Chevy stole the torsion patent as soon as chrysler dumped it, for their 88 trucks...the Chrysler products needed anti-sway bars but they cost extra and we're considered non essential like most of us today...
I had a HEMI Orange Ram Charger hooded R/T version of this car. Best looking, most head-turning, horribly uncomfortable, WORST handling/braking/steering car I ever owned. Would I ever want another????? Heck yes! I miss that Pistol Grip 4-speed!
I agree 100%. The guy summed it up the best. It may not handle like a Ferrari but taken for what is it is, a 4,000 pound car with room for 5 passengers, it wasn't that bad either. I will go one further. 5 people could go on a long trip in this car with 5 FULL size suit cases, and two golf bags in the trunk and still have room for souvenirs. Oh, they got a nice ride too when it was loaded down! LOL Try that with ANY sports car today! :)
"Rear axle hop was wild, heat build up...intense. Pedal fade? Almost to the floor." Then there was "through the pylon course we noticed that body lean was a little excessive." Throw in the biggest motor you can get and don't worry about anything else. Classic. Gotta love watching these vintage road tests.
Just the opposite. European cars were no match for American horsepower back then. Even in 1971, most American cars had air conditioning, power windows, locks, steering, brakes, and automatic transmissions. Those were only dreams to the majority of Europeans at the time. Even today, A/C isn't standard on most European cars.
Gordon "Bud" Lindemann passed away in 1983 from cancer. In 1991, Mr. Lindemann was inducted into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame. May he rest in peace...
Bud Lindeman, the best car test announcer there ever was. He had a style that was spot on for the time and for the demographic he was speaking to. This automotive enthusiast misses you Bud, RIP.
This Charger, like the earlier Charger 500, laid the basic foundation for future muscle cars like the Challenger Demon. Its engine makes nealy 7/8 of the mark to 1,000 horsepower, yields 0 to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds yet weighs no less than this Charger.
Andrew Samy lol tru allot of people didn't really like this new look then last gen but i still say it looks better then any charge made by dodge since 2006.
Duncan D McGrath whenever I pull into a cars & coffee meet with my 74 charger I hear all the guys say "hey cool, reminds me of high school." Yeah, I feel like at the top of my game whenever I hear them say that, lol.
www.automobile-catalog.com/car/1971/838655/ford_mustang_mach_i_429_cj_v-8_drag-pack_4_3_detroit-locker_4-speed.html 0-60 mph in 5.1 sec, 0-100 km/h in 5.4 sec and quarter mile time is 13.8 sec www.automobile-catalog.com/car/1971/648665/dodge_charger_rt_440_v-8_sixpack_4-speed.html 0-60 mph in 5.5 sec, 0-100 km/h in 5.8 sec, 0-200 km/h in 26.4 sec and quarter mile time is 14.1 sec
My father & I looked at one new at the dealership. This was Summer '71. They had a brand new red 440 R/T with black graphics on the lot. Sticker $5,200 loaded. The sales manager said a guy special ordered it, but cannot take the car. He offered it to us for $3,900. My father said no because it was a 4 speed. I was only 11 but my spirit was crushed 😖😭
the B-Body was the style that made the Charger what it is known for. not like todays chargers. When we take our 71' Charger out, people in modern chargers stare at us like "wait....thats what chargers used to look like?" LOL!
The first car I ever rode in my entire life was my dad's 73 Charger SE. It had a 400 in it origanaly but he swapped in a 440 from a police Polara (you could find stuff like that in nearly any junkyard in the early 80's). Wish he still had it so I could of drove it, but its long gone. At least I still have my 73 Javelin/AMX to cruise around in once I fix back the way it was when I was in HS and driving it every day. Bought it for $550 12 years ago.
haaaa! great vid! yep, I gotta admit, it wasn't made for stopping on a dime or getting superb mpg's, but I LOVE driving my '71 Super Bee. puts a smile on my face every time i run that ol' MoPar!
we've got a 71' Charger 318 with full white vinyl rooftop in original red with white pin-striping. Its hard to believe its 50+ years old, and runs like it just rolled out of the Dodge plant yesterday! I love the car so much, we named it Miss Katy (railroaders like me will understand why we named her Miss Katy).
Exactly ! Just how I remember them --- strong acceleration - and terrible handling and braking - 8 mpg - and loose steering. However --- they set the bar for acceleration that lasted for 40 years and made them legendary. The other thing --- that the tests don't show -- is that we had fun. Dangerous fun --- but fun. The fun is what made them the classics they are today.
This was my first car when I was 16. My Grandfather's good buddy practically gave it to me for about 300 bucks. I used to load any one who wanted to ride. All my buddies. Ahh the later half of the 1980's.
