Has anyone EVER converted a Jeneral Lee back to a normal CHARGER?.

[Brock Samson]

Has anyone?.. I see Roscoe down below there is about to still yet convert another one... 

[moparstuart]

I sure hope so

[BB1]

Jeneral?

mmm maybe I will some day.

[68 CHARGER R/T]

lol

[jb666]

A "normal" Charger? Define normal.

Removing some graphics, a push bar and a set of wheels... Seems like tough work to go back to "normal" 

[Brock Samson]

O.K. You Start. 

[jb666]

O.K. You Start. 

Not so simple there bud.. I guess I shouldn't have opened my mouth. I'll be leaving now.

[CB]

A "normal" Charger? Define normal.

Removing some graphics, a push bar and a set of wheels... Seems like tough work to go back to "normal" 

nice move!

As skip said to me before, it's only some paint, graphics, bar and wheels.
No big deal to 'convert'.

Even if you paint a Charger pink, it's still a cool muscle car.
OK, pink isn't maybe a good color

CB

[jb666]

A "normal" Charger? Define normal.

Removing some graphics, a push bar and a set of wheels... Seems like tough work to go back to "normal" 

nice move!

As skip said to me before, it's only some paint, graphics, bar and wheels.
No big deal to 'convert'.

Even if you paint a Charger in pink, it's still a cool muscle car.
OK, pink isn't maybe a good color

CB

That's the way I look at it, we all love the same car..  So what if you want your car Pink. Green. Blue. Red. Brown. At the end of the day you're still cruising in a damn cool car..

I WILL agree that (especially since seeing mine surface like it has) there are so many hack jobs out there.. Seems like any hack shop that wanted to make a quick buck gave a Charger a Warner Brothers special and shoved it out the door. That's a shame..

[lacucarachaloco]

I saved mine from the chopping block.. it had been stripped down and they started welding up the holes in the fire wall.. now it will NEVER be the general lee it was condemned to be.

[TheGhost]

What's a Jeneral Lee?

Is it like a General Lee?

[Brock Samson]

  It's generally like a General lee but it ain't a real Jenny Lee,.. 

[bamadukefan02]

I get why people have a problem with the number of cars that were destroyed making the show, but in truth when the show started the cars were only about ten years old and were nothing but old cars that were not that valuable.  I agree with the people that get mad when someone jumps a Charger these days at a Duke's Reunion.  I firmly believe that there should not be another Charger jumped just to please a bunch of fans.  What I don't get is why do people hate replicas that people make.  Like was said above its nothing more than a paint job and some wheels, it could be changed as easy as changing a car from blue to white and replacing its Magnum wheels with some Torque Thrust wheels.

[G-man]

General lees are cool and dukes were the best tv series ever made. Broken chargers, jumping chargers... get over it, they are not jumping yours and you cant afford to have ALL of them for the complaint to be viable. O BTW - its just a piece of metal put together, it aint a human being. Sometimes i think people care more for the damn charger than they do people.

[cpthowdy1369]

I think mine was a General at one time.  When I got it, it had the duke wheels on it and in some places here and there you can still see the orange paint where the green didn't reach.  I'm pretty sure that if I took the vinyl top off, I would see old Dixie staring back at me.

[Mike DC]

 
I've heard Charger owners talking about having to de-LEE their car before.  It happens. 

This generation isn't likely to do a lot of it though.  We're still in the prime era of GL replicas. 



And also, a lot of the earlier GL replicas were driven into the ground back before GLs were valuable.  (Hey, it used to be a common fate for these cars whether it had GL paint or not.)

[jaak]

I get why people have a problem with the number of cars that were destroyed making the show, but in truth when the show started the cars were only about ten years old and were nothing but old cars that were not that valuable.  I agree with the people that get mad when someone jumps a Charger these days at a Duke's Reunion.  I firmly believe that there should not be another Charger jumped just to please a bunch of fans.  What I don't get is why do people hate replicas that people make.  Like was said above its nothing more than a paint job and some wheels, it could be changed as easy as changing a car from blue to white and replacing its Magnum wheels with some Torque Thrust wheels.

Well Said! I own a 69 and it will not be a General, that being said.. when a fellow pays for car he has every right to do what HE wants to do with it. If he wants a general, build a general, if you want it all original, make it original, if you want a resto mod...build a resto mod!
The folks that bash General Lee and GL owners are just assholes, plain and simple. If you don't like a GL clone, keep your damn comments to yourself, because the guy that built that car put just as much hardwork, time and money as you got in your ride. Afterall behind the orange paint, and the big 01.... its still a Charger, and that's what this site is all about.

Jason

[Mike DC]

   
I crunched the numbers one time, and DOH wrecked less than 1/1000th of all the applicable cars.  We've probably lost a lot more Chargers to hail damage. 

