One Owner, 383 W/727 Auto, Original Pink Slip, Bill Of Sale. Attn: Mopar Purist on 2040-cars

VIN: JH27L1B150497 Year: 1971
Exterior Color: Citron yellow
Make: Dodge
Interior Color: Black
Model: Challenger
Number of Cylinders: 8
Trim: two door convertible
Warranty: Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty
Drive Type: automatic
Mileage: 142,000
Options: Convertible

Condition: UsedA vehicle is considered used if it has been registered and issued a title. Used vehicles have had at least one previous owner. The condition of the exterior, interior and engine can vary depending on the vehicle's history. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections.Seller Notes:"This car had one repaint on its all original sheet metal body in 1993 and the paint is nice enough that it has won numerous awards at local 100-200 entry car shows. It has its original dash, original center console, and original door panels and they look almost like new. The windows roll up and down like new, the rubber around the top, doors, windows, etc., is supple and without cracks. Both front and rear seats are like new, and the rears are original to the car. I did notice some minor pitting in the window cranks but I think that there is another set that comes with the car. Also, the post that the rear view mirror is mounted on looks a little funky but it may clean up. All of the gauges function like they are supposed to."

"Time capsule" takes on a reinvigorated meaning when one considers this car and takes into knowledgeable consideration the make and model before you.  We have all encountered many unrestored ( without a major restoration) vehicles that provided this car collector terminology with ample meaning, but when did you ever see them so faithfully employed in describing a 70 or 71 big block E body?  Does 'never' resonate with you?  If you grew up with these cars as I did there was a quite common tale.  At some point in the life of these potential road rockets the hot rodder got ahold of it and along came the headers, the competition intake, the big carburetor, the cam, the hot electronic ignition, the posi traction, the mag wheels and then it was driven into the ground.  Not this car.  It defines "adult driven and cared for."  It appears today set up or optioned just as it came from the factory, even retaining points for the ignition!  There is only one missing item, a tape player that the owner felt might tempt someone to cut through the top to steal and so he removed it and gave it to a neighbor.  It is still wearing its original high impact citron yellow paint color, the motor is still a 383 2bbl, it has a 727 automatic transmission, it has an open rear end (non-posi), and the AM radio is still in the dash unmolested (not working).  One has become so used to seeing these cars in their hot rodded form that I had forgotten how beautiful, how elegant, original can be!  Check out those spoke wheel hubcaps!!  They came with the car and they are in excellent shape.

I am selling this highly collectable car for the original owner.  He purchased it new from Padre Dodge in San Diego California and the car will come with its original California pink slip title, its original bill of sale, its original California designer plates "YELLA71," and all of its maintenance and repair receipts since new.  This may be the last one owner 71 Challenger convertible in existence and one couldn't ask for a more attractive color combination on the car that may be closing that door forever.  I had forgotten how beautiful these distinctive Mopar colors were before I saw this car.  Furthermore, it was owned by a man who meticulously garaged it throughout its entire life, and rigorously stayed on top of maintenance and repairs, and all done by professionals.  This care has been attested to by numerous awards that this car has won (for instance, first place for classic car division 1970-1984), in a local 150-200 entry car show (these trophies and plaques will be made available to the new owner), in 2009, 2011 and 2012.  That was with the engine compartment and trunk unrestored! 

The thick folder of receipts will reflect a repaint in 1993, a rebuilt motor, a rebuilt transmission, a new convertible top, a new windshield, new front seat covers, new weather stripping, a new or rebuilt steering box (?), a recored radiator, etc.  You will notice in the photos that the shifter handle is aluminum.  It was milled by the owner to replace the stock one that gave out early on.  That's how meticulous this man, an engineer, was in his treatment of his baby.  The car will come with this item because it is such an interesting snap shot of the original owner, but a factory correct T-handle will come installed in the car.