Pickled Beats or MC Popeye i mean i remember seing a 73 charger for $300 bucks in 1981 in decent driveable condition so you got that charger for a steal
I used to see muscle cars like this all the time growing up in the 80s and 90s in Fargo, ND. Could be had for a few grand back in those days. Now? They want $60,000 for a rust bucket that doesn’t run. LoL
@dsmluck I had a 73 Charger with a 440 in it, came from the factory with a small block, so it had the weaker front torsion bars. I have never been in a smoother ride since I sold it. It was like riding on a cloud. As for being able to turn and brake, if you don't act like you're racing at Monza, it turned and stopped just fine. That was one smooth ride. A lot smoother than my F150 I drive now!:)
One of the Mopar greats. I have owned a 69 before and I still own a 71,72, and a '74 Charger. They are all great performing cars. This one must have been an early '71 with drum brakes since they complain about fade so much. All of mine are factory disc and there's no fade at all.
ROFL I loved the wheel hop under braking. That was intense. That car NEEDED upgraded traction bars in the rear to even hope to be safe. Thanks for the upload, that was pretty cool seeing one of the old girls running through its paces.
I've been telling people for decades that they have romantic notions about the muscle car era. They had lots of power...but steered and braked like lumber wagons. As a retired body man who worked on cars of that era I can tell you the one good thing about them...they could really take a pounding! Remember that back in the day drinking and driving was rampant and a lot of body damage was routine for many boozers. I've seen people routinely slam into curbs, drive off the road and through the bottoms of ditches etc etc...with only minor damage to suspension and body parts. You could never thrash a newer car like you could the older ones. Watch the original "Gone in 60 Seconds", as cheesy as it is, you'll see how these cars took a thrashing.
True, and the reason why I got that 69 Corvette after owning a Camaro and a 69 Mustang with drum brakes. Muscle power but far better handling and braking. Funny thing is, today you pay less for a vintage Corvette than let's say a 69 Z/28 Camaro or a 440 Charger. That was a little different back in the day.
Maybe in 1971 that was true but, not today. Also, in 1971, you would be hard pressed to find many foreign cars with a/c, power windows, power seats, power locks, or many of the standard features we now enjoy.
ALL the cars from that era were the same, my Dad had a 66 Toronado with 4 wheel drums and i had a 67 Camaro RS that i put a 396/325 in and it had drums, SERIOUS fade after 3-4 stops from 100. One of the reasons they 'felt' so fast was suspension but you can compare a 70 Ferrari to a 2020 either
@@zxtenn What??? I really want what you're smoking boy! My 66 XL Galaxie had AC and power windows, my 66 Tbird had standard disc brakes, most had also power windows. "🤮Back in the day"... lol see back in the day you could save a lot of dough buying a bare bones car all manual or loaded like today's ugly cars. My Galaxie was 4400 dollars out the door I had the window sticker from the original owner.
I agree. Given the tires and organic brakes of the era, they did out handle the standard car. I have a modified '79 300, and with it's upgraded suspension, and semi-metallic brakes ( 11 inchers in the rear ) I never experience axle hop, or poor traction. It bites hard with modern BFG's, and is still comfortable on the road. I love these old videos! Let the haters stay home!
How many people panic stop multiple times in a row until the brakes fade in real life? I guess when people live where gasoline costs $8 to $10 bucks a gallon, all you can talk about is how a muscle car stops. Gas was 0.36 cents a gallon in America in 1971. As long as it stops well enough for reasonable traffic situations, who cares? 0-30 in 2.4 seconds and 0-50 in 4.4 seconds and all people can talk about is how it stops, LOL.
Which puts gas at 2.35 a gallon inflation adjusted to today's dollars, no huge bargain. As an owner of a 71 SE 440 I am here to say the Drum Brakes were terrible on it and not realistic for panic stops.
Wow, amazing how much braking technology has improved over the years. damn car looks like it would spin out just by slamming on the brakes at 60 and cause a pile up! The engine sounds amazing! But also how much engine tech has changed as well, I am driving a car that as a 2.0L 4 Cylinder in it and its putting out 375HP (same as this V8) and I can get over 30MPGs on the highway. Back then you were lucky to see 100HP from a 4 cyl
Friend of mine had a 73 with a 318 in lower end trim, he bought it for 500 bucks back in 1981. I changed out the tranny one evening with almost no tools. I drove the right side up on the sidewalk to get ground clearance and had nothing else with me but a crescent wrench, a flat blade screwdriver and a flashlight, as one of the freezeplugs in the back of the block inside the bell housing went.
That is really a very non believable story...how did u get the torque converter bolts out...how did u get the bellhousing bolts out...driving up on a curb would of been no room to drop a tranny...must b some kind of a jokester cause u sure no nothing about cars...
With the Big Block 440 on the nose one would think it might plow in the turns. Not so thanks to the torsion bar suspension. The 71 Charger is very stable up front. Believe me. I know.
That's true. in 30 plus years try salvaging a 2012 challenger and getting it to restore and run like it used too. the plastic and computer junk will be long dead and rotted.
