Charger Convertible Built With AMD Parts at Carlisle (Photos)

[BrianShaughnessy]

  Speedo and I looked that over on Friday.    He was able to pick out where these guys had butt welded up the Charger quarters to the old vert parts and puttied it up but then again he's the body guy and would or should know better than I. 

  I just don't know...    something's missing when the roof is removed  

[JimShine]

Do you know if the windshield is the AMD product?

[Mike DC]

A 2nd-gen Convertible is never gonna look good until somebody retains the hartop's low-rise windshield and the ragtop retains the flying buttress pillars.

[hemi-hampton]

HKCharger, Can you send me a bigger Pic of your Avatar, I think I'm in love    LEON.

[hemigeno]

According to the conversation that Troy and I had with the guy earlier that day, he is planning on making a couple of fixed/removable pieces to mimic the flying buttress look when the convertible top is in the "up" position.  He was talking about the fact that the Charger roof line gave the car it's great look, which I suppose is why Chrysler didn't make a drop-top Charger in the first place.  If that is the way they solve the roofline "problem", then I would want to see how it looks before developing an opinion either way. 

The guy did say that he would have to remember to remove the pieces before lowering the top, or make them out of something that wouldn't screw the paint up when he forgot...   

We had to wait so long for you to come pick us up for dinner on Friday that Danny's son fell asleep at the table before we got our food.  Some people are easily distracted at car shows I suppose...    

[jeryst]

I always though a Charger vert would be cool, but now that I see one, I'm undecided. I agree with the others, that the roofline makes the car. I'd have to see one with the top up.

[Old Moparz]

According to the conversation that Troy and I had with the guy earlier that day, he is planning on making a couple of fixed/removable pieces to mimic the flying buttress look when the convertible top is in the "up" position.  He was talking about the fact that the Charger roof line gave the car it's great look, which I suppose is why Chrysler didn't make a drop-top Charger in the first place.  If that is the way they solve the roofline "problem", then I would want to see how it looks before developing an opinion either way. 

The guy did say that he would have to remember to remove the pieces before lowering the top, or make them out of something that wouldn't screw the paint up when he forgot...   

We had to wait so long for you to come pick us up for dinner on Friday that Danny's son fell asleep at the table before we got our food.  Some people are easily distracted at car shows I suppose...    

The guy told me about the 2 pieces you're referring to, as well. For me, I'd pass on that modification to the top since it would be down 95% of the time I'm in the car anyway. The one car built by someone ages ago, that car had some kind of convertible roof that resembled the hardtop roof. It was for sale a few years ago & sold. If I recall, it's a green '68 from the northwest.

Hey, it's not my fault Danny hasn't turned his kid onto coffee yet, that would have kept him going. 

[G-man]

Ive seen a lot of cars that work and look good as convertibles (71 cudas, challengers etc) but a 2nd Gen Dodge Charger that looks like a brick with wheels... that thing looks horrible. No roof, no car, that just Yuck. I must say the charger is the 1st car in my life that I have seen that does NOT in ANY way suit convertible. Dont do it man! 

[Mike DC]

 

I disagree that the concept will never work.  IMHO the execution is always the problem. 

If you just put a 2nd-gen in photoshop and literally delete the roof, it looks fine.  And we all know the 2nd-gen wore a vinyl top as well as any car of the era, so there's no reason the raised cloth roof has to look ugly if it was done well either. 


The problem comes when all the B-body converts get a taller windshield than the hardtops.  And the converts' cloth roof shape looks bad for the lines of the Charger regardless of what it was made of. 

 

[Old Moparz]

 
I disagree that the concept will never work.  IMHO the execution is always the problem. 

If you just put a 2nd-gen in photoshop and literally delete the roof, it looks fine.  And we all know the 2nd-gen wore a vinyl top as well as any car of the era, so there's no reason the raised cloth roof has to look ugly if it was done well either. 