 

[jb666]

I get why people have a problem with the number of cars that were destroyed making the show, but in truth when the show started the cars were only about ten years old and were nothing but old cars that were not that valuable.  I agree with the people that get mad when someone jumps a Charger these days at a Duke's Reunion.  I firmly believe that there should not be another Charger jumped just to please a bunch of fans.  What I don't get is why do people hate replicas that people make.  Like was said above its nothing more than a paint job and some wheels, it could be changed as easy as changing a car from blue to white and replacing its Magnum wheels with some Torque Thrust wheels.

Well Said! I own a 69 and it will not be a General, that being said.. when a fellow pays for car he has every right to do what HE wants to do with it. If he wants a general, build a general, if you want it all original, make it original, if you want a resto mod...build a resto mod!
The folks that bash General Lee and GL owners are just assholes, plain and simple. If you don't like a GL clone, keep your damn comments to yourself, because the guy that built that car put just as much hardwork, time and money as you got in your ride. Afterall behind the orange paint, and the big 01.... its still a Charger, and that's what this site is all about.

Jason

Jason -- As a GL owner, I'd like to thank you. I agree completely, and what amazes me is just how many assholes there are.. I don't care if you've got a rotted to death 66 or a '73 in primer or a mint condition 30k mile Hemi car, you've still got a great car and deserve the respect for choosing it.

I've given up , because I realize the GL is a TOTAL love/hate car. There's no neutral position. One guy who saw my car in the shop the other day said "WOW, this car is going to be awesome!!". The shop owner says "yep, it's going to make a nice General Lee", and the guy says "Oh, that's too bad......" and walked away. You can't please everyone, so why try?

We do what we to do our cars to make them OUR CARS. If we all had the same taste life would be pretty damn boring....

[Mike DC]

Yep, that's the deal. 

It helps to remember that you'll get a lot of the same crap from people regardless of whether it's a GL or not.  The color, drivetrain, condition, performance, stock resto . . .  no matter what you do, probably at least 60% of the people who see it will have some gripe about it.  It's just a product of the fact that EVERYONE loves these cars so much.  The GL might make some guys more vocal about it, but that's all. 


-----------------------------------------------



It helps to keep a few pics of the car at its worst torn-down condition in the glovebox.  It tends to shut up some of the complainers. 

For some reason, people always think GLs are built by owners who just stumbled onto some gorgeous survivor Charger and got it for a 1976 price.  GL complainers never wanna face the reality that you worked long & hard to get your nice Charger before "ruining" it. 


 

[MoparManJim]

   
I crunched the numbers one time, and DOH wrecked less than 1/1000th of all the applicable cars.  We've probably lost a lot more Chargers to hail damage.

 

Drunk drivers, teensagers showing off, fires, weather (almost as you said), Racing.

[dodgecharger-fan]

I get why people have a problem with the number of cars that were destroyed making the show, but in truth when the show started the cars were only about ten years old and were nothing but old cars that were not that valuable.  I agree with the people that get mad when someone jumps a Charger these days at a Duke's Reunion.  I firmly believe that there should not be another Charger jumped just to please a bunch of fans.  What I don't get is why do people hate replicas that people make.  Like was said above its nothing more than a paint job and some wheels, it could be changed as easy as changing a car from blue to white and replacing its Magnum wheels with some Torque Thrust wheels.

Well Said! I own a 69 and it will not be a General, that being said.. when a fellow pays for car he has every right to do what HE wants to do with it. If he wants a general, build a general, if you want it all original, make it original, if you want a resto mod...build a resto mod!
The folks that bash General Lee and GL owners are just assholes, plain and simple. If you don't like a GL clone, keep your damn comments to yourself, because the guy that built that car put just as much hardwork, time and money as you got in your ride. Afterall behind the orange paint, and the big 01.... its still a Charger, and that's what this site is all about.

Jason

Jason -- As a GL owner, I'd like to thank you. I agree completely, and what amazes me is just how many assholes there are.. I don't care if you've got a rotted to death 66 or a '73 in primer or a mint condition 30k mile Hemi car, you've still got a great car and deserve the respect for choosing it.

I've given up , because I realize the GL is a TOTAL love/hate car. There's no neutral position. One guy who saw my car in the shop the other day said "WOW, this car is going to be awesome!!". The shop owner says "yep, it's going to make a nice General Lee", and the guy says "Oh, that's too bad......" and walked away. You can't please everyone, so why try?

We do what we to do our cars to make them OUR CARS. If we all had the same taste life would be pretty damn boring....

