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Do you recognize the 1969 Dodge Charger R/T in this photo? This Charger was located in Connecticut from 1969 up until about the middle of the 1980's. Do you know of a past owner, or remember seeing the car on the street or drag strip during those years? Any and all information about this Charger will be both welcomed and greatly appreciated.
Please contact me.
Thank you.
1969 Dodge Charger R/T
426 cu. in. HEMI Engine
4-Speed Manual Transmission
Dana 60 Axle with 4.10 Ratio
Red Exterior with Black Interior
Partial VIN: XS29J9B3#####
My Charger History Research Project
Welcome. I am researching the history of this specific 1969 Dodge Charger from the time it left the new car Dealership back in 1969, up until approximately the middle of the 1980’s. The minimal information I have indicates that this Charger was owned in the State of Connecticut during this time period, after which it was sold and then went to New York. I don’t know if there was more than one owner during that time in Connecticut. I’m searching for any information available about the car and the owner(s) during these first sixteen years or so of this Charger’s life, up until the time it left Connecticut.
Please scroll all the way down this page for photos and additional information unique to the identification of this particular 1969 Dodge Charger R/T. I will be posting updates to this website as new information becomes available. Please contact me if you have any information at all about this car, because I can succeed only with your help. I will greatly appreciate hearing from you. Thank you.
Charger Photos
Updates
4/17/21; Website launched.
About This Charger
I purchased this Charger in 1987 from the previous owner who was located in New York on Long Island. The New York owner had purchased the car in the mid-1980’s time frame from a previous owner who was located in Connecticut. All of the Charger photos posted on this site were taken in November of 1987, shortly after I purchased the car. I know that the New York owner, who I bought the car from, did not make any major modifications to the car while he owned it. Therefore, I believe that the car, as it appears in the photos posted here, is an accurate representation of the Charger as it was when the previous New York owner purchased it from the Connecticut owner. (See Photo #1).
I was fortunate to find two original factory Production Broadcast sheets still in the car. One that was located behind the rear seatback cushion, and the other located under the carpet. The original steel trim tag, or “Fender Tag” was also still in place. So, I have full documentation of exactly how the car was built and optioned from the factory. This Charger is actually quite sparsely optioned, with a few significant exceptions. All of the right options in the “Go Fast” category had been selected, but not much else. Most notable are the 426 HEMI engine with dual breaker distributor, and the 4-Speed manual transmission with Hurst shifter. The car also has the A34 code “Super Track Pak” which includes the Dana 60 rear axle with 4.10 gear ratio and Sure Grip differential, heavy duty cooling 26” radiator and 7-blade torque drive fan with shroud, and power front disc brakes.
The Charger is also coded on the Production Broadcast sheet as Y14 “Sold Car”, meaning that the original owner specifically ordered the car this way. As further evidenced by other aftermarket high performance modifications made later, I strongly assume that the original owner ordered this car with the intention of racing it. Beginning right from the factory, this 1969 Charger R/T was “Born to Run”.
This Charger’s Connecticut Connection
I know for certain that the previous New York owner who I bought this Charger from had bought the car from a previous owner who lived in Connecticut. However, I believe that this Charger’s Connecticut connection goes all the way back to when the original new car purchase was made at a Dodge Dealer located somewhere in Connecticut.
I found an old Connecticut license plate in the Charger under the back seat cushion. The license plate number is “GY•9952”. Affixed to the plate is a renewal sticker dated JUL 71, which would be a sticker issued in 1970 that expired in 1971. That JUL 71 renewal sticker is placed over another previous renewal sticker which is not fully visible, but is probably dated 1970 that would have been issued in 1969 and expired in 1970. See (Photo #18).
I think there is a very high probability that this is the first license plate issued to the Charger when it was brand new. And, because the renewal stickers do not go beyond 1971, that further leads me to speculate that the car may possibly have been sold to a second owner (most likely still in Connecticut) sometime in 1971 or later. I am speculating that this Charger was most probably located somewhere in either the southwest or central regions of Connecticut during the period from 1969 through the mid-1980’s.
This Charger may also have a past connection with a person by the name of Joe Garity (Garrity?). I’m not even sure if that last name is exactly correct. However, I have no idea what possible connection this person may have to the car. He could be a previous owner of the Charger. His possible connection may be something much less significant, or there may be no meaningful connection at all. The name merely appears, alone, on an old piece of documentation related to the Charger. I was hesitant to publish a name on this website without permission (please refer to my position on personal privacy). But, this name is one of the very few clues that I have about the car’s past history. So, I have included the name here with all due respect for Mr. Garity’s privacy.