I had a 71 440 Magnum in burnt orange, brown leather interior and half moon chrome wheels and it was so fancy that it almost rivaled my 70 Eldorado lol. Both those cars could spin their tires tirelessly! With the Eldorado being front wheel drive you were incased in smoke lol
It's as long as a 4 door Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. I know that cos I parked my '71 Charger alongside a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow at a classic car show!
I love cars from the 60s and 70s! I understand that they were not the best handling cars. I appreciate their styling their massive size and how comfortable they were to drive. I find these videos so entertaining because the cars handle so badly and the driver here is so exceptional. Most people would be dead in cars like this he has drifting these gigantic cars around corners were very, very very few people of skill could do! I would like to see a stock car driver from the modern era or even a Formula One or IndyCar driver push these gigantic cars as hard as this test driver! Again, these cars were about styling luxury elegance, and they are just fun to float around inside!
These films are SO old school with the wild jazz music!!! I wish gas was 50 cents a gallon and tires were a buck apiece so I could buy one of these and burn rubber around town all day long!
I had a car just like this one same color and all 440ci auto , it was a good car I was in the USAF at the time and it never gave me any problems just the battery when bad one time , It was kinda fast but not real fast :)
@idak12 - the Aussie Charger is an A-body in the US, B-bodies were quite abit bigger. Do love the Aussie Charger, a guy I know has one over here in the US, but the Aussie Charger vs the US Charger is an apple-to-banana comparison. I've had several '67-71 US A-bodies and they can be made to handle and brake very well even by today's standards on a modest budget.
I owned a 71 Charger S.E 440 in 1972-77 with 8' slicks it ran high 12's bone stock engine/trans no mods,problem with these cars they have nearly 500 ftlbs of torque you cant floor it off the line,they dont hook stock tires were high 13's-16 's depending on how much it spun,so i added 8' slicks it ran high 12's and low 13's with the heavies Charger ever made !!! Even low powered 440 72-74 models were 14 second rides with street tires,and they still spun,smoked the tires like mad off the line.
Everyone seems to be hating on these old cars. Yes a new muscle car would be better in every catagory. Guess what, it should since 1971 - 2012. 41 years have passed. No they don't handle or perform as well as many new cars, but that isn't the point. They are just good old cars that are fun to work on, restore, cruise and enjoy. They aren't a daily driver and haven't been for some 30 years. Just enjoy them for what they are. No one comes to a classic car show to see a 2012 Corolla or Civic.
This was an option that a customer should of had "checked in" on the ordering from the dealer/assembly plant. Quite and obscure and not known option for many. Customers must of selected one of great Sport packages, and then this would of been the entry way for that great feature/option. Indeed, a single mini-brush-wiper (on each high beams) with added pressurized washer fluid and nozzles, was then , and is still today, brilliant. Well deserved "thumbs up" on your observation.
My First Car I owned was a 1971 Dodge Charger SE with a 383 2-BBL, Black Body, Black Half-vinyl top, and Black Interior in 1995. It had the Disc Brakes. I wish I didn't sell it.
@dodge69874 we had a small salvage operation. dad used to snapp every full size chevy wagon and chevelle wagon he could get. wagons frequently had tow package options. 327/350 300hp were the common engine in them. positraction 12 bolts, radiators had larger trans coolers in them etc. the chevy guys would have them wagons strip'ed in a couple days. thats one reason why wagons of any make are rare. hi end wagons were an excellent source of heavy duty goodies. nobody loved them so they werecheap
I actually like the styling of the 1971-72 Charger's over the previous Charger's and I definitely agree that it has more of that aggressive styling than the previous Charger's, I consider 1974 to be the last good year of the Charger's before they became a personal luxury car
Doobie1975 1972-1974 Chargers were marketed more as personal luxury cars but you could add additional V8 for more performance it wasn't untill 1975 were Dodge charger was strictly a Luxury car.
Power brakes were not standard equipment on '71 performance mopars, oddly enough. I had a 71 383 magnum charger and a 71 440+6 runner. Both cars had drum brakes and you had to stand hard and steady on the pedal with both feet just to get down to 90mph from 140mph. It took a LOT of road. Neither car cornered very well. Sold both of them in 1983. Wish I hadn't.
Every carguy should watch these old films so that we can appreciate today's cars. I just test drove a 2006 Charger R/T and it is a super car compared to the 71 in this video. It would beat it in every category. I still like the looks of the old muscle though.
all you guys ripping on the old muscle cars should check out pure stock drag racing of the cars now. Sure these cars are not pure stock, but it does show how much potential they have when super tuned.
Yeah but to put it in perspective, minimum wage was around $1.50 or so an hour (about $3000.00 a year) and a guy with a decent paying job was only making maybe 5 -6 grand a year so 5 for a car was pretty big
Here it is, 2021. I just picked up a 1973 Dodge Charger with a 440 and a manual. The car is completely sound and roadworthy condition. The first time down the highway, all that came to mind was Ralph Nader's book. *Unsafe at any speed!*
we've got a 71' charger, I grew up as a kid in the 70's and I would see these cars a lot at our local Dodge dealership. So 49 years later, I finally bought one, up in Illinois, and we had to have it specially trailered (in a enclosed trailer) to our house here in Florida. She is now 51 years old, but looks and runs like she just rolled off the assembly line at the Dodge Plant!.
