Hello New Guy From England

[JMF]

Just thought i'd introduce myself, been visiting the forum for some time and saw the "lurkers" post so I thought i'd better register, been a fan of Dodge Charger's for some time now probably since Bullitt, and love Dodge Charger's and Mustangs equally, being from England muscle cars are a nice change to see on the roads, albeit they are too big for our roads, here are my Mustangs,

1968 Mustang Fastback
302 4V
4 Speed Manual

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=1/316063882.jpg&s=x11

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=1/316060264.jpg&s=x11

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=12/34717032682.jpg&s=x10

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=12/34717054741.jpg&s=x10


And my blue one, Some Bullitt wheels are on their way

1994 Mustang GT V8
5.0 Litre
Automatic

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=1/2007172725.jpg&s=x12

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=1/2007195656.jpg&s=x12

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=1/2007220675.jpg&s=x12

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=1/2007225524.jpg&s=x12


I have a few questions,

1) This one to any one in England if possible, do Dodge Charger's fit in our lock up garages? Here is the size of our lock up garages over here

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=2/4515142836.jpg&s=x7

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=2/4515155840.jpg&s=x7

Or would it fit in this double garage, there is an Aston Martin in there so would there be enough room for it as well

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=2/4515195314.jpg&s=x7

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=2/4515211997.jpg&s=x7



2) How much would I need to pay for a 1968 Dodge Charger 440 RT in Black, Manual preferably, although I don't mind Automatic? I don't mind a 1969 or 1970 either, doesn't have to be show condition but a solid car with nice paint? Like this

http://www.moparuk.co.uk/racegalleries/moparnats05/sat/pages/_MG_7442-01.html


3) Why do some have vinyl roofs? What's the advantage/disadvantage? Are the vinyl roofs easy to clean?


4) What are Manual transmissions like for these cars, is auto better?


5) Out of the the 1968, 1969 and 1970, which year tend to be the dearest?

Thanks for any help, I will be going to the Mopar Nationals at Santa Pod in the summer so I will post pictures if I take some, cheers again

[skip68]

Welcome ,  I love your 68 Stang.

[Charger_Fan]

5) Out of the the 1968, 1969 and 1970, which year tend to be the dearest?

Well... Just ask anyone here, they'll all agree with me.

That's a beautiful '68
A 2nd gen Charger will be a few inches wider & maybe a foot longer. So if you put it in the same size garage as the Mustang, you'll probably need one with a sunroof.

[JMF]

Yeah, i'm still getting used to the size of the Mustangs coming from a VW Polo, it always makes me laugh that in America Mustang's and Dodge Challenger's etc are considered "small" cars, over here they seem huge, a Dodge Charger will obviously be bigger and our residential road are quite tight to manouvre, a guy a few roads from me has a Plymouth Satellite that's been sitting in his garden for years and it takes up the whole lawn

[hemigeno]

JMF,

Welcome to the site, even with your Mustang baggage...  

To answer your questions with my $0.02:

1.  Overall Dimensions of the '68 & '69s are 207.9" long, 76.7" wide.  Someone else can do the conversion to metric.  Looks like a tight fit to me, but hard to say.

2.  Cost totally dependent on the condition of the car.  A Black '68 R/T I think would run you anywhere from $25,000 for a driver-level car, to $50k or more for a restored nice car.  Add 10% if it's a 4-speed car, I suspect.

3.  Vinyl roofs were just an option.  They are more prevalent on Chargers, which were considered (in the day) an upscale car as compared to the SuperBee, RoadRunners, and most Coronet trim levels.  Not too tough to keep clean, just don't get wax on them.

4.  Manual trans in MuscleCars are all about the fun factor in cruising.  Hard to beat running through the gears while driving it around.  If you have a stiff clutch and get in a bunch of traffic, it's not as much fun.  Centerforce clutches help with that a lot.   If you are taking this to the track and your name is not Ronnie Sox, you're better off with a beefed up automatic.

5.  Loaded question about which year is "dearest", especially in this forum.  In general, most will have to agree that the prices of the '69s tend to run higher, probably due to the familiarity everyone has with the General Lee (Dukes of Hazzard fame).  If that's what you mean by dear, then that's my answer.  There are features about all three years that are great IMHO.  Sounds like you're going after a Bullitt car, so '68 should be your year.


P.S.  ChargerFan is biased... 

[JMF]

Cheers, yeah I like all three model years, I think the front grille is the nicest on the 1968 and the rear is nicest on the 1969, I like the 1970's chrome grille as well, you may know of this site already but this has some lovely pictures of a raceway near me that we go to, Top Fueler Dragster events are alright but as you probably know as soon as a little rain starts they postpone it for hours on end, that's why I like the Mopar Nationals, endless races, just click on the day you wish to view

http://www.moparuk.co.uk/racegalleries/moparnats05/mopar_nats_05.html

[RD]

Cheers, yeah I like all three model years, I think the front grille is the nicest on the 1968 and the rear is nicest on the 1969, I like the 1970's chrome grille as well, you may know of this site already but this has some lovely pictures of a raceway near me that we go to, Top Fueler Dragster events are alright but as you probably know as soon as a little rain starts they postpone it for hours on end, that's why I like the Mopar Nationals, endless races, just click on the day you wish to view

http://www.moparuk.co.uk/racegalleries/moparnats05/mopar_nats_05.html

welcome!!!!  hope you find the car you desire.  oh, and that moparuk site is just fricken awesome!!! by far the best mopar site i have seen yet!

[Charger_Fan]

P.S.  ChargerFan is biased... 

...ok, so one guy didn't agree with me. You watch, everyone else will.

