/6 charger

[charger71]

I have a 71 Dodge Charger with a 225 slant 6. I'm being told that it was unusual for that car to have a 6 rather than an 8. Does anyone know where I can find the production #s? Also, does anyone know why the car is coded as a hardtop when it's really a coupe? To anyone who can help, thanks!!

[raider]

Hey Charger71. I just entered this website. I, too have been trying to find production numbers on my 72 Charger 6 cyl 3 sp man on the column. Also been told very rare. My brother being a big mopar nut had a book that told of these figures. but they were not exact. They were as followson the '72) 840 were made with 6 cyl. The book did not specify AT ot MT. I calculate that 1/2 or less were made with a manual trans. That cuts it down to anywhere from 400 to maybe 300. time has probally taken 1/2 of that figure so now at 200 or 150. I think if I can remember correctly total figures were about 12,000 to 14,000 of all models made in my year. (SE's, Ralleye, etc) Everybody that has seen mine always say, "It is very rare" almost as rare as a Hemi.

[Eric W]

Hey raider, can your brother find any production numbers on my '72 Satellite Custom? I know of one other 4dr with a slant and have seen in ads 2dr Satellites with slants. Any help would be great!
Eric W
http://community.webtv.net/ecwfury/1972Plymouth

[charger71]

Thanx Raider! That gives me somewhat of an idea as to how many 71's might have been produced. That, and I read that in 71, only 471 coupes rolled off the assembly line. Judging by what you said, and what I read, it looks like our cars are definitely keepers! Oh, and welcome to Mopar Chat!

[raider]

I will get the name of the book he uses. It can be bought, but I don't know exactly where. I will definitely let you know. Will be talking to you again soon.

[Eric W]

Thanks Raider!
Eric W

[Fraser]

The reason for producing a /6 manual transmission Charger was to be able to advertise a very low "starts at ........" price to entice people into the showroom and then attempt to sell them one with more options. This was a common practice for Chrysler, Ford and GM during the '60's and early '70's. Of course the dealer would never have a such a car on the lot but one could be ordered.

[charger71]

Ok, but my Charger has an automatic tranny. Other than that, the car is "bare bones" it doesn't even have a cigarette lighter!! So was it special ordered, or was it just a fluke that rolled off the assembly line?

[Fraser]

During this time, Chrysler did build cars without having an order for them, either dealer or customer. So there is a possibility that it may have been produced in this manner. It is unlikely that a dealer would order in a car equipped as yours for his stock as it would be very difficult to sell. I think that the likelihood of it being a special order is greater. You may be able to determine which it is from the fender tag. Look for one of the following codes:
Y13 - dealer order car
Y14 - sold car
Y16 - sales bank car (Chrysler build without order)

[Flint]

A guy I know who has a 1962 Dodge Lancer GT has a neighbor who's a cop or sheriff (law officer fellow) who has a '71 or '72 Charger with a /6 225. It's a very nice car and it's in quite good shape, he almost didnt buy it because it has a /6 in it.

Flint

[charger71]

Unfortunately, I don't have a fender tag. Both fenders had been replaced by the previous owner. Any chance that there might be some code on the data plate or the broadcast sheet? Something else that is odd about this car is that it has no carpet! Instead, it has a rubber mat, like those used in trucks!

[Fraser]

Yes, look under Vehicle Delivery and Handling on the broadcast sheet. It should be in the upper right hand corner. One of the Y codes that I listed in a previous reply should appear here. The rubber carpet was common on low line cars and trucks of this era. I have a '67 Dart 2 dr. that was originally equipped with the rubber carpet. In trucks it was convenient because the floor was sloped toward the doors. You could hose the floor clean at the carwash. The problem with it was that it ripped with age allowing moisture to soak the underpadding beneath and then the underpad would never dry because it was sealed by the floor and the rubber carpet above. The floor pans rotted out as a result. This was the problem with my Dart when I got it.

[Eric W]

I looked at my broadcast sheet and couldn't find the sales code-its blank! I am in the same situation as 71Charger. Why would my car, a Satellite Custom, be built with a slant six. The Customs where the top of the 4dr line. And why does it have an 8 3/4 axel? I almost wonder if it was used for a rental car, since most agencies used the base engines in their fleets. A mystery!
Eric W

[Fraser]

Eric,
I think that the /6 in a Satellite Custom was probably not so rare as the same engine in a Charger. The Charger was targetted at the customer who wanted a high performance car that conveyed a sporting image, something a little incongruous with the /6. The Satellite was the family sedan where often economy is an important consideration for the buyer. In the case of your car the original owner was obviously interested in the economy of the /6 but also wanted the appointments of a higher line model. The 8 3/4 axel can likely be explained by the fact that your car was equipped with a heavy duty package such as police or taxi. (This does not necessarily mean that it was originally used as a police car or taxi cab). Your car also has the vented dog dish hub caps on it. These were part of the police/taxi package. It would be rare for a rental car to be equipped this way. It may have originally been ordered as part of a municipal fleet, or perhaps the original owner wanted a high performance suspension or even the dealership made a mistake when ordering a car for stock. It is fun to speculate, but you will never know unless you can trace the original owner or selling dealer.

[Eric W]

Fraser, my car is just a standard Satellite Custom. Only options are rear window defrost, heavy duty battery and alternator, foam cloth and vynil seats. It has the standard suspension (4 leaf springs). When I bought the car, it had the standard aluminum hub caps and 14" tires. I added the cop car hub caps and 15" wheels and tires (now with 15X7 police rims) myself. It was made before the gas crunch, so I can't imagine many where made with economey in mind. I have seen more Chargers with slants than Satellites, how about you?
Eric W

[Fraser]

Eric,
I can't quote any production numbers for the '71 Satellite with a /6 and to tell you the truth I have never seen a Charger with a /6. However when I was working in automotive service in the late '60's Chrysler intermediate sized cars with the /6 engine were very common. It was not uncommon to see mid line models such as 2 dr hardtops with the /6 engine. People liked the look and better appointments of the more expensive models but did not really care what was under the hood. Chrysler intermediates with the small V8 were also very common. The muscle cars were highly visible but numbers weren't that high compared to the general population. The rarest were the intermediate sedans equipped with powerful engines (383 4 bbl, 440, 426).

[RedBaron68]

Hello, I just found this thread and thought I would reply, since I thought my /6 Charger was the only one left. Its a 68 with ac and a factory limited slip HD dana axle. 2 really weird options for a slant car...

[Doctor Dodge]

A limited slip Dana behind a SL6 Charger, that is werid!
DD

[Eric W]

Even stranger that a six is in a '68 Charger! I did'nt think that the slant six was standard until '69. FYI, I saw a '69 Charger with a 3spd column shift at the Spring Fling Mopar show in the Seattle area a few years ago. At a Slant Six Club of America meet here last June, I mentioned the car to a guy there and said his friend had bought it (same car) and is restoring it.
Eric W