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I know of a 1971 Challenger RT 340-4 speed ordered May 71 with a TA hood
Still with the car is the letter from Chrylser Corporation stating that he could not get the TA hood at that time, instead he got the shaker hood. Opposite to the urban myth about non availability of shaker hoods being replaced by TA hoods. This particular vehicle is an 11,000 original owner car.
I plan on getting a photocopy of this when I am there next month and will post with date.



I think the TA hood was still available over the counter after 1971, so they didn't permanently run out of them, but it IS possible that there was a shortage for a while. That's very interesting! Please follow it up like you said and get a copy. I'm sure Barry would love to see it also. Maybe this is where the shaker hood urban myth originated?


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Also regarding the "third" version shaker hood. I agree that they did have crumple zones, no raised area for the fratzog emblem, used 3/8 bolts but did "not" use Dodge letters.
The only style of this hood I have ever seen, and I have owned 2 in the past, were NOS, over the counter, call it whatever you like.
I have never seen one that was proven assembly line installed, but I could be wrong. Yes they were eventually installed on cars by owners, but were referred to, back in the day, as bast*rd hoods because of their configuration.



Thank You, I will fix the part about the "DODGE" letters. I agree that 99.9% of the third version shaker hoods were over the counter parts. I just can't be sure about the other .1% and thought it was worth mentioning. Daniel had said he had seen just a couple Very late 71 cars with that hood which looked original. He wasn't completely convinced that they Were original, but they looked good enough to make him uncertain. Until more of his information, or the cars themselves surface, we may never know.

Tav