http://automotive.press-world.com/v/33778/auction-of-rare-bengal-to-benefit-endangered-tigers.html
I guess they auctioned off one of these cars in 2001. By the way, has anyone ever seen one of these in person at any car show?
(http://img257.echo.cx/img257/9998/1968cincinnatichargerad9je.jpg)
(FYI, the bengalcharger.com link listed over and over below no longer works)
Auction of Rare Bengal to Benefit Endangered Tigers
COLUMBUS, OH - March 27, 2001 - The Internet Website BENGALCharger.com
www.BENGALCharger.com will be auctioning its namesake, with a portion of the
proceeds being donated to a foundation for the protection of endangered
tigers. The auction will be held on eBay's automotive Website eBay Motors
www.ebaymotors.com. It will begin Thursday, April 5th and end Sunday, April
15th. Once the sale has successfully concluded, BENGALCharger.com will
donate up to $2500 to a foundation dedicated to the protection and
preservation of all tiger species world-wide.
If you don't know what a BENGAL Charger is, you're not alone. Early in
1968, a Cincinnati Dodge dealer commissioned 50 uniquely styled Dodge
Chargers to commemorate the formation of the Cincinnati Bengals' American
Football League franchise. The new Charger's body was both modern in
appearance and exotic. You could even say it appeared feline in nature with
its low-slung, big-shouldered stance. Making a limited production BENGAL
edition was "a natural". BENGALCharger.com was created last year to
document this forgotten rare classic with pictures, exhibits, contemporary
articles and ads, a BENGAL registry, and other subjects of interest.
The BENGAL Chargers were painted in a unique color that came to be known as
"Tiger Orange". They were optioned with black vinyl tops, black "Bengal
Stripes" across the back, and chrome fender badges that declared them to be
"BENGAL Chargers". All 50 were sold before the team ever played its first
game! These unique cars then slipped into the closet of history and were
all but forgotten. Only two of these Special Order muscle cars survive
today! By the time Jeff Warner, a Central Ohio native, discovered the first
one in 1992, even the most "in-the-know" Mopar enthusiasts had almost no
knowledge of the BENGAL whatsoever!
Jeff's surviving example of the BENGAL Charger species is a highly
significant piece of Mopar history. Adding to its uniqueness, this
particular BENGAL is also uncommonly loaded with options. Galen Govier -
nationally recognized Mopar guru - stated; "This is one of, if not the
highest optioned '68 Charger I have ever seen! Whoever ordered this car
must have said, order everything on the list!". Jeff's BENGAL has been
featured in many popular automotive magazines and has won numerous show
awards. It has been featured in parades and at Cincinnati Bengals players'
benefits.
Researching content for BENGALCharger.com opened Jeff's eyes to the fight
for survival of other, more important, tiger species. He believes that by
publicizing his BENGAL's auction on eBay Motors he might help to bring some
focus to the plight of tigers world-wide. Although Jeff hasn't yet decided
which foundation to help financially, he hopes that the press coverage from
this auction will indirectly benefit many of these foundations and
ultimately the tigers, by raising awareness. Some of the foundations being
considered are: The Tiger Foundation www.tigers.ca; the Tiger Missing Link
Foundation www.tigerlink.com; and the Save The Tiger Fund www.5tigers.org.
If you're interested in learning more about the BENGAL and efforts to save
tigers from extinction, check out BENGALCharger.com and the foundation sites
mentioned above.
Below is a brief history of how the Bengal Charger came to be...
Fifty "Bengal" Chargers were special ordered by Cincinnati Dodge dealer Tom Kneer to commemorate the Cincinnati Bengals' first year in the American Football League (AFL). All of the cars were painted "Tiger" orange and had black "Bengal" Stripes, black vinyl tops and black interiors. The cars were optioned with a variety of equipment.
As a devoted football fan, Tom Kneer was very excited to learn that his city would have an AFL expansion team beginning with the 1968 season. He decided to build a special car to celebrate the event. He envisioned mating the sleek new form of the '68 Charger with badgethe feline "Bengal" name and team colors - a match that couldn't miss.
