A 'back in the day' question for old timers about Charger sightings

[bull]

There had been a long drought of boring Mopars between, say, 1975 and roughly the early 90s (that time frame is debatable) when the Viper came out to play but since that time there's been a small resurgence of muscle cars from the big three. For me, I think of the excitement of the 2008 Challenger introduction and how that restored my faith in Chrysler, at least partially. To this day I still take time to ogle one when I see one but I have to admit the thrill has subsided somewhat because I rarely go a day without spotting 2-3.

That's the backstory to my question for those of you who were of, or close to, driving age when the Charger was first released. When Chargers commonly roamed the streets of America was that pretty much how it was for you too? Or was there as much of a thrill then as there is today when you spotted one? Considering their rarity now I can't imagine the thrill being quite as big then when you probably saw at least a couple every week. That and the fact that they were mixed in with Satellites/Roadrunners/GTXs, Cudas, Challengers, etc. I would have been 2 years old when my favorite 68 body style was released so by the time I was old enough to pay attention we were well into the boring era, and by the time I got my first Charger at the age of 15 a genuine muscle car was a rare sight.

So what do you think? Did the initial thrill subside eventually or were you almost hanging out the window of your AMC Pacer just to get a closer look at every one of them that passed by?

[Kern Dog]

I was born in 1965. I was a car guy from when I was little. I used to watch the cars coming down my street and I could tell a Ford from a Chevy. We must have not had many Dodges in the neighborhood, because I don't remember many.
My dad used to sell cars. We moved from Michigan to CA in 1968. In 70-72, he sold new cars at Fair Chrysler-Plymouth in Sacramento. He would talk about movies like Bullitt and Vanishing Point. He spoke of the 340 Dusters and Cudas from the dealership. Even with all of that, I didn't form an obsession with the Charger until 1979 when I first saw The Dukes of Hazzard. Yeah, it annoys some people to know that a silly TV show was so influential to so many people, but it certainly was for me. I wanted a Charger and I didn't care if it was a 68, 69 or a 70. With next to zero mechanical expertise, my first car HAD to be mechanically solid. In 1982, even solid running 318 cars were $1500 or more. Once I spotted a 70 in F8 green with a white top. I had $400 in savings but the guy wanted $1500. dad was too stingy to loan me the difference. I ended up buying a 69 Dart for $400.
Over the years I went to the Chevy side but came back to Ma Mopar in 2000 when I bought my 70. Oddly, it was also F8 with a white top. I'm sure this was a common combination, but it sure would be interesting if it were the same car.

[b5blue]

  Ahh back in the day........born in 55 myself I was 15 by 1970. It was an all you can eat buffet with a bewildering mix available. How could you pick? SS GTX GTO Cobra they were all here and there like a tablespoon of pepper dropped on a white plate. Everywhere, but just out of reach for a 15 year old.
  The supply dried up very quickly when insurance for young drivers cost per year as much as the car cost to buy. By 75 they were all getting rare for sightings.

[bull]

They were also dirt cheap around then too. As soon as the mpg regulations started hitting home people were dropping them for next to nothing... for a while.

[Cooter]

ALOT of the 'old timers' I've talked with about this very thing seem to have the same reasoning in their replies.

"Well, you gotta understand. Back then, these were just cars and not too many cept them 'street freaks' were buying a brand new car that was anywhere from $100-$150/month, got about 6 MPG, and used oil like crazy. Not to mention the fact that if they ran it hard, they usually blew it up. No, we had 'em, but they weren't around like they are today. You see people who can't even afford to buy a practical new car, let alone a Musclecar with 500 HP, yet there they are. Momma's driving to the store in it. Back then, not too many women wanted a car that didn't have PS,PB,A/C,etc. They didn't care bout HP, just wanted a practical car."

[areibel]

What Cooter said!
They weren't anything special, just a car to most people.  I always liked the styling of the Chargers, I had an uncle that bought a brand new red 69 with a white interior and I still remember that one- it was the one that got me hooked.  But for the average person you could go for a new Mustang, Camaro, Firebird, Goat, 442- just pick your brand. 
The hot rod guys were still drooling over '50 Mercs and Ford Vicky coupes, new cars didn't count for much!  426's were expensive, they'd be searchng the junk yards for 392 or 354 Hemis to build.

[Baldwinvette77]

so what youre trying to say is, i didnt miss much? cool 

[XH29N0G]

That said, from the perspective of a 6 year old boy, it was pretty neat to see a 70 charger, a 70 purple super bee, and a green 68 fastback mustang parked side by side out front of our townhouse.  Ours was the charger.  The others belonged to our neighbor who was a policeman.  There were others in that parking lot, but I thought our little corner of it was best.

[maxwellwedge]

I think they were a little bit more than "just cars". There was a whole vibe going on back then. Free love, Vietnam, mind expanding drugs and music (awesome music) and of course the factory horsepower race....the anticipation of who would out-do each other etc. So yes - they were our year round "drivers" but there was also more excitement attached to them back then. So..... when we saw a Charger or anything else - we always wanted to know what "package" it had in it.

[moparstuart]

I think they were a little bit more than "just cars". There was a whole vibe going on back then. Free love, Vietnam, mind expanding drugs and music (awesome music) and of course the factory horsepower race....the anticipation of who would out-do each other etc. So yes - they were our year round "drivers" but there was also more excitement attached to them back then. So..... when we saw a Charger or anything else - we always wanted to know what "package" it had in it.

stop looking at my package

[Pete in NH]

I was I my early 20's in the late 60's when muscle cars roamed the streets. I think Cooter called it correctly. People wanted practical transportation so most Chargers and Satellites were plain old 318 cars With A/C, power steering, automatics and other comfort options. Being a Mopar guy I would look at any new Chrysler product I saw on the road. But to see a GTX or anything with R/T badges was a rare treat. Even Road Runners were no too common in spite of their lower cost. Those were the days, cars were uniquely styled and every manufacturer had their own look. Every September the new car introductions were exciting. Nothing like the cookie cutter cars of today.

