Bengal Charger info, pics and ad

[bull]

Anyone know Clair or of this R/T Bengal Charger's current state?..
His Info says he logged on this Yr...  

I think I still have their email address. Lemme see if I can dig it up...

[tan top]

 

[451-74Charger]

Not sure if I posted before, but my current boss/old boss/current boss (long story), says he has a friend with a Bengal Charger locked away in a storage unit or garage. My boss doesnt know about cars, but described it as a big orange charger with some sort of bengals badge on the side. Of course Im in Cincinnati area too, and his friend is a huge Bengals fan. Just trying to get more info to see if I can go see it.

[tan top]

Not sure if I posted before, but my current boss/old boss/current boss (long story), says he has a friend with a Bengal Charger locked away in a storage unit or garage. My boss doesnt know about cars, but described it as a big orange charger with some sort of bengals badge on the side. Of course Im in Cincinnati area too, and his friend is a huge Bengals fan. Just trying to get more info to see if I can go see it.

  , could be an un know one 

[bull]

This is the last communication I got on the topic when I asked for pics. I just sent an email asking for an update so we'll see what happens. The following messages are dated 8/20/09:

"Hi, Curtis I'm afraid there's not a hole lot to see right now. I could have a new Viper in my garage with the money I have in this car. I had it disassembled and bead blasted 3 years ago.Than had to have it put on hold with two of my kids getting out of Collage and to more going in starting next year. I'm at my low point with it for a the time being. I've been on the hunt for more NOS sheet metal for the car. I'm still looking for the Dutchman panel, the right trunk extension and outer wheel walls. As for the emblems I have a set that haven't been put on yet, they have the studs and nuts."

"Curtis I have all the VIN numbers on file if you can get his to me and the build date I will see if it is close to one of the Bengal cars already found. As for the emblems if you open up the doors and look inside the fenders you should see were the holes were drilled for them.What about the build sheet? The black stripe was free from Chrysler because the dealer ordered 50 cars at one time. Have him check for that to. Clair"

[bull]

 

The following message to <CSMSCM@aol.com> was undeliverable.
The reason for the problem:
5.1.0 - Unknown address error 550-'5.1.1 <CSMSCM@aol.com>: Recipient address rejected: aol.com'

[Magnumcharger]

Another 999 code Charger, at Wellington Motors, Guelph, Ontario 2008.

[moparstuart]

is the 68  bengal  charger   99  paint the same color as omaha orange 69 color  ?   

[XS29LA47V21]

I thought the 999 paint code only denoted a special order color, in this case orange for those cars to Cinn., but other 999 code orange cars exist don't they?     I recall a 999 code orange car back in NC, but did not think is was a Bengal car at the time (early 1990s).   Also, if 999 just denoted special order color, what other colors would that be or is it just orange cars. 

[68X426]

what other colors would that be or is it just orange cars. 

999 was special order paint, and any color could be used. The few 999 B-Bodies that have been documented have been nearly all orange, Omaha Orange, what became Vitamin C.

I have infomation on a total of six Road Runners (68 to 70) that are 999 Petty Blue and two Road Runners that are 999 Omaha Orange. The Bengals are the only Chargers with 999 that I have heard off.

999 was not just for Bengal Chargers, however all Bengals were 999s.

There is no known list about how many or what color(s) were produced back in the day.

Autohobbydigest.com (Doug Ahern) was an excellent source of Mopar info but the site is long gone and I can't find him. His information (from what source?) was that 100 cars were built each year, per factory, in 68, 69 and 70, using the 999 code. Most were cop cars painted at the factory. The remainder were Omaha or Petty Blue. He had no info on other colors.

[68X426]

I should add that now I have heard of other 999 colors for Chargers. A quick search of the DC site has noted a silver one, a Petty Blue, as well as a Rallye Green and Bahama Yellow.

[XS29LA47V21]

    Excellent, Thanks, That was my understanding on the 999 was just denoted a special order color (but not the color specifically, but most indeed seemed to be orange).  Hey, you want a laugh, so I heard of Bengal Chargers when I was in HS in the late 80s when I was beginning my endeavors towards rare Chargers and chasing my stack.  There was a brief time that I knew they existed, was watching Hemmings & trader before I saw a photo of one, I thought they were zebra striped orange and black, ahhh youth and learning    oh still learning (& forgetting with age).        I still like them with any motor combo, cool stuff. 

[Drache]

The sad part is people may have seen a Bengal Charger and not even realize it. If the special badges were missing before someone started restoring the car they wouldn't know what it was. If they didn't know what the original color was they could paint it anything. From one of the posts it states there were more than a few '68 Chargers with 999 paint codes on the fender tags.

As for the '73 Bengal Chargers, didn't Cincinnati get a AFC Central Division title in 1973 and make it to the playoffs? Maybe the dealership decided to turn a few '72 Chargers into something "special" to try and sell them in the '73 year to get rid of them easier? (unless they were special ordered with the orange paint as well).

[Dodge Don]

I should add that now I have heard of other 999 colors for Chargers. A quick search of the DC site has noted a silver one, a Petty Blue, as well as a Rallye Green and Bahama Yellow.

Most 70 Chargers with 999 paint code have turned out to be silver originally. No idea why.

[moparstuart]

I should add that now I have heard of other 999 colors for Chargers. A quick search of the DC site has noted a silver one, a Petty Blue, as well as a Rallye Green and Bahama Yellow.

