Random Hemi E-Body of the Week

[Chryco Psycho]

  Wow that is a lot of red !!

[anlauto]

It has the chrome grill inserts like a gran coup or an AAR. 

I think that's just an optical illusion 

[RzeroB]

Keeping with the Christmas colors theme, our next entry is EF8 Ivy-Green ... perhaps Plymouth should have called it "Ever-Green?" 

BS23R0B159467 is 1 of about 652 made for the U.S. market, and of those 1 of 368 with an automatic. In this light, the car almost looks black, but it is actually finished in EF8 Ivy-Green with V6X black "Hockey Stick" stripes added and has a H6X9 black vinyl interior. This numbers-matching "Ever-Green" HemiCuda was restored by none other than Roger Gibson, but who the current owner is I do not know.



From the fender tag we can see that this HemiCuda wasn't optioned to be a drag-strip terror, but instead to be a power-cruiser. It is equipped with the A01 Light Group, A62 Rallye Gauges, B51 Power Disc Brakes, G33 chrome LH Sport Mirror and a R22 AM/FM Radio among other things.



Nicely equipped interior on this clean green HemiCuda (machine).



Ivy-Green and unfettered by extra cost options such as a Go-Wing or rear-window louvers (and originally NOT having Hockey Stick stripes from the factory) this HemiCuda could have been rather unassuming and a real street sleeper! But the "hemicuda" emblems on the Shaker of course gives away the true nature of the beast.



About seven years ago this green gem was advertised on Cars-On-Line dot com. Here's the ad as I found it ...



Special thanks    to Jens Kriete (JS23U) for providing me the high quality pictures of the car and fender tag. 

[750-h2]

Nice car! Freaky how the paint looks more like charcoal gray than green?

[cuda hunter]

Can someone tell me why the red one has a hemi fender tag but the green one does not.

Would that mean that the tire order dictated that?  Red one ordered 15's originally while green ordered 14's?

[750-h2]

Good question? I was sure all Hemi E bodie's came standard with F60-15 tires? Not sure why some didn't come with the Hemi rolled lip fenders?

[6bblgt]

ALL HEMI E-bodies had Goodyear Polyglas GT F60-15 RWL tires, STANDARD (no OPTIONAL tire was available)
....... both Dodge Challenger R/T & Plymouth 'cuda had "M26" wheel lip mouldings STANDARD

early in the '70 model year, Chrysler Corp. discovered under certain conditions that - the front tire could contact the front fender

* most "early" HEMI E-bodies were sent to Creative Industries (as complete cars) to have the front wheel lips "rolled" by hand to provide more clearance, during this procedure - the wheel lip mouldings were: trimmed, cut, modified and/or eliminated.  'cuda wheel lip mouldings survived this procedure better than Challenger R/T versions
** during the winter of model year 1970, "M26" wheel lip mouldings were "DELETED" from HEMI E-bodies
*** during the spring of model year 1970, a new, specific stamped "HEMI FENDER" (and additional fender tag) was released to eliminate the need for the off-site hand rolled fenders

semi-related - the original design proposal for the T/A & AAR cars included H60-15 tires mounted on 15x8.0" wheels on all 4 corners, this would have required a special "TRANS AM" fender
       ...... when this design feature was abandoned is unknown  but I believe this explains the origin of the "TRANS AM" fender tag & the number of T/A & AAR cars built with unnecessary "HEMI FENDER"s & the confusion this causes decades later

[cuda hunter]

so as it appears the green R0B is an A -October
and the red R0B is a B -November

[Topcat]

ALL HEMI E-bodies had Goodyear Polyglas GT F60-15 RWL tires, STANDARD (no OPTIONAL tire was available)
....... both Dodge Challenger R/T & Plymouth 'cuda had "M26" wheel lip mouldings STANDARD

early in the '70 model year, Chrysler Corp. discovered under certain conditions that - the front tire could contact the front fender
** during the winter of model year 1970, "M26" wheel lip mouldings were "DELETED" from HEMI E-bodies

So would this be 12/70 when discontinued?
Because if that's the case, then 1971 hemicuda's early production would of had M26 as well up to 12/70.

[6bblgt]

so as it appears the green R0B is an A -October
and the red R0B is a B -November

IMO neither should have "HEMI FENDER" tag, & both should have hand "rolled" fenders w/wheel lip mouldings

[6bblgt]

So would this be 12/70 when discontinued?
Because if that's the case, then 1971 hemicuda's early production would of had M26 as well up to 12/70.

model year 1970 - Winter was from Sunday 12/21/69 thru Saturday 3/20/70

by design ALL 1971 model year HEMI E-bodies should have "HEMI FENDER" tag, factory stamped F60-15 fenders & NO wheel lip moldings
..... there are a number of known exceptions

[E74cuda]

Here is a picture of what the molding and hemi fender look like installed. This hemicuda has it's original fenders and original wheel lip moldings. It seems like the molding was cut with a ban saw. Mid October 1969 build car.

[RzeroB]

Keeping with the Christmas colors theme, our next entry to join the "Santa" Red and "Ever-Green" cars is this white as fresh fallen snow one ... known colloquially as the "Polar Bear" (or "Dairy Man Delight") ... making it the perfect entry for today! 

BS23R0B349154 is 1 of about 652 made for the U.S. market, and of those 1 of 284 with a 4-speed. It is finished in EW1 Alpine-White with V6X black "Hockey Stick" stripes and has a H6X9 black vinyl interior.



The "Polar Bear" was part of a HemiCuda duo owned by the same person and together they were known as the "Checkered Flag" HemiCuda pair. The "Polar Bear" with it's white exterior, black interior and 4-speed was paired with it's opposite counterpart that had a black exterior, white interior and automatic which was known as ... the "Penguin" (or Tuxedo) ... you could almost say that they were ... "polar opposites"!!



With few options, this HemiCuda was purpose built with the A34 Super Track Pack 4:10 geared Dana Axle Pkg, B51 Power Disc Brakes and little else. However what it lacks in options it makes up for it in being an all original unrestored survivor with only 9,800 miles on the clock!



The pair passed through the 2007 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction where the "Polar Bear" sold for $264K and it's opposite counterpart the "Penguin", fared a little better on the bid and went for $286K. I don't think they stayed together as the "Checkered Flag" pair ... but I don't know for sure. Be nice to know where they are now ... but wherever that is I'm sure the "Polar Bear" and "Penguin" are in good hands.

[JS29]

Another home run @RzeroB 

[Chryco Psycho]