How many '69 500s were actually built???

[nascarxx29]

The 69 Daytona list started off at #381 vins later got updated to include Canada Daytona s and new number was #501 .And for years we all heard the 503 Daytona number
.As with the 500s no verified vins on a list and speculation .To the #392 number .There was a rumor 500,s were in line twice and accounted to reach the required number of built cars. And 392 has been the tested thru time number.And updated to #548.Are the additional cars Canadian 500s

[69_500]

Highest vin for a 500 248666. Lowest VIN for a daytona 355101 I believe, unless you include the Reeker car.
Last batch of 500's were probably rolling out of creative late in January of 69, maybe mid February.

925xxx signifies 500's.
926xxc and 927xxx are Daytona's

Number of known 500's to me is 281.
Known Daytona's in 1988 according to paper Doug posted was 382.

[500Jon]

Hi Aero's,

I heard the unsold 500's were sent to the UK along with the 100 or so RHD Barracuda's.
They were sold at two UK Dealerships one of which I worked at myself.
Warwick Wright in Chiswick West London and one in Norfolk.

As the Limeys were only used to Hillman Avengers and Morris Minors, it was mayhem!!!
Being LHD and 375 horsepower, most were destroyed in the first year.
Mother Mopar was so embarrassed by this, all records were destroyed.

I believe only two of the 110 cars still exist today, both are green, as we weren't allowed any any other colors in DULL UK!!!

Happy Christmas to all Mopar Folks!!!

[hemigeno]

Questions for the registry keepers;

...

What is the number of known recorded VINs for the Daytonas?

What are the lowest & highest vehicle order numbers for each model?

.... Lowest VIN for a daytona 355101 I believe, unless you include the Reeker car.
...
926xxc and 927xxx are Daytona's

Known Daytona's in 1988 according to paper Doug posted was 382.

Highest VIN on the lists and in my records is 434780 (has a VON of 926452, a former Kenny Brackett car)

I can only account for 381 Daytonas in my informal database, but I've never compared lists with Sue or Doug - who probably have many more than that 382 figure by now.

The lowest VON excluding the Reeker car is 926000 (L9B356502, Don Hicks' T7 car -- at least at one time)
The highest VON is 927254 (J9B409079, the former Kenn Funk F6 hemi)

As with VINs, the VONs are all over the place within that range.  There are consecutive batches to be sure, but many are not.  Looking through the Daytona Dealer Invoice List published a few years ago in the WW/NBOA newsletters sheds a whole lot more light on the VON "pattern" used.  That study also leads me to believe that MANY cars were ordered or scheduled, but were later eliminated from the production schedule.  Those eliminated cars fill in many of the "blanks" between VONs that made it into production, and VONs have at least some correlation to the ordering/shipping dealership or the Chrysler sales zone area of the country.

I seem to remember a '69 car which had a 925xxx, 926xxx or 927xxx VON which was not an A11 (C500 or Daytona), perhaps a sunroof model?.  Shawn and Barry can probably answer that question better than I.

Yeah, yeah - I know... clear as mud.      That's actually why I don't spend too much time talking about such topics on the forum, since it is really a complex issue and I've spent years trying to figure things out with only marginal success.  I had planned to set up a searchable website database to display all this kind of information in for others to noodle on too, but that effort stalled some years ago (hint hint, Troy!    )

[Alaskan_TA]

Sunroof VONs for the '69 Chargers had 928xxx VONs.

I'll send you an email Gene.

[Ghoste]

I believe there are a couple of exceptions in that sunroof group.  (I'll have to verify though)

[ACUDANUT]

500 ?

[nascarxx29]

? 500

[Alaskan_TA]

I believe there are a couple of exceptions in that sunroof group.  (I'll have to verify though)

I know with the 1970 cars, sometimes something will 'trump' a special VON sequence & trigger another so that would not surprise me.

[Redbird]

Weather or not you like or don't like Galen, I would give credibility to the idea that he has the list he says he does. If he was out saying he has a list of say 501 cars, and then someone came up with a list of only 392 cars and some cover letters from 1969 saying the 392# was correct; serial #'s, dealer shipment info, and dates; his credibility would go down considerably.

Really, what is in it for him to inflate or deflate the number if it is 392 or 501? There is no reason or motive where it should make any difference to him high or low, other than the number he seems to have evidence of gives him credibility.

His business seems to be providing information, either for other information or a fee.


The 392 number seems to be a well after the fact letter from someone's memory.

[richRTSE]

That letter from Galen just confuses me more.... He said he acquired "an incomplete list of serial numbers and dealer names for many 1969 Charger 500s..." This incomplete list shows 537 cars, which would imply there was more than that built if it's "incomplete"... and he says this list shows 110 hemi Charger 500s.... He then shows the numbers that he uses to arrive at his number of 548, of which he only includes 32 hemi cars. If he said he has another list showing 110 hemi cars, why is he only counting 32? Does that mean there are really 78 more hemi cars, pushing the total to 626 total cars? If those hemi numbers on the "incomplete list" were wrong, what else on that list was wrong? It all just confuses me more....

