Vintage C-500 pix

[72chargerSE]

My origial post

O.K....Here's something I never do.... Look into the internet for information!! First, the story.....In 1975, when I was nine years old , my Dad bought a 1969 Charger 500 SE for the astronomical sum of $350 bones.Seriously. He bought it from a friend who worked in Seat Engineering with him at Chrysler. This gentlemen lived on 12 mile in Royal Oak, and the car was literally rotting (remember, this is 1975) behind his garage , door handle to door handle with a green 1969 Daytona ( I B.S. you not, the Daytona is still in the Detroit area repainted RED). At any rate, my Dad brought it home, and it spent the winter of 75-76 in the back yard of my Grandma's house in the Harper/ Chalmers area (try that today). Before it was parked, I remember my Dad taking Tom and I for rides in an industrial park in Warren, where all traffic was gone for the most part after 5:00 pm. By Dad would drive to the end of the street, point it towards 10 mile and let all MAJOR HELL break loose!!! It left a HUGE impression on a MOPAR lovin' 9 year old. In the Spring of 76, he started getting the car ready to sell.... as I remember, it wasn't in to bad of shape for a 7 year old car, but the quarters had rot and the decklid was shot. I remember helping my Dad, and learning quite a bit. The car was eventually painted by his buddy from the Chrysler paint shop in Highland Park, the "500" stripe being changed from black to white ('cause my Dad couldn't get a black one NOS back then from Centerline!!!),and the deck lid was actually rebuilt, in fiberglass, by our neighbor across the street, who was a pattern maker at the GM Tech Center !!!  I remember learning all I could about that car, and thinking that that smooth nose, A-pillar treatment and fastback rear window was so neat, because you never, ever saw another one like it back then. My Dad sold it to a young guy from the neighborhood, who actually is a member of our club today!!!!!!!!! He moved, with the car , to Orlando, FL. and sold the car in 1983...that's where the trail gets cold. I've spoke with him, Dave at Performance Car Graphics, Galen and others, and the car is reputed to be still in the Orlando area. The car was T3 Light Bronze Metallic, had a tan interior and was an SE (one of 7 or 8 SE's). It was a 440/automatic with a 3.23 sure grip. It had the plain jane wheel covers (not dog dishes). When I spoke with Randy about the car, and asked what it was like when he sold it in '83, he replied "rough". I'm not interested in buying it, as I would most likely have to pony up my Charger and some extra greenbacks for it... I just would like to know if the car is still around, as it was THE car that stands out most in my childhood, in fact, I still dream about it!!

Mike



I would love to see that car today!!!!!

[labrat]

  Mike,Tom! That "ole 500" sure did leave a lasting impression on all of us! When I bought the car in October of 1976, I was 22 yrs. old! Probably too young to be toolin' around in such a high-powered sled, a "ULTRA-RARE" sled on top of it!   This wasn't my 1st taste of speed& power though! I think you guys probably remember my white '71' 340 Duster,which I bought in April of 1973,at the ripe old age of 18! I still to this day can't believe my parents co-signed for that car! It was flashy and LOUD! Headers running through GLASSPACKS,and the glasspacks were bolted right to the collectors. One of the fondest,I should say amusing memories, of the 500, is getting drag racing tickets on consecutive nights(Saturday/Sunday) in 2 different municipalities, East Detroit on Saturday, and Roseville on Sunday! At least I won both races,I remember that vividly! Helped me justify money leaving my pocket for the fines I had to pay! That car was the "DEFINATIVE" SLEEPER!   I still own the green '69' GTX pictured. I've modified it over the years to run 11.40's@120mph on pump gas,and still drive it on the street!  Take care!   Randy Borawski     

[moparstuart]

thanks   great cars and great stories randy  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tan top]

thanks   great cars and great stories randy  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

   thanks for sharing your story  , great stuff
 
    awesome / mean looking GTX you have there

[firefighter3931]

Randy, thanks for chiming in ! Some very cool stories about the old street warrior !!!   

Man, 2 races, 2 wins and 2 tickets in two nights !!! 

