As seen at SEMA: Dynacorn's...
As seen at SEMA: Dynacorn's all-new reproduction '70 Challenger body.
It was unveiled at the 2010 SEMA Show-something that devoted Mopar folks like you have dreamed about for years: A reproduction E-Body shell, ready to build into the Challenger you've always wanted.
Officially licensed by Ma Mopar, it's available from Dynacorn Classic Bodies in '70 Challenger hardtop form. "It is all 1006 universal-grade automotive steel," says Dynacorn's Jim Christina of the cold-rolled sheet steel used to make the reproduction E-Body. "In all cases in this particular shell, it's thicker than the original."
As you can see in the prototype photos, the doors and decklid are hinged and attached to the body, and the production bodies will be shipped that way. Though it may look like it just came out of the body shop at Hamtramck Assembly, these bodies have some significant differences inside them. As Christina explains, "The weld points are a lot better than the originals, because we've got welders that can reach in and weld joints that Chrysler couldn't get to before." He adds that there's no worry that you're getting an unpainted, unprimered body-in-white prone to corrode unless covered immediately. "They come with EDP (electro deposition process) M coating," says Christina of the coat that each one will wear.
When was the last time you...
When was the last time you saw a new E-body Challenger unibody in undressed form like this? We're guessing in the spring of 1974 at Hamtramck Assembly.
We mentioned above that these are licensed by Chrysler, which means that Dynacorn had access to the original specifications and hand-drafted blueprints to tool these bodies from. "We applied for a license in mid-2009, and we got our license in January 2010," says Christina. "We were one of the first ones licensed when (the new management in Auburn Hills) started issuing licenses."
Any chance that Dynacorn, or any aftermarket company, had of using original Chrysler tooling to produce reproduction bodies ended when E-Body production ceased in the spring of 1974, at which time the original Challenger and Barracuda body tooling was scrapped.
That license doesn't limit Dynacorn to just the Challenger. "We're licensed for both the Challenger and the Barracuda," says Christina. Are any reproduction E-Body Challenger or Barracuda convertibles in the works? "Not to my knowledge, as of yet." Unfortunately, Christina says they have no plans to reproduce any other Mopar bodies like A-Body or B-Body Dodges and Plymouths.
Can you build a car that's street-legal using one of these bodies? That's up to you, as every state has different rules and requirements for "specially constructed vehicles." The SEMA Action Network has updated the database of state-by-state laws and regulations that cover these-log on to www.moparmusclemagazine.com for a link to the listing. Once you're there, you'll be able to see what your home state requires for your Dynacorn-bodied Challenger to be legally titled and registered.