Car of the Week: 1969 Dodge Charger 500 Hemi

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CanadianGary
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While organizing a special “Icons of Design” category for the annual Eyes On Design car show in 2016, I caught wind of a special Hemi-powered MoPar hidden away in the Great White North. Apparently, a private individual has quietly built up a world-class collection, the Manny Collection in Ontario, Canada, that consists mainly of unrestored MoPar muscle cars from the 1960s and early 1970s.

Among those cars is a red 1969 Charger 500 that, as it turns out, was the first Charger 500 built. It was originally used by Dodge at major auto shows and for promotional purposes. “It’s pretty much an original, unrestored Charger 500 with the 426 Hemi engine and four-speed Hurst shifter,” the collection’s owner told me. “I’ve known about this special muscle car for a very long time.”

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I'd rather have the R/T version than the 500 with the not so attractive grill.

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Tig said:
I'd rather have the R/T version than the 500 with the not so attractive grill.
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I agree.
The 500 aerodynamics enhancements took away some of the great styling cues of the car.
That grille is from Coronet and the flush mounting prevented air from "piling up" in front of the car.
The rear window plug was a custom made piece but a Vega hatch is a great head start if you wanted to create your own 500 or Daytona clone.

Vega daytona window plug.jpg
 
Back in the mid '80s when muscle cars were still cheap, I was told of a local guy who had a Charger 500 out rotting in his barn and got his phone #. When I called him about it, he said why yes, he did have a Charger 500 rusting away in his barn, but the car wasn't for sale :(

Why do people do that? They'd rather hang on to something and let it rot away than sell it :confused:
 
Jbird said:
Back in the mid '80s when muscle cars were still cheap, I was told of a local guy who had a Charger 500 out rotting in his barn and got his phone #. When I called him about it, he said why yes, he did have a Charger 500 rusting away in his barn, but the car wasn't for sale :(

Why do people do that? They'd rather hang on to something and let it rot away than sell it :confused:
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because they're gonna "get around to it". they're the same people who have virtual junk yards surrounding their house. :mad:
 
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Speaking of '69 Dodge Charger 500's, I just found out via facebook that one of my cousin's sons owns two of them :eek:

He just bought a gold one with the 440 & a 4-speed, and he has a red one as well. I guess he is looking for a correct radiator for the red one, but said his car funds are limited right now because of the purchase of the gold Charger 500.

I can't imagine those cars are cheap these days, and judging by the short video he posted of his mom driving the gold one, it looked to be in very nice shape.
 
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