Dodge Charger

While I’ve been driving a 2009 Dodge Charger R/T for a few years now, remarkably I have not blogged upon this model, though I did write a tribute to its famous engine, the Hemi, a few years back (1/23/15).  My former employer, Jerry, alerted me to a Nicolas Cage film, “Drive Angry”, in which he (Cage, not Jerry) drives a ’69 Dodge Charger with a matte black finish and a 440.

The car originated in the 1960s with the 1966 and 1967 model years (first generation).  Both are fastbacks and both available with the famous 426 Hemi V8.  Some prefer this style, but most prefer the subsequent style.  Note: there were no Charger coupes (all fastbacks) nor any convertibles.  

Second Generation 1968-70.  Obviously the most popular – this is the body style of Dukes of Hazzard General Lee.  There are slight differences between the 1968, 1969, and 1970 models, but all three came with the 426 Hemi.

Dodge was confident that its 1968 redesign would win Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award.  However, Pontiac had also redesigned its famous GTO, in particular with body-colored Endura front bumper instead of the chrome bumper the LeMans and most other cars had at that time.  Moreover, Pontiac’s general manager John DeLorean travelled to L.A. in person to pitch the GTO, which so impressed the Peterson crowd who ran Motor Trend that they gave the GTO the award.  Dodge: “D’oh!”   But MOPAR laughed next year when the Plymouth Roadrunner (“meep! Meep!”) won the award.

Plymouth?   Oddly, there is no Plymouth equivalent of the Charger.  The Superbird is based on the GTX/Road Runner, for which the Dodge equivalent is the Coronet.  By the way, Oldsmobile wanted to make its own F body, i.e. an Olds equivalent of the Chevrolet Camaro and the Pontiac Firebird, but GM thought that would be spreading things a bit thin, so it let Olds make a Hurst special edition Cutlass, the Hurst-Olds, which for 1968 was black and silver with an Olds 455 V8.  Anyhow.

Charger 500.   At this time the Charger was running in NASCAR, but the elusive 200 mph target was a bit out of reach.  So they took the ’68-70 body, made the front grille and back window flush, and this allowed the car to go a little faster.   But not quite fast enough to top 200 mph. 

Charger Daytona.  Then they went a step further, gave the car a pointed beak and a high spoiler to clear the trunk decklid, and this one finally passed 200 mph.  Spectators watching the Daytona sprint around the track said it sounded like a jet plane. 

Dukes of Hazzard.  The Duke Brothers’ General Lee is probably by far the most popular Charger and makes the second generation body style the best known.  It was Hemi Orange with a roll cage and a Confederate flag on the roof, along with 01 on the doors.  The series ran from 1979-1985.  By that time no one could go to a Dodge dealer and buy a ’68-70 model brand new.  At least with “Smokey and the Bandit” I (1977) and II (1980) the S/E Trans Am (black with hood bird and T-tops) was still being sold brand new, and Pontiac dealers considered the movies to be de facto commercials which drove customers into their showrooms from the theaters.  

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974).  “The Dukes of Hazzard” gets most of the attention, but this earlier film with Peter Fonda deserves recognition.  Bank robbers ditch their Chevy Impala and pick up a Charger to continue their escape.  They wind up against a cop pursuing them from a helicopter.  The cop knows that Larry has a police scanner and is listening to their pursuit efforts, so he turns the tables by referring to nonexistent patrol cars, manipulating Larry to go where he wants…

Drive Angry.  Nicolas Cage finds himself driving a Charger through most of the movie, eventually having to trade it in for a 1970 Chevelle SS.  He’s accompanied by the babacious Amber Heard and stalked – whose side is he really on? – by “The Accountant”, played by William Fichtner.  In addition to the Charger, there’s also a fair amount of full female nudity which makes the movie even more fun to watch – once.  

Third Generation.  1971-74.   Now more of a fuselage style, Daisy Duke drove one, and Michael Weston (Jeffrey Donovan) drives one in “Burn Notice”.  Obviously not as popular and only the 1971 model available with the Hemi, its last year. 

