Operation: Press Release Hemi Charger 500, #614

[hemi68charger]

Operation #614; well, the day has come.. My 4th 1969 Dodge Charger 500 is actually one of the original pilot group of 6 designated for Press Release, they were all built at the same time. Luckily she survives with her original 426 Hemi. As you can see from the fender tag, the VON is 925004.. 500 VON's always start 925xxx.. This car is 925004..
It has been told that 3 of the first were 4speeds and 1 auto known (mine).. Two unknown.. It is highly likely mine is this 500 in Bud Lindermann's road test on the new Dodge Charger 500..

Thanks Danny for number correction.

https://youtu.be/wLX1h6jvWYs  <<< Road Test video

Want to give special thanks to Tom, previous owner for over 30+ years, Daniel Liebrandt for connecting us and Dave Points for his assistance on this trip. Kim Cook Hawkes, honey, guess I'll be in the garage of you're looking for me.. 😀

On my way home now.. So, this is what I went after yesterday.

[hemi68charger]

Might remember this thread...


http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,131510.0.html

[taxspeaker]

Woo, woo. Congrats Troy!!

[Dave Kanofsky]

Cool!  Congrat's!

The video is a great resto reference.  Are the rear reflector holders painted BODY color!  (The horror!)

[hemi68charger]

Cool!  Congrat's!

The video is a great resto reference.  Are the rear reflector holders painted BODY color!  (The horror!)

Yeap.. On this 500 I will have to honor that.. Lol

[moparstuart]

Nice Score  AB

[taxspeaker]

Troy be honest. It wasn't the Hemi was it-it was the hood mounted turn signals that did it. 

[DAY CLONA]

O-gezzzz your gonna need more fender fillers, your a steady customer .... that's gonna be a "spendy" project, good luck with the new toy Troy!

[JB400]

Congrats on this project.  Hope it turns out better for you than the bird

[tan top]

 Wow     Congratulations  ABT   awesome stuff    

[nascarxx29]

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?topic=61184.0. This same car

[hemi68charger]

O-gezzzz your gonna need more fender fillers, your a steady customer .... that's gonna be a "spendy" project, good luck with the new toy Troy!

Nope.. 😀   have a set already.. But may need to get the rubber trim...

[Johnnyu]

How hot is the hemi? My favorite Youtube video. Love the burnouts with the bias ply tires.Nice find. Congrats.

[birdsandbees]

Cool beans Troy! 

[hemi68charger]

Troy be honest. It wasn't the Hemi was it-it was the hood mounted turn signals that did it. 

Neither... It was the thickness of dust to become "barn-find" status.. 😀

[Q5XX29]

Very cool! Congratulations!

[hemi-hampton]

Congrats   LEON.

[chargervert]

IIRC there were two 69 Charger 500 PR vehicles,one Hemi automatic car,and one 4 speed car. The 4 speed car was stolen,and recovered and Cotton Owens ended up with it minus the drivetrain. Troys car is the automatic car featured on Road and Track.

[white]

Awesome news Troy! Man thats so cool you have the road test car,! I think I have watched that video 1,000 times! You should bring it to the 50th Aero Reunion this October As in found maybe running condition.

[Daytona R/T SE]

Awesome.

This one's a keeper. 

[chargervert]

Troy is determined to own every 69 Charger 500 that was ever built!

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Congrats brother....you are the king of trade ups!  Bigger & better every time.  Good luck!

[odcics2]

IIRC there were two 69 Charger 500 PR vehicles,one Hemi automatic car,and one 4 speed car. The 4 speed car was stolen,and recovered and Cotton Owens ended up with it minus the drivetrain. Troys car is the automatic car featured on Road and Track.

Nice find, Troy!!  

Cotton had nothing to do with the "stolen/recovered" PR Charger 500.

Here's the real story of the stolen/recovered PR Daytona: https://oppositelock.kinja.com/how-a-stolen-car-became-nascars-fastest-and-ended-up-1763429837

This information was first documented in 1995 by Frank Moriarty in his book "SUPERCARS - The story of the Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird".  He interviewed  Frank Wylie, the head of PR at Chrysler at the time.  A great book to get, if you can find a copy on ebay or amazon. The story is on page 107.

 Keep in mind it was written 3 years before  I found the #88, chassis # DC-93, in Iowa, sitting in a field, in plain view.  In 1995, everyone thought the blue painted #88 at the Nascar Museum in Talladega was the real car!!  

Sorry to hijack the thread, Troy, but I have to keep Chrysler aero history correct.  

[nascarxx29]

Watts story of stolen 68Charger becomes 88 daytona

[chargervert]

IIRC there were two 69 Charger 500 PR vehicles,one Hemi automatic car,and one 4 speed car. The 4 speed car was stolen,and recovered and Cotton Owens ended up with it minus the drivetrain. Troys car is the automatic car featured on Road and Track.

Nice find, Troy!! 

Cotton had nothing to do with the "stolen/recovered" PR Charger 500.

Here's the real story of the stolen/recovered PR Daytona: https://oppositelock.kinja.com/how-a-stolen-car-became-nascars-fastest-and-ended-up-1763429837




This information was first documented in the 1995 by Frank Moriarty in his book "SUPERCARS - The story of the Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird".  He interviewed the Frank Wylie, the head of PR at Chrysler at the time.  A great book to get, if you can find a copy on ebay or amazon. The story is on page 107.

  Keep in mind it was written 3 years before  I found the #88, chassis # DC-93, in Iowa, sitting in a field, in plain view.  In 1995, everyone thought the blue painted #88 at the Nascar Museum in Talladega was the real car!! 

Sorry to hijack the thread, Troy, but I have to keep Chrysler aero history correct.   

So your car is the stolen 69 Charger 500. I had remembered reading that Cotton Owens had received a 69 Charger 500 that was missing the engine and transmission and the fenders,and I assumed that it was the stolen Charger 500 that Hot Rod had lost.