Sam's (Mockingbird812) 71 440 Charger

[Belair62]

“Has anyone seen the ‘LC-19’ car !?”
Story by: Sam Griffith
1971 marked the last year for the true high performance Charger. This
also marked the debut of the third generation Charger with its long
sleek, Coke-bottle-shaped body with a shorter wheelbase and wider
stance. The R/T was distinguished with a blacked-out hood bulge and
side tape treatment and two unique vertical tape stripes on each door.
“CARS” magazine staff named the 1971 Charger as its “Car of the
Year”. They rated it best based on “Total Performance – which
encompasses street performance, road handling, comfort and
appointments, styling and, to a much lesser degree, quarter-mile
acceleration and top end”.
My particular car was ordered on the 13th of August 1970 and delivered
to the Albany Dodge dealership in Albany, New York on 27th of October
1970. Albany Dodge was known as a Performance Dodge dealership and is
still in business today. The Charger was scheduled for assembly at the
Lynch Road, Michigan plant on 19th of October 1970. The car was
delivered to a 17 year old, (this is the stuff that dreams are made
of!) Steve Cadalso. He lived in the small town of Guilderland, a
suburb of Albany. His father had to co-sign for the car. Steve had
worked since he was 14 with his Dad at the “Star Market”, one of a
small local chain of grocery stores. He saved all of his income for
the purchase of his dream car. He had every intention of putting down
his hard earned cash and buying a Hemi powered Charger. The salesman
happened to be Steve’s next-door neighbor and was a friend of the
family. He wanted to steer Steve in the right direction. So he
informed him that he should stay away from multiple-carbureted engines,
as they had proven difficult to support in warranty (could people be
abusing these engines?) and that he would probably kill himself with a
Hemi! Well, for good or bad, Steve settled on the 440 Magnum power
plant with its single 4 barrel carburetor. Our young lad took the
savings from buying a 440 instead of a Hemi or 6 pack car and put it
into many interesting options with the total bill coming to $4727.42.
He paid for half the car with cash and financed the rest – about
$100.00 a month for three years.
The grunt of the 370 HP engine proved to be sufficient as the car had
quite a reputation as a terror on the streets of Guilderland. The
only modification to the drive train that Steve made was the addition
of headers. Steve remembers being stopped on more than one occasion
by any one of four local law enforcement agents for no apparent reason.
He likened the police to a Mayberry-style of operations. The scenario
would go something like, “You shouldn’t be driving such a nice car like
this. You should be driving some old jalopy.” With an emerging
reputation, Steve ensured his immortality in the annals of the muscle
car world, at least in Guilderland, by doing something not normally
done in that day and age. He ordered a set of special plates. You and
I know them as vanity plates. But instead of something outrageous like
“BAD 440” or “CHVY KLR” he paid tribute to his Mom and selected the
plate “LC-19” – that’s it! The “LC” stood for his Mom’s first/last
name, Louise Cataldo. And the 19 was their house number. Now, the
cops routine took on a new twist. The local sub shop was THE place
where the locals were known to hangout. A familiar situation would
unfold when a cop entered the sub shop flustered and shouted, “Has
anyone seen the ‘LC-19’ car!?” All of the patrons knew what he was
talking about. Steve was on the prowl with his R/T. But, of course,
no one knew the whereabouts of the illusive car and its driver. Steve
said it was like a stand off at the OK corral, which was a great source
of entertainment for him and his friends.
Restoration of the R/T was started in 1997 and completed in 2001. It
was painstakingly performed by Ed Margosian of Troy, NY. He is a noted
specialist in the restoration of ’71 Chargers. The car had been
sitting idle in storage for more than a decade when Ed answered the
Cataldo’s newspaper ad for the R/T. He struck a deal and the
restoration began. The level of detail in his work is very impressive
right down to the correct paint daubs, stickers, and inspector marks on
the car’s components. The original engine has been rebuilt with the
addition of some Performance Mopar parts to goose the performance
beyond the Dodge Division engineers’ original intentions. This
includes an aggressive lope provided by Mopar Performance “Purple
Shaft” solid lifter cam (312o intake/exhaust duration and .590”
intake/exhaust lift), polished 10.8:1 domed high compression pistons,
six pack crank shaft, performance Edelbrock intake with a Holley 850
racing carburetor, Hooker headers, and polished intake and exhaust
ports. All component modifications are reversible. The enhancements
are good for 500 horsepower at the flywheel and a revised redline in
the vicinity of 7,000 rpms.
There were some wild color offerings back in the early seventies and
nobody was more over-the-top than the Chrysler Corporation. This car’s
colors were conservative by comparison, but are nonetheless striking.
