to be doing, you wont realise just how much money you have saved by getting into a Charger in this condition rather than a total resto job 
Neat looking 3rd Gen with the hideaways 

Oh I know how great of condition it's in. And you wouldn't believe what I paid for it! Which is why I wish I could restore it. What a great canvas to start with. I don't know if I'll ever be able to afford to paint it. It's gonna take a long time just to rework the mechanics. I can wrench (although it takes it's toll on my arthritis) but I can't do body work.
Rallye rims were in the trunk but I went out and bought a set w/some 205's on it to get me by since the tires that were on it are dry rotted.
Interior before I cleaned it up. Sorry forgot to take an after pic.

[Fred]

There are a ton of websites that will resize for you.   A quick Googlin' brought this site up:

http://www.picresize.com/

Just don't use any that require you to download software, it's probably spyware or something.    

Edit:  In fact I just tried that one to make sure I didn't give you a link to some bogus site, and it worked like a charm.   It gives you the option to crop, rotate etc, and lets you set a max picture size at the end (the biggest allowed here is 200K).

We should sticky that site

I just checked it out too. Works really well and is quick and easy. 

[41husk]

That is sweet I wish I had never sold the WannaBee, I miss my third gen

[1974dodgecharger]

holy cow now thats a story and a good catch.....

[JB400]

Welcome to the club.  Congrats on your ride

[Ghoste]

Congratulations!!

[Dino]

Nice find man!  Where in SE Mi are you?  I'm in Ann Arbor.

[myaerocars]

What a  great looking ride. I love the 3 rd gens more every day since I got mine in 2010.  Getting closer to having a driver ... just saving up for paint one day maybe next year.

Keep up the cleanup and detail stuff as the little things make me feel like I am getting somewhere  until I can afford the big things!

Godspeed,
JON 

[moparstuart]

  welcome   

[CDN72SE]

Nice to see another 3rd Gen and welcome to the site, nice score. 

[71 SE3834V]

Nice find man!  Where in SE Mi are you?  I'm in Ann Arbor.

S. E. of Metro airport. Bout a 1/2 hr. from you. Car was found in Taylor bout a mile and a half from my house all these years!

[Dino]

Nice find man!  Where in SE Mi are you?  I'm in Ann Arbor.

S. E. of Metro airport. Bout a 1/2 hr. from you. Car was found in Taylor bout a mile and a half from my house all these years!

Awesome!  Lemme know if you wanna drag race on I-94 and... I mean grab a beer!  Yeah, that's it!    

[71 SE3834V]

Nice to see another 3rd Gen and welcome to the site, nice score. 

Nice to see another 3 Gen back on the road!  The former owner was tickled that I was determined to put it back on the road!
Another before & after of the taillights. Can anyone tell me if the black is factory? I've seen pics of them Argent color. Someone local told me they might be R/T's?? But all the R/T's I've seen have square lens w/the reverse lights next to the license. They might have been replaced as the rear has been "bumped" and the wires for the lights had been cut??? Why not unplug them if you need to do bodywork???! 

[TUFCAT]

Nice find man!  Where in SE Mi are you?  I'm in Ann Arbor.

S. E. of Metro airport. Bout a 1/2 hr. from you. Car was found in Taylor bout a mile and a half from my house all these years!

Awesome!  Lemme know if you wanna drag race on I-94 and... I mean grab a beer!  Yeah, that's it!    

I live in Plymouth. Nice Gunmetal blue Charger! I've always liked that color especially on 1971 Charger SE. It may have been a featured brouchure color that year for SE.

Its odd to see the gunmetal inerior with black door panels and carpet .  But that's how Chrysler made them. They didn't mold any hard plastic parts in gunmetal. You'll also notice the seat backs are black also.

Regarding Tail-lights - they're Always argent silver on SE, 500 and base models

[71 SE3834V]

Keep up the cleanup and detail stuff as the little things make me feel like I am getting somewhere  until I can afford the big things!

Godspeed,
JON  

Yeah detailing sure can make it a whole lot better quick! The inside sure perked up after I took apart the console, cleaned all the spilled pop outta it and polished the chrome! Can't wait to detail the grill! It'll look a whole lot better even though the bumpers look like crap.

[71 SE3834V]

[

I live in Plymouth. Nice Gunmetal blue Charger! I've always liked that color especially on 1971 Charger SE. It may have been a featured brouchure color that year for SE.

Its odd to see the gunmetal interior with black door panels and carpet .  But that's how Chrysler made them. They didn't mold any hard plastic parts in gunmetal. You'll also notice the seat backs are black also.