Yeah, i'm still getting used to the size of the Mustangs coming from a VW Polo, it always makes me laugh that in America Mustang's and Dodge Challenger's etc are considered "small" cars, over here they seem huge...

Well really, when the cars were sold new way back then, they were considered small (actually, I think intermediate was more like it). Everything else on the road was the size of a friggin' yacht! Since then, the average car size is more in line with what you guys have.
A Charger by today's standards is my no means a small car...it's pretty huge. But even though it's huge, it's one SEXY big girl!

Oh, I forgot to say before...WELCOME ABOARD!
There's a few other members here from the U.K. too.

[JMF]

Thanks, yeah I suppose the biggest everyday cars you see over here are 7 series BMW's etc

[The Ghoul]

P.S.  ChargerFan is biased... 

...ok, so one guy didn't agree with me. You watch, everyone else will.

Yeah, i'm still getting used to the size of the Mustangs coming from a VW Polo, it always makes me laugh that in America Mustang's and Dodge Challenger's etc are considered "small" cars, over here they seem huge...

Well really, when the cars were sold new way back then, they were considered small (actually, I think intermediate was more like it). Everything else on the road was the size of a friggin' yacht! Since then, the average car size is more in line with what you guys have.
A Charger by today's standards is my no means a small car...it's pretty huge. But even though it's huge, it's one SEXY big girl!

Oh, I forgot to say before...WELCOME ABOARD!
There's a few other members here from the U.K. too.

most people want the 69's because of dukes of hazzard.
otheres, like me, are immature enough to want one so they can just laugh and say "69".

your not the guy from top-gear by chance are you? LOL just kidding around. 

[JMF]

Hammond, no, he bought a 1969 as you probably know and sold it I think a few months later, I think it was a phase he went through when he drove that one on Top Gear and liked it

[bull]

It's pretty safe to say '68-'70 are the most popular of the Charger body style. I prefer the look of the '68 but I wouldn't turn down a '69 or '70.

I like the look of the Charger without the vinyl top. I think it's a cleaner look and there's a lot less maintenance involved. Vinyl tops can also be a rust/moisture trap in wet climates.

Stay away from hlpag.com whatever you do.

Both the 727 Torqueflight auto and A833 4 speed transmissions are very strong, good units. It's all about preference but there are more autos to be found than 4 speeds and as said the four speeds add more value. A solid '68-'70 with good paint will cost you between $30k and $50k USD I'd say.

[JMF]

A few come up for sale over here which would probably be cheaper as the cost of importing now is about £5k altogether

[Jon Smith]

Hi from oop north
theres a couple of pics of me on that moparuk page
have you joined the mma?
http://www.mopartalk.co.uk/connected/index.php

[JMF]

No not yet, I think i've seen your car a few times at Santa Pod? Do you know Alan Rush who has that black 1968 that I linked the picture to? That's exactly what I would want if I were to buy one, not sure if he is ever going to sell though

[MOPARHOUND!]

Is it just me, or is this dragstrip have you racing uphill?

[JMF]

Not sure, I wouldn't of thought so, it's been there years and is quite famous throughout Europe I think, some of the top fuelers last year were hitting over 300mph, not sure how that campares to American ones but it's much faster than they used to be than when I went before

[hemi68charger]

Welcome to the board..... I'll not bore you since you already received some excellent answers.........

Cheers,

Troy

[bull]

No not yet, I think i've seen your car a few times at Santa Pod? Do you know Alan Rush who has that black 1968 that I linked the picture to? That's exactly what I would want if I were to buy one, not sure if he is ever going to sell though

Yea, I can't think of much of anything that looks better than a black '68 Charger.

[JMF]

The only thing I don't like about the Dodge Charger in Bullitt is the wheels, I like the arches to be filled a bit more with bigger wheels or tyres

[bull]

The only thing I don't like about the Dodge Charger in Bullitt is the wheels, I like the arches to be filled a bit more with bigger wheels or tyres

Yea, but they didn't have that back then. And no offense to a '68 Mustang owner but I read an article on the movie Bullitt where they quoted the stuntmen and crew saying they carved up the tires on the Charger to handicap it in the chase scenes. They said it ran circles around the Stang.

http://www.terraworld.net/smoker/cars/bullitt.html

"I'll tell you this," said Max Balchowsky, "I was really impressed with the Mustang after I got done with it. I didn't think it'd make that much difference beefing it up. Later, we took both cars out and went playing around with them over by Griffith Park (near Los Angeles). The Dodge, which was practically stock, just left the Mustang like you wouldn't believe." Ron Riner has similar recollections. "The Charger ran rings around the Mustang. We trimmed the tires down (on the Charger), we practically made them down to bicycle tires to try and handicap Hickman, and Bill just run them." Carey Loftin also recalls," we test ran the car at Griffith Park near the Observatory, up a long hill. and if you can run a car real hard up and down that hill it's working pretty good."

[JMF]

Have you seen the extras on the DVD? I'd love to see more footage of McQueen and Hickman going round that track, they only show a brief glimpse of it, surely more footage must exist?

[Jon Smith]

Is it just me, or is this dragstrip have you racing uphill?

actually yeah, its an old airstrip and i've been told it is slightly uphill, not as much as it looks in the photo though i think thats an optical illusion

[JMF]

Jon, how easy is it to get parts for us in England? Is there somewhere over here or do you always order from America, who are the best suppliers in America?

[Jon Smith]

depends what you want
general service parts are easy to get here, though it can sometimes be cheaper to ship them in yourself, of course if you buy them over here its easier to send them back if they send the wrong bit
if you want anything specifically for a charger such as restoration parts then its better to look in the us
there are various suppliers for new and second hand parts in the MMA as well as several other specialist inporters