Modifications Made To This Charger
When I initially went to inspect the Charger back in 1987 prior to making the purchase, I discovered that a number of modifications had been made to the car. Some of the modifications were obvious, some less so. However, these changes each provide unique indicators that can help to identify the car by the modifications made during its first sixteen years. Hopefully, knowing what changes were made, may help someone recognize the car.
On the day I first looked at the Charger, it was wearing a set of aftermarket Mag wheels. I don’t remember the wheel brand (possibly American Racing?). But, the New York owner wanted to keep the Mag wheels, and I agreed. Before I received the car, the Mags were changed out with the set of standard Chrysler stamped steel wheels as seen in the photos. But, the Mag wheels were probably on the car when the owner from Connecticut sold it. The wheels are likely the only items in the photos that are different from the way the car looked at the time it left Connecticut. See (Photo #2).
The exterior of the car had been completely repainted in Red. However, Red was also the original factory body paint color.
The Charger originally had a factory installed white “R/T” tail stripe. But the stripe was removed before the car was repainted. Remnants of the white tail stripe still remained on the inside edge of the trunk lip and on the underside of the trunk lid.
The car received some extensive high performance modifications, the details of which were recorded by the Connecticut owner in a hand written list that was provided at the time of the sale to the New York owner. The engine received a complete high performance upgrade that was done by Bob Sharp Racing. During that time, Bob Sharp operated a Datsun/Nissan Dealership located on Route 7 in Wilton, Connecticut. I don’t know when the engine work was done, or whether it was done at the Dealership location or elsewhere.
The engine modifications, as performed by Bob Sharp Racing, included: Balanced, Bearing Clearance, Blueprinted, Ported, and Polished. New 12.5:1 Pistons, Crank Shaft, Rods, Bearings, Crower Cam Shaft, Valves, Valve Springs, Retainers, and Valve Job.
The original dual breaker distributor was upgraded to a Mallory electronic ignition and spark plug wires.
The original Carter AFB carburetors were replaced with a set of Carter Competition Series 750 CFM carburetors. See (Photo #10).
The original cast iron exhaust manifolds were replaced with a set of aftermarket Hooker Headers. The original Chrysler starter motor was replaced, most likely to accommodate installation of the headers. A separate Ford starter solenoid can be seen mounted to the driver side inner fender. See (Photo #11).
The transmission was upgraded with Fairbanks performance components.
It seems obvious that someone was quite serious about racing this Charger. The investment made in speed equipment upgrades was significant, I’m sure. I also feel certain that the owner would then have used the Charger for racing either on the drag strip, or on the street. Perhaps both. Maybe the car was well know at a regional drag strip, like the former Connecticut Dragway in East Haddam, Connecticut? Maybe it had a racing reputation on the street? Connecticut based drag racing enthusiasts who were active in the 1970’s and early 1980’s either as racers themselves, or racing spectators, may possibly remember this Charger. If you know anything about this Charger, its owner(s), or the locations were it may have been raced back in the day, please contact me about any and all details that you remember.
Details Unique To This Charger
Here are a few additional details about the Charger that may help with identification.
The two “HEMI” emblems were removed from both doors. See (Photo #3).
The two front bumper guards were removed.
See (Photo #5).
At some point, likely when the car was repainted, the chrome trim pieces for the tail light panel were removed, but never reinstalled. See (Photo #8).
Either a misalignment, or damage to the driver side hood hinge impaired the smooth operation of the hinge. The result was that the hood had to be forced open and closed. The leverage from forcing the hood eventually caused a stress crack in the hood sub frame adjacent to the hinge mounting point. The damage was repaired by welding a small metal patch over the cracked area. See (Photo #11).
The brake master cylinder was replaced with an incorrect unit that is intended for a power front drum brake application, not for power front disc brakes.
See (Photo #12).
The two front seat head rests were removed.
See (Photo #13).
The Charger came from the factory without a radio (Radio Delete). A correct Chrysler AM radio was later installed, but the radio dashboard face plate was for a 1968 Charger. It appears that the radio, radio face plate, and antenna probably all came out of the same donor 1968 Charger. An antenna was installed in the correct location at the top trailing edge of the passenger side front fender, but the antenna mast was broken off at the antenna base.
See (Photo #14).
The original wood-grained knob for the Hurst shifter was replaced with an aftermarket Hurst “T” handle.
See (Photo #15).
The steering column was noticeably scratched up just below the base of the dashboard. It appears as if an aftermarket tachometer may have been installed on the steering column, then later removed. The car did not come from the factory with the available combination clock/tachometer option (the so-called “Tic-Toc-Tac”).
