First story: Bought a new Charger R/T new in 1971. Red, black top and interior, 440 Mag, Torqueflite, 3.55 sure grip.I really liked the machine gun exhaust tips! Sticker was A little over $4300, which was a lot of $$$$ then. I was working at the GM assembly plant in Framingham, Mass. Making almost $8 an hour. That was primo money back then. I had 2 cars and a new motorcycle, and lots of gas money. Good gas was less than .40 per gallon.....
The pluses: Sharp car! The color combo and Magnum 500 wheels made it stand out. Driveline was bullet proof. And the car was very fast! My fiancee' (now wife) had it up to 140 MPH!!!
The minuses: paint job was mediocre, lots of drips and minor imperfections. The stripes were crooked. The interior was cheap - the drivers seat split after the first year. Really liked gas, only got about 12 MPG on Sunoco 260.
Traded it in on a 1974 Camaro Z28 in 1974......Bad move.
Never saw another on the road. To this day, my wife says it was sharpest car we ever had....
Second Story: My best friend Rick got a brand new 1969 RoadRunner for his high school graduation present. Red, white interior, 383 Magnum, 4 speed, 3.91 gears, Air Grabber, Magnum 500 wheels.
Paid a little over $3000 for it. Great cruiser, with lots of low end.
Pluses: Exhuast had a real nice sound to it. 4 speed and Air Grabber - Does it get any better?
Minuses: Same as above. Mopars had great drivetrains and cheap interiors. The build quality on the RR was a little better than the Charger. Gas mileage was not good either, but at .40 per gallon, who cared?????
For all of you guys who are younger, the best part of this time period is these cars were EVERYWHERE. Walk thru a parking lot anywhere, and see all kinds of muscle machines. By the mid '70s, these cars were super cheap, due to the gas crisis. You could buy Cudas all day long for $1500.....
