1964 Dodge Charger 1 Show Car

 

Before the production Dodge Charger appeared there were Dodge Charger show cars. The first car was based on the 1964 Dodge Polara and featured 426 ‘Hemi’ power. This car was modified to a 2 seater with a cut down windscreen, rollover bar with twin headrests, hood scoop, bumpers removed and ‘mag’ wheels. This Charger I was followed in 1965 by a Charger II show car that was closely related to the production car. It showcased the big fastback in an effort to judge public reaction to the forthcoming model. After the production Dodge Charger was in the showrooms, a Charger III show car was made in 1967. However that concept car did not lead to any similar production car.

1965 Dodge   Charger II show car

 

The first generation Chargers (1966/7) were big fastbacks, closely based on the intermediate (B body) Dodge Coronet. It was nearly 2 years since the Plymouth Barracuda (April 1964) had revived the fastback style rapidly copied by the Ford Mustang and American Motors Marlin. Using great originality Dodge did not call its specialty model after an animal or fish but rather came up with the simple and evocative Charger name. The car was advertised as the “New leader of the Dodge Rebellion”.

 

Setting itself apart from its contemporaries the Charger (for 1966-1970) came only V8 powered, from the 318 ‘Poly’ (1966) or 318 LA (1967 on) up to the famous 426 ‘Hemi’. There was a slight hiccup in 1969 when a few (about 500 out of the nearly 90,000 Chargers made) slant 6 powered Chargers were built. In 1971 the third generation Chargers had 225 ‘slant’ available, but the vast majority were V8 powered.

1967 Charger III show car-only 42 inches high with canopy closed.

 

 

1966 Dodge Charger-note the spinner hubcaps, also used on 1966 Dodge Phoenix

 

 

The instrument panel was unique to the Charger with 4 round large dials featuring backlit markings in the bezels. These dials contained full instrumentation including a tachometer. For 1966 there was a full length floor console and four bucket seats. Like the Barracuda the back seats could be folded down to produce a long load area.

 

The available V8s for 1966 were; 318 polysphere 2 barrel, 361 2 barrel, 383 4 barrel and the ‘Hemi’ 426. The evergreen 383 4 barrel in 325 hp form was able to propel the 1966 Charger down the quarter mile in 15.6 seconds and 0-60 mph was 7.2 seconds. (Car Life 6/1966.)

 

In 1967 there were few changes. There were blinker repeaters on the front guards. Inside, the console was shortened to the more conventional front seat only length, to give 5 passenger carrying capacity. The engine line-up was altered with the new lighter 318 LA replacing the 318 ‘poly’, the 383 2 barrel replaced the 361 and the 440 Magnum was introduced. Front disc brakes were an important new addition to the options list.

 

1967 Charger

 

 

The ‘Hemi’ powered 1967 Charger demolished the quarter mile in 14.16 seconds and went 0-60 mph in 6.4 seconds. This was achieved on 7.75x14 cross plies and driving through a 3.23:1 final drive. (Car Life road test 2/1967.) The car had a curb weight of 3,990 lbs.

 

The Charger really hit its stride with the classic second generation (1968-70) models. Still a B body but with its own unique styling by Dodge’s William Brownlie. This is the classic Charger as made famous by “Bullit” (1968) and the Dukes of Hazzard (1969). The muscle car was at its peak of popularity and there was no better example than the Charger R/T. The standard engine was the 440 Magnum that not only boasted 375 horsepower but more importantly 480 foot-pounds of torque at only 3,200 rpm. You need a very, very good car/engine combination to challenge a 440 Magnum powered Charger on the street. Certainly Steve McQueen found it difficult to chase down a standard Charger with a modified Mustang when chasing through the San Francisco streets in the movie “Bullit”

The top power option (on R/Ts) was still the mighty 426 ‘Hemi’. The other V8s from 318 to 440 were available, the 440 like the ‘Hemi’ available on the R/T only.

1968 Dodge Charger

 

Not only was it stylish from the outside but also the interior was both classy and sporty. Proper round gauges were a big feature of the instrument panel- a classic design. The car is a complete integrated package.

 

Second generation Dodge Charger taillight treatment. 1968/69/70

 

Full instrumentation, not idiot lights!

