Charger R/T 400 Magnum

cmcfarlandcmcfarland Member Posts: 3
in Dodge
Hi all,

I'm really new to car restoration, and anyhow, there is a guy in my town who has offered to sell me his Dodge Charger 400 Magnum R/T. I've searched online and I haven't really found any mention of a 400 R/T. Is he lying to me? Could someone please set me straight?

Thanks!!

Chris
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Comments

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Okay he probably means it's a 440 magnum engine (HP2, 375HP, "L" code engine) in an R/T.

    Better make sure it's a "real" car though. Counterfeits abound.
  • cmcfarlandcmcfarland Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the reply! That's what I thought at first, but he assured me it was a 400 Magnum engine in an R/T, which doesn't make much sense to me. Am I right to be suspicious? How can I check to make sure it's not a counterfeit?

    Thank you very much.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I'm not sure what he's talking about. If it's a 400 engine, this is a late 70s Charger (1978), low horsepower car. I don't recall an R/T except for the Aspen R/T in those years but it had a 360. There was a Magnum GT.

    What year is this car?
  • cmcfarlandcmcfarland Member Posts: 3
    The car year is 1974. Does that make sense?

    Thank you so much for your help. I think the Edmunds forum may just have saved me from a very costly scam!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well I don't know if it's a scam exactly---maybe the seller just doesn't know what he's talking about. You could get a 400 cid engine, 250HP, in a Charger as an option, but there's no "R/T" in 1974 that I am aware of---there is an SE model.

    The 1974 engines are a far cry from the powerhouse 440/375HP magnum big blocks.

    If you had a VIN # and a data plate (fender tag), we could decode the car for you, and if you had an engine #, better yet.
  • t_apger90t_apger90 Member Posts: 3
    IT is not a scam!!!! My uncle owns the same exact car.. it is EXTREAMLY rare. and is worth A hell of a lot of money.( even if it is rusted out and doesnt run).. i have only seen two my entire life. my uncles and one at a car show in the 80's.. they also made a 340 magnum r/t as well.. its not as rare but is still worth alot... if you dont mind me asking do you think you could possibly send me some pix of the car..
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    The last Charger R/T was made in 1971. All the books seem to agree on this point.

    Unless the seller has some pretty amazing documentation, one would have to believe the published data.
  • t_apger90t_apger90 Member Posts: 3
    i do believe that you are wrong.. (No offence) but in 1974 they made 208 440 magnum r/t's 6 of witch were hard tops (bare metal). and i do not believe that info is in your books.. it is nearly impossible to find info on these cars... if you want to verify what it is and not get scamed all you have to do is look under the passenger seat.. (all the older muscle cars have a build sheet under the seat, giving all the info including how many of that model was made)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    No offense taken!

    Well like I said until somebody shows me some proof, all I have to go on is the fact that none of the standard reference books on Mopars mentions such a car whatsoever.

    As Carl Sagan said: "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof".

    Maybe it's true, but why should I believe it without evidence? Or the buyer?

    I'm certainly willing to have my mind changed.

    Where did you get the number of 208? do you have the title of a book this info is in?

    And if nobody knows about it, why should it be valuable? There are plenty of rare cars that are not worth anything. After all you need not only supply but DEMAND to make the equation work for value.
  • xtecxtec Member Posts: 354
    They did make the 440 in the 74 Charger,but is was not a R/T,it was a Rallye.It was rated at 275 horse.My source was Allpar,anything you want to know about Mopars.
  • t_apger90t_apger90 Member Posts: 3
    no i dont have a book. Its not in anybooks that i know of.. if ound a guy online selling one 3 years ago and that is the info he got that was under the seat (ont the build papers)
  • xtecxtec Member Posts: 354
    I would say the guy was BSing you or he mistook Rallye for R/T.I looked everywhere,and no Charger R/T was made in 74.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I'd have to agree. There's no reason to believe such a car exists if there's no evidence to contradict a LOT of literature on the subject. As for the "build sheet", well, that's not around to look at either.
  • xtecxtec Member Posts: 354
    I would say the Subject is closed on this one.At least we agree.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well we'll be skeptical but open to new evidence anytime.
  • nov251968nov251968 Member Posts: 1
    I have a question that doesnt really pertain to the Charger R/T discussion but more to that of a 400 magnum question. As a teen, this is going back 20+ years, I owned a forest green 1971 Charger 500 with white racing strips on the hood and trunk. It had a slapstick, posi, bulge hood, hideaways with a 400 Magnum engine. I also managed to pull the build sheet out from under the back seat and the car came from the factory, burnt bronze metallic with a white hardtop and white interior. Any idea how rare this car could have been?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Kinda hard to break it down by engine, but overall Dodge Charger 500 production for 1971was well over 30,000 units---so not particularly rare.
  • mopardudemopardude Member Posts: 1
    Damn I just saw this was posted in 2007 but I have a 1971 or 72 dodge charger rt with a 400 magnum and 4 speed with a plumb crazy paint job. Everyone that sees it tells me dodge didn't put a 400 magnum in a rt charger in 71 or 72. The guy I got it from knows the previous owners and is a family friend swears its a 71 model but was released late and had some 72 features. Ive never been able to find a 71 or 72 rt with a 400 magnum but it has rt badging and 400 magnum badging with a 400 magnum. It also has the rt extras. So I don't know what to say. But ive heard its rare too.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    yes you could get a 400 in a 1972 Charger, but not a 1971. Your VIN and fender tags should tell you everything you need to know about it.
  • chrger_fanchrger_fan Member Posts: 1
    the summer of 1989 I bought a 1971 charger RT off a local mechanic complete with hideaways, front lower spoiler, bulge hood, slap stick, front buckets, posi rearend and with a rear spoiler. Embossed on the bulge hood on each side was the 400 magnum insignias. When we pulled the engine to redo the main bearings it indeed had a 400 series engine and according to the build sheet found under the rear bench seat and the vin it was all original.

    Sorry to burst your bubble

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited April 2016
    I'd like to see the VIN number of that car if you still have it somewhere or a copy of the build sheet. My bubble won't burst until I see the documentation. I'm quite interested!
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