See (Photo #16).
The rear bumper had signs of minor damage, apparently due to the installation of a bumper mounted towing hitch. There were splices in the tail light wiring harness, probably where connections were made for trailer tail lights. Also, the trim panel that normally covers the tail light housings on the inside of the trunk was removed. See (Photo #17).
There was collision damage repair work done to the passenger side quarter panel at rear corner.
There was collision damage repair work done to the passenger side front fender.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have about the information, descriptions, and photos that I have provided here. I welcome all inquiries. I would be glad to answer your questions as best as I can.
About My Charger Research Project
After having long contemplated researching my Charger’s early history, but failing to take any prior action, I finally decided to do so before the passing of time, memories, and people makes any hope of that discovery all but impossible. I may be too late already, but I am certainly willing to try. If you know, or even think you may know, something about this Charger, please do not hesitate to contact me. I need to hear from you, because anything at all that you might know is more than I know right now. And who knows, you may provide a small, but key piece of information that leads me to other greater revelations about the history of this classic Mopar Muscle Car.
I appeal to all Muscle Car enthusiasts to help me with my research if they can, not just the Mopar people. Especially anyone who lived in the southwest/central Connecticut, or even the southeast New York regions from 1969 to the mid- 1980’s. Do you remember racing your Mopar, or Ford, or GM against this Charger back in the day? Maybe at a drag strip, or on the street? If so, then I would love to hear about when and where you had that experience, along with anything else you might remember about the Charger and its owner. Maybe you remember seeing this Charger at the track, or on the street? Maybe you know a previous owner, or someone else who may know a previous owner? Maybe you even were a previous owner? I will reply back to all responses that I receive.
About Your Personal Privacy And Mine
I greatly value my personal privacy. Likewise, I greatly value and respect your personal privacy in return for your respect of mine as well. Although I am searching for information that may be considered personal, I in no way intend to invade anyone’s personal privacy by my research. At your request, absolutely no personal information (Name, Address, Location, Phone, Email, etc.) that you choose to provide to me related to documenting the history of this vehicle will be shared publicly. I simply want to learn everything I can about my car’s history, without compromising your personal privacy or mine.
If you have information about the Charger, but wish to respond anonymously, I understand. But please, do not let any fear of undesired consequences from revealing your personal information stop you from reaching out to me. You have my solemn promise that your personal information will remain private if you so desire. I really need all the help I can get to learn about my Charger’s full history going back to the time in 1969 when a very fortunate person placed the order, then later got to drive the car home for the first time from the new car Dealership. So please, if you know anything about this particular Charger, please contact me.
Keeping The Muscle Car Spirit Alive
While you can still purchase a brand new Muscle Car today, sadly the original Muscle Car era is now gone. That era belonged largely to the Baby Boom generation. When our generation is eventually gone too, the cars will still remain. But, what will become of the original Muscle Cars as they come into the possession of the following generations? It will always be exciting to see an old Muscle Car that looks great out on the show field, or running down a drag strip. But, what will really make an old Muscle Car interesting, special, and desirable is the unique history behind that car. It is the people who either owned, or experienced something special about the cars that will have made that history.
Some fortunate Muscle Cars owners possess a wealth of documentation for their vehicle going all the way back to original Dealer paperwork when the car was ordered brand new. Many other cars, like my Charger unfortunately, have a large part of their past that remains a mystery. I firmly believe that someone out there will recognize this Charger. I just need to find them. This website is my attempt to reach out and connect with them. I genuinely hope that you are one of them.
I feel certain that some owner after me will be just as curious as I am to know about the people and events that tell the story of this Charger. I can only hope that I will be able to pass along the full history of this Charger to satisfy that curiosity.
I sincerely wish to thank you for taking the time to visit to my 1969 Dodge Charger R/T history research website. Even if you have absolutely no knowledge of this car, I hope that, as a Muscle Car fan, you enjoyed exploring the information I have to share about my Charger. I would welcome your questions or comments as well. Please pass along a link to this website to someone else. (Home | 1969 Charger History). If it goes viral, I just may find the answers that I am seeking.
Lastly, if you own a Muscle Car, but do not know its complete history, I would encourage you take whatever information you do have about your car and use any means at your disposal to research your car’s history. There are many dedicated people today among the car owners, parts suppliers, restoration experts, and racers who are working hard to help keep the old Muscle Car machines alive. But, by keeping the individual history of each of these great cars alive, we will also be keeping the old Muscle Car era spirit alive.