@dodge69874 most gm guys didnt like to carry two spares for the front back bolt pattern difference. ive seen some ford 9' swaps back then but it was rare to see in my region. the spare tire issue and the ball busting from ford/mopar guys was more than most gm guys were willing to put up with. most just replaced the whole rear. every time they failed. they were plentyfull from the salvage yards back then.
I still have a 73 charger same body style. I've had that car so long I'm not even sure if it's 73 but it's got the nice tail lights essentially all the way across the back. 318 automatic column shift basic as you can get pretty solid car those cars are built to be straight line cars. And be squirrely so you can feel like you doing something when you slide through the curves. Besides rear end of the car. Better for burning rubber
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
I had a 1971 Charger 440 when I was a teenager . It’s a miracle that I am still alive.
Chevy stole the torsion patent as soon as chrysler dumped it, for their 88 trucks...the Chrysler products needed anti-sway bars but they cost extra and we're considered non essential like most of us today...
I had a HEMI Orange Ram Charger hooded R/T version of this car. Best looking, most head-turning, horribly uncomfortable, WORST handling/braking/steering car I ever owned. Would I ever want another????? Heck yes! I miss that Pistol Grip 4-speed!
That's awesome what colour code and trans was it?
I just got my charger and I’m 16
@@tylercollins6725 don’t lie now!
I agree 100%. The guy summed it up the best. It may not handle like a Ferrari but taken for what is it is, a 4,000 pound car with room for 5 passengers, it wasn't that bad either. I will go one further. 5 people could go on a long trip in this car with 5 FULL size suit cases, and two golf bags in the trunk and still have room for souvenirs. Oh, they got a nice ride too when it was loaded down! LOL
Try that with ANY sports car today! :)
"Rear axle hop was wild, heat build up...intense. Pedal fade? Almost to the floor." Then there was "through the pylon course we noticed that body lean was a little excessive." Throw in the biggest motor you can get and don't worry about anything else. Classic. Gotta love watching these vintage road tests.
+Schön They were the cheap in comparisson to the european cars, so that's understandable.
Exactly right hahaha.
They were part of the Car and Track tv show.They would broadcast stock car racing and play these road tests in between.
We had TVs back in 1971, you know. Our family even had cable TV in 1974. I have socks and underwear that are older than you. LOL
Just the opposite. European cars were no match for American horsepower back then. Even in 1971, most American cars had air conditioning, power windows, locks, steering, brakes, and automatic transmissions. Those were only dreams to the majority of Europeans at the time. Even today, A/C isn't standard on most European cars.
Gordon "Bud" Lindemann passed away in 1983 from cancer. In 1991, Mr. Lindemann was inducted into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame. May he rest in peace...
Wonder what he would thought of today's Charger Hellcat he knew how to make a car show.
@@Victoria3232-j7o
He originated the car shows.
Wayne Johnson
Sorry too hear that . He made some great videos and now bud is a muscle car heaven.
@@20alphabet shut the fuck up and smoke your your crack rock bitch
What a great job he had!
Bud Lindeman, the best car test announcer there ever was. He had a style that was spot on for the time and for the demographic he was speaking to. This automotive enthusiast misses you Bud, RIP.
Couldn't agree more
0-50 in 4.4 seconds was fast as hell back in 71
It ain’t 1971 anymore
with wheel spin
@@SofaKingQuick No shit Sherlock!
Still is most of the time
This Charger, like the earlier Charger 500, laid the basic foundation for future muscle cars like the Challenger Demon. Its engine makes nealy 7/8 of the mark to 1,000 horsepower, yields 0 to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds yet weighs no less than this Charger.
"...enough originality that it doesn't seem like it came out of a GM drawing board." Savage.
Andrew Samy lol tru allot of people didn't really like this new look then last gen but i still say it looks better then any charge made by dodge since 2006.
@@Victoria3232-j7o
Spend more time on your English homework.
I owned one of these. The same guy that designed this car, desiged the 69 GTO. I think they are quit simular. I'll take the Charger any day though.
@@normandraboin8963
I doubt that.
@@terridunbar7087
Like your dad 😆BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHLOL
My neighbour got an 1970 charger 383 today. The sound on that car... best ever.
Change from the sht mufflers today, I had Flowmaster on my 66 XL Galaxie with almost 400 hp, best 13.79 ET all drum brakes
The Dodge Charger and especially the Plymouth Satellite Sebring were more futuristic and modern looking than ALL of today's American car offerings.
71’ 440 Charger was my high school car ..... senior girls loved it , especially when I spanked Cumaro’s and Rustangs off the line and on the hiway.
