Hey everyone! Quick ENGINE COLOR question. I have a 71 340 challenger R/T, and a 71 super bee 383 HP. Both cars were missing original motors, so I have found correct dated motors for each. Build date on BOTH cars is coincindentally 6/22 or something, so late build dates on both. What would be the correct color for the engines? I believe that by that late, the 340 should be blue? How about the 383 HP? Any input would be great. THANKS

Hemi Orange

Have a look here.

http://www.turbinecar.com/misc/enginecolor.htm

The chart in that link has some mistakes. 340's came both colors in 71, and I'm not sure when the change date was. I would think that cars built on 6/22 would have orange motors,but that is only MY guess Here's a

The 340 would have been blue (generally accepted date for the change from orange to blue was April ,01 1971). The 383 is a little tougher, it depended on options. Generally, an engines equipped with a Holley would have been Street Hemi Orange, with a Carter, blue.

I can't tell you the month, but 'back when' I bought a low miles original 340 out of a ?Duster? it was a '71 engine, Thermoquad, all factory and it was orange, and still high compression.

Hello. I was fairly certain that by that date the 340 would have been blue. Just networking to see if anyone had a survivor or anything to confirm. As far as the 383, it is an A/C carter motor. THANKS

Quote:

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I can't tell you the month, but 'back when' I bought a low miles original 340 out of a ?Duster? it was a '71 engine, Thermoquad, all factory and it was orange, and still high compression

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Right, generall 71 340's were painted orange up until April of 1971. You must have found a car built earlier.

Okay, so Im thinking blue on the 340 and still orange on the 383, with June 71 build dates on the fender tag?

I thought I remembered that some early 340's were turquoise too. Maybe I am wrong. Anybody else remember this?

As many know, this topic has come up several times in the past. I own a 71 RR, St.Louis car that was built 7/6/71 and it came with a hemi-orange painted 340. It's my belief that it depends on where the car was built. There is another member here, who purchased new, his 71 340 RR, also a St.Louis car, late june build date which has a orange 340.

After much previous research, the changeover for 71 340's from orange to blue occurred approximately 3/17/71, at least for Hamtramck-built cars. My own particular car (71 340 Cuda convertible) was built 3/31 and is blue.

Bill Rolik

there are no "absolutes" with chrysler. i've seen my fair share of 1971 HP stamped 440's painted corporate blue.

71 Demon 340 april 2nd build, orange Hamtramack

I agree, no absalutes, and that's exactly why I said "Generally" in my first post. BTW, a SPD of April 02,1971 does not mean it was built that day, it could have been built before or after that date, the SPD was just a scheduled date, it just gets you in the ball park.

As far as engines from plants other than Hamtramck, I agree, it varied by plant.

Great input.

It would be very interesting to know if your orange engine is a Windsor engine or a Mound Road engine. This would be determined by the stamping on the block just below the driver side cylinder head.

The Windsor engines (W) would start with something like DW, EW, FW, GW. The Mound Road engines (M) would start with PM, GM, HM or beyond.

As a example, my Mound Road engine is as follows:

GM 340P 35100085.

Bill Rolik