The young first owner had his stuff together when he made his choices.
Steve liked the sound of the color “B5 Bright Metallic Blue” and
checked it off on the order form. It looks awesome with the subtle
contrast of the flat black stripes. The black and white hounds tooth
cloth inserts on the black vinyl bucket seats are visually stunning.
And the faux walnut “plastic” trim, even though it is obviously fake,
has a nice contrast to the black interior. The best color contrast,
though, is when you pop the hood and see that beautiful 440 big block
in its traditional Hemi orange contrasted to the blue engine bay.
This R/T goes! Driving it is an exhilarating experience that demands
your undivided attention. With the turn of the key the Charger comes
to life with an edgy rumble. After the motor is warmed up you reach
down and select the “Air Grabber” switch on the lower dash and suddenly
the whole 70’s Mopar marketing pitch starts to make sense. You have a
front row seat to the activation of the wild vacuum-operated pop-up
Ramcharger fresh air induction system with its vibrant cartoonish
decals. By the way, in 1971 Motor Trend found that the Charger’s
“trap-door hood scoop … to be good for about 21/2 mph on the top end”
when running the quarter mile.
Shifting the A833 Hemi four speed is very distinctive. You actually
snap through a noticeable detent with each throw of the pistol grip
shifter when selecting the next gear - very heavy duty. There is plenty
of power on tap for the Charger, however, traction is a bit of a
challenge. The R/T is shod with the correct-as-delivered Goodyear
Polyglas G70x14 tires, and this doesn’t help matters. With the 4.10:1
rear axle ratio and all of that power it is very torquey on take offs
and the rpms churn pretty fast at highway speeds. Once traction is
established, acceleration builds violently and is seemingly endless.
You can’t help but have a smile on your face feeling the surging “Gs”
and listening to the throaty roar of the motor through exhaust tips
resembling flame-thrower nozzles.
This car is not a cruiser. It was ordered for one purpose…….stop light
to stop light sprints!
Documentation of the R/T is plentiful. It includes the original bill
of sale, warranty card, two fender tags, owner’s manual, two broadcast
sheets, a bunch of Albany Dodge literature, various original tags and
stickers and other historical documentation. Galen Govier has visually
inspected the Charger and decoded its fender tags. He verified that
the drive train is numbers matching and all original to this car. It
is one of 332 R/T 440, 4 bbl with a 4 speed produced. It is made still
more rare by its documented Super Track Pack (4.10:1 9.75” Dana 60
axle), Ramcharger Hood, hounds tooth seat inserts, and concealed
headlamps. It has been entered into the Chrysler Registry as one of
sixteen 440, 4 speeds known to exist.
The Charger, today, finds itself residing in sunny Arizona with
relatively easy duty. It has 69,000 original miles and has less than
800 miles since its restoration. Typically, it is exercised on classic
Arizona winter days – 68 degrees, sunny, and dry.
I am lucky enough to have a real pearl of documentation to recall the
glory days of this R/T. I have ten minutes of 8 mm film footage of
this R/T and many of the other local cars of the time doing burnouts
set to classic Steppenwolf music (you know which songs). One of the
scenes is at a local service station after hours. Steve remembers
going to this place and having an impromptu burnout fest without the
permission of the owner. Word spread quickly around the small hamlet
and soon there were more muscle cars than you could shake a stick at.
There was everything from R/Ts, Roadrunners, and Superbees to Mustangs,
Chevelles, and Corvettes. In order to hide their misdeeds they got the
bright idea to cover up the many scorched blacktop markings by
spreading four 50 pound sacks of Portland cement around - hmmm, the
workings of the young male mind. Portions of this film are used as an
introduction to a short film on Mopar muscle of the 60’s and 70’s at
the Walter P. Chrysler Museum.
Although I grew up in a Mopar family, I had never owned one myself.
The biggest motor my parents ordered was the reliable 318 2bbl planted
in a Coronet station wagon. But, my Dad did buy two Chargers, a ’69
and a ’73. The ’69 was the coolest with its red paint and black vinyl
roof, covered headlamps, and console shifter.
This is my first Mopar, but it won't be my last. The car is a real head
turner and draws lots of attention whenever it is out of the stable.
Chrysler did a great job of creating hoopla around their muscle car
line up. Their cars are everything that muscle cars are supposed to be:
they have bold looks, great performance, and legendary reputations.
I consider my car a “Gentleman Brawler” or a kind of a wolf in sheep’s
clothing. From its regal looking blue color, to its dressed up wheels,
to its upscale hounds tooth interior, and finally its concealed
headlamps, this Charger is a sleeper. You might never suspect such an
outwardly upscale looking car to be such a beast. And that’s what I
like about it.