Fourth Generation. 1975-78.   Looks exactly like a late 70s Chevrolet Monte Carlo.   Any performance angle is completely absent.  Dodge was going for a luxury attitude which didn’t work.

Fifth Generation 1982-87.  Front wheel drive, top engine a 2.2L four cylinder with EFI, turbo and a manual transmission.  There was a Shelby version.

Sixth Generation 2006-2010.  Starting with the Magnum, which was actually a station wagon, then bumping to a sedan.   No coupes or convertibles, sorry.  The R/T model has the Hemi, now 5.7L with EFI and two spark plugs per cylinder, with a coil on each cylinder, putting out 370 HP.  My own car is a 2009 R/T.   The next step up is the SRT8, which has a 6.1L HEMI putting out 420 HP.   I actually drove one before deciding on my ’09 R/T, as 370 HP was enough and the ’09 was newer, allowing me to stretch the payments longer back into my price range.  Note that as a sedan, the insurance on the late model Charger is cheaper than an equivalent coupe with the same engine, i.e. the Challenger R/T.  Oddly, the 2018 Charger R/T engine is still rated at 370 HP. 

Seventh Generation 2011 to present.  Still a sedan, though looking a bit more like the classic second generation.  In addition to the SRT8 model continued, they added the Hellcat, which drops a supercharger on the engine to boost it from 420 to 707 HP.   For $70,000 I’d say that’s an excellent bargain, which I’d be happy to take if I had $70k to spend.  For the time being I’m getting by with base level Hemi and almost 200k miles.  Note that Mopar Performance is making the 700 HP supercharged Hellcat engine available as a crate engine – not sure I want to know how much it costs, but probably well under $70k.  Drop this under the hood of a ’68-70 Charger and see what happens – especially if you don’t beef up the suspension and stick with the stock wheels and tires.  Oops! 

Hemi vs 440 Six Pack.  While the 426 Hemi gets most attention and notoriety, many Mopar enthusiasts prefer the 440 Six Pack.  This was a 440 cubic inch V8 with wedge combustion chambers – spark plugs coming in from the side like most other V8s – and three two barrel carburetors, the so-called “six pack”.  The Hemi ran off two Carter AFBs, basically 8 barrels – though the NASCAR Hemi actually had only ONE four barrel – but the Six Pack set up was a bit more street-friendly.  The engine ran off the middle two barrel at idle and part throttle, the outboard two barrel carbs opening up at wider throttle settings.  Of course, Pontiac’s 3x2 setup on the 389 V8 from 1964-66, “Tri-Power”, was also famous.  All 1967 GTOs got a 400 cubic inch V8 and the new for that year Rochester QuadraJet four barrel carburetor.   Not all 440s got the Six Pack, with the Carter AFB (aluminum four barrel) being standard. 

I am not now, nor ever have been, nor am I likely to be, rich enough to afford a 1968-70 Dodge Charger in decent condition, even without a Hemi.  Even one which was roadworthy would not be a practical daily driver.  Add the Hemi to the equation?  Well, the price guides indicate to double the price of a given Mopar muscle car if it has the 426 Hemi under the hood, meaning I’d have to win the lottery or win a huge case to earn an original Hemi Charger in my parking space.   In any case, knowledgeable enthusiasts might be inclined to go with the 440 Six Pack anyway.

But despite this, I have been able to afford a used late model Charger R/T with the 5.7L Hemi.  Comparing the 426 and the 5.7L?   The 426 works out to 7.0L and 350 net horsepower, notwithstanding its original 425 gross HP rating.  The 5.7L cranks out 370 net horsepower.  The modern version has EFI and two spark plugs per cylinder, as with the older model coming up off the top of the valve covers as opposed to into the side as on wedge engines by Mopar, Ford, and GM.  The EFI engine gets around 15 mpg thanks to almost 200k miles.  I don't want to know how thirsty the 426 was with two Carter four barrels.   And the Flowmaster mufflers certainly piss off the ladies....