Compare B verses E bodies???

[billschroeder5842]

I've owned a dozen B bodies over the years. I've alternated between Chargers and Roadrunners and loved them all.

I'm starting to feel a gravitational pull to an E body and a Challenger at that. Probably a 70 or 71.

Anyone have both a B and an E? I'd like to get some ideas on quirks and what is better, worse or about the same between the two.

Thanks!

[303 Mopar]

I've owned a dozen B bodies over the years. I've alternated between Chargers and Roadrunners and loved them all.

I'm starting to feel a gravitational pull to an E body and a Challenger at that. Probably a 70 or 71.

Anyone have both a B and an E? I'd like to get some ideas on quirks and what is better, worse or about the same between the two.

Thanks!

I restored a '71 Challenger, and currently own a '70 Cuda and '68 Charger.  Fire away with your questions.....

[rt green]

I have a 69 charger RT and a 68 GTX but I really miss my 71 challenger.

[ws23rt]

To try to compare them is not fair.  I like them both about the same. When I bought my 69 superbee new, I was looking at the sales lit. for the coming 70 challenger. I was hooked but bought the b body cause it was at hand.
Since then I have wanted a hemi cuda in spite of the road tests that showed it to be kind of a mess in the corners.

So look at what we have today.---the new challenger-- Is that an E body?---If it is I have one

The question must be about the body style.  I may be an owner of one of the original ones if my time doesn't run out.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

I call E-Bodies "buckboards".

[ws23rt]

I call E-Bodies "buckboards".

--So how is your new buckboard?---Or is their a technicality about it being an E body or not?

[Patronus]

You can about double the cost of a new interior.

[billschroeder5842]

Well, I guess I'm asking about drivability, fit and finish, maintenance, reliability, parts....etc.

Plus, (the real question) which is more fun to drive?

[41husk]

 :eek2:I have both and enjoy them both equally but I like driving a bodies as we'll there just not as cool as B and E

[303 Mopar]

Well, I guess I'm asking about drivability, fit and finish, maintenance, reliability, parts....etc.
Plus, (the real question) which is more fun to drive?

Maintenance, reliability, parts - a wash between them.  Cost is about the same and reliability and maintenance are how good and the quality of parts in the engine, suspension, body, rear end, trans, etc is built weather it is in a b-body or e-body is irrelevant.

Driveability - my cuda and challenger handle better than my charger, hands down.  This has to do with the sure size and weight of the cars. Love driving all of them, but the e-body wins here.

Fit and Finish - again, how well was the body and paint done, the interior, etc.  It all comes down to the workmanship and quality of parts you bought.  All of the rattle and squeak some because they are 40+ years old.

I will tell you all this.  I have had both the Cuda and Charger to shows, together and separate, and drove both around town often.  The Charger gets more thumbs up and attention that the Cuda every time.  

[69wannabe]

I not as fortunate as alot of guy's on here to own so many mopar's!! Once I got my charger I held on to it pretty much and have been very happy to own it. I am a real sucker for movie/TV cars and the dukes of hazzard was a giant influence on me picking a 2nd gen charger. My second choice for a mopar if there was a second choice would be a white 70 challenger R/T like the one in vanishing point, that is my favorite E-body to date!! It's weird because it is just a plain white car with no stripes or nothing except the R/T badges on it and that pistol grip shifter!!! I would love to have an e-body as well but they are hard to come up with these day's for a decent price.....

[Scaregrabber]

I like a low car that handles well and doesn't have archaic vent windows and gasketed windows. For B-bodies I much prefer the 71 and 72's over the earlier cars because they really feel "tight" when you drive them, no wind noise, better ride and fewer rattles. If I can't drive a 71-2 B-body I really like an E-body. In this day and age I like the shorter overall length of the E's. The shorter wheelbase doesn't bother me for ride but it makes for quicker handling. I honestly don't believe I'll ever own another 70 or older B-body.

Sheldon

[Mytur Binsdirti]

I call E-Bodies "buckboards".

--So how is your new buckboard?---Or is their a technicality about it being an E body or not?

You're right, the underpinnings of the new Challenger, Charger & 300 are all based on the old E-class Mercedes. Fortunately, they are nothing like the old E-bodies.

I could never get comfortable in my 70 Challenger. The biggest problem is that you sit low to the floor, the steering column was too long and in general, they just don't ride as nice as a B-body. E-bodies do look good though.

[myk]

Can't compare apples to oranges, guys.  A B body is a B body, an E body is an E body.  You pick one or the other because you can only afford one, you like one more than the other, or whatever.  You can't have a pro's and con's list to pick one because they're just different animals...

[500Jon]

No contest!
70 Cuda, 383 4-speed is supercool...
69 Superbee 383 4-speed looks cool, drives like POO!!!
69 Charger 500, looks kinda odd, but hey, its not GAWDY like a Bird or Daytona...
Cool, probably not, but bitchin, sure thing!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, some Folks think 76 Dodge Aspens are COOL TOO(me)...

[RallyeMike]

Someone said it - The E-bodies are more akin to the 71-72 Chargers in the way the feel and drive than they are to the earlier B-bodies. Not surprisingly, they share a lot of the same components and structure. The E-body shorter/wider wheelbase makes a big difference in the feel of the car, just as the 71-72 Chargers do over the 68-70 Chargers, only its even more pronounced in the E body. The shorter wheelbase makes the E body feel lighter and more responsive.

Other than the driving feel, the big delta for me is the interior and trunk. Trunk space on an E body speaks for itself. Just try jamming your chairs, tools, cooler, and luggage into an E body. It's ridiculous. You really appreciate a trunk once you've tried to travel in an E body car. The Challenger has a little more space than the Cuda, but really the cars are not adequate to have four adults in them. Besides the significantly reduced rear leg room on the E-body interior, the dash on the E body has a very different feel to the driver with everything very recessed. Lastly, the E-body interior (as cool as it looks) has a kind of a cheap feel to it with the full plastic door panels and lack of chrome.

So there you have it. Though oranges are cool too, I prefer apples.

[HANDM]

I've got a 69 Charger and a 70 Challenger and the Charger by far is a more comfortable driver. When the time comes to sell one of them it'll probably be my beloved Challenger... 

Trouble with that is that the &0 has NEVER given me any trouble ever and the 69 is CONSTANTLY having one issue after the other. This time it's the fuel pump pushrod, last time the wiring, time before that the turn signals. before that the tranny and so on and so on......

[RECHRGD]

B bodies just look more Bad Ass than anything else on the road IMHO...  E bodies just don't look as intimidating in the rear view mirror........

[XH29N0G]

Saw a beautiful silver challenger (I think 70) driving through Parowan Utah last week at the end of my vacation.  Looked pretty badass to me. 

Wish I had one, but in addition to the charger.  And would be curious to see first hand how different they were to drive.

[71ChallengeHer]

I have owned both. 69 Charger , 3 70 Barracudas, 2 71 Challengers. After my accident in the  70 Barracuda. I tried driving one. And kept having flash backs of the accident.    I loved the 69 Charger but I am 5' 3 " .  It's just easier and more comfortable for me to drive the Challenger. Plus I love the 71 grille.