Cont....Thinking of is when the #77 went through Tech Inspecion at Laguna Seca and they found the roof was too thin. Poseys team contacted Chrysler and within a few mins they were told to go down to Monterey and cut the top off the Challenger in the showroom. I have a pic of the cut they made on #77. They only replaced the sheetmetal over to the edges and not the whole framework of the top. I have restored both #77 and #76 and the first of the 3 Cudas #48 but now numbered #42.
all 4 cars were taken off the line before they ever made it to be stamped with a vin# dodge sent the 2 cudas and the 2 challengers to dan gurney to have the rollcages put in and then ray caldwell's autodynamics finshed the challengers but if u like more info u can email my father at viperdmcg@aol.com and he will tell u everything about the cars i hope this is very helpful
there is a only 5 cars two challengers and 3 cudas at first there was 2 cudas but the third car was bulit during the second the #77 challenger had to have the roof replaced and i do have pics of the cut marks inside the car none of the car had a vin # on them
@wakepop Dodge contracted Ray Caldwell's Autodynamics firm in Marblehead, Mass. to run the factory Trans-Am team. Sam Posey drove the "sub-lime" painted car #77 that Caldwell's team built from a car taken off a local dealer's showroom floor! When #76 was completed mid-season from a chassis provided by Dan Gurney's All American Racers, Posey alternated between the two.Both cars ran the final two races, with Posey in #77; Ronnie Bucknum drove #76 at Seattle, and Tony Adamowicz at Riverside, CA
@70scarrestoguy The Challenger T/A's scored a few top three finishes, but lack of a development budget and the short-lived Keith Black 303 c. i. engines led to Dodge leaving the series at season's end. The #77 car was definitely built as a 70 R/T 383, 4-spd car, the cowl panel should have a VIN# starting with JS23N0B. The #77 car had the black R/T stripe when it left the Hamtramck #1 assy line. 3 or 4 years ago, I had read that both cars came from Hamtramck as 4-spd R/T cars.Not sure about #76
All of the trans am cars were bodies in white. Never a street car. 3 Cudas and 3 Challengers. No Vin numbers are on the cars. Only Gurneys All American Racer tag with the hand scribed numbers. The Cuda's were 50211, 50221 and 50231. The tags were removed from the 2 Challengers #77 and #76 but the tag remains on the 3rd body that was never completed. I have pics of that body and the tag. The showroom car that you might be thinking---
Yep, also the site where I fired up the original '70 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda Trans-Am car and we shot the segment for American Muscle Car on the 'Cuda & Challenger right there on the street. Lots of time spent working on classic Mopars in that garage! Great stuff!
The Challenger T/A was a 340 sixpack but when it was in road course form it was a destroked 340 to 304.5ci and different heads and a few other things. It made roughly 475-525hp and 400trq. While it didnt do great in the one year it raced, seeing how they had no knowledge or experience it was an amazing job winning several 3rd place finishes.
@knightwolf4876, if memory serves the 340 six pack/six barrel block and heads were designed with trans am in mind. an ex-employer and also a friend had a couple.
even saw an original aar with a bench seat, but i digress.
thanks for the great info and bringing these beauties back to their former glory!
is that an oem color?
Ecosse57 2 months ago
Cont....Thinking of is when the #77 went through Tech Inspecion at Laguna Seca and they found the roof was too thin. Poseys team contacted Chrysler and within a few mins they were told to go down to Monterey and cut the top off the Challenger in the showroom. I have a pic of the cut they made on #77. They only replaced the sheetmetal over to the edges and not the whole framework of the top. I have restored both #77 and #76 and the first of the 3 Cudas #48 but now numbered #42.
knightwolf4876 4 months ago
all 4 cars were taken off the line before they ever made it to be stamped with a vin# dodge sent the 2 cudas and the 2 challengers to dan gurney to have the rollcages put in and then ray caldwell's autodynamics finshed the challengers but if u like more info u can email my father at viperdmcg@aol.com and he will tell u everything about the cars i hope this is very helpful
knightwolf4876 4 months ago
there is a only 5 cars two challengers and 3 cudas at first there was 2 cudas but the third car was bulit during the second the #77 challenger had to have the roof replaced and i do have pics of the cut marks inside the car none of the car had a vin # on them
knightwolf4876 4 months ago
@knightwolf4876 Thanks for the information. I'm going to dig up that Challenger source book & see what else might be wrong.
