1971 Dodge Challenger

This 1971 Dodge Challenger is an absolutely gorgeous Mopar muscle car and is equipped with fantastic performance upgrades and options! When Ford began selling the Mustang in the middle of 1964, few could have expected how massive of a success the car would be for FoMoCo and even fewer could have guessed how influential the release of the Mustang would have on the American automotive industry. See, the Mustang was termed as a Pony Car, a smaller, sporty automobile targeted at younger buyers with its modest price tag and performance-oriented look and feel; and, Fords Big Three competitors knew that they needed to immediately release their own versions. Pontiac released the Firebird. Chevrolet released the Camaro. Dodge on the other hand was quite late to the Pony Car release party and introduced its own Pony Car, the Challenger, in the 1970 model year. In its first year, the Challenger was a big hit for Dodge with the Chrysler marque producing over 80,000 units. Because of its success, the Challenger was only modestly modified come 1971, sharing the same body as the 1970 edition. At the nose, the 71 Challenger did receive a new front end treatment comprised of a one-piece frame, a two-piece grille with stamped aluminum bezel, and a finished off with stamped aluminum frames surrounding dual headlights on each side of the car. The rear end look was also changed a bit with a refined taillight and reverse light design that provided for a slightly updated look. While the Challenger went largely unchanged between 1970 and 1971, production dropped significantly with a little under 30,000 units produced in 71 which makes this particular Challenger more rare than its 1970 counterparts. Under the hood of this 1971 Challenger is an upgraded 340 cubic inch V8 engine fed by a Holley Single 4 Barrel Carburetor. With an upgraded MSD Ignition setup, this 71 Challenger is also made much more reliable both at startup and while cruising down the road. Exhaust exits the 340 power plant via a set of headers and out of the rear tailpipes via a dual exhaust setup that generates a superbly throaty sound. The 340 V8 is backed by a 4 speed manual transmission outfitted with the iconic Pistol Grip shifter, that make this Pony Car a super fun car to drive. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a Dana 60 Positraction Rear Differential that helps ensure that youll be able to keep the rubber to the pavement. Power Steering is another welcome addition to this classic Mopar since it makes squeezing in and out of a tight parking space at the local drive in or car show feel almost effortless. This Dodge Challenger rides on a brand new set of BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires, mounted on a set of Magnum 500 wheels, that together give this classic Dodge muscle car a fantastic look whether youre parked and showing off this beauty, or youre cruising down the road. The body on this 71 Dodge Challenger has been refinished in beautiful Plum Crazy paint, accented with Challenger R/T decals, that complete the gorgeous exterior appearance of this wonderful piece of automotive history. The interior of this 1971 Dodge Challenger is absolutely gorgeous! The front high back bucket seats and rear bench seat have been reupholstered in black vinyl that provides for a really nice contrast with the outside look of the car. The black carpeting, black door panels, black padded dash, and steering wheel are also in wonderful condition and appear to retain a nice stock look inside. The instrument cluster is equipped with a 120 MPH speedometer, temperature gauge, alternator gauge, and fuel gauge, and an 8,000 RPM AutoMeter tachometer has been added as well and its mounted neatly under the dash. The dash is finished off with a retro-style AM/FM/AUX entertainment system with Bluetooth audio, along with a glovebox and various controls. Whether youre looking for a gorgeous classic car to take on some serious summer cruising or you just love mopar muscle cars, this 1971 Dodge Challenger would make an excellent choice. Give Ellingsons a call today at 763-428-7337!