Documented Numbers Matching Charger 500 440 4 Speed

Here’s one of the rarest B bodies ever built—a 1969 Dodge Charger 500.  Every once in a while we get a car that has all of the right stuff, and this one has it in spades.  Original drive-train, original sheet-metal, original motor, original transmission, complete owner history, California car and the best documents we've ever seen on a Charger 500.  How's that for hitting on all cylinders?

The NASCAR aero war equivalent of the shot heard ‘round the world, the Charger 500 was the secret weapon Dodge would use to topple Ford’s slipperier Torino.  Testing proved the car to be 3-4mph faster than the standard car, and on banked ovals that’s a ton.  The car was better, but so was Ford’s new Talladega, so Dodge went back to the drawing boards, and the aero war was on.  500’s were a force on short and medium length tracks, and Dodge factory Daytona teams used them along with the wing cars throughout the ’69 season. 

Outside you’ll find F8 Dark Green Poly in its correct shade, laid down expertly and rubbed out to a glass smooth finish.  It’s a luminescent hue with shades of gold throughout, and it’s dazzling.  Inferior paint jobs and older restorations are more often dull and without the gold glow, and the difference is staggering.  The car’s a clean California piece with minimal bodywork and all original sheet metal, too.  The stainless trim (including the 500/Daytona specific A pillar and rear window moldings) are in excellent, restored condition with a high shine.  The white stripe on the tail, the optional bright rocker moldings and the correct, original road wheels and whitewalls give the car a very classy, sleek and unified look. 

The paperwork on this car is complete and paints a history of the car from new.    This is easily the best documented 1969 Dodge Charger 500 on the planet.  Let’s start at the factory.  We have three complete build sheets that are the cleanest we have ever seen.  Many 500 and Daytona sheets were swapped at Creative Industries, but this must have been the only green interior car converted during its stay.  Of special note is the shipping invoice from Hamtramck to Creative Industries, and it’s stamped “received” on 1/15/69.  Ever seen one of these?  If so, it's probably a copy of our original.  We have the original advance dealer shipping notice from Chrysler to dealer Stanley Dodge Simca, Inc. in National City, CA.  Next up is the majority of the original window sticker (it was torn on removal from the window.)  We have the original sales contract between Stanley Dodge and the original owner, Gene Canfield dated 3/21/69, as well as the original bill of sale.  We have the installment notice for his loan, and we have the bank’s copy of the bill of sale from when the car was paid off.  There are more than twenty California registrations dating back to the early 1970's, the original California black plate and service receipts on the car which evidence that Gene Canfield owned and cherished the car through the 1990's. 

Gene Canfield eventually sold the Charger 500 and it ended up in the hands of Albert Moreno in Florida.  We have some great pictures of the, still in survivor status, before Albert sent the Charger off for a full restoration.  Also included are pictures of the torn down original 440 motor and receipts from Bob Larkin Performance Engines for the rebuild, engine specs and camshaft specs.

 Let's breakdown the original fender tag:

   R11 V88 26 ENDG11 L31 M21 M25 M31 N85A11 A33 B41 B51 C16 C55F8 F8 C6G F8 B20 xxxxxxE86 D21 XX29 L9B xxxxxx

R11 Am radioV88 Stripe delete (on all aero car fender tags—Creative applied the 500/Daytona stripes after conversion, while Clairpointe applied the Superbird decals)26 (width of radiator opening)END (no additional fender tags to follow)G11 Tinted glass, all windowsL31 Hood mounted turn signalsM21 Drip rail moldingsM25 Rocker moldingsM31 Sill moldingsN85 TachometerA11 Charger 500/Daytona package (1969)A33 Track Pack with 3.54 gears, Dana 60 rearB41 Disc brakesB51 Power brakesC16 Center consoleC55 Bucket seatsF8 Dark Green PolyC6G Charger bucket seats, dark green vinylF8 Dark green upper door frame paintB20 October 20, 1968 scheduled build dateXxxxxx (sequence number)E86 440HP, 375hp 4 bblD21 Four speed manual transmissionXX29 Charger, Special, sportsroofL9B 440HP, 1969 build, Hamtramck assembly

Additional options per the build sheet include R31 rear speaker, W21 styled steel road wheels, T82 F70x14 Whiteline Goodyear Polyglas tires, S77 power steering and C31 dual headrests.

As stated, this is an original sheet-metal car.  The original paint was stripped and the repainted in a correct shade of F8 Dark Green Poly, laid down expertly and rubbed out to a glass smooth finish.  It’s a luminescent hue with shades of gold throughout, and it’s dazzling.  Inferior paint jobs and older restorations are more often dull and without the gold glow, and the difference is staggering.  The car’s a clean California piece with minimal bodywork and all original sheet metal, too.  The stainless trim (including the 500/Daytona specific A pillar and rear window moldings) are in excellent, restored condition with a high shine.  The white stripe on the tail, the optional bright rocker moldings and the correct, original road wheels and whitewalls give the car a very classy, sleek and unified look. 

There’s a lot to like about the fully restored interior.  BE/A was tapped for new upper door pads and console plates, Legendary seat covers, headliner and carpeting make up the new soft trim while Auto Instruments redid the gauges and bezels.  You also receive the original upper door pads and console with this 500.  The original center console is un-cracked, the original dash pads and steering wheel are in excellent shape.  New sill plates add shine among with new door handles and re-chromed armrest bases.  The door panels are original, and we kept all of the original parts like the sill plates and the console pieces for originality’s sake.  The original shift knob is shown, but we’ve since installed a new reproduction.

Open the trunk to confirm the trunk lid is the original, with the front edge bent down 90 degrees and not folded over (a common restoration mistake.)  The original Charger-specific jack is in there along with a brand new F70x14 white line Goodyear that matches the ones on the car.  The trunk floor is clean and is covered by a new mat.  Look underneath to find floor pans that were completely stripped and painted to match the body during the rotisserie restoration, along with new exhaust, fuel and brake systems.  There are only a few hundred miles since the car was completed, so all is fresh. 

The same applies to the numbers matching engine and transmission, which were gone through completely.  As mentioned, we have a spec sheet for the engine rebuild, which was done with better than stock parts, including Wiseco forged pistons, a Comp Cams hydraulic cam and hardened seats in the heads.  This was no cheapie engine rebuild-the bill was $5,500.00!  The engine sits in a restored bay with all of its original parts, as well as all mechanicals other than wear items.  That’s the original wiper motor, air cleaner, 4617S carb, dual point distributor, exhaust manifolds and more.  There’s a reproduction battery, new wire set, new reproduction heater and radiator hoses along with the original 054 radiator and new battery cables.  We’ve since put a reproduction ballast resistor on the firewall connected to a reproduction engine wiring harness.  The car starts and runs as it should, shifts well and tracks straight.

Fewer than 400 Charger 500’s were built, and the survival rate is on par with other muscle cars.  Fewer than 150 remain, and nearly none led the easy Southern California lifestyle this one did, let alone one with the documentation this one carries.  A true numbers matching car, done well, and rare--this is the very definition of an investment grade Mopar.  Call today!