[areibel]

Those were the days, cars were uniquely styled and every manufacturer had their own look. Every September the new car introductions were exciting. Nothing like the cookie cutter cars of today.

I remember those big events!  They actually used to cover the windows of the dealerships with roll paper or white wash when the new models were brought into the show room, they wouldn't even let you see them before the unveiling date.

[RECHRGD]

I was I my early 20's in the late 60's when muscle cars roamed the streets. I think Cooter called it correctly. People wanted practical transportation so most Chargers and Satellites were plain old 318 cars With A/C, power steering, automatics and other comfort options. Being a Mopar guy I would look at any new Chrysler product I saw on the road. But to see a GTX or anything with R/T badges was a rare treat. Even Road Runners were no too common in spite of their lower cost. Those were the days, cars were uniquely styled and every manufacturer had their own look. Every September the new car introductions were exciting. Nothing like the cookie cutter cars of today.

I agree....I was born in 1948 and grew up in the Southern California car culture.  There were probably more high performance cars in that part of the country than anywhere else.  Every stop light on Colorado blvd. was a potential Christmas tree.  My first new car was a '68 R/T.  They were our daily drivers, but special at the same time.  Most guys could rattle off the different engine options of every car, regardless of the make.  Great days......

[68X426]

The original question - is the thrill now the same as the thrill then? My answer is yes, for me, and most anyone who came of age in 68-70.

Consider: there were no car shows then. Not like today. Sure there were cruises, and hang outs, and happenings. But there wasn't a car show culture back in my day (born on date '57, no expiration date yet).

So the thrill was right there on the street. Today some of the thrill is at a show too, and on the street.

[68X426]

Speaking of cruising in SoCal, here's a flashback:  http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,63742.0.html

I stand by what I wrote years ago about cruising Van Nuys in the 70s - quoting me: "It was a glorious time to have a car, a girl, and friends. I was lucky and didn't even know it."

[chargerboy69]

Sorry to hyjack Curtis' thread. .  This is also for the "Old Timers"

When did these things begin to rust?  Buy the time I was in high school (early 90's) these cars were 22 years old.  Every single Charger I went to look at back then was a rusted out mess, sure there were the exceptions, but for the most part, most were rotting away. Today, it is not uncommon at all to see 20 year old cars running around in great shape.  When I was in high school, I never saw a Charger, or really any old Mopar running around.

[68X426]

They started to rust the day they left the factory. I swear to god I am not joking.

Back then most could be dead from rust in under 10 years. You had to work at keeping the rust away.

[XS29L9Bxxxxxx]

They were also dirt cheap around then too. As soon as the mpg regulations started hitting home people were dropping them for next to nothing... for a while.

I remember those days of panic...

[ws23rt]

I was at my driving age in 65. I was 14. At 15 had a permit and was legal with a licensed driver with me. So I grew up and into cars when there were many cars from the 1950s still running around. There were real changes from year to year then and with a short glimpse of a corner of any of the big three I could tell year, make and model as could most of my friends. It was almost a game (but too easy cause we were seldom wrong). I became captivated with mopar because of the hemi.
It was a thrill to see these running around, all makes and something new every year. Oh and to be able to buy a 427 cobra from a ford show room was cool  sorta like a viper was when it came out--though a lot of money for us kids--and not very practical cause would only fit one girl at a time.
It was the norm in many places to gather in the evenings and circle around a loop down town to show off to each other and play the mating game.
My favorite was the charger (68-69 , 70 was ok). Since they made so many cars (all makes) the thrill was to spot the ones with "a package" sometimes tough to do cause some would remove clues so they could lurk at stop lights.
Those days faded fast from 71 on. A short period of more glitz and less guts then into sameness.
Bringing these cars back brings back some memories but if it were not for the great styling it would not be as much fun. Art is something every one likes. They don't need to know what it is to know they like it.

[Cooter]

Along the same lines Of rust issues, I once asked why no one wanted undercoating under these cars. Answer: "Cause they weren't meant to last past 6-8 years."

I still do not understand why NOBODY asks for it at dealers anymore. Especially, in the rust  prone areas up North.

I see 'em come in the shop all the time eat up within 4 years. NEW cars I mean.. The older cars weren't rust proofed as well as today'scars due to technology becoming more available at a decent price tag.

[ACUDANUT]

I saw a lot of Ziebart treated cars in my days.

[Plum Crazy 68]

At 7 years old in 1972 I had those redline hotwheels and one was a purple charger.  I spent my childhood time as a passenger looking to see if I could find that car.  Never did see a purple one then, but now I have one in my garage.

I do remember the mid to late seventies as the older kids were driving the muscle cars no one wanted.  The sixties were when they were new, but 10 years later was the best time to find them being used and raced.

[ACUDANUT]

I saw a lot of Match 1 Mustangs when I was a kid.  My Dad always had to correct me and say Mock 1. lol

[John_Kunkel]

My dad used to sell cars. We moved from Michigan to CA in 1968. In 70-72, he sold new cars at Fair Chrysler-Plymouth in Sacramento.

Bought a new '68 GTX from that dealer.