Tom found out from Barry Buse (one of the team owners and a close friend) that the team's primary colors would be orange and black. In 1968, Orange paint was not available as an option on Chrysler Corporation passenger cars, so Tom selected an orange paint currently being used as a fleet color for Dodge trucks. The color he chose was originally developed for use on Michigan State Highway vehicles.
Tom contacted Chrysler with his request for orange cars. Chrysler told him that in order for them to build any cars with a special color, he would have to order a minimum of 50. He eventually agreed to special order 50 orange cars with an assortment of options. Most of the cars were equipped with a 318 or 383 engine. He had a few 6 cylinder cars built for marketing purposes and an estimated 10 - 12 R/Ts. Tom's dealership was having a hard time selling the Hemi option because of its high markup. For this reason, there are no Hemi Bengals.
Because Tom was purchasing so many cars, Chrysler agreed to throw in the black Sport Stripes for free. In 1968, Chrysler put Sport Stripes on the Charger R/T only. Since most of the Bengals were not R/Ts, obviously, an exception was made. For this reason and because they were free, the stripe does not appear on the broadcast sheet but instead was part of the special order processing along with the orange paint.
The chrome "BENGAL Charger" fender badges were made in Cincinnati and were mounted on the cars when they arrived at the dealership.
The Bengals were all built at the Hamtramck, Michigan assembly plant.
I have seen one at a show somewhere Bull. The Nats the last time that were at Indy maybe? I forget now, but I have pics someplace.
A friend of mine has a '68 Bengal Charger R/T - I don't think too many people know about it. He's had it a long time, and I keep bugging him to get it back on the road. I think his makes it 4 known examples.
Doug
did they have a third gen model?
there was sometime ago somebody acclaiming about a 72 bengal, but simply doesn't look to be true. There is a thread about on board
Quote from: bull on August 20, 2007, 01:22:54 AM
They were optioned with black vinyl tops, black "Bengal
Stripes" across the back...
So when some know-it-all at a car show asks me why I put R/T stripes on my non-R/T '68 Charger I'll tell him those aren't R/T stripes they're black "Bengal Charger" stripes.
Quote from: Silver68RT on August 20, 2007, 06:30:22 AM
A friend of mine has a '68 Bengal Charger R/T - I don't think too many people know about it. He's had it a long time, and I keep bugging him to get it back on the road. I think his makes it 4 known examples.
Doug
''IF'' its a real Begal Charger, its not an R/T it just has the stripes. They were loaded with every option on a 383 car.
Dan
See the "Canada" on the jet in the background. Makes you wonder where the photo was taken :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
Other than the paint scheme, stripes and fender badge is there any way to really prove through documentation that these cars are legit? What did the dealer and/or factory do to legitimize these cars?
Quote from: 8WHEELER on August 20, 2007, 03:20:43 PM
Quote from: Silver68RT on August 20, 2007, 06:30:22 AM
A friend of mine has a '68 Bengal Charger R/T - I don't think too many people know about it. He's had it a long time, and I keep bugging him to get it back on the road. I think his makes it 4 known examples.
Doug
''IF'' its a real Begal Charger, its not an R/T it just has the stripes. They were loaded with every option on a 383 car.
Dan
Are you sure about that? From all the research I've done there's nothing I've found that says there weren't any R/Ts. It's just that they had a hard time selling the more expensive cars so they ordered fewer of them. Most were 318 cars I believe (possible 383 2bbl). The excerpt from the article above states 10-12 R/Ts and even a few slant six cars. I think I may actually have a picture of an R/T at home but I'll have to dig it up. When that auction came about claiming only two "known" cars I already knew of three - besides that one.
Troy
Quote from: bull on August 20, 2007, 03:33:02 PM
Other than the paint scheme, stripes and fender badge is there any way to really prove through documentation that these cars are legit? What did the dealer and/or factory do to legitimize these cars?
They have a 999 paint code.
Troy
Quote from: Troy on August 20, 2007, 04:26:25 PM
Quote from: 8WHEELER on August 20, 2007, 03:20:43 PM
Quote from: Silver68RT on August 20, 2007, 06:30:22 AM
A friend of mine has a '68 Bengal Charger R/T - I don't think too many people know about it. He's had it a long time, and I keep bugging him to get it back on the road. I think his makes it 4 known examples.