 

 

For ’69 only minor changes were made with a divided grille and longitudinal taillights almost filling the rear. An SE option was made available featuring among other items leather front seats and a wood rim look steering wheel.

 

1969 Dodge Charger R/T

 

 

 Although these are great looking cars the aerodynamics of the recessed grille and rear window were not the best. On NASCAR super speedways travelling at nearly 200 mph aerodynamics were extremely important. There was soon an answer, the Dodge Charger 500. A flush mounted grille from the Coronet was installed, a flush rear window and fairings on the A pillars.

 

1969 Dodge Charger 500

 

 

The ‘Hemi’ powered 500s performed very well in a Car Life Road Test April 1969. Both a 4 speed (3.55:1 diff) and a Torqueflite (3.23:1 diff) shifted car were tested. The times recorded were more than impressive. Quarter mile 13.68 seconds & 13.92 seconds and 0-60 5.7 seconds for both; the automatic car was slightly slower through the quarter mile. Weight was 3950 (4-speed) and 4025lbs (Torqueflite).  Both cars had Polyglas F70-15 belted bias tyres, an advance on the older 7.75x14s, as reflected in the improved elapsed times.

 

1969 Dodge Charger Daytona

 

However this was just the start. Later in 1969 perhaps the most outrageous production model appeared - the Dodge Charger Daytona. Building on the 500’s improvements were a long, low drag nose and a high mounted rear wing. As the cars were now aerodynamically pushed down onto the racetrack it was necessary to cut holes in the tops of the guards for tyre clearance, hence the reverse facing scoops on the front guards. They were non functional on the road cars which had a somewhat higher ride height.

 

Again for 1970 changes were minimal. A car this good did not need many. A loop front bumper bar was the easiest way to identify the ’70. The big news for 1970 was the availability of the 440 six pack; the ultimate engine for Mopar Muscle street warriors.

 

A 1970 440-4 Magnum powered R/T was tested by Car Life. This car had 3.55:1 final drive and F60-15 tyres. It had a test weight of 4,545 lbs. The option boxes had been heavily ticked. It was equipped with the SE package, air conditioning, power steering, power windows and AM radio with tape among other options. It did 0-60 mph in 7.2 seconds and the quarter mile in 14.71 seconds. The big 440 magnum and the good sized Charger handled these options with aplomb. Not only was it a muscle car but it could also be optioned up to luxury car standards.

 

The magazine test concluded with; “Overall, the ’70 Charger 440 R/T is an extremely roadable concept in big car packaging. If you want good ride, lots of room, punch in your engine and mileage to boot, we’d recommend it. There’s another plus – with its distinctive body styling, we think the Charger’s got “special interest” built into it.” 

 

1970 Dodge Charger R/T-note reverse scoop on door

 

Chrysler’s uniquely styled Rallye wheels arrived as an alternative to the Magnum road wheels that continued to be offered. High Impact paint colours, including Panther Pink (aka Magenta), had arrived for 1970 as the following advertisement shows. It certainly did not look like the third year for this body style. It looks as fresh today as it did then, truly a classic design.

 

1970 Dodge Charger

 

1971 saw a major restyle. The wheelbase was shortened 2 inches to 115 inches and overall length was down 3 inches. However width was up 2.5 inches. As a result the car looked even more aggressive. This was the last year of the R/T, the Super Bee and the 426 Hemi. The 440 Six Pack only lasted to the first day of production of the 1972 models (2) and it too was history. 1971 probably saw the wildest Chargers leave the factory. There was a choice of stripes, wheels, high impact paint colours, hidden headlights, coloured bumpers and racing mirrors.

 

1971 boasted the only functional hood scoop for Chargers. Standard on ‘Hemis’ and optional on the 440s in R/Ts, it was also offered on the Charger Super Bee again standard on the ‘Hemi’ and optional on the Six Pack and 383 Magnum. During the 1971 model year the 340 became available for the first time in a Charger.

 

1971 Charger R/Ts

 

In 1972 the 383 was replaced by an over bored “B” block, the 400, in both two and four barrel forms. This change was made for ‘smog’ regulations. Unfortunately both horsepower and torque diminished, largely due to the ‘smog’ heads and low compression ratios.

 

This third generation Charger body style continued to 1974 with annual facelifts. The major change being in 1973 when the rear quarter window was enlarged with a contour similar to the roofline rather than the previous reverse slope.

