Re: New tires for the '69

[charge69]

Shout out to 472 R/T SE:  Thanks a lot for the compliments on my Charger.  There are quite a few stunning examples of Chargers on this board and I am humbled to think some people think mine is one of them!

Got to say, my wife still thinks it is just a smelly old car, though!! Ha !  She DOES know it is a valuable "old car" but humors me about it and really is proud to show it off to people who happen to see it in person. Seeing it in person usually evokes a pretty stupid and drooling grin!

Sorry to the OP for the hijack as I just had to acknowledge the compliment.

As to redlines, here is my Charger last year when we put it on the trailer to take it to the Dodge dealership for the front end alignment! I have 4 NOS, still in the Chrysler envelopes, wheelcovers that are original to the Charger but, I still like the "day two" look better!

[crj1968]

Love it- looks awesome !!

[odcics2]

It has a lift off hood 6 pack look to it!

I like it!  

[RJS]

No comparison, looks like any other kid's car with the Cragers. Looks like a rare car with the Redlines.
Ron

[charge69]

Well, I just like the look of the Cragars and always have liked it. Funny, odcics2 must have noticed the "A12" type lug nuts!  They really are the A12 lugnuts and they are still right and left-hand threads like it was delivered in 1969. The Cragars are also put on with Right and left-hand threaded lugs. Cragar doesn't sell left-hand lugs so, I had to have JEG'S help me out and find a brand of left-hand threaded lugs that would work!

I will have to put the "redlines" back on with the full wheel covers as delivered and post a picture here and get some opinions! Never shy about giving opinions here!  Ha!  Probably cannot get to it for a couple of weeks as things are a little crazy around here right now but, it will happen.  I have to agree with RJS about the look of the redlines but, overall, it really looks great in person to me with the Cragars! When it goes up for sale (not anytime soon) I will put the redlines on it for sure!

For RJS, my Charger is far from looking like any other "kid's" car in person! How many "kids" do you see driving around in an original Hemicar? I get many compliments from young and old people (like me!) on the look of the Charger with the Cragars!

[tan top]

looks awesome like that , with black steel wheels & redlines   ,  yeah looks  69-1/2  A12 ish 

[charge69]

Hi Tan Top. The black steel wheels are the same ones that came on the Charger in 1969.  I still have all 5 original 15x6 steel wheels for it and 4 of them now have the redlines on them.  The look does kinda grow on you but those F70-15 tires sure look skinny, especially from behind!

I bought the A12 lug nuts from a Chrysler-Plymouth dealer way back in the '70's because I liked the look of the A12 wheels and they still look great! Never put them on the Charger until he restoration was nearly finished in the Spring of 2013.  With the wheel covers on the car, you wouldn't see them anyway and that is why there is not a picture of the wheel covers installed. Just liked the "A12" look, especially with the redline Firestones. I have 2 build sheets with my Charger and the Wide-Oval Redline tires with full wheel covers is what is there!

[odcics2]

The Cragars look 'showy'.

The black steel, with a glint of chrome, looks serious! 


I had Cragars on my '68, back in '73.   Traded up to brushed Ansen Sprints, with GoodYear Rally GT tires for the 'stock car' look!   

[crj1968]

I bought the A12 lug nuts from a Chrysler-Plymouth dealer way back in the '70's because I liked the look of the A12 wheels and they still look great! Never put them on the Charger until he restoration was nearly finished in the Spring of 2013. 

  Talk about some sort of future seeing mopar pack rat. Maybe I missed it, but you are the original owner of this car??

[Ghoste]

BADASS!!!!!!!!

[69bronzeT5]

BADASS!!!!!!!!

I LOVE it...

[charge69]

To crj1968:  No, I am not the original owner but I did buy it in 1976! I am actually the 3rd owner. You don't want to know what I paid for the Charger (numbers-matching original Hemicar) I definitely should have stocked up on OEM parts back then but, I didn't.  I just happened to like the look of the A12 lug nuts and wanted a set for my own.