The problem comes when all the B-body converts get a taller windshield than the hardtops.  And the converts' cloth roof shape looks bad for the lines of the Charger regardless of what it was made of. 

Definitely true, I can't stand my Satellite convertible with the top up, it's just ugly. Other than when it was my daily driver in the mid 80's, or if I get caught in the rain now, the top is ALWAYS down. The whole reason for having a ragtop though, is to lower the top & drive around in the open air. I don't care what the roof looks like, it's only function is to keep the interior covered when I'm not using it. My all time, favorite cars, are the late 60's B-Bodies, so to have one I like, a Charger with no roof is great.   

I just scrolled through the photos I took again this morning to show my wife. I decided that I'll be visiting Mars Mopars in GA later this year to see the shop & their work. We have family in FL so making a side trip to do this is no big deal.

[WingCharger]

Fugly! 

That poor Charger.  

[Old Moparz]

Fugly! 

That poor Charger.  

It's a 1968 Satellite. 

[WingCharger]

Fugly! 

That poor Charger.  

It's a 1968 Satellite. 

That poor B-Body!

[Old Moparz]

Fugly! 

That poor Charger.  

It's a 1968 Satellite. 

That poor B-Body!

Yeah, maybe, but you should have seen how badly rotted it was.   

The only area of the car that was useable was the cowl, the windshield frame, & the structural area on the interior where the convertible roof frame is attached to the vehicle. The floors, frame rails, quarter panels, rockers, etc., where wasted & beyond repair. They sectioned in a used, rear floor & frame rail set from a donor car to rebuild this thing. I wish I took photos of the before & after pics in the photo album they had on the hood of the display car, or that their website had the photos posted.

[RDR838]

There was this showcar called the topless Charger, it had only a tiny windshield, maybe because Chrylser-designers had the same thought: The convert's windshield doesn't look good on the Charger's body!

Why not just put a Charger grille, front valance and bumper into a Coronet convert? The body lines of the Charger don't work without the roof anyhow. My

[moparstuart]

 

[Finn]

 

It must have a huge trunk.

[Old Moparz]

I never cared for the "Topless Charger" show car at all. Too many things going on with the design, or too many things that made the car nice looking are gone. The 2 seat roadster look is way out of place in a car that large. Even the Thunderbird that had the same look was too weird.   

[Magnumcharger]

I love the looks of a Charger convertible, and I heartily applaude the builders for their efforts.
I also agree that the height of the windsheild frame should be shortened down to the hardtop height vs. convertible altitude.

On a similar but disrelated topic, I find it hilarious how every year or so, the same pictures get posted (again) with an accompanying line of banter, exacty replicating everything that has been said on this forum ad nauseum.
Maybe I've been here too long..or I'm starting to see things like Brock Samson.

[NHCharger]

I agree with the flying brick comment. The 2nd gen body is to straight/squared off. I think a 3rd gen Charger might look better as a vert.

[69_500]

Just saw the thread, now I see what car you guys were talking about at dinner there at Carlisle.

Oh and as far as turning my kid onto coffee, not yet. He did consume quite a bit of Mt. Dew at Carlisle though, much to the dismay of his mother. I showed here some pics I shot of him chugging on a 32 oz big slam MT. Dew on the drive home.

[Brock Samson]

I love the looks of a Charger convertible, and I heartily applaude the builders for their efforts.
I also agree that the height of the windsheild frame should be shortened down to the hardtop height vs. convertible altitude.

On a similar but disrelated topic, I find it hilarious how every year or so, the same pictures get posted (again) with an accompanying line of banter, exacty replicating everything that has been said on this forum ad nauseum.
Maybe I've been here too long..or I'm starting to see things like Brock Samsom.

every yr?.. how about every three or four Mos...

[MoparManJim]

Fugly! 

That poor Charger.  

It's a 1968 Satellite. 

    Boy, how fast folks like to jump when they are unchertin of the car model and don't read all the replys. 

[autodynamics]