1970 Dodge Charger Fans
Posted by in Dodge on July 15, 2011
Dodge was a model produced by Chrysler Corporation, which built several automobiles. Among the Dodge model cars, the Dodge Charger car was a sports model produced between 1966 and 1974. In the 1970s, this model was considered as one of the largest muscled cars available in the automobile market. The car was designed by Burt Bouwkamp, the Chief Engineer of Dodge during the 1960s.
The 1970 Dodge Charger was a special model car in the sense that this was the second generation Charger that was the last in that series of models. It had a large wraparound type of chrome bumper. The grill was not divided in the middle like the earlier models. The old vacuum headlight doors were replaced by new electric headlight doors and the side markers were also changed to real lights. The taillight panel of 1970 Dodge Charger 500 and R/T models had a new look taillight panel. Further, a fresh HEMI or 440 hood cutout option was also offered in this model.
New colors were introduced. The interior was redesigned with high-back bucket seats. The door panels were revised. The ignition was shifted to the steering column from the dashboard. A bench seat and a pistol grip shifter were introduced for the first time in this model. The engine option was also changed with the new engine 440 Six Pack having 3 two-barrel carburetors. The rating of the new engine was 390 hp and the horsepower generated was a whopping 375 hp at 4,600 rpm.
A ‘Special Edition’ model option with high end luxury was presented as 500 SE and R/T SE. The luxury model had vinyl and leather front bucket seats, specially simulated walnut colored instrument panel and steering wheel, lighting group, pedal dress-up, deep-dish wheel covers, and vinyl map packets.
In spite of all these changes including the new hot engine, production of this Charger slipped due to the introduction of E-body Dodge Challenger and the higher insurance for the Charger. About 49,768 Chargers were produced in 1970, with 10,337 Charger R/T models. Read the rest of this entry »
Car Review – 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8
Posted by in Dodge on July 15, 2011
I’ll be honest with you, I’m not really a muscle car fan by any means. So, when I was asked to do a review on the Dodge Challenger SRT8, I wasn’t terribly excited as a schoolboy seeing his first porn film. However, when I finally got this vehicle on the road I have to say I am impressed by the power this thing has under the hood.
Like most of the muscle cars today, the Dodge Challenger went with a more retro-style look like the Ford Mustang and the Chevy Camaro did. It’s big, heavy and overall not very streamline like I normally like in cars. However we are talking about a muscle car, so things like that don’t really matter as much with these. However, from the bold nose to the wonderful bodylines it really looks great. Then you add the graphics, a rear spoiler, and larger wheels and tires it looks even better.
Inside the Challenger has a very sporty and modern look compared to your 1970′s editions. It has the gauges in a 4 pod setup and is very easy to read, even for the old geezers who want something to replace their old beat up car from way back when. The stitched leather bucket seats are very comfortable and look great as you can expect. There is even rear seats, but there isn’t really a ton of room, and don’t expect to be able to get back there from the drivers side because the seat doesn’t move to do that.
Under the hood is the 6.1L Hemi V8 that roars out a impressive 425hp and 420lb.ft. torque. It also has a six speed manual transmission and a limited slip differential. All that power, and it still gets 14 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway. Very impressive for a muscle car.
Taking it on the road through the city, I have to admit it’s quite comfortable. You barely feel any bumps in the road and the engine is not overly loud by any means. It also has driven in quite a lot of attention from a lot of people, which surprised me quite a bit. One guy even came up to me when I was getting off the cell phone in a parking lot and talked about his old 1974 Dodge Challenger that he still has in his garage at home and how the engine doesn’t run in it anymore. Kind of a neat conversation in the middle of a review.
I then proceeded to the highway and that’s when I saw what this car can really do! I could not believe how fast this car accelerates and how great the HEMI engine sounds. I didn’t want to stop going faster, but ended up doing that when I saw a cop sitting in the median (maybe their reading these reviews now). Read the rest of this entry »