Deputy Ministry of Interior, Musaed S. Al-Guwainem says:

"Reflecting an image of strength and power is important for our law enforcement officials and the Dodge Charger portrays this image to the Kuwaiti people... The Charger police cars are being customized with the necessary equipment for three different government vehicles – traffic, security and emergency response – where speed, handling and functionality are critical to their job."

An image of "strength and power?" In other words: They look badass. Seems like a rational reason to us. [via Chrysler]

Also Consider:
• Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
• Pontiac G8 GXP
• E39 BMW M5
• Hunting Polar Bears

Suitability Parameters:
· Speed Merchants: Yes
· Fashion Victims: No
· Treehuggers: No
· Mack Daddies: Yes
· Tuner Crowd: No
· Hairdressers: No
· Penny Pinchers: No
· Euro Snobs: No
· Working Stiffs: No
· Technogeeks: No
· Poseurs: No
· Soccer Moms: No
· Nascar Dads: Yes
· Golfing Grandparents: No

Vitals:
· Manufacturer: Dodge
· Model tested: Charger SRT8
· Model year: 2008
· Base Price: $40,015
· Price as Tested: $41,250
· Engine type: 6.1-Liter SRT HEMI SMPI V8 Engine
· Horsepower: 425 hp @ 6000 rpm
· Torque: 420 ft.-lbs. @ 4800 rpm
· Redline: 6000 rpm
· Wheels and Tires: Goodyear Eagle RSA 245/45ZR20 (front) 255/45ZR20 (rear)
· Drive type: rear-wheel drive
· 0 - 60: 5.4 seconds
· 1/4 mile: 13.6 seconds
· Top speed: 165 MPH
· Fuel economy city/highway: 13/18
· NHTSA crash test rating front/side/rollover: 5/5/4

Also See:
2008 Dodge Charger SRT8, Part One
2008 Dodge Charger SRT8, Part Two

Photo credit to Fabrizio Constantini and Alex Conley

Acceleration: ****
What you get depends on whether the car is in Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde mode. Normal acceleration in "Drive" registered 5.47 seconds to 60 on the computer. Not bad, but it felt hollow. Even though we were never able to best it when tapping the shifter manually, there's a certain satisfaction to wringing the big Hemi all the way out to its redline. Gunning it in this car means managing wheel spin, holding on for dear life and trying to wipe that stupid smirk off your face after you're all done

Braking: ****
Brembos. Big ones. And solid ABS software to back them up. With 4100 lbs of bulk, this thing scrubs speed as if an anchor from the Titanic was dropped off the stern. Best be buckled tight, or you'll get well acquainted with the steering wheel, ya land-lubber.

Ride: ***
Ride and handling, to our minds, are interlocked elements. If the ride is harsh, the handling better be damn good, and true for the opposite. Unfortunately here, the ride wins while the handling suffers. Considering the huge 20" wheels on the front and back of the Charger, the control exhibited on compression and rebound is respectable. We did notice quite a bit of noise from the suspension on the nasty stuff, but it was quickly muted by the more-than-ample shocks.

Handling: **
Yarg. Where to begin? It rolls like a low-level patsy ratting out a mob boss. High-speed corners are met with predictable, if not frightening, understeer. Pop it into 'no nanny' mode and you can turn the rear end around like a cocktail waitress at a Dean Martin convention.

Gearbox: **
Possibly the most embarrassing part of the car. If this tranny was in a family of upstate Oregon counterfeiters, they'd hide it in the basement, chained to the wall and fed only fish heads Goonies-style. It's the biggest weakness on the Charger; its greatest shame. But slapping it into manual mode lets you pretend like you're a big boy.

Audio: ***
It's an SRT product. If you have to rely on the Kicker sound system to entertain you, you're doing it wrong. During my time with the car, the most use I got out of the radio was it telling me where the traffic jams were so I could work my way around them.

Toys: ****
It's loaded. If you're a middle-management type with the requisite wife and two-point-five kids, this car will be magically delicious. The brain-maiming Sirius satellite TV is perfect for keeping those accidents of yours occupied with hour upon hour of Spongebob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer. Barring that, they can watch their favorite DVDs, all while wearing wireless headphones so you don't have to communicate with them. Even if you don't have kids, the Sirius radio, 0-60 MPH, 1/4 mile, 1/8th mile, and G-metering systems will keep you entertained no matter where you go. We recommend keeping the optional sunroof open during all exercises in reckless acceleration. It makes the evenings that much more exciting

Value: ***
Here I am, making fun of a Chrysler platform (which is like shooting pickles in a jar), and yet I can't help but think this is a fun car. Granted, the mileage is terrible, but it's more than made up for in utility, hoonability, and funulence. Yes, I just made up a word. Just make sure you don't plan on doing any autocrossing while you are in possession of this car or many a cone will meet its tragic end.

Overall: ***
Fun? Yes. Uncouth? Yes. An ego extension - you bet. Is this car for everyone? Absolutely not. The Dodge Charger SRT8 is one of those cars that, at the moment, seems obscene, but when the next malaise era rolls around will be remembered fondly as a pinnacle of automotive ballsiness. It is both great and terrible, brilliant and abhorrent, and the Charger SRT8 is everything we love about American braggadocio.

