1960's Dodge Polara 500

All Dodge models were given a smaller, lighter, sculpted body with a 116-inch (2,946 mm) wheelbase for 1962.Among the "sized in the middle of the big and little" 1962 Dodges was a bucket-seated sporty 2-door hardtop called the Polara 500. The Dodge Polara is an automobile introduced in the United States for the 1960 model year as Dodge's top-of-the-line full-size car; after the introduction of the Dodge Custom 880 in 1962, the Polara nameplate designated a step below the best trimmed Dodge model. It was also available as a convertible, and a 4-door hardtop was added in December.

Dodge Polara 500's Engine

The Polara 500 was available only as a convertible or hardtop coupé. Twenty-eight Polara 500 convertibles came with a Ramcharger option and only 7 of those had a high Compression package. With a 0-60 time right around 6 seconds flat and a top speed in the 140-mph range, the Polara could dispense with anything short of a Chevelle 454, a Hemi Charger, a Corvette L88, a big-block Shelby Cobra, or Ferrari 250 GTO. The Polara would have qualified as a serious performance car even two decades later, in the late 1980. Even now, four decades after its debut, the Polara wouldn’t exactly be considered a slouch. Standard features on the Polara included a 383 V8 engine with an optional 426 cu.in. V8.

Specifications Engine:
ohv V-8, 383 cid (4.25 × 3.38), 270/315/325 bhp
1965 Engine: 413 cid (4.19 × 3.75), 340 bhp; 426 cid (4.25 × 3.75), 365 bhp
1966 Engine: 440 cid (4.32 × 3.75), 350/365 bhp
Transmission: 3-speed manual; optional 4-speed manual, 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic Suspension front: non-parallel control arms, lateral torsion bars
Suspension rear: live axle, leaf springs
Brakes: front/rear drums
Wheelbase (in.): 121.0
Weight (lbs.): 3,765-4,315
Top speed (mph): 103-118
0-60 mph (sec): 8.4 (V-8 413)

Sources :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Polara;
http://carnewsarticles.com/2009/01/30/1969-1973-dodge-polara/;
http://www.oldride.com/library/1963_dodge_polara.html;
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1965-1966-dodge-polara-500-monaco-monaco-5002.htm

Pics Sources :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Polara_2001_01.jpg;
http://cll.hemmings.com/story_image/79949-500-0.jpg

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1968 Dodge Super Bee

The original Super Bee was based on the Dodge Coronet. It was a 2-door coupe model only and was produced from 1968 through 1970. It was the company's low-priced muscle car, the equivalent of the Plymouth Road Runner, and was priced at $3,027. Plymouth Division had introduced the Road Runner first and the car sold well, prompting Dodge Division General Manager Robert McCurry to have the Dodge Styling office create a competitor. During that time, both divisions were competing to be the "Chrysler Performance Division".

Production: 2D Pillared Coupe w/ 383: 7,717. 2D Pillared Coupe w/ Hemi: 125.
Engines: 383 V8 335bhp@5200rpm, 425lb-ft@3400rpm. 426 Hemi V8 425bhp@5000rpm, 490lb-ft@4000rpm.
Performance: 383/335bhp: 0-60 in 7.1 sec, 1/4 mile in 15.0 sec @ 96mph. 426/425bhp: 0-60 in 5.3 sec, 1/4 mile in 13.55 sec @ 105mph.

Engine of 1968 Dodge Super Bee

The designers were assigned the task of creating a name and identity for the Dodge version. Senior designer Harvey J Winn won the "contest" with the name Super Bee and a new logo design around the Dodge "Scat Pack" Bee medallion. The first Super Bee was based on a '68 Coronet convertible. The show car was built at Alexander Brothers Custom Shop under Winn's direction and was introduced at the 1968 Detroit Auto Show.Although the two cars are very similar in external appearance, the Super Bee was slightly heavier (approx 65 lbs.) and rode on a 117-inch (3,000 mm) wheelbase compared to the Road Runner's 116-inch (2,900 mm) wheelbase.

In addition to the slight aesthetic external differences, such as larger rear wheel openings, the bumble bee tailstripe and fancier grille and taillight ornamentation, the Super Bee also used actual diecast chrome plated "Bee" medallions. These three-dimensional medallions were prominently mounted in a raised position in the grille/hood area and the trunklid/taillight area of the car throughout the first three years of production and added a touch of class and panache. The interior of the Super Bee borrowed the race car–inspired and more sophisticated gauge and speedometer dash cluster from the Dodge Charger while the four-speed cars received an actual Hurst Competition-Plus shifter with Hurst linkage, compared to the budget-minded Road Runner's less expensive Inland shifter and linkage. All these niceties did add to the higher purchase cost of the Super Bee compared to its Plymouth cousin and ultimately affected its sales numbers over the years it was produced.