When I bought the car it had 3 wheelcovers on it and that was all of them he had. Looking closely at them, I determined that only one was an original so, off they all came and I just drove it around back then with the black wheels with black wall tires mounted on them. They were scratched up and a little spot here and there of rust was forming so, the chrome lugs never got put on the Charger until I restored it many years later.

[Mopar Nut]

 

[XS29L9Bxxxxxx]

Please post pics of your car w/ redlines and the wheel covers, thanks

[charge69]

Please post pics of your car w/ redlines and the wheel covers, thanks

I will put pictures up with the redlines and wheel covers but, circumstances around here right now cause me to have to wait about 2 weeks to do it. Just got to get over the fact that when the wheel covers go on they will scratch the new paint on the wheels! Oh well, if I were to drive it with the Wheel covers and redlines, I would have to take the wheel covers off as I would be afraid they would come off while driving the Charger and ruin it! These wheel covers are new-in-the-box and envelopes they were bought in at the Dodge Dealer! The box has the Chrysler logo and correct part number for the set on it.

[crj1968]

To crj1968:  No, I am not the original owner but I did buy it in 1976! I am actually the 3rd owner. You don't want to know what I paid for the Charger

Hmmm lets see, 76' gas crunch days, big massive motor. I'd guess somewhere between $3-5K

I remember passing on a decent  70 RT charger for $1200, because it needed a clutch !   
White superbird $7K?  pass- had a 413 in it, I thought that was wierd, I guess.
But all us older guys have those stories.
I do feel for people who now look back at the cars they sold in the 70's and 80's and see that they are bringing retirement money these days. That can be a hard pill to swallow.

Anyway- that is really a sweet ride you have there. 

[crj1968]

Hey by the way about scratching the wheel paint with the covers;
you can take masking tape and put it around the inside of the wheel cover, and that will help out quite a bit.

[charge69]

Good guess but they were selling for less around here. (SE Texas) I remember a 1969 white with black interior 4-spd Hemi Charger 500 on a dealer's lot in Pasadena up on a special platform to show it off with an asking price of $2500.00 on it and it sat there for a few months before it was gone. This was around 1973 or 1974.

I bought my Charger from a friend of my brother's and paid wayyyy less than 1k for it! Tuned it up and drove it until 1982 when I put it away for a restoration.
Hell, the new tail light lenses for my Charger cost more than I paid for the Charger back in 1976!

At least, because I paid so little for the Charger initially, I should always be able to get my restoration money back from it!

AS a little "social experiment", I always like to ask the non-car people how much do they think a restoration like mine would cost.  Naturally, they have no idea but think they are shooting me a high price when they say "oh, $10,000.00"  I laugh a little and tell them I have 15K in the engine alone!  I've really never added up what I have spent on the Charger but my wife ( who keeps track of such things, ha!) figures it is closer to $80K.  When I tell them that figure, they are dumbfounded and go look again at the Charger with a different eye!

I'll try the masking tape solution for the wheels when I am ready to put them on the car.  Thanks.

[crj1968]

Yeah, I was 8 years old in 76, but I had heard people couldn't give away big block cars in those years.
I love hearing the stories about how people got their cars, and the stuff they used to see on a daily basis.

Heck even now it costs me about $30 to drive my charger to work and back!   

Yeah, non -car people really are caught off guard. I had a reputable body work guy look over my car and I said "I don't want a show car, just want it smoothed out, and painted, don't need it perfect just a somewhat presentable driver."

He guessed $6K which I just have to talk my wife into now.   
When I told a guy at work $6K for a half way decent paint job that I should jump on, he looked at me like I was from another planet.

Then I reminded him he just spent $35K on a mini van.   

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Sorry to the OP for the hijack as I just had to acknowledge the compliment.

How dare you plagiarize the title of MY thread!!!!!!

[Ghoste]

I feel a Jihad a comin'.

[odcics2]

I feel a Jihad a comin'.

Heads will roll.............. 

[Mytur Binsdirti]

I feel a Jihad a comin'.

[472 R/T SE]

charge69, so I'm the reason for the extra thread?   