Also See:
2008 Dodge Charger SRT8, Part One
2008 Dodge Charger SRT8, Part Three

Photo credit to Fabrizio Constantini and Alex Conley

Where to begin? Well, for starters, you can completely disregard Wert's original review of the 2006 Dodge Charger SRT8. That's right, set his overly verbose love-screed aside because the Charger SRT8 is, above all, about testosterone. This is the kind of car that glorifies the years grease-streaked men have spent in dank, dark, sweaty garages squeezing every ounce of power from the profile of an intake cam. Guts this car has got in spades. The engine is a jewel of power and sound. The exhaust note of the big four-door is far more satisfying than the Challengers' more sedate murmurs. Small children cry in its throaty presence; young women faint; even dogs stare.

But engineers scratch their heads and laugh. How in the hell does a 6.1-liter, computer-designed, computer-controlled V8 provide such atrocious fuel mileage? We've managed to eek out 17 miles per gallon when being gentle, and when we call upon the dogs of war — 12. That's right, 12 miles per gallon. And not only that, but why does the transmission feel like it's getting its signals by way of carrier pigeon? In fully automatic mode, shifting feels less an exercise in maximum performance, and more an attempt at plowing mud with with your tires. Shifting it into manual mode, you gain a lot more control and it gets a lot more punchy, thus more fun, but the E-nannies still kick in too early, and the software fails to blip the throttle like Caddy's code does, making shift transitions awkward.

Finally, how did someone sign off on a suspension which makes a 1996 Toyota Corolla feel sporty in comparison? Don't get us wrong, the car is predictable at low speed, and extremely entertaining when you're writing graffiti on the parking lot, but at speed it feels unsettled, jittery, and unpolished in places where the Challenger shines.

The interior is nearly as bewildering as the traction control software. Things start off beautifully with multi-position, leather-clad seats featuring red-contrast stitching, tastefully embroidered SRT8 logos, and a suede-like seating surface. Nice. But then things get weird again. Instead of a purpose-built cockpit, we are faced with a bewildering user interface split between the speedometer and the navigation screen. And whoever thought a rear-seat Sirius satellite kids' TV package would make sense in this car should be rapped across the brow with a baseball bat. The only channels available are Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and the Disney Channel. Should it not be The Death Metal Channel, Car Chase Network and Tire Smoke News Channel? The wide swaths of depression-era gray rubberized plastic on the dash help highlight the failed execution of the art-deco styling in favor of the early-millennium "we phoned it in" school of design.

This is the essential problem with the Charger SRT8. It is both everything you love and everything you hate about American cars all wrapped up in one tough-looking package. It's big and rides smoothly, with plenty of space, lots of luxurious elements, and it's more powerful than stink on a wet mule. But the surprisingly sloppy handling, maddening user controls and tragic transmission make us cry uncle. The car manages to be just controllable enough that you have to be really stupid to get yourself in trouble, but it's powerful enough that if you do, you'll be going down in a blaze of twisted metal and tire smoke — a funeral pyre to the Gods of drag racing.

I would hate the Charger, but it's just so much goddamn fun.

Photo credit:
- Opening photo: Alex Conley, AlexCConley.com
- Gallery: Fabrizio Constantini

Update: For all the readers out there requesting the lead image in wallpaper size, click HERE and your wish will be granted [/cotomer sevis]

Also See:
2008 Dodge Challenger RRT8, Part Two
2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8, Part Three

The result is what the Avenger should have looked like. It's also the closest thing possible to the Centaur of motor vehicles — a pony car with a Ram-headed Charger front end. [CarScoop] [Carscoop]

Suitability Parameters:
Speed Merchants: No
Fashion Victims: No
Treehuggers: No
Mack Daddies: No
Tuner Crowd: No
Hairdressers: No
Penny Pinchers: No
Euro Snobs: No
Working Stiffs: Yes
Technogeeks: No
Poseurs: No
Soccer Moms: No
Nascar Dads: Yes
Golfing Grandparents: No

Also Consider:
• Ford Crown Victoria P71
• Chevy Impala 9C1
• '74 Dodge Monaco
• Increasing road safety by encouraging good driving behavior and motorist education instead of focusing on narrow-minded and ineffective speed enforcement

Vitals:
• Manufacturer: Dodge
• Model year: 2008
• Base price: $29,160
• Price as tested: $29,740
• Engine type: 5.7-Liter OHV V8
• Horsepower: 340 @ 5000 RPM
• Torque: 390 @ 4000 RPM
• Transmission: 5-Speed Automatic
• Curb weight: 4150 pounds
• LxWxH: 200.1" x 74.5" x 58.2"
• Wheelbase: 120.0"
• Tires: P225/60R18
• 0 - 60 mph: 5.9 seconds
• EPA fuel economy city/highway: 15/23 MPG
• NHTSA crash test rating: ***** front

Also see:
• 2008 Dodge Charger Police Edition, Part One
• 2008 Dodge Charger Police Edition, Part Two

Acceleration: ****
On paper, 340 HP may not look as impressive today as it once did, but when you stomp on the go pedal and wake up the four Hemi V8 cylinders that were taking a nap to save gas, those horses feel plenty strong indeed. Maximum power from the 5.7-liter mill comes in at 5000 RPM, and 390 lb-ft of torque is cranked out at 4000 RPM. And while it may not be exceedingly loud, the Hemi does provide a snorting soundtrack.

