1971 Dodge Challenger Non-RT Elastomeric Bumper Car Question

71 challenger rubber bumpers cars are far and few and was curious to see if any out there exist in a non-rt. I have seen a few RT's over the years but never a non-rt.

Here is my question,

Does anyone have a 71 challenger non-rt 340 or 383 with elastomeric bumpers? Also a build sheet to prove that it came with rubber bumpers.

This info. came from B.Washington website:

http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/images/PIBs/1971/71D%20pib%203%20p1.jpg

The 4 colors that you could get on a 71:
GB5
EV2
GY3
FC7

Also, curious to see if anyone owns a 71 challenger with rubber bumpers that are not these colors list above? (RT or Non-RT)

Ah the Great White Buffalo Hunt

I have only seen 3 cars EVER that have had this option and have never seen an actual FC7 car though one was used for advertisement and I have seen an original rear bumper.

Of three I have seen they are:

EV2 - JS23V - automatic Canadian car that I own
GB5 - JS23V - 4 speed - I believe this car was ordered with bumpers but delivered without and then added at the dealer, Grand Spaulding Dodge
GY3 - JS23H - this car came out of the Bay Area and at one time was owned by Lane Rivers, I'm 99% sure it was an R/T

All of these cars are M73. Another cool question would be are there any M71 (front bumper only) cars out there?

I'm fairly certain that this is a real rubber bumper car, but I do not have fender tag info for it.

It's not on the fender tag

Wonder if the tops were still blacked out on non-rt's since the grill and tail are argent...

I have this car in my info. along with the broadcast sheet and this is not a factory rubber bumper car. Those were added to the car.

Chris

I have seen two FC7 RT one being a JS23V car and the other being a JS23H the 340 cars didn't have a build sheet but Scott Smith had it on ebay a few months back and it sold. Was told from the owner before Scott had it that it was a factory rubber bumper car. Will try and post a photo later of it.

The hunt is on for a non-rt rubber bumper!

Ah, ok...I was going from memory of many years ago.

Would like to have seen it.

And as you say the hunt goes on.

Here is some photos of the 340 car

Awesome looking car but without a sheet we will never know

Rubber bumper non-R/T’s DID get the black out. And the tops of the bumpers are black.

Check with 69Mannix.

I believe he had a FC7 340 RT with rubber bumpers

I took these pics in 1993-4? at Santa Monica Airport.

Huge thread on this in the past:

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbt...ic-bumpers.html

There was an orange one back around 1977-78 in my neighborhood (Livonia, MI.) - a '71 R/T 383 car. Both F/R were elastomerics w/black on top. Car was all original paint & a little rusty, but a sharp car. As soon as I saw them on the car, I fell in love with the option! Never got a photo of it though.

Couple of the old Ron Adair cars - photos taken in the mid 80's:

As told to me by Ron, the Bahama Yellow car came from Bill Drake in NY as part of the deal for the Red '71 Hemicuda Conv. that came out of MI. Drake allegedly traded the low mile Hemi Challenger HT & some extra boot for the Cuda. (I was onto the Hemicuda before Ron knew about it, but I thought the car was pie-in-the sky & never pursued it. It was real...)

The Ron Adair EL5 car is a steel bumper car

Bringing this back up to the top.

Good info, thanks for the previous link Autoxcuda.

My question is if the car was coded based on the broadcast sheet for the wide front molding AND M73 ( which shows as RR elastomeric bumper), should it have a rear rubber bumper only?
I realize the data books for M73 state front and rear, but the book also states you couldn't get the wide chrome moulding with Elastomeric Bumpers.

You couldn’t get both. They are conflicting options.

Rear bumper never offered without front. Would have to be a septerate option since it would need to be priced differently. Can’t think of a trim option that negated part of another trim option.

Sorta Like luggage rack and rear wing. Or sunroof on a convertible.

Appreciate the feedback.
Makes sense you couldn't get the front rubber bumper with wide trim moulding.

But curious as to why data book states M73 is 'Front and Rear Elastomeric bumpers ( R/T Only)' , but the broadcast sheet has spaces for both 'Front Colored Bumper' and ' Rear Colored Bumper' .

If the broadcast sheet has M28 for FT Bumper Periphery Moulding ( Wide Chrome Mouldining) and M73 for Rear Colored bumper , why couldn't it have gotten both?

Cudas used the same broadcast sheet. In 70 they were available with front only rubber bumpers. Not sure in 71.

There are other items on a broadcast sheet that don’t directly relate to the buyers guide.

It doesn’t make sense visually to offer rear without front and offer chome periphery with not chrome rear bumpers.

Yes I do recall on 70 Cudas, specifically AARs some examples that had front only rubber bumper ( A21 ).

I guess you're right doesn't make sense to have only the rear rubber bumper, even though you could get front only.
Just odd that a car got coded for both wide moulding and elastomeric bumpers.

What car got coded for wide molding AND rubber bumpers ??

I haven’t seen both options on a build sheet. And I’d want to see early pics of the car to prove it wasn’t a mistaken printed code.

Just to be clear, Elastomeric bumpers were only available for 1971 Challengers either only in front or front and rear. They were not available in 1970, unlike the Barracuda.

Agreed but in 71 what is the consensus on which option overrides the other,
Wide chrome moulding or the elastomeric bumper option?
Is either part of an option Group?

No one option overrides the other, the factory in it's screwball wisdom determined you couldn't have both installed on a production line Challenger, however nothing stopped an individual or dealer installing both options after delivery

So the factory likely chose 1 over the other, which make sense, especially if chrome was more readily available compared to elastomeric

Uhh...no, they limited your choice, just like you couldn't have a rear spoiler and a luggage rack, it was one or the other, now if you really wanted a spoiler and luggage rack, that was up to you or your dealer to install it after delivery, same with the wide chrome dress up and rubber bumpers

Understood.
My line of thinking was that elastomeric bumpers were less of an ordered option, and therefore chrome more plentiful, that's all.

I believe the front chrome molding actually interferes, touches or nearly touches the rubber bumpers.

So you have to modify the bumper to make it fit or not look lame. I’ve seen a picture showing this long ago I believe.

Can someone confirm this?

Correct

M71 for front rubber bumper only

M73 for both

You likely are right, but may I submit another reason?

Elastomeric allows for a monochromatic look. Having a chrome nose piece ruins that look, not to mention the chrome nose piece was to create the effect of a loop bumper.

That butterscotch car at all the Flings with the Elastomeric lower and chrome upper looks really goofy (I'm trying to be polite here).

Plus that car has steel bumpers that are just painted. They are not rubber bumpers. Car has a lot of added items