Why? How? the designs of the early 70's mopars...

[chargervert]

It is what it is! Enjoy what you like! Old cars rule in my opinion. I like 2nd generation chargers. 1st generation magnums and b vans!

Like this! The Chargers and the van are mine,my friend owns the T Top Magnum and the sweet blue 68 Charger.

 

[Cranky]

Ah, Friday night smackdowns.

Had to look at Ragheads move a couple of times lol

Since this it is already starting to go off the rails I will say this, I was never a G2 Charger fan although I had a number of them (70 being the best to be sure) but the G2 Roadrunners and GTXs (even the Satellite's) were/are nice, I absolutely hated the G3 Chargers back in the day, I had a 71 and just beat the hell out of it because I didn't like the looks. The 71 Roadrunners and GTX's were/are nice but again, IMHO nothing beats the 70 Challenger damn sure not that 71 Cuda which everyone loves so much, that car was like "lets put everything on one car" type designing. The 70 Cuda is ok but actually I prefer the 72-74 Cuda, nicer grille and taillights.

With all this said I am currently building a 71 Charger because after really looking at them and seeing how nice they could really be especially with the bulge hood and proper stance I am now a huge fan. I think the 71 B bodies embrace all of what was good about Mopar muscle cars in general, pistol grip shifter, air grabber and sexy rallye instrument cluster.

The 71 Cuda grew on me after having one for 16 years starting in 86. Wasn't too crazy about the Sassy Grass and the white billboard and gut but the colors grew on me too....except for the gut but the price was also too good to pass it up. Glad I bought it because i walked away from it a year eariler as the price was 30% higher. Never really cared much for the 72 and newer E cars even though my first E car was a 72 Challenger then bought a 73 Challenger years later for my wife. The 71 was a 340 car and so was the 72 with the 73 being a teen.

anything Big Block Mopar 71 and down........ there aren't that many left, so I wouldn't be too picky

yes please.......

View attachment 1567042

View attachment 1567041

I like the GTX's quarter window treatment much better....and the 3rd gen cars grew on me over the years but still not enough to search for one.

Why do all of the AMC cars look like headlights were afterthoughts. Matadors and Pacers to be more specific.

Oops we forgot headlights. Ahh just pop something on there. Always thought they looked like Kermit the frog got his head stomped.

I know the Pacer was designed for the lower smooth hood look since it was supposed to have the Wankel engine and AMC was betting on the DOT to rescind the minimum headlight height law.....which they didn't after AMC had already design the car so they had to change up the stampings which was cheaper than redesigning the whole front end. The Pacer also had a longer passenger door to make easier entry into the back seat. Also the fish bowl look was fairly aero and didn't have much wind noise to speak of at highway speeds. Don't know what the reasons were for the headlights on all the other AMC models lol

 

[Runcharger]

Really I like them all. From the 62 cars right up until the 80's. If you were there then you know there were different cars for different times. When I see guys that only like 68 Chargers or 71 Cudas though, it just reminds me of the red Camaros that were in Car Craft and Hot Rod in every issue from the 70's, 80's and 90's. Nothing turns a person off more than closed mindedness. I don't care to own a Red Camaro and a lot of other people could care less about them either. One thing I like about Mopar guys is that most of them can usually carry on a conversation about GM or Ford cars as well as their own. Ask a GM guy about Mopars though and most of them don't know a darn thing except that they hate them. I don't want to be like that.

 

[Photon440]

Why do all of the AMC cars look like headlights were afterthoughts. Matadors and Pacers to be more specific.

Oops we forgot headlights. Ahh just pop something on there. Always thought they looked like Kermit the frog got his head stomped.

AMC wasn't the only company to have goofy looking headlights.

That said, I never liked the Matador coupe front end either. I think they should have hidden the lights and looked like this. (My attempt at using paintshop)

 

[Austin Charger]

Really I like them all. From the 62 cars right up until the 80's. If you were there then you know there were different cars for different times. When I see guys that only like 68 Chargers or 71 Cudas though, it just reminds me of the red Camaros that were in Car Craft and Hot Rod in every issue from the 70's, 80's and 90's. Nothing turns a person off more than closed mindedness. I don't care to own a Red Camaro and a lot of other people could care less about them either. One thing I like about Mopar guys is that most of them can usually carry on a conversation about GM or Ford cars as well as their own. Ask a GM guy about Mopars though and most of them don't know a darn thing except that they hate them. I don't want to be like that.

