Bullitt Charger or General Lee?

[RT DAVE]

What a silly poll.   Hope I don't get banned from the site!

[doctorpimp]

Lets see, they both destroyed second gens for the sake of entertainment...
The Dukes just smashed cars.  Bullitt went BOOM with lots of fire.
Fire is good.

[6pkrunner]

I've got a Jones for black second generations.

[terrible one]

I voted for the Bullitt car.

[squeakfinder]

The Bullet car. The General has been done to death. Go to cardomain.com and look up 68 69 70 chargers you'll see what I mean. 

[BigBlockSam]

 the Bullitt car.

[Brock Samson]

 well, although it seems the BULLETT '68 is out ahead, once the jenny Lee folks get wise to this ya' know their gonna overwhelm the turtleneck crowd.. Ahem,.. (an organised plan to stuff the ballot box anyone?...)

why didnt ya' include the other movie chargers like big fish and Crazy Harry?... 

(my fav. is the Big Willy Charger DAYTONA in two lane myself... Now THAT"S BADASS!)   

[JimShine]

I have both...lol.

[RD]

bullitt....  steve mcqueen's movies were more manly than bo duke's hair would ever be!  

[tan top]

voted bullet, even though i own 69,.  (  triple black 68 R/T  )

(my fav. is the Big Willy Charger DAYTONA in two lane myself... Now THAT"S BADASS!)

     awesome

[THE CHARGER PUNK]

bullitt for sure 1# it was the first time a charger made an appearance in a movie as a main car rather then being seen driving by and 2# it is bad ass triple black with whitewalls and hubcaps, classic yet menacing  -MATT (i saw a bullitt replica a while back but the paint was wrong and the whitewalls were way 2 big)

[darkside]

 I like them both but you should have added the dirty mary crazy larry charger to the poll !

[limey]

Even though I am watching the DoH even as we speak, in a "Yeah I'm gonna get a new charger" frenzy..................
It has to be Bullitt...the epitome of car cool...and it p*ssed all over that Rustang.....I mean..really!
Check this out from that most English of newspapers - the Times (Feb 12 2006)

DODGE CHARGER

Anyone who has seen Bullitt will probably remember an otherwise forgettable film saved by one outstanding car chase where a couple of bad guys in a Dodge Charger first pursue and then are pursued by a San Francisco cop. The Charger came off considerably worse in the chase and from that day earned itself a place in car history as inferior to Steve McQueen's Mustang.



Sadly that is a travesty of the truth because the 1968 Charger marked the zenith of that most fabled of all American automotive species: the muscle car. Never before or since has America offered a family of four a combination of such power and beauty as the 68 Charger. By the early 1970s emissions regulations (yes, even then) and soaring insurance costs had begun to eat into the performance figures and muscle cars were never quite the same again.

The concept behind the Charger was simple. How big an engine could Dodge squeeze under the bonnet before the car became so nose-heavy it was unsteerable? The rest of the car was a relatively simple design with a purity in its lines that I have always found breathtaking. Even the 69 and 70 Chargers, which used the same bodies but with added brightwork, clouded the clarity of the 68's vision, and by 1971 a new and ugly Charger ended the era for good.

The other problem that came along in the 1970s was the dratted Dukes of Hazzard which, while making the Charger instantly recognisable, condemned its image to a cheesy, clichéd, hillbilly hell. It became known for being good at jumping dry river beds, showing us Catherine Bach's legs as she fed them through the windows of its welded-up doors, and really very little else.

The car deserved a fate far better than that. If you ever see one in the street, take the time to drink in not just its perfect proportions but also the exquisite detailing on its bodywork. Look at its blind-eye grille, the side strakes and, if you have access to a high building, its extraordinary Coke-bottle view from above. This is a car that's gorgeous in all three dimensions. Then hope its owner comes along and starts it up and hope even more that the sound proves it's fitted with the largest engine available at the time, the 440 Magnum.

Naturally the Bullitt Charger had Magnum power — 375bhp oozing malevolently from 7.2 litres of Detroit iron. It had even more torque, some 480 lb ft of the stuff, enough to smoke its tyres down to the carcass in seconds if you weren't judicious in your use of the gas. And then there was the noise. Sadly 1968 sound-recording techniques mean you will never experience the true Charger thunder from the film alone. If you want to know how badly it's infected me, I once found myself on my hands and knees, my head positioned next to its two fat tailpipes, while a colleague spun the rev counter into the red time and gain. The earth shook and now every time I fail to hear what someone says I wonder if that Charger had something to do with it.