(Sources : Wikipedia and Muscle Car Club)

(Pics sources : How Stuff Works; Serious Wheels)

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1970 Dodge Challenger

A 1970-only model was the Dodge Challenger T/A (Trans Am) racing homologation car. In order to race in the Sports Car Club of America's Trans American Sedan Championship, it built a street version of its race car (just like Plymouth with its Plymouth 'Cuda AAR) which it called the Dodge Challenger T/A (Trans Am). Although the race cars ran a destroked version of the 340, street versions took the 340 and added a trio of two-barrel carburetors atop an Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold, creating the 340 Six Pack. Dodge rated the 340 Six Pack at 290 bhp (216.3 kW), only 15 bhp (11 kW) more than the original 340 engine (and mysteriously the same rating as the Camaro Z/28 and Ford Boss 302 Mustang), it actually made about 320 bhp (238.6 kW).

Engine of 1970 Dodge Challenger

It breathed air through a suitcase sized air scoop molded into the pinned down, hinged matte-black fiberglass hood. Low-restriction dual exhausts ran to the stock muffler location under the trunk, then reversed direction to exit in chrome tipped "megaphone" outlets in front of the rear wheels. Options included a TorqueFlite automatic or pistol-grip Hurst-shifted four-speed transmission, 3.55:1 or 3.90:1 gears, as well as manual or power steering. Front disc brakes were standard. The special Rallye suspension used heavy duty parts and increased the camber of the rear springs. The T/A was among the first production vehicles to use different size tires front and rear: E60x15 fronts, and G60x15 in back.

The modified camber elevated the tail enough to clear the rear rubber and its side exhaust outlets, thick side stripes, bold ID graphics, a fiberglass ducktail rear spoiler, as well as a fiberglass front spoiler added to the image. The interior was strictly stock Challenger. Unfortunately, the race Challenger T/A was not competitive, due to the fact that they had to be large enough to accommodate engines as large as the 426 Hemi, and 440, the street version suffered from severe understeer in fast corners. It could turn mid 14s in the quarter mile, which would do any small block muscle car proud. The T/A would only be available for 1970 as Dodge pulled out of Trans Am racing. Only 2,142 T/As were made.

(Source : Wikipedia)
(Pics sources : Wikipedia)

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Dodge Charger 1968

It was clear after the sales drop of the 1967 Charger that a restyle was in order. Dodge was going to restyle their entire B-body lineup for 1968 and decided that it was time to separate the Coronet and Charger models even further. What designer Richard Sias came up with was a double-diamond design that would later be referred to as coke bottle styling. From the side profile the curves around the front fenders and rear quarter panels look almost like a Coke bottle. Front and rear end sheet metal was designed by Harvey J Winn. The rear end featured a "kick up" spoiler appearance, inspired by Group 7 racing vehicles. On the roof a "flying buttress" was added to give the rear window area a look similar to that of the 1966-67 Pontiac GTO. The Charger retained its full-length hidden headlight grille, but the fully rotating electric headlights had been replaced by a simple vacuum operated cover, similar to the Camaro RS (Wikipedia). The restyling of the 1968 Dodge Charger is unquestionably the main reason for its sales success, since the 440 Magnum and Hemi were already available in 1967, and sales were dismal. The new "Coke bottle" look made the Charger one of the best-looking muscle cars, period, with many considering it the best-looking performance car of the 1960s. The base drivetrain remained identical with the 318 on the bottom end. Dodge wrote, “This is no dream car. It’s a real ‘take-me-home-and-let’s stir-things-up-a-bit’ automobile.”


The model line up expanded to include the Charger R/T, equipped like the Coronet R/T - it came with a 440 Magnum, heavy duty suspension and brakes, and the bulletproof Torqueflite 727 3 speed auto with a 4 speed manual optional. The rear bumblebee stripes were a deletable option. Hemi sales went up to 467, still quite small.

Dodge was understandably torn between the usual annual styling changes and not wanting to mess with a good thing; they made minor changes to the grille as a compromise. The 1968 has a chrome bumper under the grille, the 1969 has a chrome center divider in the grille, and the 1970 has a rectangular chrome bumper around the grille.

(Source : Charger )
(Pic source : Gamespot)

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