[RallyeMike]

Credibility is earned, and extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.

[500Jon]

More and more C500's turning up everyday.
Some Folks have pictures of wrecked C500's that were unsaveable.
They were a novelty car and mostly unknown for many years.
Not as 'stand-out' as Daytona's and ripe for hemi robbing.
There was a time when these cars were demo-derby material.
We all hear stories of rare cars in the 'ring' being totalled!

With all this in mind there must have been more than 392, its a no-brainer.
I would say its much closer to 400 LOL!

DayJona

[Ghoste]

Credibility is earned, and extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.

Exactly!  And it isn't earned by a secret list that people have to learn about through a third party word of mouth and then pay you for confirmation that your car exists or by writing inaccurate magazine articles about bezel colors or telling the owner of the Rapid Transit Caravan Road Runner that the car was horribly customized and would be much more valuable returned to stock.  It isn't even earned by going on stage at Barrett-Jackson so that they might publicly annoint you as the holy guru.
I'm not by any means implying that if he has such a list that its public domain but at least verify that "yes, I have such a list and this is the number, if you purchase my service I can provide detailed information on a specific car".

[500Jon]

Its 392 and always will be!!!
Its been that for 45years so it ain't gonna change.

Daytona Folks have just got to realise, they bought the wrong car!!!
And if you bought a Birdie, well........ they is well common Geezer!

Best to find a Ford-Aero if you wanna be in the RARE-CLUB!!!

Pick any number you want just make sure its less than 502!!!!!

5J aka DJA

FIVE YEARS TO DEGA AND COUNTING DOWN.........................

[Aero426]

I'm not by any means implying that if he has such a list that its public domain but at least verify that "yes, I have such a list and this is the number, if you purchase my service I can provide detailed information on a specific car".

That basically took place on this board about a year ago.   I received a call from Galen about a particular car.   At that point, I had asked him about the infamous "500 list".     His assistant Diane  later got back to me with the number of cars on the list and a description of what was on the list.   At that time, it was mentioned that if you own a 500 and want information on the selling dealer, etc,  they would set up a 30 minute consultation with Galen and get you the information.       That did get posted here.

[Ghoste]

I either missed that one then or at least don't recall it.  Fair enough on that part.

[richRTSE]

I asked here about the list almost 5 years ago and was told he had it....I emailed him  and got a reply from Diane (?) that she would pass on my info to him....waited months, emailed again, and never heard back....

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,67342.msg756948.html#msg756948

[Aero426]

I asked here about the list almost 5 years ago and was told he had it....I emailed him  and got a reply from Diane (?) that she would pass on my info to him....waited months, emailed again, and never heard back....

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,67342.msg756948.html#msg756948

If emailing is not working, a phone call to follow up is probably the way to go.     

[69_500]

The 392 was talked about for years yes, but the 540 number and 548 both preceded the quoted 392 number from Chrysler itself. I would rather believe it's 392, but the odds that I have located 70% of total production to me is far fetched.

[Aero426]

I would rather believe it's 392, but the odds that I have located 70% of total production to me is far fetched.

That is just it.   I don't think a 70% survival rate is realistic for the cars without noses and wings.   The winged cars have the weird factor working for them.    Most people who bought them new, knew they were special.     

[69_500]

I will say this though. There are way more Hemi 500's than Daytona's and that accounts for over 1/3 of the cars I can account for. When I can track down over 90 Hemi 500's that's a lot.
I expect the Hemi cars to have a higher survival rate, but not 100%. If the actual number produced is 110.

[richRTSE]

I will say this though. There are way more Hemi 500's than Daytona's and that accounts for over 1/3 of the cars I can account for. When I can track down over 90 Hemi 500's that's a lot.
I expect the Hemi cars to have a higher survival rate, but not 100%. If the actual number produced is 110.

So if you have numbers for 90+ hemi 500s and Galen's 548 only includes 32, doesn't that push the number over 600...   

[69_500]

Last time I saw Galen mention 500 production numbers I think he stated 110 Hemi cars out of the 584 number

[500Jon]

No, No, NO, 500's are VERY SPECIAL, well to me any ways!!!

Only once the 393rd 500 is found will C500 Folks believe there more than 392!

If they weren't special then why were so many made as Hemi cars?
Are we are back to C500's being used for Racecar duties again???
Or building a Racecar for track duties ie Nascar?
Surely some were bought and never registered, straight to the track and wrecked?
FOR THE MAN IN THE STREET................
A highly modified Hemi-Charger R/T for only a few bucks more than a stock R/T!
No more problems with non working headlight doors and capable of 200mph!!!
Its a no brainer!

OMG I need a time machine, I gotta buy some HEMI-500's real QUICK!!!