At the same time, there are a lot of assholes that will tell you HAVE to turn you Charger in to a General Lee.
I got that half a dozen times before I even got the car home and many more since. Some were adamant about it. Some drifted away or changed the subject of conversation when I said I wasn't going that route at all.

Now, I have no problem with the replicas, but that's just not my style. It's not what I want.

[jb666]

I get why people have a problem with the number of cars that were destroyed making the show, but in truth when the show started the cars were only about ten years old and were nothing but old cars that were not that valuable.  I agree with the people that get mad when someone jumps a Charger these days at a Duke's Reunion.  I firmly believe that there should not be another Charger jumped just to please a bunch of fans.  What I don't get is why do people hate replicas that people make.  Like was said above its nothing more than a paint job and some wheels, it could be changed as easy as changing a car from blue to white and replacing its Magnum wheels with some Torque Thrust wheels.

Well Said! I own a 69 and it will not be a General, that being said.. when a fellow pays for car he has every right to do what HE wants to do with it. If he wants a general, build a general, if you want it all original, make it original, if you want a resto mod...build a resto mod!
The folks that bash General Lee and GL owners are just assholes, plain and simple. If you don't like a GL clone, keep your damn comments to yourself, because the guy that built that car put just as much hardwork, time and money as you got in your ride. Afterall behind the orange paint, and the big 01.... its still a Charger, and that's what this site is all about.

Jason

Jason -- As a GL owner, I'd like to thank you. I agree completely, and what amazes me is just how many assholes there are.. I don't care if you've got a rotted to death 66 or a '73 in primer or a mint condition 30k mile Hemi car, you've still got a great car and deserve the respect for choosing it.

I've given up , because I realize the GL is a TOTAL love/hate car. There's no neutral position. One guy who saw my car in the shop the other day said "WOW, this car is going to be awesome!!". The shop owner says "yep, it's going to make a nice General Lee", and the guy says "Oh, that's too bad......" and walked away. You can't please everyone, so why try?

We do what we to do our cars to make them OUR CARS. If we all had the same taste life would be pretty damn boring....

At the same time, there are a lot of assholes that will tell you HAVE to turn you Charger in to a General Lee.
I got that half a dozen times before I even got the car home and many more since. Some were adamant about it. Some drifted away or changed the subject of conversation when I said I wasn't going that route at all.

Now, I have no problem with the replicas, but that's just not my style. It's not what I want.

Well I agree with you, that's just ridiculous!!

[jaak]

I get why people have a problem with the number of cars that were destroyed making the show, but in truth when the show started the cars were only about ten years old and were nothing but old cars that were not that valuable.  I agree with the people that get mad when someone jumps a Charger these days at a Duke's Reunion.  I firmly believe that there should not be another Charger jumped just to please a bunch of fans.  What I don't get is why do people hate replicas that people make.  Like was said above its nothing more than a paint job and some wheels, it could be changed as easy as changing a car from blue to white and replacing its Magnum wheels with some Torque Thrust wheels.

Well Said! I own a 69 and it will not be a General, that being said.. when a fellow pays for car he has every right to do what HE wants to do with it. If he wants a general, build a general, if you want it all original, make it original, if you want a resto mod...build a resto mod!
The folks that bash General Lee and GL owners are just assholes, plain and simple. If you don't like a GL clone, keep your damn comments to yourself, because the guy that built that car put just as much hardwork, time and money as you got in your ride. Afterall behind the orange paint, and the big 01.... its still a Charger, and that's what this site is all about.

Jason

Jason -- As a GL owner, I'd like to thank you. I agree completely, and what amazes me is just how many assholes there are.. I don't care if you've got a rotted to death 66 or a '73 in primer or a mint condition 30k mile Hemi car, you've still got a great car and deserve the respect for choosing it.

I've given up , because I realize the GL is a TOTAL love/hate car. There's no neutral position. One guy who saw my car in the shop the other day said "WOW, this car is going to be awesome!!". The shop owner says "yep, it's going to make a nice General Lee", and the guy says "Oh, that's too bad......" and walked away. You can't please everyone, so why try?

We do what we to do our cars to make them OUR CARS. If we all had the same taste life would be pretty damn boring....

At the same time, there are a lot of assholes that will tell you HAVE to turn you Charger in to a General Lee.
I got that half a dozen times before I even got the car home and many more since. Some were adamant about it. Some drifted away or changed the subject of conversation when I said I wasn't going that route at all.

Now, I have no problem with the replicas, but that's just not my style. It's not what I want.

Yeah, I get that too, everytime someone finds out I have a 69 Charger, the number 1 question I get without a doubt is.... "you gonna paint it like the General Lee?" I just tell them no, and go on with the conversation. Like I said earlier, I'm not gonna build a GL clone, but I am not gonna knock anyone who has one.