Doug
''IF'' its a real Begal Charger, its not an R/T it just has the stripes. They were loaded with every option on a 383 car.
Dan
Are you sure about that? From all the research I've done there's nothing I've found that says there weren't any R/Ts. It's just that they had a hard time selling the more expensive cars so they ordered fewer of them. Most were 318 cars I believe (possible 383 2bbl). The excerpt from the article above states 10-12 R/Ts and even a few slant six cars. I think I may actually have a picture of an R/T at home but I'll have to dig it up. When that auction came about claiming only two "known" cars I already knew of three - besides that one.
Troy
Seven or eight years ago when Bev started thinking about getting a Bengal Charger, we were talking back and fourth,
and at the time, the only documented cars we came across were 3 or 4 383 2v loaded with every option 68.
I read an article in a car magazine about 8yrs ago, that is where I read that these car were made for the team,
and were fully optioned 383 cars with an added stripe as a dress up type package.
I have seen no other proof or documentation to this point to convince me they made them with a /6 or a Hemi that
somebody had stated in the other large thread on this same subject a year or two ago. If you have documentation
I would be very interested to see it, I would love to have one of these cars, but my pockets are not that deep ::)
Dan
Heres what the Emblem looks like on my 1972 3rd Generation Bengal. Unrestored original & the 1972 Emblem looks nothing like the 68 version. LEON.
(http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q101/hemihampton/bengalemblem.jpg)
Here's some pictures I swiped off the internet documenting a few of the cars:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v375/switchstancebrdr/Misc/acs.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v375/switchstancebrdr/Misc/aaf.jpg)
And a close up is attached. The car in front of the jet is this R/T.
Troy
That's interesting for sure, I have never seen any of these pictures before, with the exception of the bottom one
with the big block. Interesting that one of them does not have the nameplate's anymore, to bad try finding them :shruggy:
Do you know who put this paper trail together? was it somebody that owns one of them? I would think
this information would be very hard to come by.
Dan
Jeff Warner did a lot of the work putting the stuff together.He did up a book(magazine size)a few years back.
Quote from: hemi-hampton on August 20, 2007, 07:18:26 PM
Heres what the Emblem looks like on my 1972 3rd Generation Bengal. Unrestored original & the 1972 Emblem looks nothing like the 68 version. LEON.
(http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q101/hemihampton/bengalemblem.jpg)
yeah that's it!!!
well still doubts about that but is true that emblem doesn't look like the 68 one. Have you found some info about ?
That was part of the car's show display. That one is in Canada I believe. I think I have a cover shot of the magazine somewhere around here.
Troy
A friend of mine used to own the 3900 mile 318 car. I looked at it a couple of times, the car looked like a brand new car, sealt belts were still wrapped in plastic, it even still smelled new inside
he sold it to a collector / dealer. dealer sold it shortly after, and the car has since dis-appeared
The car that Bill is talking about was the one at Indy for the Nats. It was a stripe delete car. I actually got to drive it and it drove like a brand new car. He (being the owner) is still kicking himself for selling that car :RantExplode:
Any bets on whether there are more endangered Bengal tigers on the planet than there are Bengal Chargers?
There was a seriously rusted one advertised here locally about 10 or 12 years ago. I called on it but got turned off after hearing the description, thus never went and looked at it :brickwall:
This makes 3 that I've seen advertised locally over the years around here. the 1 st to show up (a loaded 383 car) the 3900 mile car and this rusted one
so that would make 5 , unless the rusted hulk is or has been restored and is counted (not likely )
GTX6970, You say you seen 3 advertised around there locally, Where is around here located? What City do you live in? Sorry if everybody knows where you live but me? :scratchchin: LEON.
Quote from: hemi-hampton on August 22, 2007, 08:07:28 PM
GTX6970, You say you seen 3 advertised around there locally, Where is around here located? What City do you live in? Sorry if everybody knows where you live but me? :scratchchin: LEON.
Cincinnati of course! :cheers:
Troy
WHAT IS THAT COLOR CALLED ?
Quote from: daytonalo on August 22, 2007, 08:19:33 PM
WHAT IS THAT COLOR CALLED ?
