How many C-500 4spd cars were built?

[Scaregrabber]

I much prefer the C500 over the Daytona. I'm not sure why, I think it's because it was the first Mopar body truly designed for NASCAR and I like function over form. Nothing on a 500 that didn't have to be there.

Sheldon

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Speaking of AC 500's, I saw one yesterday. It was in my garage 

Well, when you get sick of it, just let me know.   

[Ghoste]

For some reason Mytur I thought you hated the 500's?

[Mytur Binsdirti]

For some reason Mytur I thought you hated the 500's?

Nope, not at all.

[Highwaystar]

I will be looking to win the Hemi motor giveaway at Chryslers at Carlisle this year to add a little Pop to my C-500. It would be nice to put the original motor on a stand for awhile, and run the piss out of a Hemi.

[500Jon]

Hi Charger Folks,

Being from the land of 'stick-cars' we Brits don't understand why the Nascar homologation cars weren't ALL 4-speeds?
This goes for AAR's and T/A's too!
If customers ordered them as Automatic's then thats a different.
Here we would expect maybe 5% of racey/muscle type cars would as Auto's.

Being a regular visiter to dragstrips I can understand the selection of a 727.
But will look forwards to 'banging gears' on the 1320 some time soon.
There only a couple of Mopar circuit racers here, early Cuda's.
Hopefully one day I will be able to run at Rockingham UK with my C500.
If all goes well I might try Brands Hatch or even Silverstone LoL.

Best wishes 500Jon

[hemi68charger]

Hi Charger Folks,

Being from the land of 'stick-cars' we Brits don't understand why the Nascar homologation cars weren't ALL 4-speeds?
This goes for AAR's and T/A's too!
If customers ordered them as Automatic's then thats a different.
Here we would expect maybe 5% of racey/muscle type cars would as Auto's.

...
Best wishes 500Jon

It was probably from a marketing point of view. Not everyone wanted a manual tranny, especially since autos were coming into their own in the performance arena as well. Even though they had to make a limited production number, they still needed to sell them.

[Ghoste]

Not to mention they were more profitable both new and as used cars.

[500Jon]

Good points made there Charger Folks!

If Nascar was so popular, why was it so hard to sell C500's stick or auto.
I could understand if they was only Hemi-cars but 440 cars were in full-flow by 69!
The Gas-crisis was still 3/4 years away.

Anyone who says that the C500 is ugly or a ruined R\T must be MAD!
A filled in back window which is undetectable from the side and a flush grille, in no way spoils the lines of a 69 Charger!!!(also udetectable from side view).

A Daytona really ruins the lines of a 69 Charger LoL!
And very hard to take a nosecone off for a daily driver too.

C500Jon

[Ghoste]

The 500's actually sold quite well as did the Daytona's, urban lore to the contrary.  The Superbirds took a little longer to move but there were more of them in a market that was maybe used after the Daytona and not quite the problem magazine writers make it out to be.  They make it seem like half of them sat for years and half of those got the nose and wings removed.  The truth wasn't quite that drastic.

[ws23rt]

It's interesting to go through this thread cause it brings back memorys from 35 years ago.

That was the time I bought my 69 hemi coronet. The guy I bought it from had a C500 hemi 4sp and told me his information was it was one of three.

At that time these cars were very rare and guys like me were looking everywhere for them in any condition.

So to hear that their may have been ten times as many hemi 4sp C500s is good news. But my question is where are they? Maybe 50% gone forever?  If that is a good guess than maybe 15 are still out there.

Now they may be as rare as I thought they were 35 years ago.

[Ghoste]

It could be better than 50%.  The usual survival rate everyone quotes is 20% but others on here have raised very valid points about the aero cars having a much higher than usual survival rate.  It'd be nice to find it was higher than normal than anyway.

[ws23rt]

I like to think the survival rate is high and if so it may be because of who the original owners were as well as the second owners grabbing something historical to save.

[69_500]

If the survival rate is not high, then they sure as heck made a ton of them. I can account for 276 of them. So if the number is really 392 thats a very high rate. If the number is the 548 its still close to 50%.