Braking: ***
With ABS and vented discs on all four corners, stopping performance is adequate, especially considering the massive size and weight of the Charger. What's important is the car feels stable and controlled during emergency-stop situations.

Ride: ***
Benefiting from the Mercedes-derived four-wheel-independent suspension, the Police Charger certainly feels better than the softly sprung solid-axle boats of yesteryear. But the sheer size of the car may make you feel a bit like you're in an SUV that's been hunkered down a few inches, though overall the ride is comfortable enough for a day's worth of patrolling.

Handling: **
You don't expect a car like this to go around turns well, and it doesn't. Body roll isn't as bad as some cars, but there's lots of understeer. Even with the traction control off, the car is hard to coax into a powerslide. You'll be fine chasing down a murderer in an Iroc-Z on the expressway, but you'll need to call-in a roadblock to catch a Porsche on a winding back road.

Gearbox: *
There's just something so nostalgically right about a column-shifter in a big American car. The five-speed automatic works fine for normal driving. However, the autostick feature is nearly worthless. Even my small thumbs struggled to properly operate the tiny +/- button for manual shifting.

Audio: *
The bargain basement stereo isn't impressive, though if you're busy listening to your police radio, we imagine it's sufficient.

Toys: **
With no sirens, no radios, and no flashing lights installed, our Charger had nothing to play with. If you want to install all the cop goodies, the Charger's ready to go with an upgraded battery and alternator — and all that would have moved the star rating to the top. Still, the spotlight is fun for making punk teenage drivers squirm night driving on unlit country roads.

Value: ***
Though we hear it all depends on what kind of deal your municipality can strike up, a Hemi-powered Police Charger starts at just over $29,000. That's pretty good if you want a brand new muscle sedan. Though a Ford or Chevy will cost less if you just want a cruiser. That's not even mentioning the endless supply of pre-abused P71 Crown Vics that are practically given away at police auctions.

Overall: ***
The Dodge Charger Police Edition is a squad car with the attitude to intimidate bad guys, and the muscle to run them down. It takes old-school flavor and brings it up-to-date, while retaining the simple charm of a big V8-powered American cruiser. So what do you say? Is it the new Bluesmobile or what?

Also see:
• 2008 Dodge Charger Police Edition, Part One
• 2008 Dodge Charger Police Edition, Part Three

It's got cop tires, a rough n' ready cop suspension and rubber floors. Most importantly, it's got a Hemi under the hood — the big 5.7-liter 345 cubic-inch 'plant. The engine helps this big Dodge make me feel ready for some silver-screen type stunts. Thoughts flash through my mind of arriving at the opposite side of a slightly raised drawbridge at full speed, but unfortunately, the bridge was down — my hopes of truly testing the stout suspension dashed. I'd have to settle for the curbs I'd hopped coming off the expressway to give me a feel for the resiliency of the Chrysler tested and police-approved chassis.

I slide up to see Hardigree wearily checking his watch, anxious to continue our pilgrimage across the city. No, we're not on a mission from God, not looking to reunite a band and save an orphanage. We're here to reunite this car with its spiritual home.

There's something universally menacing about the blacked-out Charger. Yes, anyone on the highway noticing the spot lamp poking out of the driver side A-pillar will move out of your way, but that's true with any decommissioned police car. The Charger, however, has an extra level of attitude, emanating from that strong centerline, the aggressive front grille and those big rear haunches — a truly scary feeling even a blind pianist can sense.

So, as we pull up to the Museum of Science and Industry onto the very familiar footbridge out front, I felt I could scatter Nazi Illini with a greater efficiency than Jake and Elwood ever could with their '74 Monaco.

But if we really want to make this car feel at home, we need to get pulled over. The whole film pivots on an unfortunate encounter with the Illinois State Police, but we'll settle for Chicago PD. Since we'd rather not actually get a ticket, we happen upon a police station and Matt hops out to talk with the sergeant in charge. Though rebuffed officially, one of the officers motions to us he wants to speak with us outside the earshot of his supervisor. Outside, he agrees to help us. He's not pulling us over, just parking behind us — with his flashing lights on — in the middle of the road. Other cops gathered about grumble jealously. "I wish they'd buy us some of these," says our friendly officer.

We bid farewell to The Man and head over to pick up Chicago-style hot dogs from a local stand, consuming them in a parking lot across the street from Wrigley Field. Not quite four fried chickens, but they'll do. Getting back in the Charger, I pull down on the column shifter, noting how different the equipment on this model is compared to the usual creature comforts we all take for granted in most modern cars. For example, no cupholders. But never mind because the floors are rubber, making clean-up simple should I spill something. No cigarette lighter either — true to Blues Brothers form.

Matt and I head downtown, but are disappointed to find neither mounted patrol or National Guard waiting for us. I continue on to Lower Wacker Drive, rolling down the windows and selecting a low gear on the Autostick. The echoing roar of the V8 chases me through the underground street. Even if you're not on a mission from God, you can't help but feel the divine reverberation. Sadly, we only had the car for a few days, and with our time almost up, I had to head back to Michigan.