[Pete in NH]

Yes, once the oil embargoes and gas shortages of the mid to late 70's hit you had to practically give muscle cars away. By the early 80's with cars like the K cars hitting the street the days of the big V8 were over. The B blocks were gone and the LA's from Chrysler had been de-smogged to the point where they just about ran. I took my 71 Charger 383 off the road as a daily driver in the early 80's because it was clear by then we would never see the likes of it again and it was something special.

I agree with Cooter on the undercoating it was a really low cost factory option something like $22 for the hood pad and undercoating. I ordered it on my 71 and 40 something years later the stuff is still solidly on the whole underside of the car. it has done a great job in preserving it.

[odcics2]

so what youre trying to say is, i didnt miss much? cool 

LOL!  You missed it all!   Nothing like sliding your 68 Charger around in the snow and ice, on the way to high school!!     

[ws23rt]

Yes, once the oil embargoes and gas shortages of the mid to late 70's hit you had to practically give muscle cars away. By the early 80's with cars like the K cars hitting the street the days of the big V8 were over. The B blocks were gone and the LA's from Chrysler had been de-smogged to the point where they just about ran. I took my 71 Charger 383 off the road as a daily driver in the early 80's because it was clear by then we would never see the likes of it again and it was something special.

I agree with Cooter on the undercoating it was a really low cost factory option something like $22 for the hood pad and undercoating. I ordered it on my 71 and 40 something years later the stuff is still solidly on the whole underside of the car. it has done a great job in preserving it.

A bunch of folks took their cars off the road in the late seventys and early eightys and put them in barns. They did it for us and we have a new term from it.

[Steve P.]

Born in 1961' and by 68' we had a CHARGER R/T in the back yard whenever my uncle was home on leave. It was dark green with a black top and interior. 440 Automatic and he took me for probably my first ever run over 100 MPH. He had always had Porsche's before that and drove in many road rally's. In the same year a guy whom I hardly knew, "only by reputation", came hauling ass by the house in a black 68' GTX... He was getting ready to put it on the trailer and go racing in the morning. So he blew by me with open headers and shifting probably 3rd for where our house was from the corner.. HOLY SHIT WAS THAT CAR HAULIN ASS!!

By 77' I had my license and a job. Wasn't making much and was still in school, so when my Aunt Debbe asked me if I wanted to buy her 71' Super Bee I FREAKED!!! I never thought she would sell it, but reality was that no one could afford gas drinking cars then.  I could have owned that car for




$800.00 ........ Yeah, it kills me too!!!! Making about 60 bucks a week back then was not going to get me the BEE.... That was the first muscle car that hauled VegasMike all over hell.. It was his moms car.  I still remember the cassette tape player on a factory floor mount on the hump.

I damn sure like the new chally, but I still get much more excited around old MOPAR MUSCLE..

Ps. My mom drove a 62' Dart with push button 318". Black w/red guts... I'm betting my mom had us up around the hundred mark a time or two also!!  lol

[Homerr]

I saw a lot of Match 1 Mustangs when I was a kid.  My Dad always had to correct me and say Mock 1. lol

A friend's family had a "grand pricks".   

Took a while before anyone corrected me, I was probably around 6 when they had it.

[ACUDANUT]

so what youre trying to say is, i didnt miss much? cool 

LOL!  You missed it all!   Nothing like sliding your 68 Charger around in the snow and ice, on the way to high school!!     

Nothing like 2 of your buddies sitting on the trunk to get traction in the snow with a one wheel drive Charger. ( trying to get to school.)

[charger490]

well back in my days we had 35 fords 33 and 34 that we used to race on the street.than we used to go to the parks where we had a sand pit and we would try to see who could get up the hill the farthest. one night one car went to far up the hill and rolled back down the hill and we got it back on the wheels and he drove it home. the next day we were on our way to the junk yard with it so we tried to roll it over agian. we got it up on its side agian pushed it back on the wheels and tried agian.than we went to the junk yard.no muscle cars back in the 40s but we had fun and not any cops around.

[XS29LA47V21]

 A bunch of folks took their cars off the road in the late seventys and early eightys and put them in barns. They did it for us and we have a new term from it.
[/quote]


  Yeahup, I am personally very thankful for the hoarders, gona fix it somedays, set it on the back fence but will not sell... etc, eventually they sell, or finally realize they do not need it or they need money, or their kids sell it, etc.  Yes often times rougher and neglected, but at least it did not get crushed long ago or parts still exist.  I have thanked several sellers in the past when I was the lucky one....to buy it finally.  

I would agree, by 1978-80 in S. FLA there were very few muscle cars or old cars that I saw.  I am sure they existed and by 1984 with the first purchase of a 69 Charger for me, the salvage yards I went to looked at me like I was crazy looking for parts and "did not have anything for them".  I learned later I was not looking in the right areas.  By the mid to late 80 cruzing was in, I was older, they seemed to be coming back out, but maybe I was just getting older.  Where I was at those times.... Chevy & Ford were it, any mopar even a six pac car might as well nearly be a vega, maverick or four door Chevy... not popular at all.  I was nearly the only loon in the pond I was in at the time...but I looked my Charger (even if it was green   ) and the ones now just as much.

[74Rallye]

When I was 10 years old I liked standing behind our neighbors new 1970 RT Charger while it was warming up. The stereo sound of chukuta-chukuta-chukuta and the metal in the deck lid rattling was very different from any other factory car I had been around.

Can't forget the first Superbird I saw as a kid either. A friend and I saw it coming down a dirt road and we waited in awe as it slowly rumbled by and to top it off there was a Roadrunner decal on it at eye level. Roadrunner cartoon was very popular back then.   

