'69 383 Magnum?

[Dale The Bold]

Is it true that in '69 (and maybe other years) the Charger didn't have the Magnum engine option?  As I understand it, there was the option for hp headers, and that it was basically a Magnum-optioned engine, but they didn't call it that.  In other words, would a 383 Magnum pie plate be wrong on a '69 Charger?

[tomonty]

The 69 383 I got came with the air cleaner that said 383 Magnum and it was orange which I believe all magnum engines are supposed to be.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Is it true that in '69 (and maybe other years) the Charger didn't have the Magnum engine option? As I understand it, there was the option for hp headers, and that it was basically a Magnum-optioned engine, but they didn't call it that. In other words, would a 383 Magnum pie plate be wrong on a '69 Charger?

Oh boy have you gone & done it now.....

By the books the 335HP Magnum engine was NOT available in the Charger only in the Super Bee & Road Runner

The only available 383 was the 330HP "383 4BBL" engine in the Charger........so in short a 383 Magnum pie tin would be incorrect.    It should be the 383 4BBL tin

Flame on!!   

[tomonty]

Actually now that you mention it, mine might say 383 4 bbl. damn, i don't remember. The engine is in storage so I might have to go take a look.

[Troy]

Is it true that in '69 (and maybe other years) the Charger didn't have the Magnum engine option? As I understand it, there was the option for hp headers, and that it was basically a Magnum-optioned engine, but they didn't call it that. In other words, would a 383 Magnum pie plate be wrong on a '69 Charger?

Oh boy have you gone & done it now.....

By the books the 335HP Magnum engine was NOT available in the Charger only in the Super Bee & Road Runner

The only available 383 was the 330HP "383 4BBL" engine in the Charger........so in short a 383 Magnum pie tin would be incorrect. It should be the 383 4BBL tin

Flame on!!

You mean the only 4-bbl 383 right?

Troy

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Yes Troy the only 4 bbl 383     there was a 2 bbl version available as well

[Dale The Bold]

So then, is the 4bbl 383 in the '69 Charger identical to the Magnum engine specs, but they just didn't call it a Magnum?

[Troy]

Troy

[Drache]

ok then did a 440 Magnum engine in 1970 ever come with the 6-pack option?

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

So then, is the 4bbl 383 in the '69 Charger identical to the Magnum engine specs, but they just didn't call it a Magnum?

Not exactly.........the 4bbl version was 330HP while the Magnum was rated at 335HP

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

ok then did a 440 Magnum engine in 1970 ever come with the 6-pack option?

Yes

[Dale The Bold]

...the 4bbl version was 330HP while the Magnum was rated at 335HP

So what gave it that extra 5 horsies?

[69_500]

Ah the debates always continue. I never understood why the RR's and Superbee's got all the goodies in 69 as far as special engines. I mean they are the only cars that had 6 pac's in 69, and they got the cool lift off hoods that year too. Then again the Charger had the 500 and the Daytona packages, which in my opinion blow the other options out the door.

[triple_green]

You guys aren't going to like this. The 383-4 bbl HP(no 383 mag in the Charger for insurance reassons) motors in 68-69 should be turquise not orange and the black krinkle air cleaner looks like the one on the 440 magnum, but has no pie tin.

All this said, I have a pie-tin on my 68 that says 383 four barrell. Just so the Chevy and Ford guys know what they are looking at.

3X

[Badbob]

My 69 Charger has an original 383 4 bbl, it came painted orange. The 383 4bbl and magnum differ in camshaft, carb jetting and a different distributor number. The 383 2bbl & 4bbl share the same cam, while the Magnum (not available in the Charger in 69) used the "Roadrunner cam". The 2bbl got the log exhaust manifolds while the 4bbl and magnum got the HP manifolds. In 69 I believe engine color may have been dictated by which carb was used (AVS vs Holley) and whether it had A/C or not. Mine is an AVS equipped (4615) non-A/C engine painted street hemi orange with a plain unsilenced black wrinkle finished air cleaner with no pie tin.

Bob

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Damn Bob, that pic made me nauseous looking at it!! 

[8WHEELER]

You guys aren't going to like this. The 383-4 bbl HP(no 383 mag in the Charger for insurance reassons) motors in 68-69 should be turquise not orange and the black krinkle air cleaner looks like the one on the 440 magnum, but has no pie tin.

All this said, I have a pie-tin on my 68 that says 383 four barrell. Just so the Chevy and Ford guys know what they are looking at.

3X

Actualy thats not true Mark, the 68 was Turquise the 69 was Orange, there was no more Torquise color after 68.

Dan

[triple_green]

Hi Guys,

I am happy to stand corrected here but.......I re-read the GG book on the 69-70 383s. It said there was a mixture of orange and turquoise  for 383-4. If the car was a 2bbl or had A/C for sure it was turqouise. I know that Chrysler was trying to differential between the 383-4 HP(330) and the Magnum (335 HP) for marketing and insurance purposes. If you bought a RR with a 383 magnum you got a orange block for sure.

Just to throw gas on the fire:
Two years ago I was trying to buy and all original 70 Challenger (not-R/T). It had the 383 HP not magnum. It was painted turquoise not orange. I still think if it was not marketed as a magnum engine it was truquoise.

Of course things get changed over the years. My engine had been (incorrectly) painted 80s small block blue when it got it's rebuild in 1988.

[Lostsheep]

Damn Bob, that pic made me nauseous looking at it!!  

[Khyron]

Damn Bob, that pic made me nauseous looking at it!!  

agreed, poor motor

[bsakal]

Wasn't the Charger 383 4bbl air cleaner different than the Super Bee/Road Runner air cleaner? Silenced vs. un-silenced? 

[triple_green]

Early year 68 production models had the clunkier aircleaner with the two snorkels(shown in promo material for 383-4). Later year 68 model had the unsilenced. Mine with a May build date has the unsilenced.

[ck1]

2 gen charger the 1970 charger was available with a 383 mag, not a 69 or 68 from what I have resreached.

[triple_green]

I emailed MCG and asked them to submit this topic to Galen Govier for his column. I know.....it's a long shot.

3X

[253862656971]

Here's my limited knowledge on the subject.  My 69 came with a 383-4 stock.  It was not a magnum.  It was painted turquoise and had the black wrinkle air cleaner with no pie tin.  In it's early years the motor grenaded during a high RPM run.  It was replaced with "factory replacement" motor from a Superbee.  This engine is the Magnum and is orange.  It also has no serial number.

[69_500]

How do you figure its a "superbee" engine then if it has no serial numbers on it? Just a factory replacement block then.

I agree that 68 engines are to be turquoise, and that a 69 should be orange. However the orange on the block is a slightly differnt shade of HEMI orange than the exterior color HEMI orange. Then again there is also a slight difference in the orange color on top of the pie tin as well.