AAR engine help
 

During the late 70s a friend of mine used to drive what we all understand to be an AAR. It was painted baby blue without the strobe stripes but had the spoiler & special hood. It had all the blackouts. Engine had a 4 barrel instead of 6 pack with column shifted automatic. We knew nothing about these cars then as most of us were messing with Chevies.

Fast forward to today & he sold the car years ago but I just found out he kept the engine, power steering & sway bars. He didn't keep anything with the VIN. I'm sure there is a least a partial VIN on the engine. Could that number lead to a full VIN? Is there anything that would say this was a AAR engine? Thank you, Joe

Partial VIN on side of engine block. https://www.e-bodies.org/buying-your...bers-page-3-2/

Theres a guy on the moparts site that keeps a registry of trans am cars. I cant think of his name but the guys there know him and hes was a regular.
I do think they were special engines

The guy is Barry Washington and goes by alaskan_ta on there

It will have "357710.T.A.340.#" into the side of the block

I’ll say it again, this site is special.

The big 'TA' letters cast into the side of the block within the casting number will be your giveaway

VIN BEGINS:

JH23J0 for TA Challenger

BS23J0 for AAR Cuda

'

Don't the stampings include the last 8 digits only?:hmmm:
Cool if car could be found but great for a real AAR or TA w/ Engine MIA.
:beers:
~ Pete

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Yup, just like Camaros it includes only the model year '0' for 1970 then letter 'B' for Hamtramck, MI assembly plant, then the last numerical six digits of the VIN.

MOPAR did not have division indicators for Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth like GM (1-Chevrolet, 2-Pontiac etc. ) on their engine/trans partial VIN stampings.

Partial VIN picture....(yes some cars have been found with FULL VIN stampings, that is not the norm in MOPAR-LAND)

So, if that partial VIN & the casting number is what has been indicated, it could've only came from a T/A or an AAR. Adding the proper letters to the front should give us a complete VIN since there were no convertables, grand coupes or SE version of these cars. Correct? Like doing a DZ engine with a VIN. It could only be a 12437...Joe

Correct, no other VIN beginning is possible on a real AAR or a T/A. But all 1970 Cudas and Challengers were built in Hamtramck so having an 0Bxxxxxx partial VIN stamping on the block is conclusive of nothing, could be a regular 340-4bbl car. - the T.A. casting letters in the side of the block mixed in with the casting number is your full-proof indicator, if that is there then the car was a real BS23J car - the 'J' is the VIN indicator for the 6bbl 340. The letter 'H' was used for regular 340 cars.

Not just special. It's mind blowing the amount of knowledge of all muscle cars on here.