Operation: Press Release Hemi Charger 500, #614

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

I can not confirm or deny that this car is going to be in a magazine in the near future...

[odcics2]

IIRC there were two 69 Charger 500 PR vehicles,one Hemi automatic car,and one 4 speed car. The 4 speed car was stolen,and recovered and Cotton Owens ended up with it minus the drivetrain. Troys car is the automatic car featured on Road and Track.

Nice find, Troy!!  

Cotton had nothing to do with the "stolen/recovered" PR Charger 500.

Here's the real story of the stolen/recovered PR Daytona: https://oppositelock.kinja.com/how-a-stolen-car-became-nascars-fastest-and-ended-up-1763429837




This information was first documented in 1995 by Frank Moriarty in his book "SUPERCARS - The story of the Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird".  He interviewed Frank Wylie, the head of PR at Chrysler at the time.  A great book to get, if you can find a copy on ebay or amazon. The story is on page 107.

 Keep in mind it was written 3 years before  I found the #88, chassis # DC-93, in Iowa, sitting in a field, in plain view.  In 1995, everyone thought the blue painted #88 at the Nascar Museum in Talladega was the real car!!  

Sorry to hijack the thread, Troy, but I have to keep Chrysler aero history correct.  

So your car is the stolen 69 Charger 500. I had remembered reading that Cotton Owens had received a 69 Charger 500 that was missing the engine and transmission and the fenders,and I assumed that it was the stolen Charger 500 that Hot Rod had lost.

I can see how folks can be misled.

Cotton once claimed his #6 was the first stock car to break 200 with Baker driving.
That was disproved, especially when the ABC Wide World of Sports video showed up on Youtube of the 88 with Buddy at the wheel.
He then claimed that the #6 was the first car to break 200 during a race.
That was disproved when the historical account of the race was remembered in the August 1970 issue of Stock Car Racing Magazine.
Buddy's best race lap in the #6 was 198. and some change.  (For the record NO car got over 200 during that race)
Cotton claimed the #6 Daytona that Chrysler used on the show car circuit in 1970, and a few years after, was the Southern 500 winner with Buddy driving it, and was also the "200 during a race" car.
That was disproved and there was a thread on it here last year, with vintage photos and a vintage magazine article to prove it.

Are you seeing a pattern?

I'd take Frank Wylie's 1995 interview as gospel. Frank had nothing to gain financially by telling it.

Perhaps Hot Rod should do more due diligence prior to publishing stories.        

[RallyeMike]

Neato. One the previous heads said something like "very low miles". What does the odo say?

[qwick68]

Congrats, jealous for sure

[gtx6970]

Nice options Gonna keep this one maybe ?

Is that cloth seat inserts ?

And If I may ask, what designates it as a PR car .

[richRTSE]

That's awesome Troy! Cool car...still has the same wheel covers on it as in the road test?

[hemi68charger]

Nice options Gonna keep this one maybe ?

Is that cloth seat inserts ?

And If I may ask, what designates it as a PR car .

It is my understanding the first six were PR cars.. This is #5.. All Charger 500s start with 925XXX... this one is 925004

[hemi68charger]

She's home now... :-)

[Birdflu]

Sweet! Congratulations!

[gtx6970]

Nice options Gonna keep this one maybe ?

Is that cloth seat inserts ?

And If I may ask, what designates it as a PR car .

It is my understanding the first six were PR cars.. This is #5.. All Charger 500s start with 925XXX... this one is 925004

Cool,

And to think I used to have a full set of 4 of those hubcaps NOS still in there brown paper bags

[hemi68charger]

...

Cool,

And to think I used to have a full set of 4 of those hubcaps NOS still in there brown paper bags

Fiddle-sticks.... 

[tan top]

She's home now... :-)

  Awesome      looking forward to seeing up dates & more pictures as & when  ..

[hemi-hampton]

Nice options Gonna keep this one maybe ?

Is that cloth seat inserts ?

And If I may ask, what designates it as a PR car .

Code # Y28 Should be Public Relations. Code # Y39 should be special order. LEON.

[hemi68charger]

Nice options Gonna keep this one maybe ?

Is that cloth seat inserts ?

And If I may ask, what designates it as a PR car .

Code # Y28 Should be Public Relations. Code # Y39 should be special order. LEON.

Guess mine is a special order vehicle along with the other 5... Broadcast sheet reflects "Special Handling Car"

[Dragon Slayer]

Nice score.  Will be interested in the numbers as you document this restoration.  Interesting it has the Small TRW pump vice Federal, but seems like some very early cars had it.  Also the Master Cylinder is not the traditional B body Hemi one.  Would be interesting to see what the date code on the tag is.  Good Luck and enjoy.

[hemi68charger]

Nice score.  Will be interested in the numbers as you document this restoration.  Interesting it has the Small TRW pump vice Federal, but seems like some very early cars had it.  Also the Master Cylinder is not the traditional B body Hemi one.  Would be interesting to see what the date code on the tag is.  Good Luck and enjoy.