The thing about the Charger is that it provides an unforgettable memory. Granted, Nick Rufford attracted more admiring looks in his Mustang when we raced the cars at Silverstone, but whatever appeal the Ford possesses

it is undoubtedly slower (as I proved on the day) and to my mind uglier. The Charger can provide an hour's entertainment even before you hit the road just by dabbing your foot on and off the gas pedal.

A few years ago I planned the ultimate road trip: I'd fly to California, find and buy a Charger, drive it across the continent, ship it back to Blighty and sell it, the profit covering all my expenses. The plan failed because all the cars I researched were either basket cases I didn't want or immaculate examples I couldn't afford.

Secretly I was glad as I knew I would never have been able to bring myself to sell it on my return, with inevitably catastrophic consequences for my bank account, marriage and other things I hold dear. But the point is that, of all the cars that I could have bought, not for one second did it even occur to me to look for anything other than a Charger, and a 68 Magnum at that.

I've driven three now, one on the road, this one on the track and, somewhat peculiarly, a third in a quarry. And I've learnt a few things about them. Like they're only good to drive on dry sunny days, not least because if it's wet it will spin its wheels so easily you'll struggle to get out of your parking space.

But if the weather is fine and the road straight and open, it will introduce you to a form of automotive enjoyment you may not have suspected even existed. You'll put your shades on and watch as

your left arm instinctively finds the window sill. You'll wish you smoked, if only to provide a few empty Marlboro packets to spread over the top of the dash. And you'll waft along on just a trace of throttle, the mighty V8 rumbling ahead of you.

You'll hope that something really quick and modern has a go at you — a Porsche Boxster is good — and you'll call upon the Magnum to do its stuff and watch until the German's rapidly shrinking image in the mirror disappears for good. And as you look forward over that bonnet, and back over those rear haunches, you'll know that there are American muscle cars — Mustangs, Camaros and all the other excellent machines that made 1960s America such a fine place to be a car nut — and then there are Chargers. A breed apart, a law unto themselves and, quite simply, the best.

Andrew Frankel

VITAL STATISTICS 

Model Dodge Charger 440 Magnum
Engine type 7219cc (440 cubic inches) V8
Power  375bhp @ 4600rpm Torque  480lb ft @ 3200rpm
Transmission Three-speed auto or four-speed manual
Performance 0-60mph: 6.0sec
Top speed: 135mph
Price $3,480 new
Verdict The ultimate American muscle car
Rating 5/5

To see the rest of this article, click
http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,26789-2034362,00.html

[RD]

...and by 1971 a new and ugly Charger ended the era for good.

WTF!!!!!!!!! That Frankel guy can kiss my ass.  Betcha he doesnt own a charger the f***head..... grrrrrrrrrrrr 

[golden73]

Us 3rd gen guys get no respect!

[haueter66]

i like the daytona from joe dirt 

[limey]

...and by 1971 a new and ugly Charger ended the era for good.

WTF!!!!!!!!! That Frankel guy can kiss my ass.  Betcha he doesnt own a charger the f***head..... grrrrrrrrrrrr 

Sorry all you 3rd gen guys....I must have skipped over that line....I quoted the article because it is generally pro Detroit iron, definitely favours Mopars and Chargers in particular...didn't mean it to cause offence,
.......and I do NOT agree with the statement....for the record...
nick

[lookin@my68]

Bullit for me - A black 68 is hard to beat!!

[Charger_Fan]

I missed the 3rd gen schpeel in my 1st pass too.
I wonder what that guy thinks of 1st gen cars?

Oh & I voted for the Bullitt Charger...gotta love da black, baby!

[squeakfinder]

I liked the article. It was refreshing to see a reporter write something positive for once about are gas hog's. Except for that comet about 71 Charger's. I don't think that was necessary.   

[Nupe]

What do you expect from a guy who uses liters?  It's a 440 damnit! 


Maybe he is just jealous since he doesn't have a third gen?    I voted for Bullit since the color black was just bad ass on that car.

[Bandit72]

i actually voted for dukes of hazzard....there's just always been a spot in my heart for the General Lee is all....i mean everyone bashes it because of the "rednecks" that drive it and all that nonsence but in reality the General Lee was known as a "supercar"... could do anything, outrun anyone, and was always there when they needed him...(yes i know it's a movie and it's all made up, and i'm sure everyone else knows that too) i like thinking of my charger as a "supercar" and just having my car say "Charger" on the side seems to say something you know?!? wow,  i just reread this post and noticed that it really doesn't say what i wanted it to say, but i've always had that problem...oh well let the bashing begin

later 

[tipopiola]

Bullitt for sure. 
  Tipopiola

[bull]

General Lee Charger =
Bullitt Charger =

[RD]

General Lee Charger =
Bullitt Charger =

fix your links!!! hehee 

[bull]

General Lee Charger =
Bullitt Charger =

fix your links!!! hehee 

Ok, well give me more than 15 seconds next time.