[Drache]

I can't say for myself since I wasn't born, but everytime dad spotted another Charger on the road while he was driving his there was a wave/nod/thumbs up, etc. Charger drivers were a brotherhood in his parts. 

[Cooter]

Drove the General to work today. First time he's been out since last Sept. @6:00 AM in the morning, you really don't think your gonna see any 'Thumbs ups' or anything, but, there it was in the lane next to me.

Get to work after a surprizingly pleasant drive in, and some old codger was there in the parking lot waiting for 8:00 AM when we open. (I guess I'll be there one day, but Damn, you think early would mean like 7:30 AM or something???).
Anyway, he sees me, I see him, we speak. "Good morning sir".."How's it going?"

"That YOUR Charger R/T?"
"yes Sir, but not really an R/T"
"I had one dem new in '69"
"Really?? This one's a '69"

"Mine was a 440 Automatic in the floor".
"Sho nuff?"
"yep.....Damn thing sho was fast".
"Oh yeah?"
"Oh yes. I was headed to work one morning and had to pass by this little grocery store where this old drunk would always stagger out in the road 'ya know?"
"Uh huh"....
"So this one morning I topped the hill and there he was, smack in the middle of the road. I jerked the wheel so hard to miss hitting him, my watch band broke and landed in the back seat"..

"REALLY??"(Said with a hint of OH boy, that's a doosy!)
"Yep. True story. Never did get that watch fixed. Man, would that thing fly. I can remember doing well into triple digits many a night"
"Well, I'm not much for the top end thing myself. I like the stoplight to stoplight"
"well, I done alotta that too now.."
"Really? You win any races? What kinda cars were you running back then?"

"Well, there weren't too many Chrysler products on the streets back then. Everybody hadda Mustang or a Nova. If you had a Chrysler, you had to outrun twice as many people to prove you was fast. I remember there was a Blue 41 Chevy running round in the next county over that rumor had it, it was pretty fast. Seemed to me there was another 57 Chevy that was running a 4-speed and 5.38 Gears and was fast too.
We used to go down to the Southerner Drive in, make our rounds, see who was out, then if anybody followed you out, that was the one for you."

"Ok".....

"well, one night we were Headed down there and behind us was another car. We pulled in and made the loop and headed out. Bout the time we pulled out onto the road, this Black '57 Chevy pulls along side in the Suicide lane. He Rolls down his window and asks if we wanna run. We nodded and hit it. Long story short, we pulled that '57 by 2 Car lengths by the time he hit 3rd gear."

"Really?"
"yes sir! Swear on a stack a bibles" It was just somethin' bout them Chrysler products, if you got one and it was 'Right', you had somethin' man".

"Thank You for the history Sir".....  

[Steve P.]

Great story.. It's far and few with the old guys anymore, unless you're at a show.. 

[JB400]

Keep the stories comin  I enjoy them   Thanks for sharin

[Cooter]

I worked beside an older Gent named "Ray". He had a Roadrunner he used to call "Charlie" he drove back and forth to the Army base in Georgia. I pull in to work one morning with my junk making the typical "Whoopity, Whoopity, Whoopity" sound. Ray looks at me and says "I remember a time when I used to back 'em off the trailers sounding like that. Right out of the factory".

He begins to tell me bout warranty work on some of the cars he used to work on. He said he put LOADS of cams in BBC Chevelles, etc. He said "If you Ever look behind the "SS" emblem, and If there's a hole cut through the grille, I prolly put a cam in that one"
Told me bout this one Camaro he drew for warranty rearend work. Said "The car came in towed. I looked at it and it was sitting kinda funny, so I drove it in, or tried to anyway. Got it on the lift and the rear leaf spring was wrapped up around the axle like a Sardine can opener"...

I worked at another dealer with another older gent who was getting ready to retire in 1990. He told me bout those "Hemi Cudas"(Of course I asked him bout any Hemi cars).
Said he worked on a many a Chrysler. Said those old Hemi heads back in the late fifties were HEAVY. So heavy, he got tired of picking up cylinder heads so he began to use the Cherry picker to remove them. Said he done ALOT of head gaskets on the 331-354-392 Era Hemis, but bout the only 426 Hemi story he had as our area didn't get too many 426 Hemi cars and only A Handfull of Wing cars, Was when he went to school with Buddy Martin. Said he was just another guy going to Chrysler school then. Little did he know who he would become about 10 years later. He did mention working on a few Gen 2 Hemi's, but mainly wedge engines. He still comes to cruise night once in a while as he has Prostate Cancer. He loved my boys '66 Belvedere. He has a 1966 Satellite. 383 4-speed. Said it would go in the snow better than most trucks back when it was new.

[69hemidaytona]

Back when I was in college here in Wisconsin between 1984 and 1988, I would buy and sell cars to help pay for school. It was mostly Chevelles and Novas because they were popular and sold quickly. I would fly out to LA, California on a Wednesday night. I would get "The Recycler" at their headquarters early on Thursday morning. They had many papers for all of the different areas of SOCAL. I would buy two cars with at least one being a good runner. Then I would drive one and towbar one 2000 miles home in time to be in class by Monday morning. I must have done that 20 times or more. During that same time frame I found a 69 Charger that I bought in Arkansas on a trip there. I paid $750 for it. It was a 383 Magnum with an automatic and console. It had the woodgrain wheel, PS and PB. It also had factory air conditioning and the original road wheels. It was B3 blue with a blue interior and black vinyl top. It ran and drove nice. It had just a little rust on the bottom of each quarter panel behind the rear wheels. Other than that it was rock solid and all original. I couldn't even get $1700 for it. At that time I had no problem getting $2000 for a 307 Malibu in the same condition. I eventually had the rust fixed and had the car completly painted. Then I was able to sell it to a guy from Louisiana. He flew up and drove it home during the winter with the heater not working! I ended up getting about $2900 for it. Does anybody know anything about this car by chance?