Orange ;)
I never knew the paint code/name for the fleet orange color used on the cars. I found some information while trying to look it up though:
Special Order "999" paint codes were codes assigned for a vehicle for paint colors that were not officially available for that model vehicle for a given year. When a car line was planned and introduced, a number of colors were designated as being available for that car. Dealer information and paint chips were distributed, assembly lines were readied with paint mixes and instructions for the paint departments for the identified set of paint codes.
The way a 999 car was order was that any one with a fleet account (dealerships, or large purchasing agents) could order any Ditzler color for any vehicle for some additional small fee ($75-100). When the 999 order was placed, some notation as to which actual color was written on the order. The factory would have sent the car down the assembly line with papers that also reflected that special paint color.
While the parameters of the 999 special order paint mean that there were probalby some unique orders that mades a "one off", for some years, there were common 999 orders. 1968-1969 999 Orange cars would be one of these commonly order special colors. There were probably a few hundred 999 Orange cars built in 1968 and 1969. For 1968 and the beginning of 1969, these were Omaha Orange which is the same orange used to paint early 1964 race hemi's (Ditzler code DRA60436). At some point in the 1969 model year, the special order 999 Omaha Orange became the EK2 Vitamin C Orange which would be standard color for 1970. The is per a 4/7/69 TSB stating that begining approx. Feb 1, 1969, EK2 "Vitamin C" Orange would be available for Belvedere models. http://www.autohobbydigest.com/999.html
Troy
I figured Cincinatti, Just didn't want to jump to conclusion. When I looked up the Address for the Original owner on my 72 Bengal it ends up the Owners address/street was only 2 streets behind the Tom Kneer Dodge Dealership that sold these cars. LEON. :scratchchin:
According to Jeff Warner`s book,its "tiger orange" #60326.
Quote from: Troy on August 22, 2007, 08:30:05 PM
Quote from: daytonalo on August 22, 2007, 08:19:33 PM
WHAT IS THAT COLOR CALLED ?
Orange ;)
I never knew the paint code/name for the fleet orange color used on the cars. I found some information while trying to look it up though:
Special Order "999" paint codes were codes assigned for a vehicle for paint colors that were not officially available for that model vehicle for a given year. When a car line was planned and introduced, a number of colors were designated as being available for that car. Dealer information and paint chips were distributed, assembly lines were readied with paint mixes and instructions for the paint departments for the identified set of paint codes.
The way a 999 car was order was that any one with a fleet account (dealerships, or large purchasing agents) could order any Ditzler color for any vehicle for some additional small fee ($75-100). When the 999 order was placed, some notation as to which actual color was written on the order. The factory would have sent the car down the assembly line with papers that also reflected that special paint color.
While the parameters of the 999 special order paint mean that there were probalby some unique orders that mades a "one off", for some years, there were common 999 orders. 1968-1969 999 Orange cars would be one of these commonly order special colors. There were probably a few hundred 999 Orange cars built in 1968 and 1969. For 1968 and the beginning of 1969, these were Omaha Orange which is the same orange used to paint early 1964 race hemi's (Ditzler code DRA60436). At some point in the 1969 model year, the special order 999 Omaha Orange became the EK2 Vitamin C Orange which would be standard color for 1970. The is per a 4/7/69 TSB stating that begining approx. Feb 1, 1969, EK2 "Vitamin C" Orange would be available for Belvedere models.
http://www.autohobbydigest.com/999.html
Troy
So according to this you could theoretically clone a Bengal Charger if you could find a 1968 fleet Charger with the 999 paint code and say you lost the paper work. Then again I don't believe I've ever seen the 999 paint code on a fender tag, even in photos.
So, just for fun I was poking around on the Auto Color Library (http://www.tcpglobal.com/autocolorlibrary/) site to see if I could find a fleet color sheet. I found the paint code for "Omaha Orange" listed on the sheet for 1968 Mack trucks. It says 45-144 and 60158 I think but the color chip is missing. The 1968 Dodge Truck sheet says to see the "1967 Chevrolet Truck color card" for Orange 60156. There is actually a chip on there and it looks about right.