[blade trinity]

Oh sure, don't include MY CAR!!!!! Yer off my christmas list:)

[TruckDriver]

The Bullet car. The General has been done to death. Go to cardomain.com and look up 68 69 70 chargers you'll see what I mean. 

Besides, Black is cooler then orange But then again, I'd sooner have the Dirty Mary Crazy Larry Charger

[wLc]

I love them both equally. They have both been huge influences in my love of the 2nd gen. Charger.

[Sinister68]

[sarcasm] Hmm, I wonder which one I'm going to choose...Hmm [/sarcasm]   

[rare69]

pretty easy answer here, a beutiful brand new 68 R/T with bad guys or a thrown together bondo buggy with hicks.

[THE COLONEL]

I had to vote for the General Lee, just because that's what I grew up with.  Bullitt is an awesome movie, and I love the Charger, but it was 8 years before my time, and the General Lee was what got me started on cars.

[Lostsheep]

I wouldnt kick either one out of the garage, but my love for the Charger started with the General. I also think the Blade car is wicked.

[Mike DC]

         
If you were from the generation that fell hard for Bullitt, then you probably don't HATE the General Lee, but you're annoyed that it overshadowed the Charger's original image as a "musclecar with class" to some extent.

If you're from the slightly younger generation that fell hard for the "General Lee," then it's easy to like the Bullitt car too.  (Although few DOH diehards will ever make the switch to preferring the Bullitt car over the GL.)

       

[69fourspd]

Grew up with the General.  In process of making my 69 a General too.   

[SeattleCharger]

i like the daytona from joe dirt 

   But the Bullit car is my favorite.   Stock sleeper triple black.     

[Brock Samson]

http://www.emco.co.uk/mopar/2004%20Pixs/68-Charger-RT.jpg


                                       


and the Blade Charger

http://www.masscar.com/Events/Past_Events/2003show/13_24/c18p2.jpg

[SeattleCharger]

I wouldnt kick either one out of the garage, but my love for the Charger started with the General. I also think the Blade car is wicked.

  Ok, ya man, the Blade car was prob. my favorite even over the Bullit car, mostly because of the way it sounded, the lumpy cam.    That scene where it pulls into their hideout garage rolling in real slow in the first movie.

   

[BB1]

Lets seeeee,

An orange clunker car with one of the uglyest colors to be put on a Charger, probably though up by a Warner Bros executive.

Or a triple black R/T.

Boy that's a hard one. 

[Crazy Larry]

That sure is a briliant article - very well written.
There is nothing more pure muscle - with minimum brightwork (as he put it) than the 1968 Dodge Charger.

I love how he described his elbow instinctivly finding the window ledge and his longing for a cigarette even though he doesn't smoke.
The car just makes you feel cool. And low and behold, when you are driving one - you ARE cool!

"Bullitt" Charger for me all the way!

[RT DAVE]

I'm 30 years old and watched the DOH every Friday night without fail and I still voted for the Bullitt car.   My main intention with this poll was to see how strong the GL contention vs. the best (IMO) stock movie charger was.   With all the votes for the 68, I'm wondering why I see so many GL clones as opposed to triple black 68s?   Must be the extra amount of bodywork you need to do to paint a car black and not have it look like poop.   That's the only reason mine isn't black.   

[hemihead]

I don't care for either Thank You.And the crack about the 3rd Gen? Well, what does an Englishman know about AMERICAN muscle away?

[Brock Samson]

Mine was 3 x black till '99,.. and i just got tired of keeping the finish up and seeing all these other black chargers so i decided to try something new..

  and so,.. Jenny Lees aren't   cool...
  like the Classy '68.
  Jennys are more hot and spicy... all souped up, in a supercar costume..  it IS the worlds' magic flying car...
  the thing about a Bullett clone is, it's just missing eight hubcaps... 

[limey]

Well, what does an Englishman know about AMERICAN muscle away?

We don't all do too badly on that front, old chap!
Limey

[SeattleCharger]

Aww bullocks.   No nationality pond battle, heh?             That guy that put down the 3rd gen was just an idiot, I don't care where he was from.   If you English guys have American Mopars over there that is cool.

[Chris G.]

This is one funny thread if you read it all the way through.

Strat- Although I needed the decoder book to figure out what you were saying, you do have a point. Once someone goes over to the GL board and mentions this thread, it's all over for the Bullitt.

RD- Steve Queen's movies may have been manly, but Bullitt is one of the most boring movies to ever hit the big screen. You have to admit?

Punk- First Charger to be the main car in a movie?  It was in the entire flick for what...5 minutes? The Mustang was the main car.