Duncan D McGrath whenever I pull into a cars & coffee meet with my 74 charger I hear all the guys say "hey cool, reminds me of high school." Yeah, I feel like at the top of my game whenever I hear them say that, lol.
www.automobile-catalog.com/car/1971/838655/ford_mustang_mach_i_429_cj_v-8_drag-pack_4_3_detroit-locker_4-speed.html
0-60 mph in 5.1 sec, 0-100 km/h in 5.4 sec and quarter mile time is 13.8 sec
www.automobile-catalog.com/car/1971/648665/dodge_charger_rt_440_v-8_sixpack_4-speed.html
0-60 mph in 5.5 sec, 0-100 km/h in 5.8 sec, 0-200 km/h in 26.4 sec and quarter mile time is 14.1 sec
My father & I looked at one new at the dealership. This was Summer '71. They had a brand new red 440 R/T with black graphics on the lot. Sticker $5,200 loaded. The sales manager said a guy special ordered it, but cannot take the car. He offered it to us for $3,900. My father said no because it was a 4 speed. I was only 11 but my spirit was crushed 😖😭
Just love the Charger body style (1971-1974). Enjoy an unbiased road test, pointing out the bad, as well as, the good - like done here.
the B-Body was the style that made the Charger what it is known for. not like todays chargers. When we take our 71' Charger out, people in modern chargers stare at us like "wait....thats what chargers used to look like?" LOL!
The only thing working harder than those brakes is the Sax player on the sound track!
🤣🤣🤣🤣
LMAO. Well played... ohhh!
70 was the last good looking car style. 71 from on is Ugly as crap.
Like vintage 70's porn.
@@mauricioordaz4905 lol!
The first car I ever rode in my entire life was my dad's 73 Charger SE. It had a 400 in it origanaly but he swapped in a 440 from a police Polara (you could find stuff like that in nearly any junkyard in the early 80's). Wish he still had it so I could of drove it, but its long gone. At least I still have my 73 Javelin/AMX to cruise around in once I fix back the way it was when I was in HS and driving it every day. Bought it for $550 12 years ago.
haaaa! great vid! yep, I gotta admit, it wasn't made for stopping on a dime or getting superb mpg's, but I LOVE driving my '71 Super Bee. puts a smile on my face every time i run that ol' MoPar!
we've got a 71' Charger 318 with full white vinyl rooftop in original red with white pin-striping. Its hard to believe its 50+ years old, and runs like it just rolled out of the Dodge plant yesterday! I love the car so much, we named it Miss Katy (railroaders like me will understand why we named her Miss Katy).
Exactly ! Just how I remember them --- strong acceleration - and terrible handling and braking - 8 mpg - and loose steering. However --- they set the bar for acceleration that lasted for 40 years and made them legendary. The other thing --- that the tests don't show -- is that we had fun. Dangerous fun --- but fun. The fun is what made them the classics they are today.
Owner of a 1971 Dodge charger super bee here, and can say with a 440sixpack its a real case of dodge fever !
This was my first car when I was 16. My Grandfather's good buddy practically gave it to me for about 300 bucks. I used to load any one who wanted to ride. All my buddies.
Ahh the later half of the 1980's.
Pickled Beats or MC Popeye i mean i remember seing a 73 charger for $300 bucks in 1981 in decent driveable condition so you got that charger for a steal
No fair! Nowadays, the shells cost a fortune!
I used to see muscle cars like this all the time growing up in the 80s and 90s in Fargo, ND. Could be had for a few grand back in those days. Now? They want $60,000 for a rust bucket that doesn’t run. LoL
@@AB-ou8ve I've got one five grand would take it
@@phillyphilhouse79 hey find somebody like that and send them my way. I've got one I take five grand for it.
Many thanks for these videos! Here in the EU some of us appreciate a lot the beautiful US muscle cars, so it's great to get stuff like this.
These guys had the best jobs in the world from 1968-73. Getting to play with Detroit's latest offerings.
"The equipment for a powerful well handling car, are the same ingredients for a safer car." well said Lindmen.
@dsmluck I had a 73 Charger with a 440 in it, came from the factory with a small block, so it had the weaker front torsion bars. I have never been in a smoother ride since I sold it. It was like riding on a cloud. As for being able to turn and brake, if you don't act like you're racing at Monza, it turned and stopped just fine. That was one smooth ride. A lot smoother than my F150 I drive now!:)
One of the Mopar greats. I have owned a 69 before and I still own a 71,72, and a '74 Charger. They are all great performing cars. This one must have been an early '71 with drum brakes since they complain about fade so much. All of mine are factory disc and there's no fade at all.
Mine was built in May 1971 & had drums all round.
ROFL I loved the wheel hop under braking. That was intense. That car NEEDED upgraded traction bars in the rear to even hope to be safe.
Thanks for the upload, that was pretty cool seeing one of the old girls running through its paces.