[500Jon]

Hi 69_500,

Very valid point there!
Well over 50% and closer to 75% does hint towards a higher C500 build number indeed.
How many Daytona's are left?

There are two C500's in the UK, are they on your list?
The only other one is/was the white Hemi-car.
Was here around ten years back and belonged to Carlos Monteverdi.
He also had the black Hemi Daytona and a blue 440 Superbird.
Rare Performance Mopars (RPM) here in the UK sourced all his Mopars for him.
Not sure what cars he has now as he is a secretive collector.
Maybe more C500's in Europe, but not seen or heard of any?

My vin is 248662, thought it was the last 440 C500 '4-speed' built.
Apparently there is another 440 auto after mine and the last C500 was a Hemi 4-speed.

I still believe my car to be the missing Crower promo C500 owned by Don Garlits.
Hopefully one day he can confirm or deny this, once he is over his grieving.

Best wishes C500Jon

[69_500]

Just from memory but 248663 is a Hemi 500, but it's an AT on the column car. 258665 is a 440 car. 248666 is a 440 car. And heard there is a 248667 but not seen anything on that car just yet, at this point it is only a rumor to me.

[odcics2]

 a few points in no particular order...

Nascar was popular in the Southeast part of the country.
There was an oddball, here and there, in other parts that followed it.  (me, for one.)

Charger Daytonas were a sell out.   I personally saw only ONE in 1970 in the Detroit area.    The guy
lived about a 1/2 mile away and used to pull a boat with it!!   
 
At the 1971 State Fair closed circuit showing of the Daytona 500, there was a sublime painted Daytona with a white wing in the parking lot!

1970 was a recession year.    In spite of that, I saw many Birds around!   (5-6 = "many")
Who could miss bright colored "Lifesavors" on wheels?

The new 'cuda ate into Road Runner sales, including the Birds.
The new Challenger ate into Charger sales.   

There was one Charger 500 in the neighborhood, down a street or so.  I
didn't "notice" another for decades after.  I say notice because they don't stand out
like a winged car.   

[500Jon]

Nice reply odcics2!

Funny you should say that about 'not noticing' cars.
I lived in Central London in the 70's and was a car-nut.
Mainly into English Fords for my sins LoL.
There was a Lime-Green Superbird in a neighbouring suburb.(unkown to me)
The first time remember seeing it (BIRD) was on the way to a race-meet in North London going over a Freeway-flyover like a spaceship!!!
I asked arond where this 'spaceship' lived and was shocked to find out it was less than a mile away!
It was a revelation and from that day to this 'Wingcars have been a fascination.
Being a 'stick-car' kinda guy I always wanted a 'stick-Wingcar'.
Life was cruel to me, as I missed out several times on Bird's and Tona's, but none were manuals!
Then a chance trip to LA and I luck into a STICK-C500.
God moves in mysterious ways?

''Everything comes to those who wait''.

God Bless America, and Mopars!

C500Jon aka 'the LiMeY'

[moparchris]

I get to see a Hemi C500 4 speed everyday in my garage... heck they can't be THAT rare

[Highwaystar]

I'm here to help Moparchris. I will take that Hemi C-500 off your hands, so you can have the feeling of "How hard they are to find". 
I don't want you to feel left out.

[69_500]

Chris, if your tired of the 4 speed trade it to tom for his Hemi at 500

[white]

I have only seen 6 c500's since 1988. And only 2 of them were for sale, I bought one last year. I have no plans on selling, to hard to find.

[talkiemopar]

Jeff, Looks real good.   Rick.

[white]

Thank you Rick. Your cars are so cool my son is still talking about them.I had a really great time talking to you. I hope to see you again soon, but this time I will make sure my schedule is more free.

[Highwaystar]

Nice color on the 500 Jeff.
Anyone on here taking there C-500 to Chryslers at Carlisle 2014? I was thinking about putting mine in the show field this year. I don't recall seeing many ever there, except for the nice blue one from NC, but I could be wrong.