[Brock Lee]

I used to watch these cars still on the road, get traded for stereos, pot, coke, beer, etc. I remember seeing cars with severe rot in the late 70's. "Flintstone" cars as your feet would be on the ground. I would go to the junkyard and see Charges junked because they needed a full front end rebuild or fully rotted exhausts, which cost more to replace more than the car was worth. So it was junked and another junker was bought to get the user by. People loved them, but at that time that did not equate to value. They were just "cool" junk.

[Ghoste]

Cool junk.  Yes that about sums it up, they were fun and cheap and we were poor and looking for entertainment (at least I was).

[FC7 V code]

I guess if you were interested in cars it was always a thrill to see some of the Chargers/other makes running around. I was 10 in 1968 when the 2nd gen Charger came out and they were awesome to me. My Dad and Uncle's(in there late 30's-40's by then seemed to have less interest. They were more inclined to be impressed by a 57 Chevy or a "souped up"(there I really just dated myself)40's era Ford. Just depended on your generation I guess. It was impressive for a few years prior to the oil embargo in '73. Just in the small town I grew up in(about 500 population)there was a 69 Charger R/T, a couple of 69/70 Roadrunners/an AAR Cuda/69 GTX/71 340 Demon/71 340 Duster and a 71 Roadrunner. All were owned by either family guys in there lower 30's or the younger crowd. Also there were a bunch of Camaro/Firebirds/GTO's and a few Mustangs about and even a Javelin. Lot's of quarter mile runs fueled by cheap Sunoco and $1.00 a gallon wine over the years until it pretty much came to a stop in 1973. Before that you could cruise all of a Summers evening away on a couple bucks even getting 6-8mpg. They were cool but they were just cars also back then, people tended to try to drive them year around and if you blew one up you just swapped out the block and started fresh with a junk yard motor. I know for a fact that 69 Charger R/T I mentioned above was on it's 3rd 440 and 2nd tranny by the time it was parked in 74. Most of those cars just disappeared or were wrecked over the years and I often wonder if any of them survived. By the time I really had the means to buy a Charger in the early 80's pickings were pretty slim as most of the northern ones had went to scrap with rust problems or were stuck in garages/barns where some still rest today.

[Budnicks]

I'm 53 & to give you all some context... I graduated HS in 1977, I started driving "legally in 1974", I drove my motorcycle everywhere before I was of legal age, I bought my 1st 68 Charger R/T for $350 in 1974, the first of many, many Mopars & muscle to come & it was nearly perfect condition, from a hot divorced 20 something neighbor/single mother, some lady in my neighborhood, that I use to mow lawns for her.... Here in Northern Calif. at least in the SF East Bay area where I lived until I was 38 y/o, when I moved to Rancho Murieta, a Golf community, East Sacramento county, I live in Concord, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek & Antioch areas most my life up-to that point {until 1997}, other than going to college @ University of Oregon 1978-81, but I still went home to visit my cars & friends, mostly at-least every month & vacation days/holidays, when I wasn't doing football or track & a few years in the mid 80's when I lived & worked in Alaska {they even had a decent muscle car scene, in the mid 80's}... Anyway the muscle car/cruising & street racing scene, was still going strong in the mid 70's long into the mid 80's even, in my personal experience anyway... Walnut Creek, was a real hot spot, thousands of cars & kids, oodles & oodles of poodles {Nice Chicks} especially for cruising 1974-1984 or so... I'm not too sure before or after that 1974, but my step dad Bob, said "it was a hot bed", I remember riding around in his 68 Sport Satellite 383 4speed he bought "new" for my Mother, in SF, or riding around in his old race car 64 GTO that he raced regularly, also in his hay-day too, he was an old drag racer & street racer also a Mopar & Pontiac guy... I was drag racing all over the country, after that 1984, well pretty much from 1981-1999 era... In the Mid 1980's before the WC-PD & all the rest of the cities, pretty much shut it down finally... Prior to that, me & a bunch of my car buddies & fellow Moporites/Outcasts, would be bench racers, street racers, all around just typical gear-heads, talking smack, drinking {not the smartest thing}... We all would gather at a Safeway & B of A Encino Grande Shopping Center & Union 76 gas station @ Concord Ave. & Willow Pass Rd., on the border of Concord & Walnut Creek every Fri. & Sat. night, before & after the cruises, sometimes upwards of 200 cars at a time, Camaros, Chevelles, Novas, Mustangs, old 30-40's Coupes, race cars with license plates, blown street cars, cars with tunnel rams sticking out the hood, slicks & uncapped exhaust, you name it, it was going on there... We also had the Tight Group/Mopar gang I hung around with, we were kind of the outcasts, we had a few very fast cars, some not so fast too, but nice stock street cars also, a quite a few fast cars of mine too {I was into drag racing & had both GM's/Chevy's & Mopars, I was known to take one of the race cars out, every once in a while, before having to re-vinyl letter it up or freshen it up usually}, the regulars that would come out for street racing & BSing @ a couple of local streets/strips marked off, one a couple miles from the shopping center & a parade of cars would go out to Eygnatio Valley Blvd, right behind my house in Turtle Creek Area of Concord, by Treat Blvd or Farm Bureau Rd., where we marked off a 1/4 mile on both sides of the road in a long stretch that was slightly down hill one direction & slightly uphill the other direction...  The other was just going up or down Willow Pass road, we had 1/4 mile marked off both side there too, but that area was prone to have a bunch of people that would call the Police, so it was a one time deal usually per night there, but we had some very fast cars race for some really big money at times... The people I hung around with, were all car guys there were allot of wheeling & dealings it went from cars going for $350 in 1975 to cars of the same caliber going for $5000 in 1985, gas prices weren't that bad, especially compared to todays prices, I drove either my 68 Charger R/T with a built 440/513ci 2x660cfm Holley 4bbls, my 440 4speed 69 RR or my 440ci 4 speed equipped 66-76 Power Wagon's or any of my many Big Block Camaros 442's or GTO's everyday to & from work, the meager gas prices never stopped most any of us back then, at-least the true car guys anyway... But I did have economy car...LOL...a Judson Blown 1900cc Dual Port VW Baja Bug too, that I would take out every once in a while, just to spank a few of the V8 Mustangs & Camaros, with the little VW powered Baja Bug, that would really pissed off a few people, I was an instigator...LOL... We had other hot spots too, the Old Sacramento cruise J street loop, then go out to El Camino off I-5 where we had a 1/4 mile marked off, 200 people maybe, mostly spectators & looky lous, with maybe 30+ cars on a good weekend out to race... Fairfield out on Ball canary rd. after the cruises for street races, Antioch, Concord, Livermore, Pleasanton, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, San Jose, Cupertino, Fremont... Also Modesto was a good cruise spot, for quite a while too, there were allot of cool old 30-40's cars & muscle cars & you always could seem to find people willing to race or just hang out & BS... My point is it was far from dead in my teens & early 20's in NorCal 1975-1984... We had cars all over the place & they were a very common site, we have allot better weather conditions, than back east or the mid west, so our cars weren't all rusted out, I still find some pretty much for the most part "rust free" cars still today, it didn't really die off here until the mid 80's, mostly when the low-rider fad & mini truck fad, you can't get them with HP so you kill them with Watts& chrome everything, no go show boats, really sad automotive movement/time took over... They started a bunch of fights & gangs started showing up, the Police & city councils, all pretty much put early 10:00pm curfews, on the cruise areas & started closing them down & writing tickets right & left... before it almost completely died... The muscle car scene hasn't died yet, it is allot less than in my hay-day or my fathers hay-day, but when I lived in the Sacramento & SF East Bay Areas you would still see quite a few, nice muscle cars still being driven & on the road, every day , even up-to just a few years ago, before I moved up here to small NorCal mountain town of Sonora, where it's a rarity to see any nice muscle cars driving around, but it's allot different weather climate & economic structure, up here.... There are a few shows & nice cars, but for the most part, you have to leave the area, to see any cool old cars driving around anymore...  damn I could write whole book & I nearly did....  