S U P P O R T I N G I N F O R M A T I O N
Author’s bio: Sam Griffith lives in the Phoenix area with his wife,
Lori, and two boys Ian and Tyler. He is a Commander in the Navy with
19 years of active duty service. He restores muscle cars as a hobby.
Documentation: This Charger has quite a few pieces of documentation to
substantiate its pedigree and history:
1. Two original broad cast sheets
2. Warranty Brochure
3. Original “1971 Model-Coronet-Charger Order Form”
4. Original Bill of Sale
5. Original Owners Manual
6. Original Fender Tags (2)
7. Original blue Vehicle Emissions Control Info Sticker
8. Original Tire Pressure Sticker
9. Engine Starting Card
10.Original Door VIN Sticker
11.Albany Dodge “New Dodge Rental Car While Your Car is Serviced” Card
12.Albany Dodge Service Dept Appointment Schedule
13.Albany Dodge Sticker -“Tell your friends about us…”- pasted in the
glove box.
14.Albany Dodge “Recommended Maintenance” cards
15.Various vehicle registration and insurance cards
16.Various component stickers
17.All restoration receipts
18.Chrysler Consumer Information (i.e. vehicle stopping distance,
acceleration and passing, etc.) with the VIN
19.Galen Govier Visual Inspection report
20.Galen Govier Fender Tag decoding report
21.Chrysler Registry letter
22.Photographic history: 1st week home from dealership, friends
wedding in 1973 doing burn outs with a Super Bee
23.8 mm footage (converted to VHS/DVD format) of the Steve and his
friends doing burnouts on the streets and raising havoc (portions of
this video are displayed at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn
Hills, Michigan).

Fender Tag Decode:
The fender tag is read from Left to Right, and from Bottom to Top:
E86 Engine: 440 1-4bbl 370hp V8 440 MAGNUM
D21 Transmission: A833 4-Speed Manual HURST/PISTOL
GRIP
WS Car Line: DODGE Charger R/T
23 Body Type: 2 Door Hardtop
U Engine: 440 1-4bbl 370hp V8 440 MAGNUM
1 Model Year: 1971 G-SERIES
A Assembly Plant: Lynch Road, MI
124157 Assembly Plant Sequential Number

