73/71 Plymouths

[tak419]

Title meant to say 73/74
Not to start a hate club here and I know to each his own but I've wondered for years, what the hell was Plymouth thinking with the body on the 73/4 2 door Plymouth. The RR has a great looking hood, then the designers can't match the front and rear wheel lip contour ??? I think it is the only car ever produced that the front and rear wheel lip design is different. Just stupid. I was at a car show once and there was a nice 73 RR, Petty blue with a red stripe. I was looking at it and a man walked up, said to me, " I wonder if the fool who restored that car knows he put the wrong fenders on the car"..am I the only one that thinks they look mis matched ?

 

[Montclaire]

It is kind of odd. I wonder if the designers had to modify things in a hurry to meet the 1973 low speed crash standards.

 

[Bb70charger500]

Pics I've never looked at them really always thought they were just kinda ugly 71-72 is were it's at with this style rr

 

[multimopes]

It is kind of odd. I wonder if the designers had to modify things in a hurry to meet the 1973 low speed crash standards.

I think some of the above is correct but chances are poor old Chrysler was hurtin for money again. I know the wheel track was widened in 71 and the lip contour gave extra room for tires, but to re-design a whole car when the emissions had killed much of the muscle car market most likely was cost prohibitive. They did fade out the lower contour line that used to connect both front and rear fenders. Don't know what the sales stats were, but if I remember, the 73 models outsold the 72's significantly. Saw that somewhere on here. I personally don't think it's that bad. Look at some of the cars from the early 60's and the front is a full opening for turning and the rear fender half covered the tires. This was true for other manufacturers as well. The rears fenders were designed like they had fender skirts welded in and smoothed out. I never much cared for that as it made stuffing big meat on the rear much more difficult. I also think they knew that the rear lip contour added a lot of strength. Worse than that in my eye is the ugly bumper guards that extended out front and rear. I really hate those and was glad that they were ripped off mine before I bought it.

 

[flypaper]

it was all down hill after 71..

 

[Montclaire]

Actually, 73 was one of the better sales years, for Dodge and Plymouth. I don't think it was a money issue, as most of the design work would have probably been locked in a good two years prior - esp with the new suspension coming online.

 

[Montclaire]

Does anyone have the photos of the 71 GTX styling exercise with the gilled fenders? There were some other models and even just front fascias in the shot. Wondering if we may get a clue there.

 

[bee71]

I remember reading the head of styling, John Herlitz, saying the 71 Road Runner was his favorite as they really stretched their imagination.

 

[QuickBpBp]

To each is own. Those bumper guards ruined ALL 73-4 A B and E bodies as they all have them. While I have all 71-4 Plymouth's and have been into these cars for over 3 decades they nailed it in 72 by actually making the best looking Road Runner grille ever instead of a 71-2 Satellite grille with a birds head. Kinda like what they did with the 68-70 Sport Satellites and GTX's having thier own awesome grille assembly... I wish they would have not had a generic side marker in 72 as they could of had the great look of the 71 Marker light....

 

[YY1]

If you look closely, the actual wheel well lip area does match front to rear.

The rear just has extra styling contour similar to 71/72 above the opening.

Also interesting is that rear contour area is nearly an exact match for 72-79 truck fenders!
Truck fenders can be used to make quarter patches for the very rust prone center area.

 

[YY1]

As noted earlier 73 was the all time high sales year for Charger.

 

[SureGrip]

Also interesting is that rear contour area is nearly an exact match for 72-79 truck fenders!
Truck fenders can be used to make quarter patches for the very rust prone center area.

Reading your post, I recalled hearing this way back in '92 when I originally had my '74 RR.

 

[WileERobby]

To each is own. Those bumper guards ruined ALL 73-4 A B and E bodies as they all have them.

At least they just added the big guards. The other manufacturers lopped on those HUGE bumpers with fillers that look like they hung a porch on both front and rear of their cars, especially Ford. I hated those ghastly, ugly monstrosities.

 

[YY1]

Interesting thing about the bumper guards-

I actually USE them...to set things on while I unlock the trunk.

I wish my 2015 Renegade had something similar.

Juggling 2 cases of beer is not fun while getting the key ready and turning the cylinder.
(or getting the remote and then lifting the hatch)

...but one hand and the left rubber guard is a piece of cake.

 

[QuickBpBp]

Interesting thing about the bumper guards-

I actually USE them...to set things on while I unlock the trunk.

You can also stand on them to wash the back window!!

 

[SureGrip]

Juggling 2 cases of beer is not fun while getting the key ready and turning the cylinder.
(or getting the remote and then lifting the hatch)