Troy
Also being in the Cincinnati area, I've heard quite a few "bengal-charger-ghost-stories."
Several years ago, I kept hearing from various people that they had spotted a Bengal Charger. Apparently, there was an orange '68 (non-R/T) with a black stripe that had been seen at a couple of cruise-ins. After a couple of years I, eventually, saw the car at a local dragstrip. In talking with the guy, he had no idea what a Bengal Charger was. He painted the car orange and, unknowingly, made a clone (sans the Bengal badges, of course).
But since then, I've heard rumors, speculation, heard-it-from-a-friend type stuff. Cars in barns, urban legends, etc.
Quote from: hemi-hampton on August 22, 2007, 08:07:28 PM
GTX6970, You say you seen 3 advertised around there locally, Where is around here located? What City do you live in? Sorry if everybody knows where you live but me? :scratchchin: LEON.
Actually , I live in northen Ky. Right across the river from cincy
Quote from: ds440 on August 23, 2007, 08:20:32 AMAlso being in the Cincinnati area, I've heard quite a few "bengal-charger-ghost-stories."
Bengal Charger Ghoste stories? It wasn't a story, it was a statement of fact, I really saw one. :D
Quote from: Ghoste on August 23, 2007, 04:32:55 PM
Quote from: ds440 on August 23, 2007, 08:20:32 AMAlso being in the Cincinnati area, I've heard quite a few "bengal-charger-ghost-stories."
Bengal Charger Ghoste stories? It wasn't a story, it was a statement of fact, I really saw one. :D
Maybe so....but how do I know if you are real. :scratchchin: :nana: :D
Touche. :rofl:
He isn't real, he is just a computer virus that posts a lot. :)
Of all the shows I've ever been to I have only seen 1 Bengal charger in person, but then again 99% of the time I just skim past the 68's. sorry but its true.
Et tu Danny?
Quote from: bull on August 22, 2007, 11:21:11 PM
Then again I don't believe I've ever seen the 999 paint code on a fender tag, even in photos.
Spike has one on his '70. It's not a '68, but... :icon_smile_big:
Quote from: 69_500 on August 24, 2007, 08:12:52 AM
He isn't real, he is just a computer virus that posts a lot. :)
:haha:
Hi this is Clair. I own the 1968 Bengal R/T. In the picture that shows the two cars sitting side by side, mine is the one without the vinyl top. I found it just outside of Hazard Kentucky in 1993. It was made to look like a Dukes car; it had the Dukes wheels on it and thats why they took the top off. My brother-in-law told me about the car so when we went to look at it it had little football helmet stickers in the back window and had the Bengal Charger emblems still on the fenders. I told my brother-in-law I wonder what kid stuck these on there, but when I popped the hood and seen the 999 code, I knew there was something special about the car because the color was special ordered. I told the guy I'd be back in a little bit, went into Hazard, called Galon on the phone, and asked him whats a Bengal Charger? He said "is it an R/T?" I said yes. He said over twenty years now nobody knew what happened to them. I just found the only R/T that was known to exist. So I went back to the guy and bought it. It had the build sheet behind the back seat. It coded out as 440 with AC automatic with white interior and the sheet said SPEACIAL HANDLING JOB at the bottom of it. The other three documented Bengals all have black interior. I took it to the Nats right after I bought it and then tucked it away for thirteen years while raising kids and building a house. Then last year, I had the car disassembled and bead blasted. Its a rolling shell right now. I've been gathering NOS parts all along for rotisseri restoration. I'm still looking for the NOS right trunk extension and lower NOS cap at the bottom of the right quarter panel. If anybody has these parts, I'd really appreciate a call, 1-810-908-3812. Also, as for the other three documented cars, the 383 car was resently restored and is in Texas, the 318 car with the low miles was sold to a guy in Missouri, and the 318 car in Saskatchewan Canada was nicely redone into a R/T clone. That's the one next to the jet.
Wow! Welcome to the site. :2thumbs: :yesnod:
Quote from: hemi-hampton on August 20, 2007, 07:18:26 PM
Heres what the Emblem looks like on my 1972 3rd Generation Bengal. Unrestored original & the 1972 Emblem looks nothing like the 68 version. LEON.