GB5 Body Paint: Bright Blue Metallic
D Trim Grade: Deluxe
5 Front Seat: Clothe & Vinyl buckets
X9 Interior: Black & White
TX9 Upper Door Frame Color: Black
A19 Scheduled Production Date: Monday, October 19,
1970
029939 Vehicle Order Number
GB5 Roof Paint: Bright Blue Metallic
U Build to Specifications for: U.S.A.
N96 Hood: Carb Fresh Air-Steel RAMCHARGER
26 Radiator diameter – 26” Width
G36 Outside LH Remote/RH Manual Painted Racing Mirrors
L37 Concealed Headlamps
26 Gate Sequence Number-Lynch Road Plant
114 Base Sequence Number-Lynch Road Plant
123496 Line Sequence Number-Lynch Road Plant
443 Engine Assy: 440 1-4bbl with M.T. & Htr Specs
052 Axle Assy: 4.10:1 S/G HD 9.75” w/ Rr Drums (Ft
Disc)
3 F H Inspector’s Stamps
Options:
• Charger Light Package (Map Light, Trunk Light, Headlamp-On
Reminder Buzzer etc.)
• Concealed Headlamp Group (including an interior hood release)
• Super Track Pack (front disc brakes, power brakes, 4.10:1, 9.75”
Dana 60 Axle, Sure Grip Diff., Maximum Cooling Pkg – 26” radiator, 7
Blade Engine Fan, Hemi Suspension w/front sway bar , Firm Ride Shock
Absorbers).
• 4-Speed Manual Transmission (yes, the Torque Flite 727 was
standard!), Hurst shifter and linkage, Dash mounted reverse light,
Pistol Grip handle.
• Spoiler-Rear Only-Aerodynamic (“Go Wing”)
• Rallye Style Instrument cluster (oil pressure, temperature,
ammeter, 150 mph speedometer, tachometer)
• Carb Fresh Air Pkg (“Ramcharger Hood”)
• “Tuff” Steering Wheel
• Rear Window Defogger
• Fender Mounted Turn Signals
• Power Steering
• Multiplex AM/FM Stereo w/ rear speaker
• Undercoating and Hood Pad
• Road Wheels w/ Chrome Trim Ring
• Exhaust Bright Tips
• Hood Tie Down Pins
• Windshield Wipers Variable Speed
• Tinted Windshield
• Outside LH Remote/RH Manual Painted Racing Mirrors

[mmcporter]

Beautiful car and great story. How about uploading some of that burnout film for us to see?

[budnate]

[ QUOTE ]
Beautiful car and great story. How about uploading some of that burnout film for us to see?

[/ QUOTE ]

yea thats what I was thinking...what a cool story!!!

[hvychev]

WOW!! Very cool car and man, what a write up!

[Mr70]

Very interesting Car & story.
I'll bet Sam has Carpal Tunnel Syndrome by now.

[nwz28]

I live in the Albany, NY area and have seen this car at various shows. It is stunning! Ed Margosian is truly a master at Mopar restoration and also a great guy.

I grew up in Guilderland and there were alot of legendary Muscle Cars on the streets back then.....I wonder what ever happened to that Sublime '70 GTX?

[mockingbird812]

This was a write up for Randy Bolig at Mopar Muscle magazine. I worked very closely with the original owner (Steve Cadalso) in putting this story together. It took me awhile to track him down. He was a tremendous help and we had fun. I thoroughly enjoy researching the history of these beautiful beasts. This R/T's story was just begging to be told. You can read the edited version in the May '05 edition of Mopar Muscle if you expand the 1st few pictures to the hi res versions in the link to my albums:

Charger R/T Magazine Feature

The video is completely over the top . It sends you right back to the day. Will give it a try to allow you to see video (am a bit dense in this arena). I will be working with a friend to set it up on my web page for the Charger:

Charger R/T Web Page

Thanks for the encouragement,
Sam:

[Xplantdad]

Sam,

Your Charger is simply wonderful! Plus, you are a guy to boot!

In case the others who frequent this site haven't picked up on this already...Sam is one of the nicest, down to earth guys I've ever met. He is the epitome of being a muscle car enthusiast!

Here's to you, Sam and when we get together for that cookout...the are on me!

[Bill Pritchard]

Wow!! The car is beautiful, but the story is priceless!! I will have to see this one some day, too, Sam Thanks for sharing.

[SS427]

Very beautiful Mopar Sam. Thanks for sharing a great story.
Rick