I've been telling people for decades that they have romantic notions about the muscle car era. They had lots of power...but steered and braked like lumber wagons. As a retired body man who worked on cars of that era I can tell you the one good thing about them...they could really take a pounding! Remember that back in the day drinking and driving was rampant and a lot of body damage was routine for many boozers. I've seen people routinely slam into curbs, drive off the road and through the bottoms of ditches etc etc...with only minor damage to suspension and body parts. You could never thrash a newer car like you could the older ones. Watch the original "Gone in 60 Seconds", as cheesy as it is, you'll see how these cars took a thrashing.
True, and the reason why I got that 69 Corvette after owning a Camaro and a 69 Mustang with drum brakes. Muscle power but far better handling and braking. Funny thing is, today you pay less for a vintage Corvette than let's say a 69 Z/28 Camaro or a 440 Charger. That was a little different back in the day.
Maybe in 1971 that was true but, not today. Also, in 1971, you would be hard pressed to find many foreign cars with a/c, power windows, power seats, power locks, or many of the standard features we now enjoy.
ALL the cars from that era were the same, my Dad had a 66 Toronado with 4 wheel drums and i had a 67 Camaro RS that i put a 396/325 in and it had drums, SERIOUS fade after 3-4 stops from 100. One of the reasons they 'felt' so fast was suspension but you can compare a 70 Ferrari to a 2020 either
@@zxtenn What??? I really want what you're smoking boy! My 66 XL Galaxie had AC and power windows, my 66 Tbird had standard disc brakes, most had also power windows. "🤮Back in the day"... lol see back in the day you could save a lot of dough buying a bare bones car all manual or loaded like today's ugly cars. My Galaxie was 4400 dollars out the door I had the window sticker from the original owner.
Love that movie. Much better than the Nicholas Cage POS.
I had a 73 and it was by FARRRR THE BEST CAR I have ever owned and I whipped every Mustangs ass in my home town!
I agree. Given the tires and organic brakes of the era, they did out handle the standard car. I have a modified '79 300, and with it's upgraded suspension, and semi-metallic brakes ( 11 inchers in the rear ) I never experience axle hop, or poor traction. It bites hard with modern BFG's, and is still comfortable on the road. I love these old videos! Let the haters stay home!
Cool, I've had a bunch of them. Probably the most fun was the 340 + 6 car I had in high school.
I don't know why this was recommended to me 14 years late but I'm glad it was.
Bought a 1971 Charger 500 today.
of all the 1971-74 Charger's I've seen I seem to see the 1973 models the most than the other years.
The Plymouth version of this was the Road Runner and sold the most in 1973 and 1974.
"We didn't find that to be true but driver skill could have something to do with it" ......... automotive journalists gave ZERO fucks back then hahaha
Whipping that big graceful Charger! Really impressive and headlight washers on a Dodge in ‘71 whaaaaat?!
Headlight washers on a ‘71 Charger! Who knew? Bud’s tests were the best!
One of the best looking boats out there
I bought a 71 Charger in 76 but had the small block V8, same color as this one. Sure miss those days.
Love these old cars
Poor brakes were a common problem on many of the cars in those days.
nope,look up disc brakes. they still use them nowadays.
2017 Honda Ridgeline stops 4 feet shorter (208)!
How many people panic stop multiple times in a row until the brakes fade in real life?
I guess when people live where gasoline costs $8 to $10 bucks a gallon, all you can talk about is how a muscle car stops. Gas was 0.36 cents a gallon in America in 1971.
As long as it stops well enough for reasonable traffic situations, who cares? 0-30 in 2.4 seconds and 0-50 in 4.4 seconds and all people can talk about is how it stops, LOL.
Which puts gas at 2.35 a gallon inflation adjusted to today's dollars, no huge bargain.
As an owner of a 71 SE 440 I am here to say the Drum Brakes were terrible on it and not realistic for panic stops.
Stock they were Drum, both my 71 and 71 had drum brakes all around.
Wow, amazing how much braking technology has improved over the years. damn car looks like it would spin out just by slamming on the brakes at 60 and cause a pile up!
The engine sounds amazing! But also how much engine tech has changed as well, I am driving a car that as a 2.0L 4 Cylinder in it and its putting out 375HP (same as this V8) and I can get over 30MPGs on the highway. Back then you were lucky to see 100HP from a 4 cyl
So?
I really liked the 1971-72 Charger's a lot and they don't seem to get as much recognition as the previous Charger's.
Friend of mine had a 73 with a 318 in lower end trim, he bought it for 500 bucks back in 1981. I changed out the tranny one evening with almost no tools. I drove the right side up on the sidewalk to get ground clearance and had nothing else with me but a crescent wrench, a flat blade screwdriver and a flashlight, as one of the freezeplugs in the back of the block inside the bell housing went.
That is really a very non believable story...how did u get the torque converter bolts out...how did u get the bellhousing bolts out...driving up on a curb would of been no room to drop a tranny...must b some kind of a jokester cause u sure no nothing about cars...
@@harleyrider8889 hey bro, it ran 11 in the quarter and lifted the front wheels off the ground
@@harleyrider8889 thank you
@@harleyrider8889 Shut the hell up, adults are talking.