Jason

[jb666]

I get why people have a problem with the number of cars that were destroyed making the show, but in truth when the show started the cars were only about ten years old and were nothing but old cars that were not that valuable.  I agree with the people that get mad when someone jumps a Charger these days at a Duke's Reunion.  I firmly believe that there should not be another Charger jumped just to please a bunch of fans.  What I don't get is why do people hate replicas that people make.  Like was said above its nothing more than a paint job and some wheels, it could be changed as easy as changing a car from blue to white and replacing its Magnum wheels with some Torque Thrust wheels.

Well Said! I own a 69 and it will not be a General, that being said.. when a fellow pays for car he has every right to do what HE wants to do with it. If he wants a general, build a general, if you want it all original, make it original, if you want a resto mod...build a resto mod!
The folks that bash General Lee and GL owners are just assholes, plain and simple. If you don't like a GL clone, keep your damn comments to yourself, because the guy that built that car put just as much hardwork, time and money as you got in your ride. Afterall behind the orange paint, and the big 01.... its still a Charger, and that's what this site is all about.

Jason

Jason -- As a GL owner, I'd like to thank you. I agree completely, and what amazes me is just how many assholes there are.. I don't care if you've got a rotted to death 66 or a '73 in primer or a mint condition 30k mile Hemi car, you've still got a great car and deserve the respect for choosing it.

I've given up , because I realize the GL is a TOTAL love/hate car. There's no neutral position. One guy who saw my car in the shop the other day said "WOW, this car is going to be awesome!!". The shop owner says "yep, it's going to make a nice General Lee", and the guy says "Oh, that's too bad......" and walked away. You can't please everyone, so why try?

We do what we to do our cars to make them OUR CARS. If we all had the same taste life would be pretty damn boring....

At the same time, there are a lot of assholes that will tell you HAVE to turn you Charger in to a General Lee.
I got that half a dozen times before I even got the car home and many more since. Some were adamant about it. Some drifted away or changed the subject of conversation when I said I wasn't going that route at all.

Now, I have no problem with the replicas, but that's just not my style. It's not what I want.

Yeah, I get that too, everytime someone finds out I have a 69 Charger, the number 1 question I get without a doubt is.... "you gonna paint it like the General Lee?" I just tell them no, and go on with the conversation. Like I said earlier, I'm not gonna build a GL clone, but I am not gonna knock anyone who has one.

Jason

Yeah, it reminds me of when I owned my Black T/A ('79). EVERYONE that came to the shows I was at to check the car out would say "Oh cool, Smokey & The Bandit!!". Not even close, but thanks... These cars are associated with "The General Lee" by a LOT of people..  Just the other day I told someone at work (no one there knows) that I picked up a '69 Charger. They had NO CLUE what it looked like.. I finally said "The Dukes???". They said "Oh the Orange car, ok!".   Everyone knows the big orange clunker.... Doesn't mean everyone loves it 

[69bronzeT5]

I get tons of comments like that. People ask me "so you're gonna do the 01 and flag?" and I'm like "no, it's going silver" and they're like "Oh" and act like I don't deserve to own a Charger.

I personally think there are too many General Lees out there but it's the owner's choice. To be honest though, if I get another '69...it will be a General Lee.

[Ghoste]

It doesn't even have to be a 69, even after I explain to some of those clowns that my 67 doesn't look like the Dukes car they are often still quite adamant that it needs to be orange with 01 on the door.
That turns me off on the GL more than GL's really ever could.

[r_biccum]

We do what we to do our cars to make them OUR CARS. If we all had the same taste life would be pretty damn boring....

While I agree with what you have said, technically, by creating another GL clone, you arent making YOUR car, you are making the duke boys car.. 

[skip68]

I love OUR CAR (G.L.) and enjoy it with the whole family!!!  my    is, let the owner paint it whatever color they want! It's theirs! Now with that being said, if you chop or redesign the body,........."You're FREAKING NUTS!"    Just my 

Mrs.Skip68

[Mike DC]

   

Here's another side of this whole coin, guys:  


 
I was into GLs years before it was cool again.  
I had a street-driven GL replica before the shows first started being re-run on TNN in the late 1990s.  (Back then, the car had slipped so far out of the public consciousness that a lot of people didn't even remember what were the correct numbers on the doors.)


And NOW, people hear that I have a GL and they make comments to me like "Aw c'mon, that's too trendy!  Do something original!"    

[Ghoste]

That's true about Mopars in general though Mike.

[Mike DC]

 
Maybe there's an element of that. 

But I'll bet the overall issue for Mopars is nowhere as bad as the GLs get it, though.  (Just think of how prevalent that "GL is too trendy" sentiment is within the Mopar community alone.) 