(http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q101/hemihampton/bengalemblem.jpg)
I have the same car with the same emblem. Looks like these cars might be real The '72 Bengal Charger. Please contact me with any info. jcyork@msn.com
Yeah, Seems John Yorks 72 Bengal Charger is only one VIN# away from mine, Mine was rolling down the assembly line right behind his. Coincedence? I dont think so? LEON.
keep us updated on that man! these 72s may not be the bengal charges from this story, but they seem rare regardless!!
Quote from: jcyork on December 08, 2007, 11:55:32 AM
Quote from: hemi-hampton on August 20, 2007, 07:18:26 PM
Heres what the Emblem looks like on my 1972 3rd Generation Bengal. Unrestored original & the 1972 Emblem looks nothing like the 68 version. LEON.
(http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q101/hemihampton/bengalemblem.jpg)
I have the same car with the same emblem. Looks like these cars might be real The '72 Bengal Charger. Please contact me with any info. jcyork@msn.com
I'd really like to see a picture of the whole car if you have one. As for '68 Bengals, I was at a show in Jensen Beach, Fl at a museum almost 2 years ago. A kid about 17 years old with his Mom in the passenger seat pulls up and parks next to me. Naturally, I looked the car over since it was a Charger. I see the emblem on this orange car. I didn't even know what a Bengal charger was. The kid tells me that his dad and him found it months earlier on Ebay and bought it as a Father/Son project to restore. It was Orange of course with the tail stripe, black interior. A few months later, it was at a friends garage having the engine rebuilt. I didn't take any pictures of it as I was without a camera either time. I'm sure I'll be seeing it again and will take the pics and post them. The engine my friend was rebuilding was a 440 but, I'll have to ask him or check the Vin# to see if it was in fact an R/T. I guess I should have been more curious at the time.. :shruggy:
I did post a Picture of whole car. In that Thread about Orange painted charges the other day. LEON.
Quote from: clair446 on August 31, 2007, 10:43:22 AM
Hi this is Clair. I own the 1968 Bengal R/T. In the picture that shows the two cars sitting side by side, mine is the one without the vinyl top. I found it just outside of Hazard Kentucky in 1993. It was made to look like a Dukes car; it had the Dukes wheels on it and thats why they took the top off. My brother-in-law told me about the car so when we went to look at it it had little football helmet stickers in the back window and had the Bengal Charger emblems still on the fenders. I told my brother-in-law I wonder what kid stuck these on there, but when I popped the hood and seen the 999 code, I knew there was something special about the car because the color was special ordered. I told the guy I'd be back in a little bit, went into Hazard, called Galon on the phone, and asked him whats a Bengal Charger? He said "is it an R/T?" I said yes. He said over twenty years now nobody knew what happened to them. I just found the only R/T that was known to exist. So I went back to the guy and bought it. It had the build sheet behind the back seat. It coded out as 440 with AC automatic with white interior and the sheet said SPEACIAL HANDLING JOB at the bottom of it. The other three documented Bengals all have black interior. I took it to the Nats right after I bought it and then tucked it away for thirteen years while raising kids and building a house. Then last year, I had the car disassembled and bead blasted. Its a rolling shell right now. I've been gathering NOS parts all along for rotisseri restoration. I'm still looking for the NOS right trunk extension and lower NOS cap at the bottom of the right quarter panel. If anybody has these parts, I'd really appreciate a call, 1-810-908-3812. Also, as for the other three documented cars, the 383 car was resently restored and is in Texas, the 318 car with the low miles was sold to a guy in Missouri, and the 318 car in Saskatchewan Canada was nicely redone into a R/T clone. That's the one next to the jet.
Anyone know Clair or of this R/T Bengal Charger's current state?..
His Info says he logged on this Yr... :shruggy:
I forget where and when, but there was a Bengal Charger R/T for sale about 12 or 14 yrs ago.
If I wanted another 68, I prob. would have bought it :brickwall:
Hey. I got a 1968 bengal charger. I got it back in 2002 Still have the window sticker. Well almost.