Regarding Tail-lights - they're ALWAYS argent silver on SE, 500 and base models

Well someone painted the taillights b4 me, I liked it as it goes well w/the black top and black in the grill so I reshot it. I do believe the backs of the seats are the same blue. That interior pic is the only one I have but I'll get over to where I have it stored & check but after all the cleaning I did to the seats I'm 99% sure they're blue & we all know some of the wacky stuff the factory did. 

[71 SE3834V]

I live in Plymouth. Nice Gunmetal blue Charger! I've always liked that color especially on 1971 Charger SE. It may have been a featured brouchure color that year for SE.

Its odd to see the gunmetal inerior with black door panels and carpet .  But that's how Chrysler made them. They didn't mold any hard plastic parts in gunmetal. You'll also notice the seat backs are black also.

Regarding Tail-lights - they're ALWAYS argent silver on SE, 500 and base models

Forgot to add...did you happen to attend a show downriver last June. I talked to someone w/the same color Coronet there.

[71 SE3834V]

Nice find man!  Where in SE Mi are you?  I'm in Ann Arbor.

S. E. of Metro airport. Bout a 1/2 hr. from you. Car was found in Taylor bout a mile and a half from my house all these years!

Awesome!  Lemme know if you wanna drag race on I-94 and... I mean grab a beer!  Yeah, that's it!    

Don't know if she's up for a race yet. It still isn't running quite right at least how I think it should run. Heck, my '72 Galaxie Land yacht seems to get up and go better/smoother. 
Always up for a meet though. Maybe at a show in between us next summer unless you wanna stop by and help me wrench sometime.   

[tan top]

    looks good 

cant recall seeing that type of wheel before    don't think its  centrelines , is it !  or  one of the copys 
think they would look good black , with that deep dish look 

[71 SE3834V]

   looks good 

cant recall seeing that type of wheel before    don't think its  centrelines , is it !  or  one of the copys 
think they would look good black , with that deep dish look 

They are Craigers, I was told SST's. Yes they look like aluminum Centerlines. They were real nasty, rust pitted and I had to take a wire wheel to 'em to clean 'em. Now they have a "brushed" look. 
I think the deep dish look has caused me problems. The unibody may be leaning in and in need of support as the control arms are adjusted all the way out and the tires are still leaning in too far (negitive camber I think?). I remember back in the day the talk was "don't use deep dish as they cause premature wear on bearings, spindles and such."
The rears are real funky as the wheels are about 11" wide and the tires are 245/60/14 making the tread narrower than the wheels. One has a rim leak and I couldn't get a shop to touch it because of this. A couple of tires are dry rotted anyway so the Rallyes will be going on by next spring.

[NHCharger]

Nice score 
I love 3rd gens. I've had my 71 SE for 17 years.

[71 SE3834V]

I live in Plymouth. Nice Gunmetal blue Charger! I've always liked that color especially on 1971 Charger SE. It may have been a featured brouchure color that year for SE.

Its odd to see the gunmetal inerior with black door panels and carpet .  But that's how Chrysler made them. They didn't mold any hard plastic parts in gunmetal. You'll also notice the seat backs are black also.

Regarding Tail-lights - they're Always argent silver on SE, 500 and base models

Ok, I got over to check. The seat backs are definately Gunmetal. Weird. I looked up the trim code and the seats should be Gun/blk. Could it be different w/the leather seats? I also noticed the console is a darker blue. Normal?

[TUFCAT]

Cool! I've seen lots that were black. Many had the black lower door panels also (the soft upper part was gunmetal and doesn't look right).  Maybe Chrysler's vendor was late popping out the hard molded panels in gunmetal color who knows.   You'll need to ask an expert. The color is so rare its been a long time since I've seen a gunmetal interior up close and personal.

[XS29L9Bxxxxxx]

Nice car, and nice work with the work!

[71 SE3834V]

Cool! I've seen lots that were black. Many had the black lower door panels also (the soft upper part was gunmetal and doesn't look right).  Maybe Chrysler's vendor was late popping out the hard molded panels in gunmetal color who knows.   You'll need to ask an expert. The color is so rare its been a long time since I've seen a gunmetal interior up close and personal.

Yep mine has the blk lower panels w/the gunmetal uppers. From what I've seen on a trim chart the seats are supposed to be Gun/blk. I figured they started to kick out the seat backs in gun by the time my car was made (11-70).
I was looking through the 3rd gen pics thread and another member here has an identical color/vinyl topped/hidden headlight car. It was posted back in 2009. I might contact him and see if he still has it and compare his and mine. 

[Silver R/T]

Nice find

[rick.d]

Nice car! I like the 71's. There is one sitting near me, 440 U code 71 SE that i wouldnt mind owning.