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Dodge Charger 440 cubic inch V8 1969

General description : The second-generation Dodge Charger is simply the most charismatic muscle car ever built. I’m not even a Mopar guy and I think it’s the best-looking machine to roll out of Detroit in the 1960s. Some of it is the legend behind it, but there’s no denying that this 1969 Dodge Charger R/T SE is spectacular to look at. It’s also a relatively rare SE model, which included the vinyl top, real leather seat trim, and woodgrained appliques to dress up the interior a bit. But don’t start to think that this one has gone soft just because the interior is comfortable—it’s a real-deal R/T and under the hood you’ll find a correct HP-coded 440 that’s been built for combat and tuned to run like a stocker. Add in spectacular west-coast sheetmetal, beautiful R4 Red paint, and you get a car Charger that doesn’t disappoint.

If you scan the fender tag, you’ll spot that this Charger was originally Bright Turquoise, but that isn’t really the right color for a car that can dish out the hurt like this one can. It has been in the same owner’s hands for two decades and when it first arrived here in Ohio from the west coast, he tore it down to a bare shell and repainted it proper R4 Red, just like the cover car on the factory brochure. As a California car, it needed exactly zero metal work, no patches, no panel replacements, and not even much clean up beyond a trip to the sandblaster. It was laser-straight and needed very little bodywork to look its best, and the doors close with that reassuring permanence that Mopar got right on these cars. The finish is a few years old, of course, but it’s still eyeball-popping in person and you have to admit that a bright red Charger R/T is intimidating as hell. A correct R/T stripe was added on the tail, the bright trim was polished up or replaced, and a new black vinyl top was installed, complete with the requisite “SE Special Edition” badges on the sail panels. The tail panel was blacked out, which is how the R/Ts were delivered and the full-width taillights look fantastic. And honestly, was there ever a better way to put gas in your car than this Charger’s flip-up gas cap?

The fender tag does verify that this is an SE model with the CRX black leather bucket seats. They have been recently (and expensively) reupholstered in the original patterns so it looks like it did in 1969. The result is an upscale feel that separates this Charger from most of its siblings. It’s worth noting that the back seat was also reupholstered in leather (it was originally vinyl) simply because they had enough hides to finish the job. It was the right choice. The woodgrained appliques on the dash and center console warm up the otherwise all-black interior and there are new carpets on the floor with fresh sound-deadening material so it feels as plush as the SE should. A full set of Rallye gauges keep an eye on the big V8 up front, but the tach is not working due to the upgraded ignition system and there’s an accessory oil pressure gauge under the dash. There’s also a remote hood release under the dash, not exactly factory-installed, but apparently added at the request of the first owner at the dealership to help keep miscreants out from under the hood. The original radio is still in the dash and if you have sharp eyes, you’ll note that this is a factory A/C car, although the system was apparently removed decades ago. The seating surfaces are unmarked, the door panels are new, the dash pad isn’t cooked by the sun, and the trunk is beautifully outfitted with a correct mat and a full-sized Magnum 500 wheel and tire with the jack assembly properly stowed in the quarter panel.

All R/Ts came with a 440 cubic inch V8 topped by a 4-barrel carburetor, and that’s what lives there now. It’s a correct HP block, but this one was built and tuned by the experts at Hutter Racing, known for their ability to build big streetable horsepower. I won’t know the real number, but it’s somewhere around 500, yet the way it starts and runs will make you think it’s a stocker. There’s definitely a cam at work inside, and there’s no way to miss the giant Holley 4-barrel carb and Edelbrock Air Gap intake, but this car stopped caring about being stock a long time ago. There’s also a massive aluminum radiator up front, color-matched Mopar Performance valve covers, and a chrome open-element air cleaner on top. You can see the beautiful western sheetmetal throughout the engine compartment, and, of course, power steering and power brakes were standard equipment—this is still a big car. Turn the key and it fires quickly and settles into a rumbling idle that suggest it’s ready to run RIGHT NOW. There’s huge torque available at any speed, but it seems pretty happy just tooling around town under light throttle, as well. You don’t have to drive it like you stole it to enjoy this Charger, it does everything well.

There’s also a built 727 TorqueFlite automatic transmission behind it, and with a modest shift kit and a slightly higher stall on the torque converter, it’s quite punchy. Kick it for a quick downshift and the bright orange Charger lunges forward like it’s hungry and there still aren’t many cars on the street that can compete with this one for sheer audacity. Beautifully twisted long-tube headers feed a Flowmaster dual exhaust system with correct rectangular tips and there are reasonable 3.23 gears out back, so it’s user-friendly under all conditions. Please take note of the beautiful original floors and rockers, with torque boxes that haven’t been twisted to scrap and zero signs of winter weather abuse. The suspension is rebuilt so the car rides right and a new gas tank hangs out back to make it reliable. 14-inch Magnum 500 wheels have probably been on the car since it was new and carry recent 245/60/14 BFGoodrich T/A radials at all four corners.

This isn’t a pedigree car, but it’s not far off, either. With great base stock, a very high-quality older restoration, new interior, and that romping, stomping 440, this is exactly the way a Charger is supposed to look and feel. Nasty fast but also comfortable enough for grown-ups. If that’s your kind of car, we promise you’ll love the way this one hammers down the road. Call today!

http://www.harwoodmotors.com/vehicles/inventory_details.php?id=929

1969 Dodge Charger 440 cubic inch V8 is listed sold on ClassicDigest in Macedonia by for $69900.

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