I read the old one & thought, "hmmm, I don't remember you being so smug last time I complimented your car."  I'm used to typing a question or posting a compliment in a thread & never getting a response.
I've never been the, my '70 is the best yada, yada year.  It doesn't matter what make or model (although it helps to be a Mopar), if it's a sharp rig, it's a sharp rig.  No matter what's in your garage.   Your kids need to get their minds' right and take up an interest in the old car.   
You should be able to go to the original post in this thread & edit the title if you want?


I was miffed by you but not Turbin.  Unless you're complimenting his rigs or the wonderful detail work he's done, he won't answer any questions from the peons.   

[charge69]

No problem, 472 R/T SE ! My Charger is what it is:  Far from perfect but, I am happy with it.    

Turbin isn't the only one around here that would rather not deal with the "peons" on the board.  Lots of posters that seem to get a rush out of complimenting their anointed ones or themselves!   It is really kind of comical at times. I rarely post in threads I do not know the answer (most of them ) but love to read the responses. Lots of knowledge here but,  lots of ego's also !!!

You are not the reason for the new thread here, my incompetence with a computer is at fault but, in the realm of day-to-day happenstances, who really cares?  Certainly not me!  Ha!

[UFO]

Hey by the way about scratching the wheel paint with the covers;
you can take masking tape and put it around the inside of the wheel cover, and that will help out quite a bit.

Won't that make it easier for them to fly off?
charge69     I'm assuming you have the turbine style wheelcovers.
Looks good with the redlines,actually with your cars color combo you could have gone with white as well.

[charge69]

UFO:  Yep, they are the Hemicar 15" Turbines. I gotta think they will look really nice on the Charger! On certain cars, the whitewall tires look fine but, because the build sheet says it was born with redline F70-15 Wide Ovals, that is what I bought. 

You have a point about the tape possibly making the wheel covers easier to fly off! I feel the paranoia setting in again! Ha!

For my taste, a black wall tire or a redline is what my Charger needs.  Just cannot imagine my car with whitewalls.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

UFO:  Yep, they are the Hemicar 15" Turbines.

A 22" turban adds more bling.

[charge69]

UFO:  Yep, they are the Hemicar 15" Turbines.

A 22" turban adds more bling.

Ha!  If you saw my Charger, you would say it doesn't need any more bling!

[Lord Warlock]

I know when I bought my RT SE in 78 they were only asking 1k for it and I paid 800 for it with the slot mags thrown in  it was all original, numbers matching and had 76k on it then.  I know back then, that the hemi powered cars didn't bring much more than a 440 car did, gas prices had driven the prices into the basement, I would think it would have cost about 1500 or so back then, as it was a couple years before i got mine.  The gas price argument is somewhat silly when people were only paying .49 a gallon in 77, think it hit a dollar in 79 once or twice, but that was for premium.  I'd drive a good distance to get dollar a gallon gas these days.  I could buy a complete new hemi engine for 600, and I had a friend that owned a hemi roadrunner he got for less than a grand.  I do wish I hadn't passed on that hemi engine deal, the replacement 440 cost me 400, the hemi was 200 extra, but i got a transmission with the deal.  

Your wheels look great by the way.  

[charge69]

Hey Thanks, Lord Warlock.

You are so right about the prices hitting the basement in the mid to late '70's. It would dumbfound people to see the prices back then on ANY muscle car. They were still roaming the streets back then and could be found in very nice condition for unbelievably low prices. My Charger cost me well under a grand in 1976 and, although I got it for a steal of a price back then, they really did not command higher prices like today. Someone might have gotten a higher price for a 318 car than a R/T because of the better gas mileage !   Crazy times and I wish I could go back!

[charge69]

charge69     I'm assuming you have the turbine style wheelcovers.
Looks good with the redlines,actually with your cars color combo you could have gone with white as well.
[/quote]

I forgot I had this picture someone sent me a while back of the wheel covers on a     GTX!  I can tell from the picture that I definitely do not like RWL tires with them. Sorry about the quality of the picture!   

[crj1968]

You have a point about the tape possibly making the wheel covers easier to fly off! I feel the paranoia setting in again! Ha!

