From 230,200 sales in 1962 to nearly 550,000 in 1966, Dodge reversed its flat-line thanks to exciting models like this first-year 1966 Charger. See what details separated Chargers from Coronets in this video.
My Sunday School teacher growing up had a '67 Charger..Burgandy..BEAUTIFUL car...always liked it. Her husband owned a tire shop in town and loved his Mopars...they also had a Belvedere with a Hemi in it that was their uhhh Saturday nite special...they later sold it to a school buddy of mines father who turned the keys over to his son. Come race nite on the ol local highway quarter mile my buddy would bring out the Belvedere but could never get a race. Everyone in town knew the car and what it was capable of..I'm telling you I've never seen a car leave harder than that Belvedere..it was unreal the amount of torque that car had..and to my knowledge..it was never outrun on the street.
AGAIN: Every word is positive, professional, ethical, give recognition to every car builder where needed. Always gives recognition to other magazines when appropriate. True professional. Knowledge is unmatched.
After decades of looking at every Hemi Charger that came up for sale, one thing that surprises me, especially considering the cost of the Charger, Is how many were built without power steering. They are a beautiful car, the Interior is so much nicer than a Coronet, and the Electo-Luminescent dash was a work of art.
As a 10 year old kid, I got to ride in a brand new '66 Charger in the same color. Our class went on a field trip to a museum. Back then, the teacher and a few volunteer moms would drive their personal cars to transport the students. I don't remember much about the museum, but the trip there and back in that amazing interior of the Charger was an unforgettable ride! It was much more 'upscale' than a regular mid-sized Dodge. Great crawl, as usual, Steve!
Good morning from Montreal Canada 🇨🇦 Cup of Joe, toast and PB&J, 10 different meds to get through the day, and junkyard crawl, that’s the way to start my day.
When I was a kid there was a 66/7 on our way to my aunt's to visit. I remember people called him Willy C, tall skinny guy with Buddy Holley glasses and a Oversized Beatles hair cut. Almost a faded salmon colour, 383 4 speed, full centre console... yes you can tell by the spelling I'm Canadian... Pretty much origional looking down to the hubcaps. Supposedly he bought it new. That car was in his driveway since 73 until the late 90's ( from my memory.. obviously it was there since new). No idea what happened to it... and it WASN'T rotted out at all, just sun faded which is surprising up here.
I vividly remember the first time I saw one of these in person. It would have been mid-70’s and there was one being placed into winter storage in the same barn where my dad rented a spot to keep his boat over the long Minnesota winter. I remember peering into the back glass and seeing that full flow-thru console and the rear bucket seats and thinking those were about the coolest features I had ever seen on a car!
Well, that made my day. That was my first new car. I was 21. I got it from Hartwin Dodge in Greenfield, Mass. It had the 361engine a/t, color was Sequoia Green (Metalic w/ gold metalflake) all white interior. I have a clear memory of driving from Hartwin back to Vermont, proud as hell and enjoying the ride. Then, as I was looking around at the interior, it hit me. Hear you are a single guy, driving a car with a full lenght console, (not good for cuddling), and a white interior for self employed mechanic. I tried to put the 30" ram charger manifolds on it, but it wouldn't fit. Carb pots hit shock towers. I settled for 4 barrel. After an accident I had it repainted Candy Apple Blue If I remember right, the paint was made by R&M. It had 2 coats silver, 4 coats Thalo Blue, 15 coats hand rubbed clear Lacqar It was drop dead gorgeous. Unfortunatly the paint only lasted about a year, before it started to craze on the hood, too much heat. I did beef up the suspension, put duals on it, drag raced, and drove the hell out of it. Got married, promptly wrecked it. Broke my heart. That was one tough car. I have owned 3 more since then.
I always liked the diecast grille and hideaway headlights on early Chargers. At the '95 Mopar Nat's at Indianapolis Raceway Park my best friend bought a cherry grille and headlight assembly for his '66 for what seems like pocket change now. The only problem was it was up against the fence at the wrong end of the wrong side of the dragstrip from where we parked so we had to carry that thing a half mile the wrong direction to cross the strip then half a mile to the entrance gate then another 1/8 mile to the truck. As I remember, that grille assembly weighs about eleven hundred pounds
I carried an entire taillight assembly across Charlotte Motor Speedway, I feel your pain about how heavy the 66 Charger parts were. Owned it about 20 years, still miss it…
Im scared and depressed due to failing health and sad state of the world.. im holdind back tears right now ... This is one of very few shows that help escape my sad thoughts .. 😥 ty steve 💖🙏
Love the 66-67 Chargers ! My brother had a 66, 383 torque flite ,lt. yellow, black interior. He put Ansen slotted mags with bigger tires on it. What a beautiful car that was.! Took a trip down south & slept in the back ! It could sleep 2 real easy. ! Guy that lives close has a 67 turquoise one that looks great. ! Thanks Steve - love the junkyard crawl. !