 

There were still Chargers with muscle available after 1971 but not as R/Ts. The Charger Rallye was available with V8s up to the 440. In June 1972 Motor Trend achieved a 0-60 mph in 8.2 seconds and quarter mile in 16.2 seconds.  There was more of a focus on luxury from here on, in the ‘70s. By 1973 the premium Charger SE had become the most popular model.

 

1973 Dodge Charger

 

From 1966 to 1971 the Charger was often powered by the 383 “B” block in 4 barrel form. This was the normal muscle as 440 R/Ts were sold in somewhat limited numbers and the 426 ‘Hemis’ were very rare (Street ‘Hemis’ totalled about 11,000 1966-1971). A 383 4 barrel powered Charger is a very nice street car with heaps of grunt for most situations. (Indeed the 383 4 barrel is the basis of much of Mopar street muscle.)

Common Early Charger Performance Engines

(Power = horsepower; torque = foot-pounds. NOTE these are gross ratings)

 

Size         bore                        stroke                     power @ rpm                        torque @ rpm                        compression ratio

383-4       4.25”                       3.38”                       325@4,800                             425@2,800                             10.0:1

                                                                                330@5,000                             425@3,200                             10.0:1     

                                                                                300@4,800                             410@3,400                               8.5:1

440-4       4.32”                       3.75”                       375@4,600                             480@3,200                             10.0:1

                                                                                370@4,600                             480@3,200                               9.7:1

440-6                                                                       390@4,700                             490@3,600                             10.5:1     

                                                                                385@4,700                             490@3,200                             10.3:1                     

‘Hemi’    4.25”                       3.75”                       425@5,000                             490@4,000                             10.25:1

 

To put this power and torque to the road, Chrysler had their excellent gearboxes and differentials. The Torqueflite automatic (A727 for all big blocks) or A833 4 speed are both evergreen designs that date from the 1962 & 1964 respectively. They are strong units that are easy to use and help to provide the satisfying performance that is the hallmark of these cars. The final unit of the driveline was not forgotten by those great engineers at Chrysler. The strong Chrysler 8-¾ differential was used in most Mopar muscle cars. However for manual 440s & 426 ‘Hemis’ the even stronger 9-¾ Dana differential was used.

 

Chrysler used a very good suspension set up with front torsion bars and asymmetrical leaf springs on all cars of this era (including our Vals). This was a great foundation for the more potent models to build on. The R/T had a heavy duty suspension, as did all other Mopar muscle cars. As well as the usual stiffer torsion bars, sway bars and dampers (shocks), there was an extra leaf in the rear right spring to counteract the torque of the big blocks. This was also a feature of other big block Mopar muscle cars.

 

Unfortunately the tyre and wheel situation was not so good. Tyre technology has probably advanced more than any other area since then. This was an era of cross ply and belted bias tyres developing into “wide oval” 70 series and then 60 series tyres. Wheels were heavy steel units with 5.5 inch or 6 inch rims being considered ‘wide’. In 1970 the 15” x 7” Rallye wheel appeared along with 60 series rubber. Fortunately with racing considerations the second and third generation Chargers had generously sized wheel wells that can accommodate much wider wheels and tyres.

Advertisements for the 4^th generation Dodge Chargers

 

A new body based on the Chrysler Cordoba followed in 1975. Now the Charger was a ‘personal’ car. Luxury rather than performance was the name of the game. Although a range of engines up to big blocks of 400 cubic inches were available, the days of big power, massive torque and muscle(cars) were gone forever. A 1977 400 cubic inch Charger managed 0-60 mph in 11.8 seconds and the quarter mile took 17.4 seconds. Of course the impact of emission regulations and insurance surcharges had all contributed to the reshaping of many cars including the Charger. This style lasted until 1978.

The Charger reappeared in 1982 in front wheel drive four cylinder form. A new 2.2 litre Chrysler four cylinder overhead cam engine was its heart. The car was based on the Dodge Omni a small sub compact powered by a 1.7 litre four cylinder ohc engine.  This engine appeared as the base Charger engine in 1983 and a more powerful 2.2 appeared in the Shelby Charger. A 1983 Shelby Charger, naturally aspirated, did 0-60 mph in 10.0 seconds and the quarter mile took 17.5 seconds. 1985 saw the arrival of the turbo 2.2 litre. The turbo cars were much faster. These cars are of course smaller and lighter than the previous B body cars. The wheelbase is only 96.6 inches and even the turbo model only weighs in at 2,350 lbs.