I got my first car in 78 and it was a 68 Charger and i was all of 16 years old at the time. Same kind of stuff....cruising and the occasional race....my best "kill" being a 67 GTO with a 400 in it that my buddies dad owned. I raced his old man who called me out at midnight and whipped his azz with my 383....that was a great running motor !  I never heard the old guy say much about his Goat after that ! 


Here's a pic of my first Charger and first car....i sure miss it ! 



Ron

[TUFCAT]

Randy,  ....in think it was of 75 when you bought the car.  I asked Mike, who has a memory like an elephant.  I was 8. He was 9-1/2.  Even at my tender young age, I somehow remember hearing the story about the two consecutive tickets!  Somehow, bad luck like that could only happen to you back then. I also remember after my Dad sold the car to you, the following year Mike and I went for an awesome beat ride.  You beat [that poor thing] worse than my Dad ever did    At that time it still had G-70 skinny whitewalls on it - -  and they were beggin' for mercy.   

Funny thing, last night I spent most of my evening on the phone with Dad and Mike about the car. It was one hell of a performer.  Dad and Mike seem to think somebody modified it to retain the 100% stock look, but had serious head work done.  You said it was a real sleeper, and it sure was!

I don't remember your Duster much...remember -  I was pretty young at the time. But, I still love Dusters to this day (I had two of them) so it must have made an impression. PS, I saw you in the  GTX on Woodward this summer. You're driving a lot more cautiously these days 

I'm sure you also remember my Dad's '67 Coronet - that was my favorite car from back in the day.  Unfortunately, it wasn't as fast as the 500, or else you would have bought that one!!    He sold both cars around the same time.  The Coronet was another good performer for about 1/2 the price - - but only 1/2 the fun. The next door neighbors kid bought that one ... and I think he beat it pretty hard, until it burned in a fire     

Car stories are great!     

[labrat]

Tommy! You can't even imagine half the stories I could jog back out of my Charger 500 memory banks from that time period! When I have more time, I'll tell the one where Mike Driest was in his Oldsmobile Starfire and I was in the 500,and we were REALLY opening them up on the top-end, headin' West on I-94,to visit a friend in Southgate,who was sitting in a Volare for something like 43 days straight,to win it in a contest!   We were TOO WILD back then,and could have got in some "very serious trouble"!! Or,met our maker at a younger age than we wanted to!   Those were FUN TIMES! I honestly believe all that street racing at that young age has given me sharper and quicker reflexes,even at present! Not that I'm condoning what we did back then,because it was foolish,but there were a LOT less cars on the road back in the mid to late 70's!   More stories to come at a later date. Promise!    RandyB

[69_500]

Welcome to the site Randy. Love hearing stories of 500's. Hence the name for me.

[labrat]

  "GOAT KILLER"! Ron,did your buddy remain your friend after you whipped his father? That had to be embarrassing for him,especially at school,when all your friends heard about it! Poor kid!   Mike, Tommy, where ya at??

[firefighter3931]

"GOAT KILLER"! Ron,did your buddy remain your friend after you whipped his father? That had to be embarrassing for him,especially at school,when all your friends heard about it! Poor kid!

Randy, it did make for interesting conversation at Football practice the next day !  Actually, it was my buddy Glen who spilled the beans...he was cool with it. I think he was "converted" over to Mopar that night. 

We need some more stories C-500 buddy ! 



Ron

[labrat]

In due time good buddy,in due time! I also have a few GTX stories to tell! Not nearly as "wild" but pretty AMUSING just the same!    

[tan top]

Tommy! You can't even imagine half the stories I could jog back out of my Charger 500 memory banks from that time period! When I have more time, I'll tell the one where Mike Driest was in his Oldsmobile Starfire and I was in the 500,and we were REALLY opening them up on the top-end, headin' West on I-94,to visit a friend in Southgate,who was sitting in a Volare for something like 43 days straight,to win it in a contest!   We were TOO WILD back then,and could have got in some "very serious trouble"!! Or,met our maker at a younger age than we wanted to!   Those were FUN TIMES! I honestly believe all that street racing at that young age has given me sharper and quicker reflexes,even at present! Not that I'm condoning what we did back then,because it was foolish,but there were a LOT less cars on the road back in the mid to late 70's!   More stories to come at a later date. Promise!    RandyB

                can't wait to here some of  your story's    love hearing about back in the day stuff like that .................