Plymouth never had a Challenger.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Josh Battles" <josh@omg-stfu.com>
To: <dakota-truck-moderator@bent.twistedbits.net>
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 2:21 PM
Subject: Re: DML: OT Dodge Charger
>
> <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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