Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Cool Deal Steve. Awesome car... https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Great car and even better story...could read them all day long! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif

Boy,the planets really must have aligned for you with everything that's gone right for you on this car.

I like the hood graphics and the 200S wheels...cool! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/worship.gif

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Hey Steve, is that the car Vinny D did some work to at CT restoration. Ed

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Yes, many, many years ago Vinny Diguiseppe did the original (first) paint job on it back in 1990 at Connecticut Auto Restorations. It was at his shop from 1987 to 1990. I got my entire law degree during the time was at his shop. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif I would commute home every weekend from Boston and work on the car at his shop just to keep the project going. It was finally finished in Summer of 1990.

Rich Pasquelone did the recent one as the enamel paint was wearing thin in places after 15 years.

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

I worked for Vinny. Ed

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Ed, were you there during the hey-day about 1983 to 1990? That's when my series of 71 Cuda ragtops (the yellow 383, the orange 440 Six barrel and the yellow hemi, as well as the Charger) were painted by the shop.

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Steve it was after that,at the time we had a 70 AAR Cuda,70 LS6 Chevelle,66 L79 Nova,69 L78 Camaro,68 Roadrunner and many others in the shop. I don't know what Vinny is doing now,I have not seen him in about a year. Here is a link to his web site. Ed
http://www.oldcarwarehouse.com/

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

That guy with the glasses on on page 2 of their website looks like Norm from "This Old House". https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Steve,

AWESOME car !

I did the driveline on a friends '70 lime green R/T with the 440 hood callouts (rare option by the way). I'm just curious, what is the designation for not having the scallops blacked out with the engine designation. I see that yours are body color ?

Great car. I've got a '70 SE 500 - A4 silver.

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

V21 and V24 are the two option codes. You could get the call outs on a body colored hood, or with the black outs, or just the black out, or nothing at all.

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

[ QUOTE ]
That guy with the glasses on on page 2 of their website looks like Norm from "This Old House". https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

That's Vinny. I have no idea if the shop is still in business at that location. But he still has the link to my old 71 hemicuda ragtop later formerly owned by Kevin Suydam on his site. (see the "one of our finest restorations" link on his site)

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

I had the Charger out last weekend. I went to this local hamburger joint that I hadn't visited in about 4 years. The last time I went there I ran into a high school buddy of the original owner of the car who regaled me with the story of how the kid lost control of the car in the high school parking lot and crashed into his algebra teacher's car. This was due to a temporary loss of concentration while he was trying to make out with his girlfriend, while driving.

Well anyway, I park the car and a guy walks up and it turns out he remembered the car from high school, as he was a year ahead of the original owner. In fact, he raced the car and beat it with his tunnel-rammed 327 Chevelle on I-287 in Jersey! He commented that the kid just could not drive the car.

You know, it's kinda fun living in the same area that the car is from: a new story every time you take it out for a spin. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...rgerfront1.jpg

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Most excellent!

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

And here's a photo (courtesy of 67L78conv) from the June 2006 FAST event at Englishtown. Had a little fun running a 13.80 @ 105 mph. Nothing like cleaning the plugs out once in a while! I also had the opportunity to use their scales at the track: 4300 lbs. It's a heavy car (or I'm a real heavy driver) https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...a/IMG_0396.jpg

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Enquiring minds want to know...did you beat that big bad GS 'vert?

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Yes. As you can see from the photo I cut a semi-good reaction time as the green light is still illuminated in the photo and I'm already 1-1/2 car lengths in front of the Buick. I ran a 13.80 to his losing 13.40 (I was on street tires and he was on DOT slicks) https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

I brought the charger to Chryslers at Carlisle on Saturday. It seems like more of the "Christine/Twilight Zone" story but every time I go to a show and pop open the trunk, who should appear but the father and son team of Larry and John Ehnat. Larry was the mechanic who worked on this car when it was first delivered. He regaled us with a story how the original owner just could not drive the car and how it came back to the dealership seven days after being sold, to have the clutch replaced under warranty. His son worked at the dealership 20 years later and was the one who, in a twist of fate, found the original sales file folder for the car sitting on top of the files in the dumpster waiting to be hauled away. Some of the docs he found are shown framed, next to the car. People were joking at the show that we had documentation longer than the car -about 18 feet of it to be exact, this is just a portion.

Great people, a couple of true saints. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...rlisle2a-1.jpg

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

I saw my old orange 1971 hemicharger sunroof car I sold back in 1994. Still looks good. It was kinda funny, the current owner Tim W was giving me grief that even after all these years everyone who walked by would stop and say: "Hey isn't that Steve's old car?"

