Barn finds can deliver amazing muscle cars to your driveway. But America’s woods and fields are also loaded with desirable machines. Yes, they are way riskier to buy, but the right gamble can pay off. Is that the case with this 1971 Dodge Challenger that’s been sitting for over 25 years in the “Field of Sadness”?
YouTuber DezzysSpeedShop has been scavenging old junkyards for amazing classics. It’s amazing to think that back in the 1990s, something like this Mopar might have been destined for the wrecking yards. Even the most iconic 70s gems were cheaper back then, and maybe this one didn’t have the right spec.
Obviously, it’s not one of those hot R/T models and there’s no shaker hood on it. But back 25 years ago, this must have been in decent condition, at least as far as the paint is concerned. Probably the coolest feature of this whole car wear the FC7 code. Obviously, we are talking about Plum Crazy purple paint.
And you can tell it’s originally that color from the transmission tunnel. At one point, it seems like somebody was messing around, changing the color. Why?! Plum Crazy would be the color to have on a 1971 Challenger.
Would you take a risk?
The 1970 to 1974 Dodge Challengers share their E-body platform with the Plymouth Barracuda. That’s why you’ll see the YouTuber mentioning the rear door of a Cuda and its special graphics. We don’t know either if the parts would fit from one car to another.
Just like with the Cuda, the 70 and 71 model years are among the best. They represent the end of a great era for American designs, and there are subtle differences. For example, the 1971 car is identified by its two separate taillights. And at the front, the car would have twin inlet grilles at an angle to create a subtle point.
You can compare that to a 1970 model we showed you a couple of months back. Also, you can probably tell that the 2022 Challenger is heavily inspired by this 1971 front end. So excellent ideas can endure 50 years.
For engines, this model year could have come with the undesirable slant-six 225. At the top end of the scale, you had the 426 Hemi and the 440 Six Pack. But our junkyard find was abandoned yet had excellent spec, which likely indicates it’s middle-of-the-pack.