Here are some pics(http://i792.photobucket.com/albums/yy205/mikejmc/bengal13.jpg)(http://i792.photobucket.com/albums/yy205/mikejmc/bengal14.jpg)(http://i792.photobucket.com/albums/yy205/mikejmc/bengal1.jpg)(http://i792.photobucket.com/albums/yy205/mikejmc/bengal15.jpg)(http://i792.photobucket.com/albums/yy205/mikejmc/bengal12.jpg) :2thumbs:
Quote from: Brock Samson on December 03, 2010, 09:56:20 PM
Anyone know Clair or of this R/T Bengal Charger's current state?..
His Info says he logged on this Yr... :shruggy:
I think I still have their email address. Lemme see if I can dig it up...
:popcrn:
Not sure if I posted before, but my current boss/old boss/current boss (long story), says he has a friend with a Bengal Charger locked away in a storage unit or garage. My boss doesnt know about cars, but described it as a big orange charger with some sort of bengals badge on the side. Of course Im in Cincinnati area too, and his friend is a huge Bengals fan. Just trying to get more info to see if I can go see it.
Quote from: 451-74Charger on December 04, 2010, 09:58:55 AM
Not sure if I posted before, but my current boss/old boss/current boss (long story), says he has a friend with a Bengal Charger locked away in a storage unit or garage. My boss doesnt know about cars, but described it as a big orange charger with some sort of bengals badge on the side. Of course Im in Cincinnati area too, and his friend is a huge Bengals fan. Just trying to get more info to see if I can go see it.
:o , could be an un know one :scratchchin: :popcrn:
This is the last communication I got on the topic when I asked for pics. I just sent an email asking for an update so we'll see what happens. The following messages are dated 8/20/09:
"Hi, Curtis I'm afraid there's not a hole lot to see right now. I could have a new Viper in my garage with the money I have in this car. I had it disassembled and bead blasted 3 years ago.Than had to have it put on hold with two of my kids getting out of Collage and to more going in starting next year. I'm at my low point with it for a the time being. I've been on the hunt for more NOS sheet metal for the car. I'm still looking for the Dutchman panel, the right trunk extension and outer wheel walls. As for the emblems I have a set that haven't been put on yet, they have the studs and nuts."
"Curtis I have all the VIN numbers on file if you can get his to me and the build date I will see if it is close to one of the Bengal cars already found. As for the emblems if you open up the doors and look inside the fenders you should see were the holes were drilled for them.What about the build sheet? The black stripe was free from Chrysler because the dealer ordered 50 cars at one time. Have him check for that to. Clair"
:shruggy:
The following message to <CSMSCM@aol.com> was undeliverable.
The reason for the problem:
5.1.0 - Unknown address error 550-'5.1.1 <CSMSCM@aol.com>: Recipient address rejected: aol.com'
Another 999 code Charger, at Wellington Motors, Guelph, Ontario 2008.
is the 68 bengal charger 99 paint the same color as omaha orange 69 color ? :shruggy:
I thought the 999 paint code only denoted a special order color, in this case orange for those cars to Cinn., but other 999 code orange cars exist don't they? :shruggy: I recall a 999 code orange car back in NC, but did not think is was a Bengal car at the time (early 1990s). Also, if 999 just denoted special order color, what other colors would that be or is it just orange cars. :scratchchin:
Quote from: XS29LA47V21 on July 12, 2011, 02:59:13 PM
what other colors would that be or is it just orange cars. :scratchchin:
999 was special order paint, and any color could be used. The few 999 B-Bodies that have been documented have been nearly all orange, Omaha Orange, what became Vitamin C.
I have infomation on a total of six Road Runners (68 to 70) that are 999 Petty Blue and two Road Runners that are 999 Omaha Orange. The Bengals are the only Chargers with 999 that I have heard off.
999 was not just for Bengal Chargers, however all Bengals were 999s.
There is no known list about how many or what color(s) were produced back in the day.
Autohobbydigest.com (Doug Ahern) was an excellent source of Mopar info but the site is long gone and I can't find him. His information (from what source?) was that 100 cars were built each year, per factory, in 68, 69 and 70, using the 999 code. Most were cop cars painted at the factory. The remainder were Omaha or Petty Blue. He had no info on other colors.