[TheGhost]

   

Here's another side of this whole coin, guys:  


 
I was into GLs years before it was cool again.  
I had a street-driven GL replica before the shows first started being re-run on TNN in the late 1990s.  (Back then, the car had slipped so far out of the public consciousness that a lot of people didn't even remember what were the correct numbers on the doors.)


And NOW, people hear that I have a GL and they make comments to me like "Aw c'mon, that's too trendy!  Do something original!"    

You have a General Lee?

Come to think of it, I don't ever remember seeing pics of your car.

[Belgium R/T -68]

I fully agree that everyone should be allowed to do whatever they want with their car without having to hear sarcastic comments about it,
Hell, I painted my matching -68 R/T in a colour that didn't excist in -68 but I love that colour. It's just paint.

The only negative aspect of the GL story is according to me that it has kind of destroyed the orange as a colour for a "normal" Charger,
I thought about orange before choosing sublime but was afraid about the questions -"when will you put the decals on the car?".

Per

[Back N Black]

Wow! I think this subject comes up at least once a month. I think thats why Dave started the thread, to get a rise out of the GL guys. Anyhow, i don't have a problem with GL's or any Charger.  

[MoparManJim]

While I agree with what you have said, technically, by creating another GL clone, you arent making YOUR car, you are making the duke boys car.. 

Now you just hold on there for a minute bud, what if the General Lee is the car we want or our dream car to have by making one? , Yet your saying it's not our car. 

What if folks from the Dukes fan base like the 2nd charger before the General came about, and then they like the General Lee inform as well.. but it so happens to be also on a charger model that they like as well. But yet "you arent making YOUR car" I would say they are making there car because they also put in other little things (mods) that wasn't on the show. By doing that they are making there cars. 

[BB1]

Can't we all get along. 

Here we go... Back in the day when I was watching new episodes of DOH back in 1983,
I said to my mother that would be a neat car to have, seem like a strong car.
Being 16 at the time and a junior in high school, I needed a car to drive to school.
My birthday was at the end of the school year, and I had my learner permit already in hand.

I kept watching to see if I could find out what kind of car the General Lee was. I remember I went to the library and look in mechanics books to match up the front end.
Back in those days the books had pictures of front grills and that's how I found out it was a Charger. I never recalled seeing a car like that before driving around.
Anyhoo, I found one in the local paper, called the guy, and he came right over to my house.

Holy Cow it was big, I'm only 5'6 so when I sat in it I couldn't see over the dash. Well the seats here very bad, so I put extra padding to get to where I could drive it. Not until I got a 6 way seat did it fit well.
I was to young to register it so my mom owned it. She was only 5'2 and we drove it back and forth to school until I was old enough.

I never though to paint it orange and stuff, even though DOH was my favorite show.
I liked the green on green with a black top look, but it was a triple green car originally.

I did get pulled over by a cop once for exhibition of speed. 

My old green clunker car, so proud. He was my buddy.

I've owned other MoPars but nothing made me happier than my 69.

Be happy with what you have, and the hell with peoples opinion.

I HAVE SPOKEN!

P.S I will recreate both photo some day for myself, as the house is still here. Just need to get a 69 again,... for the 3rd time. 

& 5 years later

[Mike DC]

You have a General Lee?

Come to think of it, I don't ever remember seeing pics of your car.

There probably aren't pics of that car on the net.  I never really got into keeping personal pictures & albums much, cars or otherwise.

The car is nothing special, just another rusty old '69 with a 318 VIN.  A previous owner had swapped a 68 roadrunner's 383/727 drivetrain into it long ago.  In the 1990s and early 2000s I drove the hell out of it.  I'd literally use it as my daily driver for months at a time, including rain & snow. 

It's been torn down for several years now.  (The usual reasons, time & money & workspace & parts.)  It's not much to look at these days but it'll go back together sooner or later. 

       

[MoparMotel]

I have.


Car went from this



To This



To finally this

[jaak]

I have.


Car went from this



To This



To finally this

Sweet!!! 

Jason

[tan top]

GLs back to normal ... this might be on intrest !!!!
trying to think now , not sure if it was on the old site or this one ! but a guy was either starting a restoration or just sticking a new vinyl top on & under his old vinyl was  orange paint   a Rebel flag  &  the  words general lee i think     looks as if it had been years before !! it was a white 69 with a black top   

[squeakfinder]

 Mopamotel that looks really nice!  

I don't think the complaints about doh are about the show. Back then, the cars were dime a dozen.
It's about ASHOOLES that do this.......