On my drive back, the jazz station crackling on the radio lulls me into losing track of time, worries, distance, and apparently speed. I guess you can only get pulled over when you don't want to be. "Do you know what I stopped you for?" asks a blindingly bright beam of light in my passenger side window. I've never answered "no" to that question. So, after my quick slick answer, the uniformed man with the inquisitive flashlight goes back to his Crown Vic for a minute. I hope he doesn't have SCMODS. Thankfully, he returns with only a written warning and a guilt trip. "You should feel privileged to drive this car." states the officer. It's true, I should.

Remember that, people: No matter who you are and what you do to live, thrive and survive, there are still some things that make us all the same. You, me, them, everybody... and respect for a police-spec Charger is one of them.

Also see:
• 2008 Dodge Charger Police Edition, Part Two
• 2008 Dodge Charger Police Edition, Part Three

Editor-in-Chief

Rich Truesdell picked up the new Challenger yesterday morning and met up with a bunch of Mopar buddies in Las Vegas. After the jump I have four more pics of the old Mopars that escorted him out of town—I love that '68 GTX. Tonight everyone is meeting up at the Best Western in Lakewood, Colorado before they start retracing the Vanishing Point route. Stay tuned for more stories, pics and video from the road.

If you've been in the market for a HEMI Charger why not buy one with history and ridiculous wheels? Sadly, the history relates to having said wheels stolen at gunpoint. Anyone planning to make an offer? [eBay Motors via VWVortex Forums]

The Car Connection is reporting:

"Chrysler's plans for its large 300/Charger sedans include a major makeover for the 2011 model year. But while Chrysler's new managers have been dropping hints about the future of the HEMI engine, there's not much they can do about the rear-drive layout of the big sedans."

"A switch to front-wheel drive could improve the fuel economy of the sedans, but reports to TCC say that there's no money set aside to make the switch to front-wheel drive."

Most car guys have watched the legendary chase sequence in the movie Bullitt enough times to have it memorized, but have you ever tried driving it? Our guess is that if you tried it and succeeded, you must have an early copy of the Moller M200 because unfortunately the route is impossible. An intrepid Google user with the tag mthaeg has gone to the trouble of matching the movie to the roads of the bay area, and despite the greatness of the chase, it isn't based in reality. It seems the footage was filmed in nine different locations all over San Francisco. While this in no way diminishes the greatness of the 1968 Peter Yates classic, it does make recreating it with your own Mustang Bullitt and Charger SRT-8 that much more difficult. Click through for the map or go directly to to Google maps page for much more detail.

The boats used a hull design with a specialized foam that eventually became a standard for the industry as the foam helped prevent the boat from becoming completely submurged in the event of an accident. While there's no Charger Daytona to gawk at, the boats are attractive in their own way (we particularly like the little green Dart). Enjoy! [ALLPAR]

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Imagine how it felt to be a Tennessee high school kid with a genuine 4-speed-equipped big-block '69 Charger R/T back in the Late Malaise Era. Probably even better than it felt being a California high-school kid with a genuine Hurst dual-gate-equipped '67 GTO, I tell you what!


So, let's hear Randy's tale in his own words. Fasten your seat belts, folks- plenty of twists and turns, heartbreak and redemption ahead!

