What's the deal with this? 73 400 SE/Rallye??

[bandit67]

True, the SE bars are simple bolt in but SE grills also have chrome strips around and in the grills. Its a PITA to sand down that chrome and repaint back to a regular including the blackouts. As stated, how much of this car is factory, how much done by a dealer at the time of first sale, and what was changed by possible owners is the question....love yalls comments.....

 

[hanks73340]

 

[YY1]

I don;t think a dealer is going to take out roll down rear windows and install plugs and an SE only vinyl top on a 23 body car.

 

[#41]

I agree - factory or dealer-installed SE roof on a WH car highly unlikely. In addition to a possible VIN/tag swap, it's possible that it IS a WH/A57 car and the SE roof conversion was made when it was re-painted, six pack added, etc, ....and now represented as "original".

We'll probably never know as none of us is going to waste any time looking into this car as priced.

Still a pretty cool car. I'd drive it

 

[400sforever]

I asked the seller to send me pictures of the rear interior panels to see if it has quarter window cranks. .a wh23 car would have them. .unless the were taken off and interior panels plugged

 

[Nacho-RT74]

I asked the seller to send me pictures of the rear interior panels to see if it has quarter window cranks. .a wh23 car would have them. .unless the were taken off and interior panels plugged

Is imposible to fit hardtop panel with hole to crank or even a coupe panel ( which is the same than a HT with just the crank hole diff... and the same to HT with PW ) into an SE trim. Is not just the holes, but also the top of the upper panel with diff shape to accept the inner louvers. Mandatory to change the upper panel ( or cut it )

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Wheres Nacho.....please way in on this one. I am working on a 73, 400, 4 speed as this one. This one has my grill, which is not a SE grill, correct. Didn't SE cars get the chrome grill with the red/gray center strip. My fender tag also has 056 at the top. I was told that code was for a 400, 4 barrel non AC car.....and this one was does have ac. Does AC show up on the build sheet. Do you think a dealer could have found a "new" 68 block, 440 six in 73....or they stuck in a used/rebuild engine.....unusual for sure....

I'm not usually on General Discussion a lot ( actually I barelly enter on this section )

I smelll something fishy on this car.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Phoenix Graphics was making the Rallye stripes in the early 20000's.

actually no... closer to lates 2000s. Maybe even on very earliers 2010s. And their RELEASE PRICE was $399 LOL... 3 or 4 of years later they cut it to $299

 

[Tim Ziegler]

Is there anyplace to get the 73/74 Rallye rainbow side graphics anymore

 

[Tim Ziegler]

I see Year one has the Rallye side stripe in red. Maybe an artist could paint it to duplicate the factory rainbow effect

 

[Nacho-RT74]

@Tim Ziegler as mentioned Phoenix Graphics is offering them, but they are not totally correct. their reproduction missed the darker shade of the gradation. They are a "licensed" product, but still not correct.

Their repro:

Correct look ( original maybe a bit faded )

And here is the darker shade in better conditions

Maybe the black body color makes the dark shade to be more present, but still diff is REALLY noticeable from the reproduction. I have a NOS set ( one side ) and I know what I'm talking about.

The originals gradation made by silkscreen gets 3 color layers... yellow, red and a darker color which I can't really tell I say is black being translucent allowing to mix with the red on previous layer or maybe a deep bloody red, while the reproduction is printed ( nothing wrong with that as far dots pattern silkscreen makes is correct which seems to be per close ups pics they sent me ) BUT just made with yellow and red for the gradation so it never gets to the darker shade.

 

[Tim Ziegler]

Thank you, thank you Nacho. What a beautiful car you have. I will be happy with the Phoenix repro. I was afraid that wasn't available anymore. My 74 will be B5 blue so the contrast should help. I just figured out which Charger is yours LOL. They all look great

 

[Nacho-RT74]

My Charger is the one on the Avatar. None of those on pics posted. The pic on my avatar is old ( around 2008 )... My car was originally a Dark Blue color, something similar to the B9 used in C bodies in USA... but maybe a Venezuelan version of that color ( My car was assembled in Vzla by Chrysler of Venezuela ) coded as FB9.

