1973 Charger 400 727 - need some help... numbers matching or not?

[Charger1973]

I dont know if my car is original numbers matching or not.  Its been on my to do list for a while, but im going out tomorrow to take a look and really have no clue what I am looking for.  Im guessing it is, just by the way it looked when I found it, after it sat all those years.  But who really knows.  Im not much for numbers matching but in trying to decide what drivetrain to run in my car...  numbers matching might sway me more towards keeping the 400.  Who knows. 

I need to know where to look on the motor and transmission and what to look for.   Thanks in advance! 

[69CoronetRT]

Check out andy440.com. He has a nice walk through with pictures. The text applies mostly to 68-70 B bodies but the engine and tranny pictures apply to you too.

[41husk]

There is a pad on the block, it is on the passenger side, #s are stamped there.

[no318]

If you didn't get your answer yet, PM me and I can walk you through it. 

[Charger1973]

Alright well it didnt go as well as I had hoped.  It was hard to get at the side of the block and I really didnt want to crawl under and scrape all the crust off the transmission today so I guess I will just wait until I pull them and take a look then.  Here is what I got from the top of the block under the distributor though.  Maybe you guys can make some sense of it?

Top line -      4 (cant tell next number... 7 maybe?) 400
Next line -     6   17
Bottom line -  E     H (I think the next letter is H or maybe P?  HP would be cool...)

[no318]

Pretty good pic.  4 means 1974 400.  The next is the build date of the engine 6/17/74.  It does look like an HP at the bottom, not sure about that.  Sure looks like it could mean HP.

[Charger1973]

So my car being a '73, and if this is a 1974 400 there is no chance of this being the numbers matching motor?

Did they have HP motors in 74?

[69CoronetRT]

Top line -      4 (cant tell next number... 7 maybe?) 400
Next line -     6   17
Bottom line -  E     H (I think the next letter is H or maybe P?  HP would be cool...)

4=1974 model year
T=assembled at Trenton engine plant
400=CI displacement
6 17=assembly date of June 17th
E=cast crank
HP

Yes. there was a 400HP engine in 74.

So yes, it's a 1974 model year engine and would not be the original engine to a 73 Charger. Sorry man.

[Charger1973]

No big deal if its not matching numbers, at least now I know.  I wont feel nearly as bad now if I decide to replace it with a 440. 

Anybody looking to do some trading? 

[Nacho-RT74]

HP are Magnums engines. Non HP are regulars 2 bbls 400s

Pad was reffering to is a side of engine just above the oil pan at passenger side, not that one.

[my73se400]

Hey, not sure if this relates but when i saw the stamp there is also a 2bbl and a 4 bbl carb order set up for the
charger. was I missing something that dictated that the 4 was for 1974?

When I saw the 4 on mine, I had thought it meant a 4 bbl, 400 and they are on the same line too.