Of course in the 1980s Chrysler advanced the technology of turbo cars and became the biggest manufacturer of these force fed engines. (This experience is put to good effect in the current Neon SRT4 with 230 horsepower from 2.4 litres.)

FWD 1985 Dodge Charger 2.2 Turbo

 

The 2.2 four cylinder transverse turbo engine.

 

Now the Charger nameplate has been brought back once again. Does the new car earn its revered nameplate?  Can a four door sedan be a Charger? The 1999 show car was a four door that looked like a 2 door muscle car. It was beautifully styled and could certainly wear the name with pride. Powered by the 4.7 litre V8, supercharged and tuned to run on CNG, driving the rear wheels.

 

1999 Dodge Charger R/T show car

 

Apparently the product planners believe that there is no market for a 2 door muscle car. They may be right, but?  On the plus side the new Charger is a rear wheel drive car. Further it is available with a V8, although a V6 is standard. The third generation of Chrysler ‘Hemi’ V8s is available, the 5.7 litre in the R/T and the 6.1 litre in the SRT8

 

The 2006 Charger comes in a variety of flavours. The base model SE and better equipped SXT are V6 models. The R/T and Daytona R/T have 5.7 litre ‘Hemi’ power. The R/T gains an extra 10 horsepower over other 5.7 ‘Hemis’ from an improved air intake. The SRT8 boasts the 6.1 litre ‘Hemi’. All Chargers have automatic gearboxes, the V6’s have four ratios and the V8’s have five.

 

The V6 is the high output Chrysler 300 M unit using single overhead camshafts to operate 24 valves. The ‘Hemi’ is a conventional overhead valve unit with 2 valves per cylinder. The V6 and ‘Hemi’ V8s are genuine Chrysler engines, both products of a long engineering heritage that can only be Chrysler.

 

The base SE with V6 weighs in at 3,800 lbs and the R/T V8 is 4,031 lbs. The SE rides on 215/65 x 17 tyres on 17” x 7” steel wheels. The R/T has 225/60 x 18 tyres on 18” x 7.5” alloy wheels.

The following pictures of the production 2006 Dodge Chargers can allow you to form your own conclusions. The car is styled in a similar vein to the Chrysler 300C and Dodge Magnum which all share the same body platform.

 

4 door Dodge Charger

 

Inside the 4 door Dodge Charger

 

White faced instruments have become popular. The Australian VF Pacer was ahead of its time with this feature.

 

The Daytona R/T is a more expensive model than the ordinary R/T. It is available in special colours, Top Banana or Go Mango and comes with blacked-out side window framing (similar to a CM Valiant GLX), bonnet black-outs and rear quarter striping. Also there is a rear spoiler on boot lid and a chin spoiler under the black grille. Inside there are suede inserts in the seats and Daytona logos on the front seat head restraints. The front seats are not only powered but also heated. The pedals have power adjustment. A specially numbered Daytona badge is included on the instrument panel of this limited edition model.

Dodge Charger Daytona R/T

 

Dodge Charger SRT8

 

Will we see any of the new Chargers in Australia? The Chrysler 300C is due here later this year and there is supposed to be much new product on the way. At least the 300C and Charger are different to the available vehicles on the Australian market.

Current Engines

(Power = horsepower; torque = foot pounds. NOTE these are net ratings)

Size                         Bore        Stroke                     Power     @ rpm                    Torque @ rpm                      Compression Ratio

215 V6 (3.5L)         3.78         3.19                         250 @ 6,400                           250 @ 3,800                             9.9

345 V8 (5.7L)         3.92         3.58                         350 @ 5,400                           390 @ 4,000                             9.6

370 V8 (6.1L)         4.06         3.58                         425 @ 6,200                           420 @ 4,800                           10.3:1

 

Note this is only a brief overview of the Dodge Charger. There are many, many more facts and details about these cars.  These are arguably the most famous of Chrysler’s cars. One could write a book on these cars and indeed there are quite a number of publications dealing with Chargers, mostly the muscle years 1966-71. For any omissions or errors I apologise. Any and all opinions expressed herein are mine.

John G Huntington