Long ago at a Mopar show far far away, I was told that "Camaro" means "crotch wart" in some long lost 3rd world language.

 

[Ron H]

If I had to make a list of what I don’t like about the dozens of mopar models, particularly in a certain 15-year span, it would be MUCH shorter than listing what I like. Could say the same about Ford and GM of the era, with my like-o-meter bobbing a bit. Some of this is could include one’s age. I’d take a 66-67 Chevelle any day, leaving the 68-70’s. Same with Pontiac GTO’s, 64-67 take ‘em fast leaving the 68-70 and beyond. Few things that didn’t have much appeal, MO were fastbacks and a couple of certain rides that had a fatter looking butt on them to my eye. List of cars I like is long. The one I have has become part of my soul having it near 30 years totally rebuilding it; but it is not the first-like mopar on my list.

I have to tap quietly here on my laptop….my mopar is sleeping just a few feet away from me and might get upset about what I just typed.

 

[davek]

this challenger View attachment 1567019

Why does everyone RED X my challenger Guess I had a couple to many last night.

 

[The Capitan]

72 Rallye #matching 440 and trans. Factory N96 car. Unrestored all original body panels. Does have a older repaint but original paint underhood, trunk and door jambs.

 

[WileE]

Subjective styling preferences aside, the fact of the matter is, the 71-74 B-body cars are superior to their predecessors.

 

[66 Sat]

The '71 cars have grown on me. Not sure what they are like to drive but at higher speeds they should be a lot more aerodynamic.

1966-1970 aerodynamics design basis

1971 design

 

[DeltaV]

Chrysler Charger Dimensions 1973 - Length, Width, Height, Turning Circle, Ground Clearance, Wheelbase & Size Specifications for Dodge Charger R/T 7.0 V8 431hp, 1969

Our cars measured in millimeters? You some kind of commie, boy?

 

[DeltaV]

The '71 cars have grown on me. Not sure what they are like to drive but at higher speeds they should be a lot more aerodynamic.

1966-1970 aerodynamics design basis


View attachment 1567329

1971 design

View attachment 1567331

I had a '71 Satellite, somewhat modified for more power, and it felt fine at triple digit speeds. The front end did not float around at all. However, the car did feel like it lifted up both front and rear at triple digit speeds. Felt stable even under hard braking.

My '71 Satellite around 1975 (teenage me could only afford GTX emblems and hood).

 

[DeltaV]

Back in the early 70's I was surprised by Plymouth changing from the '71 & '72 styling to the styling of '73 & '74; and then changing to the blunter styling for the next generation in '75. Meanwhile, Dodge was more consistent in styling for the '71-'74 Chargers.

Having Chrysler slash and burn its NASCAR participation in 1971 certainly had an impact; and the rest is history.

The last of the B Bodies styling showed some originality and promise...the '78 & '79 Dodge Magnums. Loved the styling of those Magnum GT models.

 

[DeltaV]

72 Rallye #matching 440 and trans. Factory N96 car. Unrestored all original body panels. Does have a older repaint but original paint underhood, trunk and door jambs. View attachment 1567313

Absolutely stunning! Love it!

 

[Kern Dog]

Why does everyone RED X my challenger Guess I had a couple to many last night.

No, you had a couple TOO many last night.

 

[DeltaV]

The '71 cars have grown on me. Not sure what they are like to drive but at higher speeds they should be a lot more aerodynamic.

1966-1970 aerodynamics design basis


View attachment 1567329

1971 design

View attachment 1567331

And then back full circle in '79

 

[cosgig]

No dukey boy movie for the good cars.

What about Daisy?

 

[DeltaV]

Somebody said Daisy?

The Demise of Daisy's RoadRunner - HazzardNet


_______________________________________

 

[hanks73340]

Third generation for the most part are butt ugly and the least desirable in my opinion.

Next time I get to Marquette, I'm stopping by to egg your house. Personally, I like all 3 generations of the Chargers

 

[The Capitan]

Midnight Charger