My guess is the booster and master cylinder are original to the car... Not that it means it 100%, but the master cylinder still has the silver tag on it. But, I will check the tag.... I'll check into the pump too....... It is missing the 90 degree adaptor on the steering gear box...

[Dragon Slayer]

Booster maybe, but not MC.  No reason not to have the correct Bendix which was used since 67 thru 69 for B body, before becoming a staple on 70 C bodies.  Looks like the 71 style. Hard to tell, but also looks like you have a 4 speed throttle cable bracket without the kick down stud (if so, I will trade you my automatic one:-)).  Though it maybe hidden in pic.  Your probably going to have to work thru the pulley puzzle again too; unless you go with the Federal pump:-)  It is also interesting it has all the Vacuum hoses for the lights.  Does this have a canister under the battery tray?  Should be a neat project.

Not nick picking, just doing the comparison as it relates to mine.  Plus what may have been differences on the first ones for demo, before they ran production versions.

[hemi68charger]

Booster maybe, but not MC.  No reason not to have the correct Bendix which was used since 67 thru 69 for B body, before becoming a staple on 70 C bodies.  Looks like the 71 style. Hard to tell, but also looks like you have a 4 speed throttle cable bracket without the kick down stud (if so, I will trade you my automatic one:-)).  Though it maybe hidden in pic.  Your probably going to have to work thru the pulley puzzle again too; unless you go with the Federal pump:-)  It is also interesting it has all the Vacuum hoses for the lights.  Does this have a canister under the battery tray?  Should be a neat project.

Not nick picking, just doing the comparison as it relates to mine.  Plus what may have been differences on the first ones for demo, before they ran production versions.

No worries on the dissections and observations... I'll be pulling what I have, learning date code science and pressing on. I have the proper crank pulley, but will need to get the proper water pump pulley it seems unless this first patch used the 68 version ( which is the same as big block non-a/c cars ). This is my 4th 1969 Charger 500. I have had 500s with the headlamp vacuum lines cut off right at the firewall to which the vacuum canister was still under the battery tray, lines that were cut near the battery and hence, the canister is still there. I am taking it all depended on the technician working on a particular car. 500 #1 still has its vacuum lines running the length of the inner apron and it is an original survivor car.  For, for all practical purposes, I will try to follow the lead of that car for my restoration.

Sure, if you wanna trade a 4speed cable bracket for a auto I'm for it. My car is an auto. At some point, the car was being converted to a manual tranny car back in the 80's I believe.

[hemi68charger]

The obvious things I'll need to do is replace all the SE interior components with regular black '69 Charger interior panels and dash bezels, ( so glad the original seats were left alone ).

1. Black interior door panels
2. Black dash components
3. Have reproduction rear window trim, but would like to find originals.. ( yeah, right )....  But, doesn't hurt to look.

Then, there's the restoration of the car itself which includes the above items.........

Sold my 70 Road Runner yesterday, so that'll help pay for the paint and body.. That will be a great beginning to the project...

[6bblgt]

I'm pretty sure most Charger 500s have "SPECIAL HANDLING CAR" on the broadcast sheet & all are Y39

what does the sheet show for Wheels/wheel covers?

[6bblgt]

here's the engine compartment pic of the HOT ROD test HEMI automatic Charger 500

notice power steering pump & master cylinder

it would make sense that there were East Coast & West Coast "press test vehicles"

& if someone had a connection at HOT ROD, I'd bet that fender tag is readable on the source - was this photo published in MCR, does anyone know the issue?

[hemi68charger]

I'm pretty sure most Charger 500s have "SPECIAL HANDLING CAR" on the broadcast sheet & all are Y39

what does the sheet show for Wheels/wheel covers?

They show the W23 "Recall" Wheels, I believe all of the first 6 did.. BUT, I do not believe any of them left either the assembly or Creative Industries with them on... All photos don't show them...

[6bblgt]

anyone know what track was used for Bud Lindemann's road test?

[6bblgt]

I'm pretty sure most Charger 500s have "SPECIAL HANDLING CAR" on the broadcast sheet & all are Y39

what does the sheet show for Wheels/wheel covers?

They show the W23 "Recall" Wheels, I believe all of the first 6 did.. BUT, I do not believe any of them left either the assembly or Creative Industries with them on... All photos don't show them...

that makes sense, Chrysler wouldn't want the press corp. to have cars with wheels that were "recalled" & the "dog dish" hub caps on the HOT ROD car & the c-body wheel covers on the Bud Lindemann road test car were probable recall solutions

[nascarxx29]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MUSCLE-CAR-REVIEW-MAGAZINE-MAY-2017-69-426-HEMI-CHARGER-500-70-GTO-JUDGE-69-Z-28-/173790767962