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/P7070009.jpg

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Here's the photo of the Ehnats next to the Charger. I just can't say enough nice things about them. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/smile.gif It really is bizarre how they magically appear like a jeanie from a bottle every time I go to a show within a 150 mile radius of New Jersey. Maybe they're the the car's guardian angels? At least they show up on film... I was worried there for a while when the first posting of the photo disapeared.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...carlisle2b.jpg

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

I just got a gift from the Ehnats the other day: They found an original 1970 vintage Suburban Dodge decal stuck under one of the dealership's step ladders. They were able to get me some photos and I sent them to ECS Automotive ( www.ecsautomotive.com ) and they were able to reproduce it exactly. This particular decal was used by a ton of dealerships back in the 60's and 70's. They can make one for just about any dealer out there. Great people, too. Their phone # is (636) 207-7767. I also sent them the original emissions decal from my 72 Trans Am and they were able to reproduce it exactly and they are now selling them as well. They are known for their 100% accurate Mopar decals but are expanding into GM as well. If you allow them to use your original decal for a pattern, (which they send back to you, of course) you get the new reproduction one(s) for free.

Here's the original:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../subdecal1.jpg

Here's the finished product on the car:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PC060002.jpg

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

[ QUOTE ]
I saw my old orange 1971 hemicharger sunroof car I sold back in 1994. Still looks good. It was kinda funny, the current owner Tim W was giving me grief that even after all these years everyone who walked by would stop and say: "Hey isn't that Steve's old car?"

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/P7070009.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

WOW Steve, I gotta say that car has been one of my all time favorite Mopars ever since the first time I saw it back in the 90's when you were still the owner.

If memory serves me correctly, we had a brief discussion at Mopar Nats back when you still owned the 71 Cuda, shortly before it found its new "home" in Oxnard.

I enjoy reading about the history you are able to dig up...keep it coming! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ns/worship.gif

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

I am looking for a pair of 15x8 or 15x9 Cragar SS rims. I am thinking about going back to the originals that were on my Charger when the original owner had it back in 70. I had the sense to keep the 15x4-1/2 fronts but cant seem to remember who I lent the rears to 20 years ago! These are the 4-1/2 bolt pattern (not unilug) versions. Anyone have a pair? I will end up sending them out to be restored with my fronts. Here is a shot of them way back when...

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...rger1987-1.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...rfront1987.jpg

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Good call Steve. Concur they look terrific!

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

-------Have you got the "Parnellis" to go with the Cragars???......Bill S

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Unfortunately, I passed on a set of recapped Parnellis earlier this year that were in the attic of that old speed shop. They might have worked for a static display but they were harder than concrete and unsafe to drive on. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/frown.gif And I cant seem to find a set of F78 15 black walls other than the vintage pair I have on the front rims at the moment. And there about 35 years old...and bald.

I might go with a set of bias ply N50x15 Pro Tracs/ 215/75x15 front runner front tires

http://store.coker.com/product.php?p...t=0&page=1

http://store.coker.com/product.php?p...t=0&page=1

http://store.coker.com/product.php?p...t=0&page=1


Now that I think about it,I should have kept the tow tabs on the front bumper. I remember torching them off back in 1987 and grinding the brackets back down to get rid of the evidence.

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Steve I have a set of f78 blackwalls that are perfect! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Don, pm me your phone number and what you want for them. How old are they?

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

I checked the Charger websites, I think a 15x10 will also fit. (This car has some huge wheel wells!)

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

Happy Birthday Charger! It was built 38 years ago today: Dec 8, 1969. I bought her a birthday present. I found a pair of 15 x 4-1/2 wide 4.5 inch bolt pattern Crager SS wheels on ebay that went rather cheap. The even had an NOS set of 205-B78's on them. Now I dont have to try and rechrome the original set of front rims.

The new pair are the two in the center. My original 1970 dated rims are on the outside.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PC070001.jpg

Here's a closup:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PC070002.jpg

The tires still have the tags on them. I will probably replace them since I dont feel too safe driving on 30+ year old tires.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PC070003.jpg

Here's the back side. It looks like they have never been mounted on a car.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PC070007.jpg

And the date code on my original rims. It looks like a grid with "70" for the year and an block date for the month from "J" to "D". The rims I just bought do not have the same date coding. They have a "RA252" stamped into the outer spoke flange in the same general area as my 70 rims. I dont know if that translates into a date code. Anyone out there know? They have to be rather old since Crager stopped making the single bolt pattern rims and went to the uni-lug in the late 70's (I think).