I remember watching these on TV , Saturday afternoons .
faster car = safer car. Those were the days.
370 hp back then was huge power.
With the Big Block 440 on the nose one would think it might plow in the turns. Not so thanks to the torsion bar suspension. The 71 Charger is very stable up front. Believe me. I know.
It was a firm riding beast. I knew someone who had one back in the day.
The 440 was lighter than the Hemi...
It had 2" anti roll bars 8 times the size of euro cars at the time.
Biggest anti-roll bars were about 1 1/4" - 1 1/2"... until the hollow ones came out in later years...
That's true. in 30 plus years try salvaging a 2012 challenger and getting it to restore and run like it used too. the plastic and computer junk will be long dead and rotted.
That thing was dangerous.I love it.
Beautiful piace of macheary!
Yes it is a beautiful piece of machinery
"Body lean was a little excessive, but not noticeable from the inside" 😆
MPG reminds me of my 1974 Cutlass 455... I got 9MPG...didn't matter whether it was City or Highway....ALWAYS returned 9MPG! GULP...
At about .50 per gal.
Reminds me of my current SRT Durango lol
2:40 whoever said the Japanese invented drifting?
That is just bad handling not drifting
those old bias ply tires loved to fold over.its a wonder the wheel weights dont have asphalt scrapes on them.
I had a 71 440 Magnum in burnt orange, brown leather interior and half moon chrome wheels and it was so fancy that it almost rivaled my 70 Eldorado lol. Both those cars could spin their tires tirelessly! With the Eldorado being front wheel drive you were incased in smoke lol
"Made for good rebound and recovery" ...car flobbles wildly around the cones.
Macca; your vids NEVER disappoint!
With that sleek and low fuselage styling, the car looks like it's 20' long lol Still, it's a great-looking car.
It's as long as a 4 door Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. I know that cos I parked my '71 Charger alongside a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow at a classic car show!
19 feet
I love cars from the 60s and 70s! I understand that they were not the best handling cars. I appreciate their styling their massive size and how comfortable they were to drive. I find these videos so entertaining because the cars handle so badly and the driver here is so exceptional. Most people would be dead in cars like this he has drifting these gigantic cars around corners were very, very very few people of skill could do! I would like to see a stock car driver from the modern era or even a Formula One or IndyCar driver push these gigantic cars as hard as this test driver! Again, these cars were about styling luxury elegance, and they are just fun to float around inside!
Incredible brake performance! Just 4 feet longer than a 2017 Honda Ridgeline (208' from 70, C/D, Oct/16).
The driver is doing a decent job keeping this sled on the road.
I love how he says the performance makes up for the horrid braking. Who needs to stop with 370 HP 440 under the hood?
These films are SO old school with the wild jazz music!!! I wish gas was 50 cents a gallon and tires were a buck apiece so I could buy one of these and burn rubber around town all day long!
Thing has style and much better handling than you’d guess!
I had a car just like this one same color and all 440ci auto , it was a good car I was in the USAF at the time and it never gave me any problems just the battery when bad one time , It was kinda fast but not real fast :)
“I hope I don’t have to explain it because I can’t” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I just had a room of buddies erupt with laughter!!
Yes, you´re right. They had something, personality.
my dad had one of these, but a little before my day.
@idak12 - the Aussie Charger is an A-body in the US, B-bodies were quite abit bigger. Do love the Aussie Charger, a guy I know has one over here in the US, but the Aussie Charger vs the US Charger is an apple-to-banana comparison. I've had several '67-71 US A-bodies and they can be made to handle and brake very well even by today's standards on a modest budget.
I dig the body style on this year Charger--very original. Sorta reminds me of a vintage "flying saucer" on wheels!
Did he say 0-70 in 8 seconds? That would be amazing for a car of that size and weight.
Never seen wipers on headlights before.
Couldn't watch through to the end. Was anyone seriously injured?
do you have a video on the 1971 Hemi Charger doing a road test?
I owned a 71 Charger S.E 440 in 1972-77 with 8' slicks it ran high 12's bone stock engine/trans no mods,problem with these cars they have nearly 500 ftlbs of torque you cant floor it off the line,they dont hook stock tires were high 13's-16 's depending on how much it spun,so i added 8' slicks it ran high 12's and low 13's with the heavies Charger ever made !!! Even low powered 440 72-74 models were 14 second rides with street tires,and they still spun,smoked the tires like mad off the line.
Everyone seems to be hating on these old cars. Yes a new muscle car would be better in every catagory. Guess what, it should since 1971 - 2012. 41 years have passed. No they don't handle or perform as well as many new cars, but that isn't the point. They are just good old cars that are fun to work on, restore, cruise and enjoy. They aren't a daily driver and haven't been for some 30 years. Just enjoy them for what they are. No one comes to a classic car show to see a 2012 Corolla or Civic.
Radial tires make a HUGE difference in the way these old cars handled and braked.
@tjs031159 If not for these vintage machines, we would NOT be where we are today. Take them for what they are, the best of THAT time!