[nvrbdn]

born in 56. fell in love with the sight of the charger. when i turned 16 all i could think about was the charger. drove dads pickup till one day he said "get a job and ill buy you a car" well the next day he came home from work and i told him i got a job at IHOP. he said go get a car, but it doesnt have to be your dream car. well, i couldnt find anything i wanted. but on sunday this family pulled in to church with this beautiful 68. the son told me it was for sale. i ran to dad. he bought the car. 68,000 miles - $800.00 it was the greatest feeling in the world. driving a dream car, seeing these cars. i was always excited driving it. to me it wasnt transportation. 35-50 cents a gallon for gas. most of my friends had mopars. a car show every night. sorry, i did live the dream. and never took it for granted. just my opinion.

[Kern Dog]

I started out with a 69 Dart as my first car. Pretty simple car to own, since it was a 318 automatic. I had electrical problems with the car and since my Dad wasn't very mechanically inclined, I had to learn how to keep it running. After a year, I had enough of replacing starters, alternators, batteries and relays, so I sold it and bought a 76 Dart Sport. It also was a 318 automatic, but it also was the highest optioned A body I have ever owned to this day. stripes, rally wheels, cloth plaid seats, sunroof and vinyl top, light group, a/c...When the front end started squealing and needed new bushings, I sold it to buy a Camaro. I was a Chevy guy from 1984 until 2000 when I bought the Charger. In between I honed my skills working on various Chevy and Pontiac cars. My Camaro had to remain smog legal to be registered, so instead of modifying it to make it faster, I concentrated on improving the handling. Through the Chevy years, I still had interest in Mopars but didn't see many Road Runners or Chargers on the road anymore.
In march 2000 I saw an ad in the newspaper 1970 Charger 500, $2150. I called on it immediately and left a message. It seemed like forever before the guy got back to me. I went to see it when the guy came back to town and was face to grille with THE car that I have wanted since I was a 14 year old boy. The seller was hung over from a night of partying, so after a test drive I lowballed him with a $1700 offer and he took it. A week later, the engine in my Chevy truck spun 2 rod bearings and I used the Charger as a commuter car, 122 miles a day, 5 days a week for almost a month.
In the first three years I did the rust repair, bodywork and paint with the help of a friend. I rebuilt the suspension, installed the 440/727 and 8 3/4" axle, restored the interior and had a blast. Finally I was able to build a car that could handle well, stop well, accelerate extremely well and look fantastic. I had surpassed the standards I set with the Camaro by a longshot.
After I was..."Done" with the car in 2003, I still found other things to do. I built another 440 and threw a rod in it after 846 miles, so I decided to build a stoked 440 to replace it. Years later I added a Gear Vendors overdrive. 4 wheel disc brakes came later. Last year I added subframe connectors and torque boxes, also a stereo and replaced the original windshield.  This year I pulled the interior and added sound deadener to the floors, added an electric trunk release, relocated the battery to the trunk and replaced most of the underhood wiring.
I may never be done with the car. I enjoy changing things, making upgrades and regular maintenance. In 20 years, "back in the day will be THESE days. Live them well!

