Whether the Mopar of your dreams is a rare-optioned one like Doug and Karen's Bee or a more common Dodge or Plymouth, the research you do before getting your project underway will pay off in the long run, according to Karen. "Talk to a lot of people. there are a lot of people out there who are wiling to help you out."
Fast Facts
'71 Dodge Charger Super Bee
Doug and Karen Gerlitzki
New Holland, Pa
Total '71 Dodge Charger production: 73,785 Total '71 Dodge Charger Super Bee production: 5,054 Total '71 Dodge Charger Super Bee production (383/four-speed): 766 Mopar Power
Engine: Race Krafters in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, took a date-coded 383 block and went to town with it-giving it a good cleaning, an .040-inch overbore, deck-squaring, and honing with a torque plate attached. The low-deck B engine then got Speed Pro 8.8:1 pistons on stock forged-steel rods, a stock forged-steel crank, a Lunati hydraulic flat-tappet cam, plus a set of 383 heads that got the full super mod porting job and a set of Manley 2.14-inch intake/1.81-inch exhaust valves. Going the resto route meant an original Holley 4190 four-barrel on a stock iron intake, plus stock ignition and exhaust parts. Transmission: A-833 with a pistol-grip Hurst shifter.Sure Grip
Suspension: Restored Rallye suspension package with front torsion bars/rear leafs, heavy-duty shocks, and front antisway bar. Rearend: The OEM 3.23-geared, Sure Grip-equipped, 8-3/4-inch rear got the full-on resto treatment. Brakes: Original power front disc (with 11-inch rotors); rear drum setup restored to showroom-new. >Wheels: This is one serious restoration-no substituting larger, fenderwell-filling rolling stock. Here you see factory optional, OEM-size (14 x 5-1/2-inch) Rallyes on F70-14 Goodyear Polyglas bias-belted tires.High Impact
Body: Original '71 Dodge Charger with an N96 Air Grabber hood. No fiberglass parts were used during restoration. Bodywork and paint prep by Custom Classics, Conestoga, Pennsylvania. Paint: PPG Urethane Guards Red basecoat/clearcoat was applied by Custom Classics, Myerstown, Pennsylvania. Interior: Restored by Rodge Hoover at Auto Interior Plus, Holtwood, Pennsylvania. Carpets and seat covers by YearOne. Stock front buckets/rear bench, Tuff steering wheel, rear defroster, Air Grabber switch, 150-mph speedometer, and dash-mounted amber reverse indicator light were replaced or restored to their original functions. Sound system: AM/FM radio with floor-mounted cassette player and front/rear speakers.
Dodge dropped the advertised...
Dodge dropped the advertised horsepower rating for the Super Bee's 383 down to 300 for 1971. This Race Krafters-built 383 is good for at least that much!
Graphics were still a big...
Graphics were still a big part of Dodge's Scat Pack in 1971. The Super Bee and Charger both had distinctive hood graphics, with or without the optional Ramcharger cold-air hood.