         




   

[Brock Samson]

  O.K.
So,.. only two posts  on this thread actually related to my original question,.. If you think I'm whatever for asking that's fine, it's none of my business what you think of me,.. 
I have noticed an upsurge in GL/DOH threads as of late on this site,.. several of the top posts/and posters in Gen. Disc. are by and about Gen. Lees,.. which is fine I guess..
none of my Business what you do with your cars... I was simply wondering and wanting to see any Jennys that had been returned to their former glory.
 

[Ghoste]

I disagree somewhat Brock.  There were a number of answers to your question but maybe not so much as in "yes, I did" or "my cousin returned his to stock and here are the before and after pics".  As for the direction the thread went, it's like any other conversation my friend, it evolves and changes as it flows.  I think it remained topical. 

[lacucarachaloco]

Mopamotel that looks really nice! 

I don't think the complaints about doh are about the show. Back then, the cars were dime a dozen.
It's about ASHOOLES that do this.......


           




   

EXACTLY... 1 less charger on the road... depending on what wrecking yard it goes to it may not even get stripped down for parts for other Chargers it could end up straight in the crusher... 1 less guy who gets to have his dream car... there's a lot being said about "I've got mine" and "it's not happening to your car"... what about the other guys that want them but can't find one or afford the ones they find... what if something happens to YOURS and you can't find a replacement. yes they were driven hard and many chargers were lost to every day life but doh was the express lane to the bone yard.. that rebel flag and orange paint was a death sentence, and people are STILL destroying Chargers for shits and giggles.

69 Chargers on the road in SoCal are a RARE thing, you might as well go hunting unicorns. It's like living in a freaking auto museum out here, I see restored classics of almost every make and model almost every day... but hardly EVER see Chargers. Why do you think that is?

Can ANYONE on this board say that less Chargers on the road id a good thing?

[c00nhunterjoe]

i dont see the issue with having your charger a general lee. what is the difference between a car with decals and a car that is tubbed out with a full cage and tube frame?  or a car that was a base model 6 cylinder automatic that you converted to a big block 4 speed? 

In my opinion the ONLY person that has a right to bitch about a general lee is the guy  that has a 100% all origonal restored 69 charger. this means down to the last nut and bolt, distributor, gears in teh rear.... all of it. no alterations or upgrades at all.  the minute you even change the radio you are in the same group as the guys that paint a rebel flag on the roof

[HollyWoodCharger]

For the Record, mine was saved from that Fate....

Previous owner planned to do a GL conversion on it, before Kevin (no318) got it away from him......

I am actually quite lucky to of found this Charger, it is perfect for the build I'm doing now...

[Mike DC]

Can ANYONE on this board say that less Chargers on the road is a good thing?

The GL has saved more cars than it has destroyed.  It has probably spurred the restoration of more Chargers specifically, let alone the total amount of Mopars and musclecars as a whole.  We don't have to be thrilled about seeing them wrecked each time, but ultimately the GL's iconic status can't be separated from the Charger destruction involved.



Besides, do you feel the same loss when you see vintage NASCAR footage with Chargers (and C500s & DAYTONAS!) being demolished for entertainment?  Why isn't this carnage too?  The wrecked GLs were/are virtually all 318 and 383 cars and the footage has always gotten much more widely viewed.

[moparstuart]

  THOSE nascar's were not street cars ,  They were just charger sheet metal stretched over nascar chassis's

  no street cars were harmed         plus most of those where saved rebuilt and races again .

[Mike DC]

  
Maybe the Grand National cars were re-skins (at least the majority of the time) but tons of the amateur ones weren't.

Besides, where did an old NASCAR's rear window plug or a wing or nosecone come from?  Even a shop as uber-factory-connected as Petty Enterprises was still yanking them off street Superbirds at the time.  Racers used to do stuff like that and then sometimes literally scrapped the rest of the car it came on.  

And that's only counting the professional oval-track racing leagues for Chargers.   Lots of them have died while going in straight lines too.  




All those Hemi motors back then came from somewhere too.  A few came out the factory's back door but a lot of them didn't.  

[Ghoste]

Sorry Mike but I have a hard time accepting that DOH saved more Chargers than it destroyed.  Of all the ones painted up to look like the GL we have no way of knowing that if not for the DOH all of those same cars would have been left to rot.  We don't know if even a proportion of them would have.  We also have no way of knowing that if the DOH had never existed that those same cars or many of the would have been restored anyway but wihtout the orange paint and push bars.
I also have yet to see a NASCAR carnage show where the specific purpose is to take a vintage car and destroy it.
Did the DOH save some cars tha would not have been otherwise?  Yes, possibly but to say that it saved more than it destroyed?  No way. 

[68coronetGLwannabe]

Well I just might do it. I recently purchased a 69 that I am doing as a GL. I now wish I hadn't done the 70 GL. I have a friend they may want to buy the 70 but if he doesnt I will put a black vinyl top on it and repaint the doors covering the 01 and BOOM its no longer a GL wannabe.