[CaptMarvel]

Sorry to hyjack Curtis' thread. .  This is also for the "Old Timers"

When did these things begin to rust?  Buy the time I was in high school (early 90's) these cars were 22 years old.  Every single Charger I went to look at back then was a rusted out mess, sure there were the exceptions, but for the most part, most were rotting away. Today, it is not uncommon at all to see 20 year old cars running around in great shape.  When I was in high school, I never saw a Charger, or really any old Mopar running around.

I can tell you that by the time I got into H.S (79-83) The muscle cars (late 60's) were all over the school parking lot..I seem to remember more 68-72 jacked up in the rear primered Novas, El Caminos & Chevelles..Also a few Mustangs & Cougars..The big thing then was massive 4x4's..Dodges & Chevys mostly. The Mopars really stood out though, a guy had a nice 71' Cuda...They werent rusty, (this was central Ca. though-no moisture hardly) I think that started occuring by the late 80's/early 90's maybe..

[pippo702]

Thanks for this thread! Boing born in a different continent,this is very interesting to read!

[ws23rt]

Thanks for this thread! Boing born in a different continent,this is very interesting to read!

You may not be old enough to remember a story for this thread but I'll bet you know someone that is. It would be great to hear about those days in Europe.

[AKcharger]

Born 1965, they were all over the place in the 80's

[Bob T]

Born in 69 and out here at the bottom of the Southern Hemisphere in the early - mid 70's American cars were few a far between, I think the only ones I had seen by the time I was ten with a rural upbringing were tri5 Chevys and a few De Soto's, mainly just Aussie and English cars around. I do remember seeing DoH on tv when I was around 10 or so and was taken by how cool the cars looked and how smokingly hot Daisy was too. Even seem to remember Vanishing Point and the Challenger and the girl on the bike from around that time too
 When I started my apprenticeship at 16, the 3rd year apprentice had a 69 Charger, poo brown with tan interior and a 440, it had quite a big effect on me when he would occasionally bring it in to work and drive me home in it. It did the biggest smoky I had ever seen one day.
Fast forward 28 years and I realize my car stands out like that poo brown one with the look and sound did for me when I see young people taking pics of it with their cell phones at the traffic lights and on the motorway . The guy with the poo brown car only lives a few streets away and has a mint as plum 70 GTX , I still see him now and then

[Benji]

I was born in 1948 so I definately remember the Chargers of the late 1960s, in fact I had two '68 Chargers, the first one was yellow with a green vinyl top, green tinted windows and green upholstery.  It was a 383 4V auto with A/C. I bought it in 1974 for $300.00. I painted it a 1970 Chrysler green color then I did a complete detailing of the car.  I had about $500.00 in the car when I finished it. I sold it a week later for $1800.00!  It was a beautiful car.  A couple weeks later I saw another Cahrger, a blue 383 2V auto with a white vinyl top and blue upholstery sitting on a used car lot.  Someone had dumped about a quart of sand in the crankcase but failed to inform the owner!  I got that car for $275.00.  I bought a wrecked 1968 Road Runner that had about 40,000 miles for $250.00 and swapped engines with the Charger then I sold the RR to a boneyard for $125.00!  I don't remember what happened to that Charger.  I also owned a 1970 'Cuda coupe with a 340 auto. Triple black.  Cool car. Absolutely screamed. It had a wild lumpy Lunati cam, Isky lifters and competition valve springs, Hooker headers, a Tarantula intake manifold with a 780 CFM Holley carb and an 1800 stall speed converter.  I had two pigs for the limited slip diff, a 3.91 and a 3.23. The 3.91 was best for the 1/4 mile; the 3.23 best for top end which was about 140 or so.  That car LOVED super Shell gasoline and 260 Sunoco.  ANY other gasoline and it loded up in a couple of hours which meant I had to take it out on the interstate and "blow the carbon out."  Lots of fun doing that!!!  A buddy of mine owned the "holy grail" of 'Cudas a 1971 Hemi Cuda convertible.  He offered to sell it to me in 1974 for $5300.00.  Unfortunately I didn't buy it!!!

Ben

[71charger_fan]

I rarely saw a Dodge of any kind in my hometown. We had a Chrysler-Plymouth dealer and a Chevy dealer. Almost everyone in town drove one or the other. The next closest set of dealers were VW, AMC-Fiat, Ford, and another Chrysler-Plymouth store. Not a lot of variety and most of the cars running around town when I was a kid were 6 cylinder or small V-8 four doors like Biscaynes, Belvederes, Valiants, Novas, and Ramblers. A few folks, like my grandfather and my father-in-law, drove a bit farther to buy Buicks and Oldsmobiles. There was a guy on my street that had a Dart GT and I thought as a kid that it was possibly about the most awesome car I'd ever seen up to that time except for the one guy in town that had Corvettes. I don't remember anyone having a 68-70 Charger, but I remember one 66 or 67. By the time I was in college, a couple of local guys had bought a used '72 and '73 Charger. In hindsight, the coolest two cars I ever saw back then were a Packard Caribbean convertible and a Cord. The Packard must have been visiting as I only ever saw it once. The Cord "lived" in an old garage on my walk to elementary school and I never saw it actually move. I've sometimes wondered whatever became of it.

[pippo702]

Thanks for this thread! Boing born in a different continent,this is very interesting to read!

You may not be old enough to remember a story for this thread but I'll bet you know someone that is. It would be great to hear about those days in Europe.

