Car of the Week: 1966 Dodge Charger

dodgechargerfan

dodgechargerfan

In a 55 gallon drum, floating down river, and
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The Charger was Dodge Division’s answer to the fastback craze and it was dramatically different than all competitors when it arrived. It was big and wide, which gave it a distinctive “flat” look to distinguish it from other muscle cars. It combined MoPar’s bright, clean interior styling with some of the company’s best engine options to create a package that had no peers.

Dodge called its 1966 Charger a “Sports Sedan,” even though it was really a Sport Coupe. This was an attempt to widen its sales appeal beyond the youth market and to stress its cargo-carrying abilities. With a full-size 117-inch wheelbase and 203.6 inches of overall length, the Charger was certainly roomy. And its 75.3-inch width didn’t hurt either. With seating for only four on its front and rear bucket seats, the Charger was not really sedan-like in the passenger-carrying category, either. Its real appeal was its sporty flavor.

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I really like these cars, this one included, but they absolutely need the rear wheel's outside edge to be closer to the quarter panel. Also, they need a 4-speed, since the only auto available was on the console, and that shifter is an ugly, sloppy mess.
 
The story of someone drilling the hole to let water drain brought back an old memory of someone I grew up with. He had a 68 camaro w/350 & 4 gear. The trunk seal was so bad that after a torrential rain he had about 3" water in the trunk. He asked me what to do, so I lent him my drill. Yup, he drilled into the gas tank and got about 3 gallons of water in the tank. I think I laughed about that for about 4 months. :bwuhaha:

The interiors on the 66 chargers has got to be one of the best interiors of any cars ever built. Even the dash is a work of art. :cool:
 
68R/T said:
The interiors on the 66 chargers has got to be one of the best interiors of any cars ever built. Even the dash is a work of art. :cool:
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Particularly at night. Those were the last of the electroluminescent dashboards, and combined with the 3D effect of the gauge layout, they're simply stunning after dark.
 
7/8s of the first gen Chargers are just a great design. I agree with you guys that the interior is just tits.. 2+2 coupe, separated by a console, the dash is what the base coronet should've had. I really like them from most angles. Not all. There are two angles that don't do the car justice.. They are a diagonal frontal shot that accentuates the massive roofline, and a diagonal rearward shot that does the same thing.. Something about that roof looks muscular and purposeful in some shots, and looks like an AMC Marlin in the rest.. Awkward. They look like your grandfather drew a picture of a musclecar based on a description over the phone. If you squint, it's pretty damned awesome. If the photographer focuses on the wrong angle, it's stodgy and bad.
 
I like those cars, theyre in my top 10 list. I know where there's one sitting back in the weeds, far away from everything and everyone, except maybe the owner.
 
The guy that had Kevin's '68 Charger had this lying around. It's his grandson's '66 with the rarely-seen "Boss 383" package. Actually, though it's clearly a Ford part, I've gotta say the hood scoop sorta works. If it were body color, it wouldn't be so obviously Blue Oval, and the lines kind of jive with the car's angular lines.

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First Gen Chargers make me Jiz in my pants!
 
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If you've not seen the masterpiece to which he's referring....

[video=youtube;VLnWf1sQkjY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLnWf1sQkjY[/video]
 
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