Why? How? the designs of the early 70's mopars...

[Llamaback]

Favorite car of all time is a 70 super bee but once I saw a 71 Charger RT in person I became a huge fan. Some days I wish I had a 71 Bee instead of my 70. The 71-72 B bodys are wicked cool and especially with the hideaway headlights. The upward swoop of the charger quarter glass is just too cool! I find it interesting that Chrysler seemed to take a very good GM body style and perfect it.

For example: 1970 Super Bee looks like a lot like a 1966 Pontiac Catalina
1971 Charger looks a lot like a 1968 GTO

 

[TopBanana72]

Favorite car of all time is a 70 super bee but once I saw a 71 Charger RT in person I became a huge fan. Some days I wish I had a 71 Bee instead of my 70. The 71-72 B bodys are wicked cool and especially with the hideaway headlights. The upward swoop of the charger quarter glass is just too cool! I find it interesting that Chrysler seemed to take a very good GM body style and perfect it.

For example: 1970 Super Bee looks like a lot like a 1966 Pontiac Catalina
1971 Charger looks a lot like a 1968 GTO

That upward scoop I see on 68/69 chevelle's ya. I always thought maybe ma took that idea for the 71/72s and perfected it for the Charger. If you look at a vinyl roof Chevelle, even the trim pieces look identical.

 

[moparedtn]

do 68 GTX owners like women?

asking for a friend

 

[Llamaback]

That upward scoop I see on 68/69 chevelle's ya. I always thought maybe ma took that idea for the 71/72s and perfected it for the Charger. If you look at a vinyl roof Chevelle, even the trim pieces look identical.

I hadn't thought of those similarities to the Chevelle before. Pretty cool. Also my viewpoint I feel is a bit different from some of the older fellows. I'm in my mid 30s and tend to like the more extreme and interesting body styles ( think 1970 Mercury Montego MX haha). A 1971 Buick Riviera is one of the first old cars I ever saw and it really turned me on to old cars in general.

 

[chargervert]

The '71 cars have grown on me. Not sure what they are like to drive but at higher speeds they should be a lot more aerodynamic.

1966-1970 aerodynamics design basis


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1971 design

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Grown on you like some kind of lip fungus they ain't identified yet? As far as Aerodynamics are concerned according to the G series wind tunnel testing report,the 71 B body Dodge in Daytona trim,was 3 MPH slower on top end than the 69 Daytona!

 

[chargervert]

Favorite car of all time is a 70 super bee but once I saw a 71 Charger RT in person I became a huge fan. Some days I wish I had a 71 Bee instead of my 70. The 71-72 B bodys are wicked cool and especially with the hideaway headlights. The upward swoop of the charger quarter glass is just too cool! I find it interesting that Chrysler seemed to take a very good GM body style and perfect it.

For example: 1970 Super Bee looks like a lot like a 1966 Pontiac Catalina
1971 Charger looks a lot like a 1968 GTO

The 70 Super bee front end design is an exact match to a 1967 Pontiac styling studio drawing I saw posted a few years ago over on Moparts. The only difference was that there was a Pontiac beak between the two looped bumpers! I'm guessing that designer ended up at Dodge in the styling studio,and took his Pontiac drawings with him!

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Back in the early 70's I was surprised by Plymouth changing from the '71 & '72 styling to the styling of '73 & '74; and then changing to the blunter styling for the next generation in '75. Meanwhile, Dodge was more consistent in styling for the '71-'74 Chargers.

I guess due the new impact federal laws. On Charger design is easier to reach because even both have loop bumpers, the 71/72 Plymouths are like 70 Charger part of the body line, while on Chargers got a natural gap easier to modify without affect the final design or build.

 

[Runcharger]

For anyone that thinks a 73 Charger is ugly may I suggest the lovely 73 Chevelle or it's other cousins.

 

[Photon440]

Grown on you like some kind of lip fungus they ain't identified yet? As far as Aerodynamics are concerned according to the G series wind tunnel testing report,the 71 B body Dodge in Daytona trim,was 3 MPH slower on top end than the 69 Daytona!

So the 1971 aerodynamics were a lot better than a 2nd gen non-wing car?

 

[440 PHIXX]

Somebody said Daisy?

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The Demise of Daisy's RoadRunner - HazzardNet


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It looks like a Satellite. No road runner hood, or bird head in the grill. Really the same car, just different price class. Petty’s ‘71 had the more aerodynamic Satellite hood as well.

 

[chargervert]

For anyone that thinks a 73 Charger is ugly may I suggest the lovely 73 Chevelle or it's other cousins.

I don't think 73 Chargers are ugly,I own one! I just don't agree with people dissing the second gen Chargers,which are the Rembrandt of Dodge styling designs!

 

[DeltaV]

I don't think 73 Chargers are ugly,I own one! I just don't agree with people dissing the second gen Chargers,which are the Rembrandt of Dodge styling designs!

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You modified the side marker lights?

 

[gdrill]

He likes 68's!

 

[RemCharger]

I don't take a dump on other guys mopars.
But not everyone was raised the same.

 

[chargervert]

You modified the side marker lights?

The generic marker lights that look like they belong on a trailer from Harbor Freight had to go! I tucked the bumpers back in,got rid of the knee knocker bumper guards, and put 71 Charger R/T taillights in it and a 71 Charger hidden headlight grille in it as well.

 

[terrywalker]

I would like to like the group to talk about the third gen muscle era mopars. Does anyone know how they actually came about? I'm so sick of second Charger's for example. I don't care if I never see another one, because I like ours so much better. They are lower, wider, drive much better. We've got the coolest designs, but you never get any history about them? chime in guys......

Maybe this will give the OPs question a little insight behind the change. It was all I could think of at the moment. The book is The Dodge Story by Thomas A. McPherson. I own a 71 Challenger and a 3rd generation74 Charger and enjoy both.
Terry W.

 

[terrywalker]

Here's the first couple of paragraphs of the page.
Terry W.

 

[440 PHIXX]

My brother had a ‘71 Satellite Sebring as a daily back in the 80’s. He said a lot of people thought it was a Ford. The side quarter glass on it and the ‘73-‘74 Charger does resemble the ‘72-76 Gran Torinos that were everywhere at the time.

 

[chargervert]

My brother had a ‘71 Satellite Sebring as a daily back in the 80’s. He said a lot of people thought it was a Ford. The side quarter glass on it and the ‘73-‘74 Charger does resemble the ‘72-76 Gran Torinos that were everywhere at the time.

I believe that Dodge had already planned ahead for the 73,74 Charger side quarter glass update. If you remove the rear quarter panel on a 71/72 Charger,the inner structure metal is shaped like a 73/74 Charger quarter glass shape.

 

[440 PHIXX]

I believe that Dodge had already planned ahead for the 73,74 Charger side quarter glass update. If you remove the rear quarter panel on a 71/72 Charger,the inner structure metal is shaped like a 73/74 Charger quarter glass shape.

View attachment 1567807

It could be a shared part with the ‘71-‘72 Sebring? That has a similar quarter window as the ‘73 Charger got.