Yeah..I've born in 1980..but many people still talking about the "good old days" here..my shft boss used to work with his father in a garage where they were working on many Fiat,Alfa Romeo (his favourite is the Duetto..the same as the one that appear in The Graduate) and Lancia..
In the 69 were at the top of the economic boom after WWII and even the lowest class of workers were starting to buy a city car..like my grand father who got his first car,a Fiat 500..
my mother used to tell me funny stories about their vacations in the Versilia Coast where they were travelling (100 miles from our home town) all 4 (my mother has a sister) in this:



As you can see not many luxury cars even if we do have a great motor tradition..

[bull]

When I was of driving age in the early 80s the new car lineup really sucked so, I looked back to the 60s and 70s which turned out to be a good thing since the cars I liked were 10-20 years old by then. My dad was never a brand loyalist really so we got pretty much whatever was cheap and available. Because of that I never felt much of an influence from him on what brand I should buy. That said, I really only distinctly remember four cars they owned and two of them were Mopar, unless you count AMC which was not owned by Mopar at the time. The AMC was a 1974 Hornet and the two Mopars were a '79 Cordoba and a '67 Belvadere with a 225 and 3 on the tree. I really loved that Belvadere. The Cordnoba was ok but I've never been much for plush interiors and lots of gadgets. I've always liked the stripped down cars with window cranks and basic interiors more.

It was very unusual for me to see any muscle cars where I lived because we lived in a remote area near a logging town of 1,100 people. Every man owned a pickup and every woman owned a sedan pretty much. I remember one guy who owned a Pantera which was super exotic for my neck of the woods. Another kid had a Superbird but the thing rarely moved so all I ever saw was the nose of it sticking out except for maybe twice. At the age of 14 or so I had no idea what this car was which I think is odd since my dad was pretty into stock car racing. I can't recall seeing a single Mustang but there was a Camaro and a Chevelle sighting once in a while.

The first Charger I ever saw was on TV, DOH of course. I fell in love with the car immediately and it was a few years later that we moved and I was on a different school bus route that took us past a house where a red '70 Charger sat. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was love at first sight.

[ws23rt]

For the most part what we like today comes from am early exposure to something that at the time was special. However a lot of styling efforts did not make that cut. I recall my friends and I would avoid looking at some cars if we had the proper warning. Kaiser Frazer comes to mind.
There is a lot to be said about aesthetics but no matter how well the car performs what sticks in our memory the most is what it looks like.
I don't know what art is but I know what I like. Late sixties muscle cars not only performed but had the performance look to go with it.
My two favorite are the 69 charger and the 70 chevelle.

[Kern Dog]

In high school 1982, a guy got the keys to his brothers 69 Charger 383-4 barrel. It was a decent runner for being basically stock. He took it out after school and wore the rear tires down to the wear bars in that afternoon. He didn't say how much tread was on the tires in the morning.
Another guy had a 68 Charger with a 383 2 barrel. He sold it to buy a Camaro. What a dork.

[bull]

There is a lot to be said about aesthetics but no matter how well the car performs what sticks in our memory the most is what it looks like.
I don't know what art is but I know what I like.

Totally agree. Make your Accord or WRX go 187 mph and 0-60 in 2.2 seconds, I don't care. I'd rather have a slow car with style.

[Iceyone]

Born in 60, fell in love with my Dad's 69 Charger the day he drove it home from the dealer. Before that I liked my Aunt's 66 Mustang Fast Back. We had a Dodge dealership in town so Mopars were everywhere. I bought my 68 when I was a 17 year old Junior in High School. The car was only 8 years old then and rusty. Several others had Chargers, Cudas, Super Bees, Chevelles, Camaros, Firebirds and Mustangs while I was in School. When I was taking Driver's Ed, I sat in Chrysler Trainer and manuevered around numerous Chargers on the street. Muscle cars were everywhere on the streets back then with a lot of racing going on both at Lee County Raceway at the edge of town and Main Street. There was one guy I knew that had a 71 440 6-Pak powered Road Runner with Nitros. He was hard to beat. Fast forward to about 2 weeks ago and I just bought the motor out of that car for 200 bucks. Back in those days even though some thought these cars were special back then, most people weren't so preoccupied with keeping the car original or wondering if it will go up in value. You weren't cool if you left the original hub caps on your car either.   

[Bob T]

It is sort of generational though, with the average ages of owners being in the late 30 to late 50 or 60's at a guess. Also on this is the generation prior that enjoyed the likes of mass produced and therefore availability of pre and post war cars, the majority of the guys that had their "Dukes moment" or similar influence over wooden spoked or truly vintage cars have already passed on or on a lot of cases are getting too old to drive or spanner on those cars.
And as a result these cars are not worth as much to the average punter and are getting sold on by the families whose offspring don't want granddads old car.

Will it be a similar thing in 25 years time with the muscle car era icons, I think so

[ws23rt]

It is sort of generational though, with the average ages of owners being in the late 30 to late 50 at a guess. Also on this is the generation prior that enjoyed the likes of mass produced and therefore availability of pre and post war cars, the majority of the guys that had their "Dukes moment" or similar influence over wooden spoked or truly vintage cars have already passed on or on a lot of cases are getting too old to drive or spanner on those cars.
And as a result these cars are not worth as much to the average punter and are getting sold on by the families whose offspring don't want granddads old car.

Will it be a similar thing in 25 years time with the muscle car era icons, I think so

I think you are right. The present always fades into the past.

[SkiJogg]

I graduated 1968 The were just as exciting back then and they did not sit on every street corner they sold $1200 more than the Plymouths an bee's

[ACUDANUT]

1968 ? you were Grade A draft material back then.