1982
A time when VW diesel Rabbits and late model Cutlasses with big tires on all four corners roamed freely among the few big blocks that were still being daily driven. The once proud 'shine running country of East Tennessee was being taken over by "good on gas" econoboxes. The horror, the horror.
There were still a few wild-eyed southern boys with a need for speed. I was one of them. The muscle car was my P-51 Mustang, my Sopwith Camel, my pure adrenaline rush. Unfortunately, I didn't have one. So, I set about rectifying that in the summer of 1982. I must have looked at every Camaro and GTO for sale within 40 miles. One day after looking at Camaro's all day, my best friend (Jimmy) and I were eating a burger at the local drive-in restaurant. The C&W, great local place to cruise. It's still around, but in a more sedate form with inside seating. As we sat there talking about the cars we'd just seen, a '71 Challenger pulled up. Gold with Black interior, rally hood. Jimmy went crazy telling me how cool Challenger's were. How fast they were. He already had the Mopar bug - but no car. It was definitely a good looking car.
As we sat there, I looked up and down the line of parked cars, and saw an F3 Green 1969 Charger R/T parked a few feet away across from us. It had slots with 3-bar spinners. I looked at it, then the Challenger, then back at it. Finally, I uttered the immortal words, "Jimmy, that car is me."
Jimmy elaborated that it was a Charger and was also great, but not as great as the Challenger. I left the drive-in not really thinking much more about it. A couple of weeks later, on the first day of my Senior year in High School, I passed the same Charger on a used car lot for sale. Less than an 1/8th mile from the drive-in, just up on the right. Jimmy caught me at school, he'd seen it to.
Well, you know we went straight to the car lot after school. It was a 440 4-spd. R/T SE in triple Green. Stripe delete. Virtually unmolested 80K mile car. I couldn't even drive a 4-spd. The owner of the lot, drove me to see my Dad (the local insurance agent) with the car. Dad had been, shall we say, less than friendly toward my previous muscle car desires. For some odd reason, he agreed to this one. I was shocked. He got a "90-day" note on the car, and told me to sell my current car, and use the money to pay off the note. I made enough money off my other car to pay off the note on the Charger, and buy 2 new tires to replace the L60-14 Tiger Paws on the rear. I put some Sears Superwide 60's on it. G60-14. Did they match the front? Nah, I didn't know any better at 17, and couldn't afford 4 new tires anyway.
The first Sunday I had the car, my Dad decided to drive it after Church to take the family to dinner. As he wound the car out in first gear, he looked over at my Mom and said, "This thing's geared like a tractor". Then he proceeded to bounce the front-end a little before shifting to second. My Mother was not thrilled. Her words to my Dad were, "He'll get killed in this car, and it'll be your fault". Somehow, I pleaded enough that she let me keep the car, although she was very nearly right. It was, and is, way too much car for a kid. The Dana had been swapped for an 8 3/4 with 3.91's. So, my Dad was pretty much on the mark, it was geared like a tractor. He still tells me that to this day. On a side note, I recently called him and thanked him for letting me get that car. I told him Mopars have provided me with much joy, and even some pocket change over the years.
The car brought me instant celebrity at school among the car guys. Yeah, I had the quickest car in school. My driving stunts brought me celebrity and scorn from my other classmates. The car had another dramatic impact on my life at that time. I had been shy and introverted before I got the car. I went through a sort of Christine effect with this car, and came out of my shell so to speak. I still didn't hang out with the cool kids, but they were afraid of me......or was that my driving? Oh well, the older I get, the better I was. But, Jimmy and I survived it all. Jimmy got a '70 340 Challenger a couple of years later, and still has it along with a '70 383 car.
I left for the Army shortly after graduation and moth-balled the car for the next couple of years. After returning from the Army, I rebuilt the drive train in the car with help from a buddy of mine. It was pretty much stock, with the addition of a Direct Connection Street Hemi grind cam and ch4b Edelbrock intake. It ran very well. Succumbing to the trends of era, I traded out the 14" American Racing slots (with 3 bar spinners) for a set of polished 15" Centerlines. Yeah, I was in high cotton. Never mind the fact I didn't change the tranny speedo gear. I never drove the speed limit anyway. Many a Chebbie saw those Charger taillights over the next 18 months or so, and then tragedy struck. The car was stolen late one night from where I work. I cannot put into words the pain I felt walking out from work and seeing my car gone, and realizing what had happened. I called the Police and they were less than interested in a stolen vehicle report on an old Dodge, without theft insurance. Many unflattering things have been written about small town police departments, and in that day at that time, many of those stereotypes were true of this department, in my opinion. I didn't wait on the Police. I got a ride home, threw my buddy a .357, got my M1911A1 and we went hunting car thieves. We came to within a mile of where they had the car, but didn't know it. It's probably good I didn't find them. I don't know what would have happened, but I probably wouldn't be writing this today had I found them. We looked all night, and I went home depressed and dejected. The next few days I spend looking for the car to no avail. One of the guys at work said his cousin had found a car stripped on his farm and it sounded like my car. This guy was a habitual liar, so I didn't believe him. Then, the guy said they had come back and burned the car. Again, I didn't believe him. I got to work the next day and several people expressed their condolences on my car. I was confused, and asked what they were talking about. It turned out the car had been found, and was announced on the local news radio show as having been recovered. Funny, the Police didn't bother to tell me, but the local DJ knew. I called the Police Station and inquired as to the status. I was told nothing had changed. Really?!? I mentioned several people had heard it on the local radio and was put on hold. The officer came back and said, it had indeed been recovered, and the officer who covered the incident was off and had not turned in his report yet. I managed to find out the impound yard it was at, and went to look at it.
The car had indeed been burned. I suffered the same pain all over again as I had the night it was stolen. Only for some reason, this was deeper, harder. Seeing the burned hulk was incomprehensible. I would have rather it was sold out of state than to see this. Evidently, the farmer had discovered the car while it was only stripped and called the Police to come get it. After several days the thieves came back and torched it. Then, the farmer called back very irate and they went to get the car. If memory serves me correctly the dispatcher lost the original farmers report. If only they had recovered it, or called me then.
The Police could not get good finger prints off the car even though it was covered in them. I did my own detective work and learned who had stolen the car. I turned the evidence over to the Police and they confirmed it. The person had left town. I found him down in Florida. The Police said they couldn't extradite due to various reasons that escape me now. Long story short, I sued the Police for negligence, incompetence and several other things. When all the facts were reviewed, they chose to settle out of court. They took their revenge in several undeserved speeding tickets for myself and my family. Ok, some might have been deserved by me, but not the family. I was young and didn't have a very good lawyer, I settled for less than the car was worth.
I kept what was left of the car. The front clip was intact and not harmed. VIN on the dash was ok. They took my intake, carb, battery, distributor from the engine compartment. Centerlines gone. Took my tools, jack, original Red Line spare. Rear bumper and valence were unharmed. Everything in between the rear bumper and firewall was pretty much toast. I spoke to the farmer that found the car on his property and investigated the site. I picked up lots of parts and even some evidence that I turned over to the Police (prior to suing them). It seems they had a party, drinking beer while stripping the car and they had raced it in a circle prior to torching it. They also shot the farmers dog sometime during the night.
I stored the car at a friend's place for several years while I attempted to find a nice body to use to restore the car with. College, jobs, women, other cars, and life went by and I never found the right car, until a few years ago. I found almost the exact same car, except it had a 318. I bought it, rebuilt the original engine and tranny from my car and installed it. Put the core support from my car in it. Got a correct Dana for it. Put many of the original parts from my Charger on it. Hope to be driving it by the time you are reading this. Lots of controversy in the hobby these days over re-bodied cars. Regardless of one's opinion, when I get in the car, grab my old shifter, and know the heart of the old car beats under the hood, I am transported back to a simpler time. It works for me.
Sometime around 1996, I did a title search through the state. I received copies of all the previous titles, and was able to track the original owner down, including the MRO for the car along with the bill of sale submitted to the state. I got a bunch of great info from the state. I managed to talk to, and even visit, the original owner. The car was bought new at Citizen's Dodge in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The owner chose F3 because he liked the color. Okay, would not have been my first choice, but it was the 60's. I asked him why he got a 440 instead of Hemi and he said, the Hemi was still largely unknown in his part of the state, whereas the 440 was a proven engine. He was afraid if he had problems with the Hemi, he wouldn't be able to get it fixed. So, he chose the 440. He also said he wanted a/c and a 4spd. They told him to choose, he couldn't get both. So, he chose the 4spd. Ahh, a man after my own heart. When it was delivered, he pulled off the wheels and installed chrome reverse wheels with baby moons. Hmmm, not sure about that decision. He asked me if the car had teeth marks in the dash pad just above the glovebox. I told him yes, it did have them. He said his 3 year old had bitten the dash while her Mother held her in her lap. His wife told me that was the only time he ever got really mad at their daughter and yelled at her. His daughter offered to come over and bite the dash again after the car was restored. I politely declined. Unfortunately, he had no pics or parts left over as he'd had a house fire and lost it all years before. I guess I'll own this one 'til I die. I don't really like Green, but we have a history together. - January 2007

