A 1969 Charger 500 SE Story!

[69charger500se]

Hello everone!
I don't post much on the Charger web sight, but I do read it most nights. This is a long but interesting post. I hope it's posted in the right section of this websight. I own the T5 500 SE with the primered roof that was at the Talladega meet last year. I see someone has put it in the Charger 500 desk top collage. Cool! Anyway, My VIN # is 214389. But I want to inquire about somthing else on my car. First a little history. My car was sold, when new, to Statesborough Dodge in Statesborough, Ga. There it was kept in the dealership showroom for over a year to sell extra options to customers. Some of my car's options are six way drivers seat, A/C, power disc brakes, AM 8-track with rear speaker, rocker moldings, locking gas cap, 3-speed wipers, power steering and SE package. By 1970 the car was being driven by the dealerships son-in-law still not sold or registered. The cars's original owner, who I bought the car from was on the lot one day in 1970 buying a 1970 Charger that was Burnt Orange and the son-in-law just happened to drive into the lot in the 500 SE. The 1970 buyer fell in love with the 1969 T5 color and tan leather interior and bought my car instead. He drove it daily until 1973 when he went in the Army. He left the car parked behind his mothers house in downtown Pensacola, FL with the hood chained down. Someone immediately stole the American Racing Wheels off of it and left it on blocks. There it sat with numerous offers to buy it. His mother used it as a green house and stored potted plants potting supplies in it, kind of like as a terrrium and the dog was chained to the cowl and lived under it. I even talked with Dave Patick from Performance Car Graphics in Tallahassee, Fl who took pictures of sitting there back in 1974. I found it sitting there myself in 1984 and continually tried to buy it, but it was not for sale. I would go by there every month on the 27th. Well, after 16 years and numerous help with gardening and taking the owner mother to the store and feeding the dog etc. she wanted the car moved because where it sat was exactly where she wanted to put a carport. During that visit we found out that she worked side by side with my grandmother in an elementary school cafateria for 30 years. When she relized that I was the grandson, she told her son, the original owner, who was living out of the country and could not come and move it, to sell me the car and he did!
     I know this is a long story, but it has a purpose. I am the second owner of this car. I do not have a build sheet but I do have all of the tag receipts and a few inspection sheets and speeding tickets from 1971-1973 that came with the car. When I checked the car to see if it was #'s matching, the dash, engine and tranny #'s all match but the core support and trunk lip had identical # but were different #'s from my dash VIN.  The second # is B9 199663. This concerned me so I talked with Galen and gave him the other number. He immediately told me to check with the Police who could check the FBI and Insurance datadase lists of stolen cars to see if the car had been stolen. The body # came back not only not stolen, but never even registered! They checked the VIN using XX, XS and XP and nothing. I wonder if this car was an R/T SE going down the line that was pulled off of the line to be slated for being sent to Creative to fill a 500 SE order from the dealership in Statesborough and may have been counted with both #'s to clear the 500's for racing!
     I am the second owner and have talked with the original owner about any body damage and he said there was only a scrape an the front LH fender that is still there. No one was switching numbers to make valuable cars way back then or to clone 500's Heck! most people did not even know what they were! Does anyone have any comments or info on my car and it's history?

69charger500se

[67_Dodge_Charger]

I would say the son inlaw of the dealership was the person that wrecked the car.  Probably borrowed parts off a new car on the lot and reported the new car as damaged in transit.  You never know.  That is a great story.

-Robert

[nascarxx29]

Interesting story I got a friend with a hemi charger 500 .From back in 74 when they didnt make bogus cars.And his vin number doesnt fit the 500 list of numbers .I think but Im not sure but he told me Galen dismissed his car as credible

[PCG]

David Patik here, reading your Charger 500 SE story.  We have a few C-500 with 199.....VIN.  Haven't found another car yet with 199663.  We have 199664, no 199662.  When I heard of your car, there were no crooks making fake tags, broadcast sheets, or body/drive train stamps.  So, still looks like an error on Metal Shop.  Have you read my Lynch Road article?  It talks about assigning VIN.  It's on the web, or I can send it by mail.  How is your wonderful SE doing these days?

David

[Charger_Fan]

That is a cool story.
I had to go find the pic so I knew which car you're talking about...is this the one?

It looks like it's in fantastic shape, considering the mis-treatment it had while being stored outside.

[69_500]

Welcome to the site Dave, oh and you can add 199669 to that list too. It was on a shipment list of cars that I have seen, however I have yet to see any cars with a 199xxx in person. Only on shipment list, or in photo's, none with my own 2 eyes yet.

I believe that Alex has done some work to the car since he first picked it up. You should hear the story in person it is much lenghtier than the one he typed, but it also much more in depth and interesting. Great find, and it is a great car.

I'm looking forward to seeing it in person one of these days. Only seen photo's of it so far too.


NascarXX do you happen to know any more about the car that doesn't fit the 500 sequences? I have heard stories of a car that didn't fit the supposed sequence and was dismissed as being bogus, but never heard of one that wasn't.

[hemigeno]

David,

Welcome to DC.com!!!  Glad to see you posting, although you're probably tired of hearing from me anyway 

It's good to hear a portion of the story on Alex's car too.  Hard to say what the exact deal with the numbers is, but it doesn't sound like anything was ever intentionally done to deceive.  Probably just a line error.  Great reading though!

Alex, I need to get an updated shopping list to you sometime, since I've found a bunch of things since we last spoke.

[nascarxx29]

Glad to see Dave P on here as well.He has taught me alot and shown me hidden details on my own car over the years.And I see there were factory number screw ups .I seen a untouched car before that had the vin tag upside down.And found this daytona from new to have XS on its title of origin paperwork.
The Origins of the Daytona Charger Thread 
Another detail that involves the origins of the 69 500 and 69 daytona.Is the number of produced.Which is always in discussion.I have here this muscle car enthusiast magazine that did a overall coverage of the last unsold 69 daytona reported by Frank Badalson from Dressler motors in VA.They show a clear copy of the Manafactures Statement of Origin.For this 69 daytona motor vehicle from the factory .For a car that is yet to be titled in any state .Till its bought from the dealer .This one has never been sold or the MSO surrendered after 34 years or so .And has the XS in both places on it.and Not the XX.Which is a factory mistake. Or they used these XS29 numbers needed to fabricate numbers of cars they needed .By combining the XS and XX vins.Either scenario it causes a incorrect number amount discrepency for the cars to be accounted  by

[nascarxx29]

Hopefully Dave will chime in more often on these 500 daytona issues .And share his many years of experiences and knowledge with this board

[69_500]

I also hope that Dave Patik will chime in more on these boards. however he is a very busy individual, but I can say this he has been a big help to me everytime I have called him in the past. Very nice, and considerate, and very open with knowledge. Was great meeting up with you at Carlisle this past year.