<david.clement@verizon.net> wrote in message
>
> Josh, You are a little confused, the Challeger was a Dodge product. Here
is a
> little more history;
I could have sworn that the Challenger was a Plymouth. I thought it a
little odd and google turned up many hits for the "Plymouth Challenger." I
didn't think to search again as a Dodge.
> In 1964 the Plymouth Barracuda beat the Ford Mustang to the show room
floor by
> about 2 months. The the 64 Barracuda was a reskinned Valiant, the Mustang
was a
> reskinned Falcon. Both the Valiant and Falcon were the the low cost
compact
> cars from both manufacturers and Dodge did not have an equivalent. The
Mustang
> became more popular because of three body style choices (fastback, coupe
and
> vert) and engine choices, where as the Barracuda was only a Fastback.
>
> Both cars continued with only minor changes. In 67 the compact line of
mopars
> received a significant overhaul and the Barracuda got a very dramatic
sheet
> metal overhaul and now had the same three body styles as the Mustang
(Fastback,
> coupe and vert). This was also the first year of availability of the 383
big
> block in the Barracuda. Dodge still didn't have a direct competitor but
the
> Dart platform received the same chassis modifications and shared
everything
> under the sheet metal with Barracuda. Thes cars stayed pretty much the
same
> through 69. In the mean time the Mustang got larger and became available
with
> big block power too. In 68 the 318LA, 340LA became available. And, approx
75
> Barracuda's and 75 Darts were manufactured by Hurst Performance for mopar
with
> the 426 Hemi. In 69 the 440 became a standard option (though you couldn't
get
> air or pwr steering) for both the Barracuda and Dart but no Hemi cars were
> made.
>
> By the late 60's there were Mustangs, Cougars, Camaros, Firebrids and
Javalins.
> The gen 2 Barracuda was now three years old and Dodge still din't have a
"pony"
> car. For 70 the Barracuda was redesigned onto it's own platform (e-body)
and
> Dodge got it's equivalent called the Challenger. Even though they looked
> similar the Challenger has a longer wheel base and no sheet metal is
common.
> The engine compartment is larger and would easily accept all mopar engines
> without restrictions on brakes, pwr steering or AC. These cars continued
> through 74 with only minor changes. The Barracuda and Challenger were very
much
> the pony car formula with a long hood and short deck and were equivalent
in
> size to the other pony car offerings and though they had back seats people
with
> legs could really sit back there any more than in a Mustang, Camaro or
Javlin.
> The Challenger name continued after 74 for a few years on a rebadged
Mitsubishi
> and the Plymouth equivalent was a Sapporo. These cars were very much the
same
> as the Mustang II of that time but the Camaro & Firbird continued with the
> orignal Pony car formula. The Cougar morphed into a Monte Carlo competitor
and
> the Javlin went awy.
>
> In 66 Dodge took the mid size Coronet and put a fastback roof line on it
and
> called it a Charger. AMC took there mid size car and put a fastback roof
on it
> and called it a Marlin at the same time. There were no other cars like
them
> from any of the other manufacturers. In 68 the Charger received a major
reskin
> but it was still based on the mid size b-body and was available with all
mopar
> engijes including the \6. Plymouth didn't have an equivalent. Roadrunners,
> Super Bees, GTX's and R/T's were the 2dr coupe, 2dr hartop or vert mid
size
> b-bodies cars with performance options. The Roadrunner and Super Bee being
the
> stipped down cars with only the performance options and the GTX and R/T
having
> the upscale trim levels. These car continued with only minor changes
through 70
> with vert option on the Raodrunner and Super Bee being available in 70. In
71
> the b-body line received a major sheet metal overhaul. The Charger,
Sebring,
> Roadrunner/GTX now shared the same basic body style.
>
> In 75 the Charger name was used on the Dodge equivelant to the Monte Carlo
and
> was a twin to the Chrysler Cordoba, Plymouth didn't have an equivalent.
>
> As many have state the Charger name has always been on a car with two drs.
It
> has always had a performance image even though in it's base form it may
have
> had a \6 or a 2bbl 318.
That's quite a history lesson Dave. I knew the Ford history pretty well
(I've always been a Mustang fan) but I didn't really start getting into
Mopar until I got this truck so please excuse my ignorance. I probably
should have done a little more digging before chiming in.
> Go here to see my second generation Barracuda
> http://mysite.verizon.net/david.clement/
Looks really sharp Dave!
-- - Josh Lowered 2000 Dakota CC 3.9L I put on my robe and wizard hat.... www.omg-stfu.com
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