Sometime in 1987
I first saw this car driving down the road and the owner hammering it. It was Red, primer, rust and Green. I thought, "What a pile". Later there was an ad in the local paper for a Charger for $500. I went to look at the car and it was the same car. It still had the Dana and for $500, I thought it would make a good parts car for the F3 R/T SE 4spd car I had. Somewhere along the line, the Dana in the F3 car had been exchanged for an 8 3/4, and I wanted a Dana back in the car.
The owner of the R6 car said he had smoked the clutch. I wanted it for the Dana, so I really didn't care about much else. As I walked down the length of the car looking at the bondoed up quarters, something caught my eye. The sail panel had 2 small holes close together. Could this be an SE? Yes, the owner said he had the emblems in a bag in the house. This was a R/T SE 4spd, R6 Red car. I knew it was something special and decided to buy it. I told the owner I'd be back the next day with the cash. Can you guess what happened?
Yep, I was beat to punch. Someone else bought it. A few months later I was sitting at a gas station and an older guy who looked like the main character in Sling Blade approached me in my F3 car and started asking questions. He said he had one like mine only Red. This happened a lot and typically didn't pan out, so I thought, "sure you do". Still, he seemed to know about cars and asked about parts. I got his name and number and said I'd see what I could find.
Turns out he was a distant relative. I got a kick out of that one. He and his brother were big Mopar guys from back in the "day". His brother had (and still has) a 69 GTX 440 auto car he bought new.
Several months later, either he called me or I called him about buying the car. Can't remember which now, but I bought the car for $900 with a ton of parts. Sold off most of the parts like an idiot a year later.
The car sat untouched for a couple years while I finished college. Then, I sent it to a buddy of mine to build the engine. Three attempted engine builds and several years later I got the call to come get it.
It's a long story, but basically the car sat neglected for the better part of 10 years while I played with other cars. My buddy that was building the engine piddled with it in his spare time and something would always go wrong in the engine build to prevent me from picking it up. Like the 400 flywheel on the 440. My buddy didn't bother to check prior to putting it in the car. Can you say, "beat the bearings out of itself?"
Anyways along about late 1996, I picked the car up and took it home. 3 engine builds later, it ran ok. I got rid of the redneck six-pak setup, put the stock intake and carb back on - it ran and runs great.
Shortly after getting it home, I did a title search through my home state of Tennessee. I got a record of every owner, including the original owners name, address, and MRO for the car along with the bill of sale submitted to the state. It is a bunch of great info. I could not reach any of the previous owners (20 or more) except for the original owner. He still lived at the same address and had the same phone number.
He remembered the car and told me he had ordered it optioned the way it was for racing. He originally ordered it F8 and went back and changed it to R6. Whew ! Good move dude !
He said he street raced it and was very successful along with a friend who had a 70 440-6 Cuda. After an engine fire (which he suspects was sabotage from a sore loser) he traded the car on a Roadrunner. He said he always missed the car. Unfortunately, he had no pics or parts left over from the car as he'd had a house fire some years before and lost everything. I hope the guy is still alive, I need to make the time to go meet him. He bought the car new at Burgin Dodge in Knoxville, TN. and lived South of there in Tallassee, TN.
Anyway, back to the car. I have had it back in my possession since 1996 and have been collecting parts ever since then. I am almost ready to begin the restoration, 20 years after I first bought the car. As a side note, I did have the car at my wedding in 1997 along with some Mopars of my friends and yes, my wife's car. She had a 455 Cutlass Convertible at the time. I'm not a GM fan, but a 455 convertible is ok, if it has to be a GM. She is a Mopar gal now, and knows more than most guys I run across in the hobby. But, most importantly, we share a love of old muscle cars together and she supports me totally with my cars. Maybe I'll get this car finished before my hair turns completely White. Donations appreciated. :0)

  51.2%
- 48.8%
= 2.4%

And, we are pretty sure that 2.4% is less than 3%, so both the Charger R/T and the Challenger R/T are permanent members of the Jalopnik Fantasy Garage! And by the power of Grayskull raw "because I say so," the two Dodges will share a single spot. Reality be damned.