[Mike DC]

I have also yet to see a NASCAR carnage show where the specific purpose was to take a vintage car and destroy it.

Okay, but would you bet your own Charger's sheetmetal that you could get through one single NASCAR race w/o body damage?  If NASCAR isn't planned destruction of vintage cars, then playing Russian Roulette isn't planning to kill yourself.  

Do the math week-by-week, and I'll bet that NASCAR racing was consistently destroying more Charger sheetmetal than "Dukes" ever did in its prime.  


-----------------------------------


I'm gonna say something unexpected here, but I'd bet that the total DOH destruction numbers are probably less than 150 cars for all DOH productions from 1978-2009.  It's a long story but over the years I've become pretty sure the wrecked Charger numbers are heavily inflated.  A huge portion of those official stats are coming from car builders who got another wad of cash from WB for every Charger that they reported being killed during filming.


It's hard to get firm stats on the # of GL replicas worldwide, but rough estimates are well into the hundreds.  Like maybe 400-500+ Chargers wearing the uniform.  And DOH fans are the quickest of anyone to save some REALLY bad cars.  If even 1/4th of those would otherwise be dead  .  .  .

It's not just specific cars being saved, but look at the overall interest in Chargers.  "Dukes" is not exactly single-handedly keeping the Charger sought after but the GL very clearly made a difference.  There are too many guys in the Charger & Mopar hobby, without a GL replica, who still say the show helped get them into these cars.

[lacucarachaloco]

you know if they were still cranking out the 68-70 body style I would say knock yourself out.... drive your car into a ditch, or a tree, go jump it into a lake if you are stupid enough to do so... it's your car and your life so have at it.

I had my first Charger when that show was on and I had the misfortune of living in the deep south. EVERY freakin day some ignorant redneck was telling me to paint my beautiful green baby ORANGE and asking me how high it jumps and screaming "do some donuts" "jump that ditch" "if you don't make it into a general lee you're just stupid" I gave in once and me and my best friend went out to a dip in the road notorious for getting cars airborne just to see what would happen... 69 Chargers do NOT fly nor were they designed to do so.. they also should not be left in the hands of reckless 16 year olds.. some people just don't understand that

Hey, if they were doing this to some overproduced car like mustangs or camaros I would care less.. in fact if you can get Dynacorn to start re-popping '69 Chargers.. you can go right ahead and trash the old ones cause then they can be replaced.. it would still be a waste of one of the best cars Detroit ever produced.. but not the end of the Charger world.

The racing Chargers were never meant for the street in the first place... and also still in production at the time of the "carnage"

and I agree that Chargers needed no help from the general to boost their popularity... they ALREADY had a legendary status BEFORE doh.

[BlueSS454]

If it weren't for the fact that I wanted to build  GL clone, the Charger i have probably would have been sent to the crusher so it can be looked as the fact I saved another one from ceasing to exist.  Having said that.....could the novelty of having a GL wear off.....posibly.  If it does, I can remove the decals, push bar and wheels; then add the stripe on the rear, some stock wheels and have an equally nice orange 69 Charger.  Mine was going to be orange regardless of it I was going to build a GL clone or not.  Now had it been a matching numbers car, I would have retured it to it's triple green status that it left the assembly line in.

[c00nhunterjoe]

if you guys are going to damn the dukes then why not damn fast and the furious, bullit, dirty mary-crazy lary. and so on. worst case the dukes destroyed 300 cars.  how many more were wrecked by drunk drivers. how many more were hit by drunk drivers. how many more are still rotting away? how can you blame a tv show for the demise of a car?

[Ghoste]

Because only one has inspired copycat acts of destruction? (Dukesfest )

[Mike DC]

The racing Chargers were never designed for street in the first place.  And they were still in production at the time of the carnage.

Yeah, but what if DOH had been in production 10 years earlier and they'd cut a deal with Dodge to get several truckloads of brand new 69 Chargers to use . . .  Would this make it all better somehow?  I fail to see the difference in the big picture.    

they also should not be left in the hands of reckless 16 year olds.

Except me, who bought a raggedy 69 Charger at 16, saved it from being parted out, and used it for a daily driver, all purely because I grew up on the GL.  I've never wrecked it.

If they were doing this to some overproduced car like Mustangs . . .

There is no such thing as an enthusiast for a car who doesn't believe his car is too rare.  There are tons of guys into older exotics & european cars that would still consider a 69 Charger to be a cheap overproduced car even today.  I'm serious.  


I agree that Chargers aren't as cheap as old Mustangs.  And of course I wish they were cheaper just like the rest of us.  