I personally don't buy and live in this world but because I know that there are some of you who do I have written down the fender tag numbers so that you can enjoy decoding them.  Again, I am a rank amateur but I stumbled upon a site yesterday that claims to decode fender tags (genocide2600.com/~traviso/mml/bodydecode.htm) and to the extent that I was able to discern this car perfectly reflects the options, etc., that this tag records.  Nothing has been modified. This tag reads:

N95 P37 R26 V7X EN2
G15 G36 L31 M31 M42 M44
V3X U A46 B51 C16 C55
GY3 H6X9 000 922 022954
E61 D32 JH27 L1B 150497

There was also a second tag underneath the fender tag that has two indiscernible stamps with one looking like a 1 or a 7.

There is also a tag on the driver's door and right above the space where the VIN is recorded it has: 12-70

The car runs and drives as I suspect it did when it was new.  There are no rattles when you drive over bumps, the motor is so quiet and idles so smoothly that an individual whom I started it for thought that it had failed to start!  It blows no smoke, it shifts through the gears smoothly, does not pull to the right nor the left, brakes without pulling or squealing, and it has enough power that I'm quite certain it would burn some rubber if you stomped the pedal.  Everything in this car works.  Every light, blinker, horn, fan, heater, wipers, gauges, power top, etc. I don't know what rear end it has but it cruises down the highway with ease and if someone cared to fly in and take the trip of a life time by driving it home I don't see any reason why you couldn't do so without trouble.  Oh, I should mention that this is the first classic convertible I have ever driven that didn't make whistling noises with the top up.  The replaced weather stripping is doing an excellent job of sealing the car.  Keep in mind that the car was retired to garage queen status not long after much of the mechanical restoration had occurred. 

I have, as of this date, never listed a car twice and this car is going to sell.  A number of knowledgeable people have been consulted about the value of this car and to a man their opinion was that due to the colors, one owner, make, model and impeccable provenance the lowest number was in the low forties and the high in the stratosphere if a deep pocketed Mopar purist falls in love with it.  These individuals reminded me that when the collector car market went crazy 6 or 7 years ago it was the big block E body cars that were selling for 3 and four million.  One can dream but the owner paid under $4,000.00 for the car new (why didn't I buy twenty of them and stash them in a barn?!?!), drove and enjoyed it for forty two years, and we have the car priced VERY reasonably and, in the final analysis, a car is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it and that will be determined by you, the buyer.  That reasonableness in pricing comes with a clause, I have taken approximately 60 photos and if you're seeking a photo of something that I haven't photographed yet then come and see it in person.  I will email other photos that I already have but we're not going to take anymore.  All of the photos are taken honestly, no ugly has been avoided, they haven't been doctored up and the information in this ad is accurate.  The car is laser straight, has only had one minor accident where a neighbor backed into the passenger side rear quarter, there is no rust (other than surface rust), no rust repair, there are no paint blisters caused by rust under the surface of the paint, and the underside of this car is a minor restoration away from beautiful.  I should mention that at some point the owner noticed surface rust in the trunk and he sanded it off and painted the area with self etching primer.  I have looked at the area and the metal is in original condition smooth with no pitting.  I have photos of this area.

Because of the subjective nature of descriptive terms, and my desire to keep things professional, personal inspection prior to making an offer is encouraged. If you care to exercise this option send me an email through Ebay with a contact phone number and I will call you at my earliest convenience. We want everyone to walk away happy.  Please understand that when making an offer you are entering into a legally binding contract to purchase the car.  Your offer is not purchasing you the 'option' to buy the car if you 'feel good' about your choice the following day or week.  Make certain that you have consulted with the Commander-in-Chief (ha!), and that all of the funds are in place BEFORE you bid, not after.  Full payment will be required within five days of your offer being accepted.  I should add that the vehicle is in storage at present and it is paid up until the end of October and, so, the buyer will have a month to arrange for shipping and I will make myself available when the shipper is ready to pick up the car.  Good luck!