Shot and posted by Lee Perrin. The hood lift was a rare option on these, undoubtedly to homologate it for NASCAR. The aerodynamic benefits were a source of considerable debate at Chrysler, and some drivers complained about their impact on vision. But it’s great to see one survived.
This was the original prototype for the Superbord/Daytona Charger. The wing was later relocated to the rear deck to improve the forward vision and the deck lid was closed to imrove rearward vision and reduct drag on the rear of the car. And since it was replaced by the standing wing, all was well with the back. And instead of designing headlights and grille, the designers squeezed the clay off the front of the car, thinking they would redesign the fornt the next day. In the middle of the night, the production guys came by thinking it was complete and put it in to production.
The trunk lid was an early attempt at active aero. At low speeds while accelerating rapidly it would provide extreme rear downforce until it retracted when the car reached near cruising speed. In testing they found that it worked well enough when accelerating out of the pits but in a yellow-flag scenario it was too much of a pain for the driver to stop the car, get out and open the trunk.
And eventually the remote trunk lid release was developed. Another instance of racing improving the breed and transferring technology to the street..
In September of 1967, my older brother walked into Hinckley’s Dodge in Salt Lake City (he was stationed at the Dugway Proving Grounds at the time) and took the ’68 Coronet R/T that was on display in the showroom. It was B5 Blue with a white vinyl top, white Bumble Bee stripes and a black buckets/console/automatic floorshift.
Apparently neither the aero package, nor the 6V induction (shown on the above car) were regular production options at that time.
Yes, the early trunk/spoiler also shown on this car (a clever attempt to skirt NASCAR rules) was found to be actually too effective in creating downforce on the rear; even with counterbalancing effect of the front wing/hood Chrysler discovered that they couldn’t produce rear springs strong enough to keep the tail from dragging.
Note: although the trunk/spoiler was abandoned the R/T (Race/Trunk) name was retained.
The lift-off hood was OEM for 1969 Six-Pack cars (the feature car is a 1968). The stanchions are homemade, commonly seen at car shows to show off these engines.
Many consider those 1969 Dodge Six-Pack cars (Roadrunners were called 6-Bbl) as the most raw, fastest street racing cars ever built for regular production. They weren’t low-production, racer/track-only specials like the 1968 A-body Hemi cars. Except for some street-legal slicks (and maybe a tach if not factory equipped), they were completely ready to race off the showroom floor. On top of that, they were cheap, about a third of the price of the Street Hemi, and nearly as fast.
Besides having the lift-off hood with the huge scoop, they came with bare steelies adorned with nothing but chrome lug nuts. I’m not sure, but I don’t think bucket seats were even available. You got a bench seat and either a floor-mounted 4-speed or column automatic, and that’s it.
I don’t think those first year 440-6v packages were available on anything but Super Bees and Roadrunners. Later years had wider availability, but also weren’t so 100% focused on racing.
Although the 440-6v engine was available through 1971 (rumors suggest one or two got built at the beginning of 1972), the later two years didn’t have the lift-off hood. I’m not sure they even come standard with an operational hood scoop (it was optional).
“…nearly as fast” means you come in second.
True, but you had to want to win very badly. Hemis were pricey and maintenance intensive and, even then, took a deft hand to be driven correctly. A 440, in either 4v or 6v guise, was a much smarter buy.
But, to me, the best performance buy of the sixties was the 428CJ in the Ford Cobra, with the best version, like the 440-6v, coming in 1969. It was truly the peak year for Chrysler and Ford musclecars, with GM following in 1970..
Good point! If you just *had* to have the most available motor you could buy, the Hemi was it, but its law of diminishing returns…especially if its a street car. The same basic principle is why the 340 Duster/Demon were such hits whereas the E bodies were a comparative flop, even if those cars have become cult classics.
We’re seeing a similar effect with the Challenger/Charger lineup right now. Sure the HellCat and Demon are making headlines, smeared all over youtube, and are stirring up loads of publicity. But the smart buy is the Scat Pak 392 cars. For just over $40K those things will do 90% of what the top dogs will at 2/3-1/2 the price.
Yeah, many consider the high point of Mopar (and maybe any manufacturer), bang-for-the-buck performance as the 1971 Duster/Demon 340. It was the first year for the Carter Thermoquad carburetor and the last for the high-compression 340. And all for hundreds less (a lot of money in 1971) than a comparable E- or B-body. It might not have had the interior room of an intermediate, but you couldn’t go faster for less money. Plus, you got A-body level quality. It really was a ‘going out with a bang’ situation, and the 340 lived on for quite a few more years (later as a 360), long after musclecar performance had really died everywhere else.
Looking at those stanchions, I wonder if this fellow has managed to work out some sort of way of installing permanent hydraulic or spring lifts that he, somehow, remotely triggers to raise the hood. If so, that’s a very clever way of raising one of these hoods.
They do look like hydraulic lifts, but I’m guessing the stanchions either collapse like an adjustable curtain rod or break into two pieces for easier storage. The picture shows the base of the front driver’s side support quite clearly, and there is no sign of a tube or spring extending below the hood line.
Too bad. While it would have taken some effort to engineer the system, imagine the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ the guy would get while lowering and raising that particular hood without requiring a couple sets of hands. Of course, he’d probably still need two guys to release the pins on each side.
And then imagine what would happen if one (or more) of the lifts decided to release while the car was in motion. Probably best all around that the stanchions are manually installed just for shows.
I should have said I’m liking the concept, but as you note there are a few safety issues to address.
You’ve heard of “Big boy toys”? Well, this was an attempt to build a sort of “Jack in the Box” for adult men. (And no, adult men isn’t necessarily redundant.)
‘Pop goes the weasel’
Ahh, the rare heavy duty engine cooling package.
Hood lifts? I can honestly say I have never heard of this! That’s pretty bizarre.
What I can say is that this body style is one of my all-time favorites by Chrysler. My aunt had a Dodge Coronet, but a four-door. Still a cool car.
Have there ever been more beautiful side marker lamps on any car than on the 1968 Chryslers? Sad they only lasted one year.
Then, the Germans a got a hold of one…
Barry, I can always count on you to make my day! Thanks.
Thumbs up and Smiley Face, Paul.
1968 Coronet RT’s and Plymouth GTX’s were never available with the 440 with 3 2bbl carbs. It was a mid-year 1969 option only for the Super Bee and Road Runners and it came with the engine, lift off black fibreglass hood, black steel wheels with chrome lug nuts plus other performance upgrades. They are very rare and very desirable. There was more availability in 1970 for the Cuda, Challenger with this engine but as far as I know the RT and GTX and maybe even the Charger still couldn’t get the “Six Pack” 440.
It’s a good question which cars got the 440-6v in 1970. I ‘think’ availability was expanded to any performance car where the Hemi was also available, meaning the GTX, Coronet and Charger R/T models got the option, too.
Replace the Coronet R/T with the Sport Fury GT and you would be correct.
I’d forgotten that the 440-6v was available in the Sport Fury GT. But the build numbers were in the single digits (and low single digits, at that).
It’s quite strange that the 440-6v would be an option for the Sport Fury GT, yet not in the Coronet R/T. As I said, it would have made more sense for the 440-6v to be available in any Mopar where the Hemi was offered (and that includes the 1970 Superbird).