Always great trivia and other great car facts. But that 5th digit “G” is a 383. That car was a mover and the owners definitely had fun in it. Except that last guy.
I almost bought a clapped out 66 318 poly Charger back in 1998 so Dad and I (with his 66 Coronet) could roll together. Dad and I went to look at it in Bayside, Queens NY. Silver with a red gut. It had been hit in the right front and was wearing a used Coronet fender as a replacement so it didn't have the trim along the top. It was rough everywhere and we wound up passing on it. Months later I found a 74 Charger with 27k original miles. It was like brand new and I bought it from the widow of the original owner. Still have it to this day showing 49k miles.
I looked at a 1967 Coronet R/T in my neighborhood around 1995, and it was "nice" looking until you got underneath it. Then I passed right then and there.
In 1970 I was searching for a new used car. The Chrysler-Plymouth dealer in a town not to far from me was a performance leaning dealer. I looked at a Charger(66 or 67, I don’t remember which) that had a 426 Hemi with an automatic. In those days keys were left in the cars so you could start them up. I fired it up but after a few moments the oil pressure started to drop. Really low. I shut it off and sadly walked away. I did end up buying a 66 Plymouth Fury III two door hardtop with a 383 and a four speed. Lots of fun too.
Great video Steve, I have a '66 Coronet (361 2bbl torqueflite} that was ordered with a few Charger bits from new.....3 spoke steering wheel, mag style wheel covers etc. The one thing the Coro's can desparately use is that Charger fr sway bar. As far as I know all the Chargers came with a front sway bar std, a thicker bar and heavier torsion bars could be ordered as that Rally package I believe. I've had my Coro 37yrs and just now realized the Charger has a bigger rear wheel opening! LOL Great work bud.
The service manager at the first dealership I worked at had a 67 hemi charger When he was a young man working at the same dealership as a lot porter he was ran over and didn’t seek any legal action against the dealership. The store owner gave him the choice of any car on the lot as a thank you. He ended up working there over 40 years and was the best Service manager I ever worked for.
Return of the creepy deer head!! Nice touch Steve and Shane!! So looking forward to more videos on the Mopar's from the past. As always, outstanding work by you and Shane!!!
Thanks for these videos, they deserve way more love and appreciation/attention. I’m a younger automotive enthusiast and I mainly watched Doug demuro, and similar RU-vidrs who only specialize in 80s and up. Your the first RU-vidr I’ve found in 2 years of searching that is entertaining and VERY educational from vehicles 40’s-70’s. I’ve been bindging every video and have learned many things I never thought to be. Keep up the good work and try to find a pinto!!!
Hello Grand_theft-Paradise, thanks for the kind words. I always try to focus on ANY interesting vehicle I find in the junkyard. From the Saab Turbo Cabriolet (with its glued-in windshield for structural enhancement...versus the floating-in-rubber windshields on closed body Saabs) to the early 1960's GM trucks with torsion bar front suspension, every car has a story! Thanks for watching and please stay tuned. I just discovered an entirely new stash of crazy cool old cars in a Vermont boneyard I'll be featuring all winter! Thanks again for writing, Steve Magnante
My late friend Jeff loved those cars. Sadly NY rust is as bad as Massachusetts. He had one that the tops of the fenders were rusted away. He used it as a winter beater. I can remember hitting snow and slush and having it plume up out of the fenders. Miss ya Jeffy!
Great video Steve. Had one of these in the shop about 2 years ago for a semi restoration. The early chargers just didn't much for me. You should have mentioned the dash lighting in that thing. I'm sure a lot of people aren't familiar with the wonderful electroluminescent dash lighting with the oscillator power pack. That thing would light you up with the dash lights, lol. Fixing that is what originally brought the 67 to me. I watch your videos everyday at 6 with my coffee. 👍
The '66 & '67 Chargers don't get enough love. These were beautifully designed cars with so many unique features . Nothing else on the road looked as good as these cars with the the exception of the Corvette, but that is a 2 seater sports car. With 4 bucket seats and the continuous console the interior was futuristic...not to mention the electroluminescent dash lighting...real space age stuff! The Charger was actually a pretty practical car with the fold down rear seat, you could fit a lot of stuff in there....even sleep in it if you wanted to. Would love to have a restomod '66 with better suspension and proper wheel and tire combination...great cars!