They still are a pain to get on with the tape. Had them like this on a 63 polara for years, I pretty much was doing burnouts around every corner in that car. I don't think I've ever seen a poverty cap fly off, trim rings...different story.

  Try it on a couple beater caps first or just don't try it at all, I don't wanna get in trouble if you lose one anyways.      

[charge69]

Mine are WHEEL COVERS, not poverty caps.  They fit the wheel just like a trim ring would fit. Metal fingers holding on to the outer diameter portion of the wheel!  And that is why I am worried about putting them on.  Scratching up my wheel AND possibly flying off the Charger and destroying itself.

If they look nice, I can  see me putting them on for the rare show I would take it too but,  after the show, the Cragars and radials go back on.  Even driving it to a show fairly close by would worry me with the wheel covers installed. Probably would not put them on until I was parked at the show and I would take them off before leaving!

[Ghoste]

The Cragars look so amazing on your car I can't even imagine considering another option anyway.

[charge69]

Hello Ghoste:   I am in love with the look of the Cragars myself but, for the sake of originality, I restored all 5 original 15 x 6 wheels that came on the Charger and put back the redline repros they make today. Bias-ply F70-15 Firestone Wide Ovals really do not drive bad at all to me but, the look of the skinny meat on the rear is almost comical!

For driving around town and day-to-day living with the Charger, the Cragars will stay.

In case you are wondering, my friend painted my brake drums with leftover HEMI Orange paint he had leftover from painting my engine mixed up. Him and I know it is not correct but I am surprised how well it turned out. At least for me and if I wanted to change it, painting over the orange would be very simple! For now, they stay HEMI-Orange!

[Ghoste]

I never even noticed until you posted the closeup pic.  It does pop with the orange.

[JB400]

And here I thought it was just my computer making red look orange

[472 R/T SE]

I know I've mentioned it here before but I've passed on cars that didn't have 4 wheel drum brakes cause I wanted to paint the drums to match the body color like my Dad used to do.

My '68 Coronet R/T was the last car I did it to.  I had it hauled up here in '92 & sold in '95.

While we were installing my Hemi my buddy said I should paint my rear drums like the factory did with styled wheels with the Torq Thrusts.  It would have only been the rear so I said no & painted them an off black instead.

[charge69]

I was actually surprised how much of the brake drum shows with the Cragars installed. When the original wheels are installed, you do not see any of the drums. However,  that "glint" of chrome the A12 lugs give it, without the wheel covers installed, do give it a little "sinister" look!

By the way, these are the newer 610-series Cragars that are cast one-piece aluminum wheels that are drilled for a 4 1/2" bolt pattern!  Light and no unilugs! They are beautifully chromed and I hope they stay that way!

I got these wheels (15x8 rear and 15x7 front) with B.F. Goodrich fronts and Nitto Extreme Drag Radial rear installed, balanced (so far, they seem perfect) and shipped to my door from JEGS for about $1560.00.  Install and balance only cost $40.00 more so, it was a no-brainer to have them do it before shipping. All I had to do was put them on the Charger and pop on the center caps!  Sweeeeeettttt!

[472 R/T SE]

My last body color drums car.  Barely see the white on the front.  Cool back then but don't know about now.   

[UFO]

If your just going to use the wheelcovers for show duty.
You could leave the wheel covers in the trunk.Just like as delivered.
Not so sure if it's a good idea to leave stuff like that in a open trunk now a days.
Had cragars on mine for a while as well.Should have been a factory option as they just look right.

[charge69]

I would be pretty paranoid about leaving the wheel covers in my open trunk, even with me sitting and watching!  Might work, though and it is an option.

Funny but, I have never tried to put the wheel covers on with the A12 chrome lug nuts installed. They are obviously longer as they have closed ends so, I am not even sure the wheel covers would go on the wheel without the lugs being too long!  Huh?  Might have to buy some new regular lug nuts to use on the Charger when the wheel covers are going on! I do have one original wheel cover to try before trying to put the new ones on!

I guess I'll know soon enough!