Golden73- You think 3rd gens get no respect? Ask the 66/67 guys about that. No offense to anyone, I like the first gen Chargers.

Blade Trinity- Do you own the car from the original movie?

DCGuy, Black is not cooler than Orange...just ask those guys when summer hits what gets hotter. 

A quick interjection....how can anyone honesty sit in front of their computers and say Bullitt was a good movie? C'mon, it's all about the chase seen and that it. Ok, sorry for the rant (IE: Truth).

I think the '70 F&F car was badder than both, but because it was in such a lame movie (although successful), we all frown on it. The Bullitt car looked very plain to me. I know it's got the all business look or whatever, but hubcaps? I wouldn't be caught dead driving a GL. The very thought of being seen in one gives me the creeps. No offense...

That my  Fire away boys, I can take it. 

Oh and I voted for the '68. 

[BigBlockSam]

I wouldn't be caught dead driving a GL 

i think it's a southern thing

[adauto]

I voted bullit but blade's so cool!

[General_01]

    I wouldn't be caught dead driving a GL 

i think it's a southern thing

I must be a dead southerner then.

I didn't vote. Truth be told, driving the General is pretty fun. My kids like it alot and people get a kick out of seeing the General at car shows. When the kids get older, I may change the paint scheme. Maybe go DMCL or just come up with something else. I like purple and black and also yellow and black paint schemes. It's all about having fun with your car.

[RD]

RD- Steve Queen's movies may have been manly, but Bullitt is one of the most boring movies to ever hit the big screen. You have to admit?

for real!!!!!!!!!!! lol, you know i said that in jest right? hehehe

[TheGhost]

...and by 1971 a new and ugly Charger ended the era for good.

WTF!!!!!!!!! That Frankel guy can kiss my ass.  Betcha he doesnt own a charger the f***head..... grrrrrrrrrrrr 

Bah.  What does he know?  The 71 Chargers were the best looking.

[Crazy Larry]

RD- Steve Queen's movies may have been manly, but Bullitt is one of the most boring movies to ever hit the big screen. You have to admit?

for real!!!!!!!!!!! lol, you know i said that in jest right? hehehe

I used to agree with you guys a few years back, until I re-visited the movie without skipping ahead to the chase scene. It actually plays out like an episode of NYPD Blue. It's not the greatest of films but its not "Gone With The Wind", which is the most boring movie ever to hit the big screen (3 hours and 50 minutes long, so long you'd be begging for an honor killing half way through the movie).

[Johnny Charger]

General Lee, no doubt about it  .

I had to vote for the General Lee, just because that's what I grew up with.  Bullitt is an awesome movie, and I love the Charger, but it was 8 years before my time, and the General Lee was what got me started on cars.

I agree 100% with EVERYTHING you said there Jason  .

[MassCharger73]

I COULD be biased but I think the 3rd Gens are the best looking.

[Khyron]

sorry. I also voted GL, Though I don't have plans to ever clone my car. I just love the ol girl. As stated before, it is the car that got me into my Love of Mopars.

However, If I were to Clone A Charger. First, it wouldn't be the one I own now, Second, It would be the Blade Charger hands down.

[rt green]

bullit. genral lee is cool, but bullit is bad ass!! there is a difference

[Dave68RT]

bullitt all the way!

[CaptMarvel]

While I prefer the Bullitt Charger, the General had a certain style that was very likable too, just different (kind of the good car vs the bad car thing) I would choose Peter Fondas yellow Crazy Larry Charger over them both though...THAT'S the Charger that I have to point to & blame for making me a Charger nut, of course I'm "old school" apparently, I love the loud colors, racing stripe & slot mags, (NOT BIG BLING WHEELS!) man, give me those old slot mags that were on everything when I was in high school! Everything used to be primer gray & have a slight rake to it, ah, what times.

[tan top]

While I prefer the Bullitt Charger, the General had a certain style that was very likable too, just different (kind of the good car vs the bad car thing) I would choose Peter Fondas yellow Crazy Larry Charger over them both though...THAT'S the Charger that I have to point to & blame for making me a Charger nut, of course I'm "old school" apparently, I love the loud colors, racing stripe & slot mags, (NOT BIG BLING WHEELS!) man, give me those old slot mags that were on everything when I was in high school! Everything used to be primer gray & have a slight rake to it, ah, what times.

                  me too !       i could not agree more ,    slot mags ,high impact colors,   old school baby   

[Khyron]

MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm......... slot rims 

[SeattleCharger]

MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm......... slot rims 

  No doubt, slots, ya.   I had a set of em I put onto three different old cars, would just put the other rims back on the car when I sold it and keep my slots for my next car.    15 x 8.5 rear with 295/50's on em, and for the front 14x7 with 235/60's.   They looked cool.