I was in the third grade when the Chargers first hit the dealers. As kids, we’d always run down to the local dealers every September to check out the new inventory. I remember falling in love with the 66 in the showroom. I can’t remember what motor it had, but it was red with white guts. You either loved em, or you hated em.
A lot of car guys hate consumer reports but I love their straight laced approach to cars. I recall they did a throwback segment in the '88 auto issue talking about the fastest car they had tested to that point, it was a '68 charger with the 440! They stated "Flooring the throttle evoked continuous wheelspin up through 40 mph." The also mentioned it could brake as well as go, with a short 121ft stopping distance from 60. They also stated "Some would say that the power developed by the '88 Mustang or the '68 charger has no place on the street."
I still have a photo of my grandfather proudly standing next to his new 66 Charger. I remember it had such a cool red interior. He traded in a 57 Swept wing 2 door hardtop ,which was gorgeous .
Was blessed to drive my mom's 66 Charger when I was 16 to 18, my dad was in an crash with it and the hideaway headlights were replaced with a Coronet grill and lights. I once wacked a curb with it and bent the right front control arm. It was a 318 Poly motor automatic car with drums much like this one. Wasn't the greatest handler, like the Consumer Reports said, and it was heavy, maybe 4000 pounds, but in the early seventies it was a fine high schooler's ride. My small block, manual gear box Fairlane, that I bought, for myself was actually quicker, and handled better too. But that Charger sure had style and presence.
As a kid, this reminded me of a bigger version of the 64 Valient but as I have gotten older. I really appreciate the bold styling they tried to do with both cars.
Australian Valiant did crack near the steering box mainly due to dirt in the rail as the bottom bolt went through at a low point an dirt would trap an cause rust I always drill 2 extra holes to help dirt an water fall out . Also blow the rail out with compressed air every service . I spray inox in mine . Have owned over 50 Mopars old school Mopars or no car .
You are correct about swapping the grill onto a coronet, I did it 35 years ago, my Coronet 500 had a little fender bender, and all I could find in the wrecking yards that were in good condition was a charger, I got the whole front clip for $200.00. 😮
Thanks u guys, I'm rehabbing and found u. I think I saw most of your content. I'm 55 and love junkyard exploration as I spent lots of time in the 80s raiding old fords. keep up the good work.
One slight correction, as pointed out by someone else. The "G" in 1966 was a 383 V8 two barrel, not a 318 V8 two barrel. A 318 was a code "E" on the VIN in 1966. Later on, a 318 V8 would be a "G" but not in 1966.
I like the old note system they used to use on the assembly lines. Makes me feel less crazy about leaving Sharpie notes all over my cars and trucks. Getting old and can't remember all those damn firing orders anymore.
Hey Steve! I've commented before on these in your previous videos and about the 1966 that I recently purchased with the Poly 318 / 3 on the tree. I actually just brought it into the shop yesterday so I can get started on getting it back to road worthy condition. I didn't know that the front sway bar was an optional feature. Mine has it as well. I know you're a busy guy but if you're interested in following my progress on it you can see it on my channel. Thanks again for all you do for the community! You Da Man!
I remember looking at these Chargers as a little boy in the dealer showroom while our '65 Coronet was in for service. I thought they were the coolest cars out there. I think I was correct.😎
Great video Steve, but for ‘66, the engine designations in the VIN are E-318, F-361, G-383, that car likely came standard with sway bar and larger brakes, wonder if the 8 3/4 rear was a limited slip though? Need fender tag to decode
Hello 66balsam, good point. The truth is, the only '66 Charger (or Coronet or Belvedere) engine code I have committed to memory is "H" for 426 Street Hemi. I went to my copy of "The Standard Catalog of Chrysler 1914-2000" where on pg. 234 it says "G" = 318 V-8!!! The book is WRONG but bad-on-me for not corroborating this with another source. Check out this ERROR on pg. 234 of the aforementioned book to see it for yourself. Anyhoo, I'll be more cautious from here on with certain "facts" from this particular book. Thanks for writing, Steve Magnante
Thanks Steve! It’s a bit of a bummer that those didn’t handle that well without the handling package. I love fastbacks, but then again, the 68, 69, and 70 Chargers’ styling was/were beauty on wheels.