But the fact is that these cars are 40+ years old, and you can still go on online any day of the year and buy a nice restored one for little more than the price of an equivalent modern version of that kind of sporty sedan.  How rare is that?  

 

[Tilar]

It's generally like a General lee but it ain't a real Jenny Lee,.. 

Sounds like a couple girls that moved in next door a lot of years ago, They were both Jennys but I think the one wanted to be a General...   

[RamchargerMopar]

this makes me want to buy an all original 69 super rare charger and strip it down paint it orange and jump the crap out of it!!! This bickering over the DOH is pathetic. I only had an interest in CARS period because of the DOH and if not for the DOH I wouldn't be interested in SAVING a 69 or even the road runners I saw on the show. As time went on and my love of vintage cars grew from other movies such as Christine and Bullitt and Fast and the Pissed off gave me intrest in other cars. Such as the Fury the Mustang and The Buick Grand National. There are so fewer Grand Nationals on the road that the Charger could even shake a stick at. I had a GN and tell you what the thing was one fine automobile. Naturally the argument of DOH will never end and as time goes on neither will the Duke Fest. Face it If not for alot of tv shows and movies many of you would not have even batted an eye lash over any of these cars. appreciate what you got and let others enjoy what they got.  

Oh and to stay on topic here YES my father in 92 turned a Gen Lee back into its former glory of black on black and it was great till he sold it and the new owner turned it back into a Gen Lee. There are prolly MILLIONS of DOH fans out there and if only a fraction of them buy a charger to turn it into a GEN Lee then so be it atleast the Charger still lives.

[Tilar]

There are so fewer Grand Nationals on the road that the Charger could even shake a stick at.

Hardly a relative comparison since the total production of the Grand National was less than half the number of Chargers built in 1969 alone.

[RamchargerMopar]

that is true but your missing the point. It dont matter how many the company made someone is gonna go out and smash it up. that is the point I was making.

[Ghoste]

You are correct, but for all the comparisons to other movies, for all the comparisons to NASCAR, for all the millions of fans who allegedly love Chargers because of DOH, there is only one single car that I can think of where a huge part of the fan base (and I'm talking generally about fans of the show) think it is perfectly normal to jump the car even if it destroys it.  I have yet to see tickets being sold for a DMCLfest where they promise to blow up a Charger in the side of a train or a Vanishing Point reunion where you can pay to see a car pile into a dozer blade.  None of the scores of Eleanor fans are lining up with cash in hand to see a 67 Shelby jump a line of cars.  I can only think of one show and one car where this happens.  It isn't the number of cars destroyed that is the point with those of us who aren't such big fans of it, the point is that it is expected that a proper Dukesfest will feature a Charger jump.  Maybe not by you, maybe not by many of the real fans of the series, but most of the people who paid money to look at some GL's and maybe get their photo taken with Cooter are sure happier when there is a Charger wrecked.
Ans that's the part that eats at me.  Not the number of Chargers wrecked during production or in fests after but the fact that it created an entire cultural mindset whereby it is cool to take a 69 Charger and jump it.

[RamchargerMopar]

You are correct, but for all the comparisons to other movies, for all the comparisons to NASCAR, for all the millions of fans who allegedly love Chargers because of DOH, there is only one single car that I can think of where a huge part of the fan base (and I'm talking generally about fans of the show) think it is perfectly normal to jump the car even if it destroys it.  I have yet to see tickets being sold for a DMCLfest where they promise to blow up a Charger in the side of a train or a Vanishing Point reunion where you can pay to see a car pile into a dozer blade.  None of the scores of Eleanor fans are lining up with cash in hand to see a 67 Shelby jump a line of cars.  I can only think of one show and one car where this happens.  It isn't the number of cars destroyed that is the point with those of us who aren't such big fans of it, the point is that it is expected that a proper Dukesfest will feature a Charger jump.  Maybe not by you, maybe not by many of the real fans of the series, but most of the people who paid money to look at some GL's and maybe get their photo taken with Cooter are sure happier when there is a Charger wrecked.
Ans that's the part that eats at me.  Not the number of Chargers wrecked during production or in fests after but the fact that it created an entire cultural mindset whereby it is cool to take a 69 Charger and jump it.

You make a very good and solid point. Having said that I have to ask...why let something eat at you that you can never control? You said your self its a cultural mind set. It would be like getting everyone to stop going to burger king or stop wearing pants or what ever. The only way dukes fest will stop is if someone dies while Jumping a Lee... I my self wish it would stop.

[Ghoste]

Why let it eat me?   I don't know .  I really don't.  Worrying about stuff I can't control has been a failing of mine for too long.

[RamchargerMopar]

Why let it eat me?   I don't know .  I really don't.  Worrying about stuff I can't control has been a failing of mine for too long.

I guess its human nature