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...8/PC070009.jpg

Now I just need to find a nice set of 15x8 rears to match!

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

I got an email from John Ehnat today. He sent this "obituary" out to his friends. Looks like the Charger's dealership is finally gone: https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/frown.gif

"Every year the number of friendly, small town dealerships gets smaller, while the number of automotive multi-plex superstores grows at an alarming rate. McDonagh Dodge in Metuchen New Jersey is the latest casualty in the David vs. Goliath type battle. Prior to being renamed about 5 years ago, McDonagh Dodge was known as Suburban Dodge. Suburban Dodge proudly served central New Jersey for more than 40 years. Known for their great service and terrific deals, Suburban was THE Dodge dealer to deal with. Suburban Dodge could also boast parental rights as the original selling dealer of arguable the most photographed and writting about Dodge Charger on the planet. The Red 1970 Hemi R/T SE owned by NJSteve. This Hemi Charger has graced the pages of numerous magazines, and can be seen on the covers of the HEMI book, by Steve Atwell, as well as several other how to books. Suburban Dodge will always hold a soft spot in my heart for the fact that since 1967, there has always been at least one of my family members employed there. My Grandfather, father, uncles, brothers, cousins and myself have have worked in the historic dealership. The building will be used for storage of cars and equipment, and the bodyshop will remain in operation for the time being. However, it will no longer be called a Dodge dealer since Chrysler pulled the dealer code. So...personally I feel like I have lost a friend."
-John Ehnat

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...nDodge1998.jpg

RIP Suburban Dodge https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...s/headbang.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...lins/beers.gif

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

If anyone is interested in the above mentioned narrow 15x4 inch wide Cragars (that are actually 4-3/4" bolt pattern, not 4-1/2"!!!) I have them for sale on ebay:

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/show...e/0#Post313070

Turns out the guy I bought them from didn't know how to measure bolt patterns! So, maybe someone here can use them.

I am keeping the tires, though. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

just got the hemmings today steve.. Nice article but I had to giggle at the part where the original owners Son grenaded the hemi at *150* mph.. lol yea ok, with 4.88 gears. double ok. LOL with 88's, 115 mph would be more like it.

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

With 28" tall tires and the 4.10s I hit about 6800 in 3rd gear at 111 mph through the traps. 115 would be about right if you weren't trying to blow it up!

I guess if you try to go 150, it will probably rev to about 9500 RPM...once.

His buddies said the engine looked like a top-fueler explosion: there was nothing but schrapnel below the cylinder heads, https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...emlins/eek.gif hence, the reference to the original motor currently residing along the 2 mile stretch between exits 8 and 10 on I-287. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

It probably looked like flaming ME-109 after being shot down by a P-51 Mustang.

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

[ QUOTE ]
It probably looked like flaming ME-109 after being shot down by a P-51 Mustang.

[/ QUOTE ]

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/haha.gif With parts flying back in the slipstream!

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

I hooked her up to the old Sun 1115 I found at the local Chrysler dealer. Hear's what it sounds like runnin'

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...h_S7001176.jpg

Here's the link to the "Sun machine barn-find"

https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/show...e/0#Post315672

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

That may well be my new favorite show on the "tube"! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif

Re: It's HEMI time !!! Compliments of NJSteve
 

It makes for some great "white noise". It will definitely put you to sleep...or maybe that's the carbon monoxide in the garage. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...mlins/grin.gif

MY OLD TIRES RETURNED FROM THE GRAVE!!!
 

OK, now here's an absolutely un-freakin-believable story:

You know how I posted above, how I am looking for some rear rims to replace the ones from my Charger that I gave away 21 years ago?

Well, I just found <u>MY OLD RIMS AND TIRES</u> on ebay and bought them! They were 40 miles from my house in Jersey! They are the rims with the same Parnelli Jones L60x15 Firestones on them. I paid $78 for the pair and they are now back home and ready to be cleaned up. The guy said he picked them up from a friend of his in town, about 15 years ago and that guy had them for a few years before that.

I guess I have yet another bizarro story to add to the archive now.


http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...268/218f_1.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...268/2041_1.jpg



http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...rger1987-1.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...rfront1987.jpg

Re: MY OLD TIRES RETURNED FROM THE GRAVE!!!
 

You lucky dog! Those tires are rare and still look pretty nice. A good find, especially when they are your old ones. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...iggthumpup.gif https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/imag...ins/3gears.gif

Re: MY OLD TIRES RETURNED FROM THE GRAVE!!!
 

Man, that is incredible! Did you tell the seller that they had once been on your Charger?