1969 1/2 Dodge Super Bee - Midyear Menace

At the end of the '60s, most of the automotive industry thought the engineers, accountants, and designers at Chrysler had lost their minds. General Motors fought to retain a 400ci cap on their intermediate-size coupes, as well as eliminating multicarbureted induction systems on all their musclecars. Ford was eliminating their famous dual-carb side oiler 427 from their production line. Chrysler, on the other hand, went the opposite direction. The 426 Hemi still touted the dual Carter AFBs pushing out an advertised 425 hp. Street racers and track competitors knew the advantage that a progressive throttle linkage, combined with a significantly larger intake charge, offered. Most factory musclecars offered less than 800 cfm, while the Hemi was breathing in well over 1,300 cfm. Unfortunately, for most laymen, the Hemi option was well over their budget; the potent powerplant would increase the purchase price of a new Mopar by almost a third. Chrysler saw a window of opportunity in 1967 to take a lead on their competitors. Engineers in Michigan would thrash on the already stout high performance 440 available in C-Bodies and most B-Bodies. The HP440 would be fitted with an aluminum Edelbrock intake made to accept a trio of two-barrel Holleys. Totaling in at an astounding 1,500 cfm, the Six Barrel carbureted 440 would run on the center carburetor until the accelerator was mashed. The vacuum-advance secondary carburetors would be actuated by the progressive linkage, sucking in fresh cool air at a greater rate than even the Hemi. Chrysler's usage of the Hemi's valvesprings and retainers, as well as valves with flash-chromed stems, a radical cam, and a dual-point distributor, all added up to 390 hp.

Chrysler aimed their sights directly at the youth market with the Super Bee and Road Runner. Already in production by this time, the Runner and Bee offered the Hemi and the potent 383, but for 1969, the low-buck B-Bodies would receive several changes. First, the budget-minded duo was now made available as a hardtop; the 1968 model year only offered the post-roof. Second, exterior trim and paint options were increased. New grilles and taillamps, as well as badging, allowed for a greater variety of exterior flare. Interiors for both models also fared better in 1969, with new seat patterns, door panels, and accommodations. The convertible option was still absent from the Super Bee line, but not from the Road Runner.

But it was the midyear option of the 440 Six Pack and 440 Six Barrel for the Super Bee and Road Runner that made the low-buck performance machines legendary. Changes for the 440-6 option included a mandatory selection of the Super Track Pack, which signified a Dana 60 rear with a Sure Grip that carried 4.10 gears for both the automatic and the 833 manual transmission. Black 15-inch steel rims were the only wheel option with chrome lug nuts and G70x15 black or Redline tires. No wheel covers were available nor were disc brakes, air conditioning, the new-for-'69 fresh-air hood, Chrysler's automatic speed control, or a trailer package.

Due to the urgency of the option's release, a fiberglass hood was molded in lieu of a steel hood to save costs. The weight-saving advantage was actually just a by-product. A quote from Car Life after a testdrive of the car said, "The huge scoop gapes wide open seemingly ready to ingest all that gets near it, including water, dirt, or birds. Special drain tubes in the air cleaner take care of the water-the birds are on their own." In addition, NASCAR-style hood pins were utilized to save time and the cost of having to reinforce the fiberglass hood for hinges. The result was a musclecar that shouted its purpose rather than trying to keep it under wraps.

The Six Barrel cars were only available in select colors: Hemi Orange, Bright Red, Bright Green, or Bright Yellow. though a handful snuck through with the paler shade of Butterscotch Yellow, like this example.

Only 153 Six Pack Super Bees with 727s were ever produced, which was the lowest production Six Pack-equipped car in midyear 1969. According to Mopar historians, only a handful of these hardtops are known to exist in Butterscotch. The car was built on Saturday, April 26,1969, at the Lynch Road, Michigan, facility.