Originally got the red gradated and reflective stripe but since nobody was making it on those days yet, when I made an previous paint job and since my car is white top ( and now white interior, originally medium blue ) decided to go with white reflective stripe, which I made locally in Vzla based on the NOS set I have.

Some years later Phoenix Graphics began to reproduce them so I requested a sample pic of the stripes and I wasn't satisfied about the color. I mean, If I had to pay $399 on those days ( which it was maybe one full month or month and a half of my job payment ) plus international shipping to NOT be satisfied, preffered to keep the white reflective stripe setup on my car... which I could maybe barelly paid $70-90... MADE WITH 3M VINYL

I have been claiming about this stripe correction to Phoenix Graphics ppl, but they didn't care about my opinion or care to correct this. The one they make maybe could look kinda nice on light body colors, but definitelly not on dark body colors ( like my car is )

Now my car is being on a deep body and paint job and barelly a week ago got ink and clear. Still will need to be reassembled maybe by next year and I have trying to work on a correct stripes setup once again, but I haven't found ppl who really want work on this seriouslly. Barelly last week found one of the Charger owners in Vzla member of one of my Mopar facebook groups is a graphic designer and he is really interested about work on this to get the correct look stripes.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

And honestly, if all of you are accepting something is not right, I don't think we will ever get a nice repro pieces from anybody, but just manufacturers getting the money with the minimun effort as posible, barelly enough to get feeded the average crowd

 

[Nacho-RT74]

This is my car a few months before to be dissasembled to get a fresh body job ( back in 2013 )

reflective effect

And this is the actual stage. I hope will be loosing the greenish shade after wet sand and wax the clear along with the light "orange peel" look it got of course...



AND SORRY, never tried to get highjacked the thread

 

[Tim Ziegler]

Your car is beautiful and unique. Installing those stripes would be a tough job. The Phoenix price on the stripe kit is the cheapest ever now I believe. I think the incorrect Phoenix rainbow stripes look the best on a dark paint. My 74 is B5 blue. If not satisfied, an artist could ''Doctor'' up the Phoenix rainbow stripe to make it look factory origional.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

The Phoenix price on the stripe kit is the cheapest ever now I believe.

They are the only manufacturer for these. I think ABCMopars get these cheaper? Sorry can't recall right now who got them cheaper, but still same manufacturer. Solid color stripes are on $150 rate, depending on seller or manufacturer

Editing... no, it was MrMoparts but now they got same price than manufacturer now.

I think the incorrect Phoenix rainbow stripes look the best on a dark paint. My 74 is B5 blue. If not satisfied, an artist could ''Doctor'' up the Phoenix rainbow stripe to make it look factory origional.

I can't be agreed
1st- the way the dark shadow blends with the dark color is way better and amazing than a light colored stripe, but of course that's a personal opinion and taste.
2nd-And STILL is incorrect, no matter the personal taste. You would never get this stripe from factory specially if you sell it as a "licensed product"

About doctor up the stripe? Dunno how you can do it and still if you make it, is incorrect pay for something it should be already done not needing to be "fixed", specially being "licensed"

 

[Tim Ziegler]

I agree in that I'm REALLY into origional. I had a 74 360 Dart that was born light blue with black up and over stripes. I sprayed the black vynal stripes dark blue. It worked, it lasted and looked great. I'm saying an artist with a good sample to copy could duplicate ''origional'' with a paint gun. Not a lot of options here

 

[Nacho-RT74]

sure... not a lot of options here, because there is not competition for the market which is already small. Being the only manufacturer they care less. But I'm not part of the average crowd and I scream for better products. Shame I have the average ( or even less ) incoming into my pockets. I can sacrifice correctness on some parts of my car, but not on all of them and even less on some specific ones which gives the character on them.

 

[Tim Ziegler]

My hats off to you for pushing the envelope... the market. You do have some craftsmen/artists down there that made your stripes outa 3M vinyl. WELL DONE