1972 was a transition year...
1972 was a transition year for Dodge as they phased out performance options, and Scott Abbott of Monroeville, Indiana, may have found one of the fastest available production B-bodies from that year.
This month's hidden treasure takes us all the way back to 1989, when it was a little easier to find a deal on a rare Mopar for the right price. While thumbing through a local publication called the Peddlers Post, Scott Abbot from Monroeville, Indiana, saw an ad that caught his attention as a Mopar fanatic. The ad was short, simply stating "1972 Charger with flapper hood for sale." Being curious about the car and especially the hood, Scott quickly called the number in the ad and arranged to meet the owner.
Finding out the car was very close by, Scott and his brother Patrick made the short drive to check it out, and although they didn't know it at the time, they found one very rare '72 Dodge. Speaking with the owner, the brothers discovered that the Charger was a 43,000-mile original Rallye model, equipped with a 440 engine, four-speed transmission with pistol-grip shifter, and Dana rear differential. In fact, the car was uniquely optioned with manual steering, manual brakes, and the only options other than those mentioned above were the Air-Grabber hood and strato-ventilation. Better yet, the car was E5 red and in very good shape given its age.
1972 was a transition year for Dodge, and performance options like the Hemi engine and 440 Six-Pack were not available at any price. Further, the R/T option was dropped after '71 and replaced by the similar Rallye package. Luckily, you could still get a big-block with a four-speed in 1972, as well as an Air-Grabber hood which wouldn't be available in later years. The original purchaser of this Charger was from New York, and obviously had performance in mind ordering only options that would make the car lighter and faster.
Knowing they'd found a cool Dodge, both brothers were interested in the car, but for financial reasons Patrick couldn't make the deal, leaving Scott to purchase the Charger. Scott had the best intentions, knowing the Dodge should be restored, but time slipped by and only 25 miles or so were put on the car between 1989 and 2009. In February of 2009, Scott's circumstances allowed him to begin working on the car, so he and his brother Patrick got busy stripping the car, sending it to the body shop for a new paintjob. Now that the car is painted, the work should go quickly, and the brothers hope to finish the Charger and enjoy driving and showing it. We thank them for sharing their cool Charger with our readers, and we congratulate Scott for finding this hidden treasure.
The Charger's interior features...
The Charger's interior features a 150-mph speedometer, tachometer, and Hurst pistol-grip four-speed shifter. Showing very little wear, Scott plans to replace whatever is needed to make the interior perfect.
After seeing an ad in a local...
After seeing an ad in a local publication, Scott and his brother quickly went to look at the Charger. They knew they'd found something special when they saw the Air-Grabber hood. Then they opened the Rallye door to find a pistol-grip shifter.
Showing only 43,000 original...
Showing only 43,000 original miles, the Charger was overall in good shape aside from several areas where the last owner had stripped the car to metal, then never got around to performing the body and paintwork.
Even with only 43,000 miles,...
Even with only 43,000 miles, the Dodge had its share of wear and rust, requiring more than a year in the body shop to correct. As an original E5 red car, this 440-equipped B-body is about as in-your-face as it gets for 1972.
So far the brothers have stripped...
So far the brothers have stripped the Charger, had it painted, and are in the process of reassembling the car. Once finished, Scott hopes to enjoy it and maybe get it featured in a magazine. If the rest of the car turns out like the paint, we may be able to fulfill that wish.