T3 440 1969 Charger 500 SE

[72chargerSE]

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

[hemi68charger]

Wow.. cool story !!!!  I had a similiar situation, but I'll leave that for another day...

here's a T3 C500...........

[Ghoste]

That is a cool story and I hope you find it.  Seems to me I have a poster around here someplace of a T3 500.
Btw, I wouldn't even leave that car parked for 5 minutes in the daylight around Harper/Chalmers today.  A buddy of mine used to play ball at a diamond near there about 15 or so years ago and at that time, any balls hit out of the lighted zone, stayed there.

[PocketThunder]

Maybe its the one Fifth bought...  or is his T5?  he bought it thru the old site i think.

[72chargerSE]

Who's Fifth??!!! Does he have an username?!
Thanks!

Mike

[Troy]

He's now Charger Aficionado.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=540

Troy

[Charger_Fan]

Cool story! I hope you have good luck finding it.

[Charger Aficionado]

   Mine is F8.   I have a magazine article saying that there were 13 500 SEs and 7-9 Daytona SEs...   Mine is one of 2-3 SEs with air (Until I see another with the fender tag saying SE/air)...   Only one I have seen is the T7 Bronze one the guy from Year One owhs...   I've talked with him before, and he is cool to talk with...   I BET he knows about that car!   I'll email him this post.   I know he is a member here...  

[hemi68charger]

  Mine is F8.  I have a magazine article saying that there were 13 500 SEs and 7-9 Daytona SEs...  Mine is one of 2-3 SEs with air (Until I see another with the fender tag saying SE)...  Only one I have seen is the T7 Bronze one the guy from Year One owhs...  I've talked with him before, and he is cool to talk with...  I BET he knows about that car!  I'll email him this post.  I know he is a member here... 

I know of a C500 with air and is an SE. Met the gentleman at Darlington on 2001...... I'm almost 100% it was a SE w/air...

Troy

[WINGMAN]

A GOOD FRIND OF MINE HEAR IN KANSAS HAS A B5 SE AIR 500 THAT HE HAS HAD FOR YEARS, IT IS UNRESTORD.       JR

[69_500]

There is an F3 green SE with A/C that I know of as well. There is the T7 bronze car that is in Georgia that is an SE A/C car. I have also heard of the B5 blue one that is an SE with A/C.


I think that most of the SE Charger 500's have A/C. I think the one time I looked back in my information I had info on 8 or 9 500's that had A/C and half of them were SE cars.

[Hemidoug]

I've been trying to purchase an A4 500 SE with air for years now. It is parked OUTSIDE just rotting away. I've been after it for 10 or so years now. Everytime I see it my heart sinks a little more. One more thing, it is a vinyl roof car! Still has some of the roof on it as well as the special trim that goes along with it. 440/auto/power everything, A4, black gut and black vinyl roof. One of these days I'll get some pics and post them.

[Ghoste]

Doug, you gotta get some pics of that car before it's rotted away to nothing!  An A4 500 is my dream car.  The vinyl top and SE just add to it.  It'd sure be nice if someone could save it before it's too late. 

[Charger Aficionado]

   Vinyl roof?   Do I recall someone saying that the trim is rarer than a "hen's tooth"?

  As far as SE air cars...   Like I said:   "Until I see another with the fender tag saying SE/air"...

  When I talked to Galen he said he thinks there is 4, but he had to check his records...   I'm betting that one of those 4 is mine (since previous owner said he showed Galen the tag at Carlisle)...   So if Galen says 4, and you guys know of that many others... well it doesn't make sense...     I know of that BEAUTIFUL B5 500, but that is NOT a SE...   I do know that there are a handful of 500s with 440/Air set-up, but those are not SEs...

  I have looked at that Green pic SEVERAL times, and it does Not look like it has the regular Charger script logo...   Looks like an SE...

  I can't wait untill the '69 Registry has COMPREHENSIVE Data concerning '69s!!!!

[hemi68charger]

...
  I can't wait untill the '69 Registry has COMPREHENSIVE Data concerning '69s!!!!

The C500 story may never be total known.... Gaien changed the production number of the C500's from the famous 392 to something like 580-ish.... I still find that hard to believe in that they lost money on each of them..... I hope the registry gets more data in the future for we're all at the mercy of input data..... May never know the exact numbers......  Maybe there's the holy grail out there somewhere.....

Troy

[Ghoste]

What was Galen basing that number on? As to his total for 500 SE's, remember he only counts things like that when they are the ones he has personally blessed.   If he doesn't physically lay his hands on the car and pronounce it's correctness, then it simply does not exist.
Yes I know that flies in the face of his raising the total built figure, but I am referring to a low production combination of options such as the number of 500 SE's or Hemi cars with a sunroof.   That sort of thing.

[72chargerSE]

My Dad's 69 T3 500 SE  did NOT have airconditioning!!

I remember that for a fact, he confirmed it today in a conversation!

Mike

[69_500]

An A4 500 that is an SE? Haven't ever heard of that car. Definately would be interested in some information on that car.

I have only seen a handful of factory A4 Charger 500's over the years. 2 of them being HEMI cars. ONe being an odd ball with blue interior.

I'll go through my fender tag information I have, but I know for a fact of 3 Charger 500 SE's that have A/C off the top of my head. One being F3 green, one is your car Aficianado, and the other is Alex's car.
However I do believe there is a B5 SE with A/C that is in the northeast of the country. And I think Troy is right on the green car he showed the photo of having A/C. I know it is definately an SE 500.

[hemi68charger]

My Dad's 69 T3 500 SE  did NOT have airconditioning!!

I remember that for a fact, he confirmed it today in a conversation!

Mike

Cool Mike.. But as we all know, just because it's a SE, it doesn't need to have A/C......

Troy

[69_500]

It also holds true that just because the car has A/C and many other options that it didn't have to be a Charger 500 SE.

There was just the car this summer that came from California that had A/C, power steering, cruise control, power windows, and such but wasn't an SE car.

[72chargerSE]

I totally agree....My best buddy Chuck has a Q5 69 R/T SE with out air..

Remember...air wasn't to popular back then!!

[69_500]

A Q5 RT/SE now that would be a sweet ride. I love the Q5 color. I dream of getting my hands on a 500 that is Q5.

[mikemopar]

There was a B5 C500 SE in eastern Oregon that I found several years ago.  I need to see if it's still around.

[72chargerSE]

BUMP!!!!!!

I thought after a year I would bump this!! Maybe some new info??!!!

Mike

[tan top]

good story ,  must of   missed this thread last year