Purple Reign – Mopar Action Article Extra

By MOPAR ACTION EDITOR Last updated Jun 26, 2019

Steve Juliano’s 1971 Hemi charger R/T has been proclaimed by noted experts in the hobby, including Roger Gibson, Frank Badalson and Galen Govier, as being the most original, unmolested Mopar that’s known to date in the hobby. While engine compartment and other detail views would require 2-page spreads in Mopar Action’s print issue in order to see the fine points of this outstanding car, there’s simply not enough pages available to do so. The website, however has no such limitations, so feel free to blow up these images to your heart’s content. It’s obvious that Steve’s car would make a perfect template for your own platinum-quality restoration, be advised that more than a few original parts on this charger were available only on the assembly line, and differ from repop and factory service replacement parts. Even so, if you want to see how this charger came off the line, to our knowledge as well as the consensus of experts in the hobby, you won’t find a more authentic example.

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Steve Juliano is the fourth owner of this ’71 Hemi Charger R/T. All previous owners maintained this 10,000-mile car in ideal climate-controlled conditions.

Everything here is original. Check out those heater hoses with the line on them and the unique font. Nobody repops them like this. And Chrysler service replacements are not the same as these assembly line pieces.

The 1971 parts book shows a 4871 front carb and a 4669 (4-speed trans) or 4670 (auto trans) rear carb. But these carbu¬retors were never installed on the as¬sembly line, and would not be correct for a Reference Restoration. In fact, the factory installed 1970 carbs on the 1971 Hemis—a 4742 front, and 4745 (4-speed) or 4746 (auto) rear. Carter re-stamped an M over the 1970’s L part number as seen here.

The factory used wheel opening molding screws to hold the fender tags in place, and they ignored the pre-drilled holes in the fender. Also, you can see that one tag was on top of the other tag when it hung in the interior up near the mirror when the cars came down the paint line.

The Air Grabber assembly shows all the correct fasteners and finishes. Note the original plastic wire looms and the original paint runs that still are original in the hood. The plating on the hardware is as fresh as the day it came out of the tanks.

Here’s something you’ll never see: the noon-dealer-prepped trunk compartment containing the original paper packing behind the spare and the vehicle traveler sheet taped to the left of the spare—which has never been out of the trunk.

Jack instructions decals are pretty accurately reproduced today, but here’s the original—in pristine condition.

Purple Reign – Mopar Action Article Extra

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