70scarrestoguy 4 months ago
curious why the T/A car(s) had R/T stripes when the R/T's were big block cars?
is that how they were striped for scca back in the day?
wakepop 7 months ago
Comment removed
70scarrestoguy 4 months ago
@wakepop Dodge contracted Ray Caldwell's Autodynamics firm in Marblehead, Mass. to run the factory Trans-Am team. Sam Posey drove the "sub-lime" painted car #77 that Caldwell's team built from a car taken off a local dealer's showroom floor! When #76 was completed mid-season from a chassis provided by Dan Gurney's All American Racers, Posey alternated between the two.Both cars ran the final two races, with Posey in #77; Ronnie Bucknum drove #76 at Seattle, and Tony Adamowicz at Riverside, CA
70scarrestoguy 4 months ago
@70scarrestoguy The Challenger T/A's scored a few top three finishes, but lack of a development budget and the short-lived Keith Black 303 c. i. engines led to Dodge leaving the series at season's end. The #77 car was definitely built as a 70 R/T 383, 4-spd car, the cowl panel should have a VIN# starting with JS23N0B. The #77 car had the black R/T stripe when it left the Hamtramck #1 assy line. 3 or 4 years ago, I had read that both cars came from Hamtramck as 4-spd R/T cars.Not sure about #76
70scarrestoguy 4 months ago
@70scarrestoguy .....This is Dave. Knightwolfs father.
All of the trans am cars were bodies in white. Never a street car. 3 Cudas and 3 Challengers. No Vin numbers are on the cars. Only Gurneys All American Racer tag with the hand scribed numbers. The Cuda's were 50211, 50221 and 50231. The tags were removed from the 2 Challengers #77 and #76 but the tag remains on the 3rd body that was never completed. I have pics of that body and the tag. The showroom car that you might be thinking---
knightwolf4876 4 months ago
Yep, also the site where I fired up the original '70 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda Trans-Am car and we shot the segment for American Muscle Car on the 'Cuda & Challenger right there on the street. Lots of time spent working on classic Mopars in that garage! Great stuff!
garysavage 1 year ago
J. Ok now that it is started up, when am I going to get back into the driver seat ? I drove the car in period at Riverside Trans Am
Cheers! Tony adamowicz
TAa2zracer 1 year ago
Nice!!!
4x4trucking 2 years ago
@4x4trucking wat u said
14JetCobra 1 year ago
happy to see you guys got to great car on the road/track? what are you guys running 340?
cobra454tim 2 years ago
The Challenger T/A was a 340 sixpack but when it was in road course form it was a destroked 340 to 304.5ci and different heads and a few other things. It made roughly 475-525hp and 400trq. While it didnt do great in the one year it raced, seeing how they had no knowledge or experience it was an amazing job winning several 3rd place finishes.
Boredout454 2 years ago
it is a 340 block but it was destroked to a 303.8 ci
knightwolf4876 2 years ago
@knightwolf4876, if memory serves the 340 six pack/six barrel block and heads were designed with trans am in mind. an ex-employer and also a friend had a couple.
even saw an original aar with a bench seat, but i digress.
Ecosse57 2 months ago
Awesome - (lol - smoke alarm!)
Nice one guys - I'm looking at making my 08 Challenger - similar to the Posey challenger.
Black2007Charger 2 years ago
absolutely a stunning car
Elkyblack 3 years ago