8 MPG and dont ask it to stop before you hit the barn...but Charger makes up for that in handling..lol....love these vids
i have never seen one with wiper blades on the headlights
This was an option that a customer should of had "checked in" on the ordering from the dealer/assembly plant.
Quite and obscure and not known option for many.
Customers must of selected one of great Sport packages, and then this would of been the entry way for that great feature/option.
Indeed, a single mini-brush-wiper (on each high beams) with added pressurized washer fluid and nozzles, was then , and is still today, brilliant.
Well deserved "thumbs up" on your observation.
My First Car I owned was a 1971 Dodge Charger SE with a 383 2-BBL, Black Body, Black Half-vinyl top, and Black Interior in 1995. It had the Disc Brakes. I wish I didn't sell it.
You gotta luv how he is trying to argue that it is a well-handling car ^^
In its day it was
@dodge69874 we had a small salvage operation. dad used to snapp every full size chevy wagon and chevelle wagon he could get. wagons frequently had tow package options. 327/350 300hp were the common engine in them. positraction 12 bolts, radiators had larger trans coolers in them etc. the chevy guys would have them wagons strip'ed in a couple days. thats one reason why wagons of any make are rare. hi end wagons were an excellent source of heavy duty goodies. nobody loved them so they werecheap
Holy hoppin’axles, Batman!
I actually like the styling of the 1971-72 Charger's over the previous Charger's and I definitely agree that it has more of that aggressive styling than the previous Charger's, I consider 1974 to be the last good year of the Charger's before they became a personal luxury car
Doobie1975 1972-1974 Chargers were marketed more as personal luxury cars but you could add additional V8 for more performance it wasn't untill 1975 were Dodge charger was strictly a Luxury car.
Ha! I don't feel alone anymore with my 74 charger SE 400 magnum
Power brakes were not standard equipment on '71 performance mopars, oddly enough. I had a 71 383 magnum charger and a 71 440+6 runner. Both cars had drum brakes and you had to stand hard and steady on the pedal with both feet just to get down to 90mph from 140mph. It took a LOT of road. Neither car cornered very well. Sold both of them in 1983. Wish I hadn't.
Every carguy should watch these old films so that we can appreciate today's cars. I just test drove a 2006 Charger R/T and it is a super car compared to the 71 in this video. It would beat it in every category. I still like the looks of the old muscle though.
all you guys ripping on the old muscle cars should check out pure stock drag racing of the cars now.
Sure these cars are not pure stock, but it does show how much potential they have when super tuned.
Well over the $5,000 mark...a whale of a window sticker!
Quite a bit back in 1971.
About $31,000 in 2017 dollars adjusted for inflation.
Hell, that car would sell all day long brand new today for $31k.
d9103365 😱😹😹😹
And you buy a Dart 340 for about $3400
Yeah but to put it in perspective, minimum wage was around $1.50 or so an hour (about $3000.00 a year) and a guy with a decent paying job was only making maybe 5 -6 grand a year so 5 for a car was pretty big
I had a '73 Charger with the same body style and color. The engine? Slant six. No one would believe me when I told them at the stoplight.
Here it is, 2021. I just picked up a 1973 Dodge Charger with a 440 and a manual.
The car is completely sound and roadworthy condition.
The first time down the highway, all that came to mind was Ralph Nader's book.
*Unsafe at any speed!*
we've got a 71' charger, I grew up as a kid in the 70's and I would see these cars a lot at our local Dodge dealership. So 49 years later, I finally bought one, up in Illinois, and we had to have it specially trailered (in a enclosed trailer) to our house here in Florida. She is now 51 years old, but looks and runs like she just rolled off the assembly line at the Dodge Plant!.
Awesome car cool video thanks!
Bud Lindeman was just great.
I jus love when he say , just crank it up, and hey ! It's a happenin.! I recently bought one of these beauties.
looks like a pilot car with 2 fender tags of options Wellborn want to chime in on this one?
@dodge69874 most gm guys didnt like to carry two spares for the front back bolt pattern difference. ive seen some ford 9' swaps back then but it was rare to see in my region. the spare tire issue and the ball busting from ford/mopar guys was more than most gm guys were willing to put up with. most just replaced the whole rear. every time they failed. they were plentyfull from the salvage yards back then.
Muscle era already fading by 1971 so it barely lasted about 3 years, I always imagined it lasting something like a decade.
"The power and handling of a supercar are the same ingredients of a safer car."
The insurance adjusters seem to know something else.
I still have a 73 charger same body style. I've had that car so long I'm not even sure if it's 73 but it's got the nice tail lights essentially all the way across the back. 318 automatic column shift basic as you can get pretty solid car those cars are built to be straight line cars. And be squirrely so you can feel like you doing something when you slide through the curves. Besides rear end of the car. Better for burning rubber
Who else remembers this as the super cheap ps1 gt2 muscle car? 0 to 50 in 4.4s is impressive even today. 8mpg not so haha!
Had a nice laugh watching this hahaha