The issue mainly were the tiny tires..This isn't the 68-70 version,those were even better.. I bought a 1966 in 1995 and the tires were equal to a 185/75/14 that's what it measured up to.. It had its original bias ply tires and was parked in 1972..That was the main issue for the bad handling..crap tires as they mentioned when they tested it..Mopars always out handled GM/Ford because of their superior suspension.Yes,you feel the difference with sway bars etc vs having none..Especially when I was younger and did 140 mph plus,yes dumb lol. A little but about the car,Owner passed in 72 family parked it in the garage etc..Was a 318 2bbl..but body/interior were nearly like new/like a well kept 5 year old car today.I sold it to a buddy of mine he put a 383 4bbl and 275/60/15 rears and 235/60/15 fronts,car handled awesome even without the handling package! We laughed at the skinny and tall stock tires! He later added the factory sway bars and yeah it improved but it was good before with the tires he added(we ran those tires on most of our mopars)suspension was all original..parts were from another Charger from a used parts dealer here at the time. The original 318 was yanked,we got it running ran great but he had a sweet 68 383&and I sold him a worked 727,ran great with the 400 hp 383,car really moved!! Ate every 5.0 Mustang around..
Love them '66 to '70 Chargers, looked for a '68 but found a '70 in Fla. mint, paid $8K in '95. only car I drove and sold years later for more money than I paid
Im glad.to see you still like to build and collect plastic....out of all the 50yr+ kids i know im the only1 who builds and collects...thankfully my wife understands..
@@Hillstrucking1996 so when Steve 1st started doing TJC he found it in a car at the Junkyard so it's kinda been an ongoing joke to have him in the videos lol
I remember seeing one of these at a mall with my parents when I was a kid. They had brand new cars parked inside the mall as a sort of "car show" I guess. It was red, & it was definitely one of the cars that stoked my lust for cars. Only other car I remember from that day was a '66 Caddy Convertible-also erd with white top. Also was gorgeous. I miss how exciting car styling used to be.
Hey Steve, The G in 66 I believe is actually a 383 4Bl car, which would explain the sway bar and bigger brakes up front. Also I think that is a big block K member as well. Great video!!
I love these cars . When i was 12 , our neighbor bought two new 66 chargers , one red and one yellow . They looked so cool . When i was in my early thirties , i bought a red 66 charger 383 4 bbl . The dash lights and gauge lighting are green luminescent and are so beautiful . look like neon . Great video Steve . Brings back a lot of memories .
Like many others, I *_love_* the 68-70 Chargers. I never liked the earlier ones or the later ones. But I'm starting to warm up to these early ones. Love the videos, Steve. Keep it up!
Just like a car, truck, or van, the deer was once new and beautiful. Steve is nice enough to appreciate the colorful history of anything which has lived and traveled this world, maybe whose life has been cut short, gone but never to be forgotten. Thanks again Steve for keeping history alive.
You can thank the success of the personal luxury coupe (Ford Thunderbird/Buick Riviera) for the birth of the Charger. Also the second gen Charger closely resembles the side profile of a 66/67 Buick Riviera. We can all agree that competition creates the best cars.
In 1974, a local used car lot had a 1966 Charger selling for $800. I wish that I could have bought it, but it would have been too much on my McDonalds wages.
I have never seen a 66-67 Charger in person, would love to see one someday. They are very underappreciated compared to the 68-70 Charger. Great stuff Steve, it's cool to see this one had the rally suspension option and the bigger tires! Such a shame it is there, but at least it will live on for parts and won't be crushed.
Another amazing video steve thank you . I was noticing that the deck lid is so similar to the australia 70s valiant charger .just the australian one has flat on the ends no lip like that charger has on resr And the trunk extension were same design . Even that the australia charger well all the valiants were based on the a model platform. . And our k frames didnt have the steering box connected to it . Our steering box is mounted to chassis rail which wasnt the best design as would cause chassis rail toi crack and rust. . Just some information for you steve . Thanks again for your video love watching and learning
While it has some rust, I'd be willing to bet that thing was done in before heavy implementation of road salt; it still has most of it's floor pans! But man what a hit.
Ah, those things, so heavy but like my favorite interior ever. (My uncle had a couple in the Seventies and let us kids play in one of the parts cars, which was still pretty much complete. :) )
Awesome video 👍 , course I saw this car in background and was Totally distracted ! 🤔 Even though I'm an a body guy soo much to love about chargers also !