Never mind what the Loverman says about the early Chargers being "frumpy," Chrysler's response to the gauntlet thrown down by the fishy Rambler (OK, fine, it was more a response to the hot-selling GTO) is a fine-looking machine! Break away from the herd of '68-70 B-body drivers and get yourself something like, say, this 1966 Charger! Yes, you're not hallucinating- that's just one grand for a genuine pre-Malaise Dodge Charger! And, of course, with that sweet price comes a few challenges. First of all, the seller seems vague about the mechanical condition, which generally means "Neither rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night will hide the fact that nothing on this car works!" Then you gotta figure there's some serious rust involved, what with this car being from Missouri. Last- but certainly not least- is the lack of any sort of paperwork verifying ownership, so you'll need to do some negotiating with DMV officials who might be somewhat less than understanding about your situation. However, mechanical parts should be quite plentiful (body parts might be more difficult, though some Coronet stuff ought to fit), and imagine the kid-in-candy-store drivetrain choices you'd have! How about a 440 with the aforementioned 6-71, with pistol-grip 4-speed? Or, hell, a Viper V10! It can be done... with enough money and time.

But say even an early Charger is just too mainstream for your taste. Come to think of it, any car from Detroit is too mainstream. Maybe you need a stylish fastback from Kenosha, Wisconsin! How about this 1965 Rambler Marlin? At $2250 it's more than twice the price of the Charger, but it's also more complete. Plus, being a California car, there's not going to be as much rust. However, it's been stored since 1984, which (if it's been outdoors the whole time) means the trunk has probably filled with water every winter, and you can assume that the entire fuel system, all seals, and most electrical connectors are totally garbooned. The seller doesn't say anything about mechanical condition... but then, after 23 years of storage he doesn't need to say anything. The engine is the AMC 327, which isn't a bad engine, but the selection of go-fast parts is limited enough that we recommend the application of 401 cubes of Wisconsin horsepower as Item #1 on your checklist; you can defray a tiny percentage of your cost by selling the 327 to a Rambler fanatic. Restoring the interior... well, it might be a bit hard to find stuff like door panels and trim pieces, but that's what the Internet (and a fat wallet) is all about, right? Just imagine how all those dime-a-dozen Charger drivers will blend into the background as you roar up in your baaaaad Marlin!

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Dodge Charger R/T

In the mid-1960s the Dodge boys had to stand aside and watch as Pontiac sold tens of thousands of GTOs. Not surprisingly, Dodge dealers were pissed. Chrysler President Lynn Townsend (the man behind the Pentastar) called Dodge's chief engineer Burt Bouwkamp into his office and demanded a solution, adding, "for God's sake don't make it a derivative of the Barracuda." Bouwkamp and his team followed the order and in 1965 presented the Charger II Show Car. If the public liked it, the thinking went, Dodge would build it. As Bouwkamp said, "It was pre-ordained that they would like it." Dodge went on to build the Charger, selling 37,344 in six months. However, added competition from the Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang saw total sales for all of 1967 drop to less than 16,000 units. A redesign was ordered.

The resulting car was the 1968-1970 B-body, quite simply one of the baddest looking machines ever built. While the previous version had all the right go-fast stuff (including the introduction of the 426 Street Hemi) it looked frumpy. Not so for the new model, as Dodge's stylists knocked the sinister-look ball out of the park and into the next millennium, where the car continues to blow minds and take numbers. That's owed to its seductive double-diamond or "coke bottle" styling, where the body bulged out at the front and rear quarters. Think about it: how much time did you spend as a child fondling a Hot Wheels General Lee? We bet a lot.

Like all great muscle cars, the Charger didn't just look hot, it frigging flew. Power came from a variety of engines, but only two matter in today's context: the please-mod-me 440 Six Pack Magnum and the 426 Hemi with its insane compression ratio straight from the factory. We know the Hemi had the power advantage (supposedly), pulling 433.5 horses on the dyno in 1965 (the factory claimed 425). but Bill Hickman, the baddie in Bullitt, hooned the 440. Long story short, we wish we had tough decisions like this in front of us nowadays. How does this sound — if the Charger R/T makes it into the Garage, just imagine it comes stuffed with your favorite engine, as it really don't matter. And if you like, just debate it in the comments.

Let's take a closer look at the Bullitt Charger. First, the (awesome) Mustang(s) that McQueen drove were actually heavily modified cars. Here's what Max Balchowsky, the guy responsible for modifying and maintaining all the Bullitt vehicles had to say:

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.

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.