Most 70 Chargers with 999 paint code have turned out to be silver originally. No idea why.

road runner and GTX's also     A-4 wasnt avalible in 70 so they 999 special ordered it

[Robert96]

 O.K. guys, this is the reason I joined your very cool group. I grew up living one block from Tom Kneer Dodge in Cincinnati. The Bengal Charger Dealer. Living by Tom Kneer in the 60's was great if you were a kid into the outrageous Mopars of the time. We used to go down all the time to look at the cars. They had a white Daytona Charger with a red wing and stripe in the showroom! Plenty of other wild cars on the lot. When they ordered the Bengal Chargers it was the talk of the town because they got all 50 at one time! There were Bengal Chargers parked everywhere on and off of the lot. It was mind blowing to see all these cars flooding the neighborhood.
The Bengal Charger of Bengal Charger.com fame in Columbus was owned by, and this is no s**t , a little old lady who lived on the westside of town here. Whenever I saw her I would ask if she wanted to sell it but the answer was always NO! I'm keeping this car till I die, and she did. The next time I saw the car some bumpkin in the area had obtained it and proceeded to tear it apart piece by piece. When I went to look at it I was horrified! The car was in pieces and the guy wanted what at the time ( early 80's ) was a fortune for the car " $2000+ " for an old car that was literally in pieces. I knew it was more than I could handle so I passed and the Charger diappeared. Some years later I saw the car in a magazine. I got ahold of the guy and yes it was the same car. He took what was left apart and completely rebuilt the car back to showcar standards. I was very happy to see it was taken care of by someone and I even saw my old Charger friend at the Mopar Nationals, I think that one year in Indanapolis. Anyway I had a long history with the car and was so happy to see it one more time.
My Tom Kneer history continues with the car I bought for $1500 in 1978. It was a 1970 Dodge Super Bee 440 6Pk, Trak Pak car! Only 10k miles on it! It was Hemi orange with white interior and BLACK hockey sticks. The guy who ordered the car was a part owner of the Cincy Bengals and wanted an orange and black car of course but the stripe had to be the same color as the interior. When the car came in they removed the white stripes and put on black ones. This car was of course also ordered at Tom Kneer Dodge. He drove the car for a short time and the car then changed hands and somehow or other ended up in an old barn that was still standing behind a house about 4 blocks from mine. It sat there until the guy who knocked down the old barn grabbed it in 78. He sold it to me a short time later. I owned it from then till the summer of 95 when I sold it because of marraige. We all make mistakes!! The next time I saw my old Bee was in a magazine while shopping with the wife. Mopar Collectors Guide. The guy who owned it lived in Ontario Canada and the story was complete Bulls**t. He even called me on the phone one night to verify the story but he refused to believe the truth. How in the world he got my phone # after all the sh*t he was told is beyond me! The next time I saw the car it was at Best of Show Motors in Cleveland OH. a couple of years ago. My daughter and I drove up one Sat to see it and talk to the owner of the museum/ dealership who had an even more amazing B. S. story for the car printed with it on the Web. I told him the true story but he said he didn't care the B.S. sounded better so it stayed. They sold it a few months later and now I have no idea where it is. You can still find it on the Web at Best of Show Motors even though they no longer exist. Its in the sold cars section. Enjoy the story, it's incredible but no true! I sure hope I get to see it again before I go! If anyone has a lead please Email me @ rcarter53@cinci.rr.com I would really like to see it and give the owners the truth. They probably won't belive me anyway though!! Thanks for listening to my old car tales. Robert E. Carter Jr. Cincinnati OH. Really like the site by the way.

[Ghoste]

Thanks for the Kneer stories Robert, hopefully you can stick around and share a few more tales.  You didn't mention if you had an old Mopar curently though?

[tan top]

hello & welcome Robert   ,

awesome storys & memorys you have , if you  got any pictures & more storys from back in the day would love to  see / hear them sometime  

[68X426]

when I sold it because of marraige. We all make mistakes!!

Hopefully you mean the mistake was the sale, not the marriage.   

Welcome Robert. Great entry into the forum. 

More stories, pics? 

[Robert96]

 Thanks guys. I thought maybe I was being a little long winded. I got plenty of stories when I get more time. Unfortunately I have no pics of Tom Kneers and it seems that no one else does either. I even contacted Tom about 10 years ago and he doesn't even have any! The old dealership got leveled about 5 years ago for another stripmall that we don't need. Sad day when that happened. Robert

[Troy]

Glad to see more information out there about these cars. I'm just up the road in Hamilton but had my cars stored in Hartwell for a while.

Troy

[nvrbdn]

what an interesting thread. thanks for all the posts. ive ejoyed the stories.

[moparstuart]

Thanks guys. I thought maybe I was being a little long winded. I got plenty of stories when I get more time. Unfortunately I have no pics of Tom Kneers and it seems that no one else does either. I even contacted Tom about 10 years ago and he doesn't even have any! The old dealership got leveled about 5 years ago for another stripmall that we don't need. Sad day when that happened. Robert

Robert you might PM member here Pettybird  he used to work at Best in show  he may remember where your car went     

[pettybird]

Texas, to a private collection. 

I wrote the story, didn't believe a word of it, and was told what to put down. 

[moparstuart]

Texas, to a private collection. 

I wrote the story, didn't believe a word of it, and was told what to put down. 

i figured you would remember