Dodge Challenger R/T

But on the other hand, you have the Challenger. For half a decade Dodge dealers had to bend over and take the fact that Ford was selling millions of Mustangs while they had no pony car whatsoever. To compound the injury, Chevy had its Camaro, Pontiac had the Firebird and even cousin Plymouth was raking in the youth market duckets with its Barracuda. Hell, even Mercury had the Cougar. All of that changed in 1970 when Chrysler, saving (maybe) the best muscle car for last, green-lighted a Dodge version of its new E-body chassis. And man oh man, was a legend ever born.

Like its big brother Charger, the Challenger was available with a raft of engine choices, but again the only two we care about are the 426 Hemi and the 440 Six Pack Magnum. Same power, too, but the smaller Challenger was lighter and more nimble. Performance, for the time, was massive, with zero-to-60 times right around six seconds and the quarter-mile happening in the mid 13s. And with decent tires, the times dropped. The Challengers looked the part, too, with their sleek snouts and bulging, slightly jacked up haunches. Designer Carl Cameron actually borrowed the design for the grill from a sketch of a '66 Charger he drew that was to be turbine-powered. We love that.

But you just can't talk about think about the Dodge Challenger without a close examination of Vanishing Point and the car meant to the film. For those who haven't seen the Barry Newman original, slap yourself. Then, bookmark this page, go rent it then watch it. Finished? Good. And now you know that for no reason other than the fact that he can do it, Kowalski jumps into his white "supercharged" Challenger and decides to drive from Denver to San Francisco solo in 15 hours. While hopped up on goofballs. Why did you climb the mountain? Because it was there.

For years the rumor mill has prolifically churned out all sorts of speculation as to what exactly Kowalski was driving. For certain it was a white Challenger with a Hurst four-speed. One camp maintained that there was in fact some sort of special, also hopped up, supercharged Mopar mill under the hood. Sadly, that's just not so. Vanishing Point featured five different Challengers (and a doomed Camaro!) in the role of Kowalski's ride (though oddly at one point Newman claimed there were nine cars). Four had 440 Magnums, while one had a 383 with a three-speed slusher.

Many people (me nearly included) consider the chase scene in Bullitt to be the greatest ever. However, where Bullitt is only an — admittedly — good movie that just happened to feature an eye-popping chase sequence, Vanishing Point is nothing but a car chase. And, paradoxically, anything but a car chase. America was near the bloody end of the Vietnam War and the young not white privileged enough to get a college deferment were being drafted and slaughtered in an essentially meaningless old man's war. At the same time the politics of the day seemed hopeless and the idealism of the 60s had crashed and burned. Vanishing Point then, was an expression of disgust, a shot across the bow of the status quo. With car as metaphor. And of course, the car chosen to vent this rage was the mighty Challenger. Kawolski's ticket to ride, man.

Maybe you're not feeling it: the hunger for freedom, the raw angst, that generations' damaged zeitgeist. One of my favorite moments from Die Hard was when Agent Johnson shouts to Agent Johnson, "YEEEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!! Just like fucking Vietnam!" To which Agent Johnson replies, "I was in junior high, dickhead." I want to leave you with a poem by W.S. Merwin that I'm hope will shed a little light:

Losing a Language

A breath leaves the sentences and does not come back
yet the old still remember something that they could say

but they know now that such things are no longer believed
and the young have fewer words

many of the things the words were about
no longer exist

the noun for standing in mist by a haunted tree
the verb for I

the children will not repeat
the phrases their parents speak

somebody has persuaded them
that it is better to say everything differently

so that they can be admired somewhere
farther and farther away

where nothing that is here is known
we have little to say to each other

we are wrong and dark
in the eyes of the new owners

the radio is incomprehensible
the day is glass

when there is a voice at the door it is foreign
everywhere instead of a name there is a lie

nobody has seen it happening
nobody remembers

this is what the words were made
to prophesy

here are the extinct feathers
here is the rain we saw

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The Jalopnik Fantasy Garage, So Far:
RUF RT12 | 1978 Aston Martin V8 Vantage | Honda 1300 Coupe 9 | 1931 Daimler Double Six 50 Corsica Drophead Coupe | Ferrari 288 GTO | Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 | 1970 Buick GSX 455 | First Generation BMW M Coupe | Bugatti Veyron 16.4 | Ford GT | Citroen SM | Porsche 928 | Jensen FF | DeTomaso Vallelunga | Audi Quattro S1 | Buick GNX | Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R | Honorary Fantasy Garager: The LS1 Powered Rotus | Lamborghini LM002 | Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe | Ferrari 250 GTO | Bentley Speed Six | Talbot-Lago T150C SS Figoni et Falaschi Raindrop/Teardrop Coupe | Porsche 917 | Audi RS4 Avant || Lamborghini Miura | Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 | BMW E39 M5 | Jaguar E-type | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL

The review itself is nothing earth-shattering, but he goes off on a very entertaining digression about LA police chases and the old gumball-machine-equipped 440 Mopar copmobiles of years past. No doubt Londoners are now feeling less respect for those Vauxhalls the coppers roll in over there. As for this side of the water... well, it's time for Ford to answer back with a Police Interceptor Crown Vic equipped with a quad-50 turret on the roof, driver's seat by La-Z-Boy, and a blown cammer 427 under the hood. [Times of London]