:popcrn:
I should add that now I have heard of other 999 colors for Chargers. A quick search of the DC site has noted a silver one, a Petty Blue, as well as a Rallye Green and Bahama Yellow.
:popcrn: Excellent, Thanks, That was my understanding on the 999 was just denoted a special order color (but not the color specifically, but most indeed seemed to be orange). Hey, you want a laugh, so I heard of Bengal Chargers when I was in HS in the late 80s when I was beginning my endeavors towards rare Chargers and chasing my stack. There was a brief time that I knew they existed, was watching Hemmings & trader before I saw a photo of one, I thought they were zebra striped orange and black, ahhh youth and learning :slap: oh still learning (& forgetting with age). :eek2: :'( I still like them with any motor combo, cool stuff.
The sad part is people may have seen a Bengal Charger and not even realize it. If the special badges were missing before someone started restoring the car they wouldn't know what it was. If they didn't know what the original color was they could paint it anything. From one of the posts it states there were more than a few '68 Chargers with 999 paint codes on the fender tags.
As for the '73 Bengal Chargers, didn't Cincinnati get a AFC Central Division title in 1973 and make it to the playoffs? Maybe the dealership decided to turn a few '72 Chargers into something "special" to try and sell them in the '73 year to get rid of them easier? (unless they were special ordered with the orange paint as well).
Quote from: 68X426 on July 12, 2011, 03:56:07 PM
I should add that now I have heard of other 999 colors for Chargers. A quick search of the DC site has noted a silver one, a Petty Blue, as well as a Rallye Green and Bahama Yellow.
Most 70 Chargers with 999 paint code have turned out to be silver originally. No idea why.
Quote from: Dodge Don on July 14, 2011, 09:42:04 PM
Quote from: 68X426 on July 12, 2011, 03:56:07 PM
I should add that now I have heard of other 999 colors for Chargers. A quick search of the DC site has noted a silver one, a Petty Blue, as well as a Rallye Green and Bahama Yellow.
Most 70 Chargers with 999 paint code have turned out to be silver originally. No idea why.
road runner and GTX's also A-4 wasnt avalible in 70 so they 999 special ordered it
O.K. guys, this is the reason I joined your very cool group. I grew up living one block from Tom Kneer Dodge in Cincinnati. The Bengal Charger Dealer. Living by Tom Kneer in the 60's was great if you were a kid into the outrageous Mopars of the time. We used to go down all the time to look at the cars. They had a white Daytona Charger with a red wing and stripe in the showroom! Plenty of other wild cars on the lot. When they ordered the Bengal Chargers it was the talk of the town because they got all 50 at one time! There were Bengal Chargers parked everywhere on and off of the lot. It was mind blowing to see all these cars flooding the neighborhood.
The Bengal Charger of Bengal Charger.com fame in Columbus was owned by, and this is no s**t , a little old lady who lived on the westside of town here. Whenever I saw her I would ask if she wanted to sell it but the answer was always NO! I'm keeping this car till I die, and she did. The next time I saw the car some bumpkin in the area had obtained it and proceeded to tear it apart piece by piece. When I went to look at it I was horrified! The car was in pieces and the guy wanted what at the time ( early 80's ) was a fortune for the car " $2000+ " for an old car that was literally in pieces. I knew it was more than I could handle so I passed and the Charger diappeared. Some years later I saw the car in a magazine. I got ahold of the guy and yes it was the same car. He took what was left apart and completely rebuilt the car back to showcar standards. I was very happy to see it was taken care of by someone and I even saw my old Charger friend at the Mopar Nationals, I think that one year in Indanapolis. Anyway I had a long history with the car and was so happy to see it one more time.
My Tom Kneer history continues with the car I bought for $1500 in 1978. It was a 1970 Dodge Super Bee 440 6Pk, Trak Pak car! Only 10k miles on it! It was Hemi orange with white interior and BLACK hockey sticks. The guy who ordered the car was a part owner of the Cincy Bengals and wanted an orange and black car of course but the stripe had to be the same color as the interior. When the car came in they removed the white stripes and put on black ones. This car was of course also ordered at Tom Kneer Dodge. He drove the car for a short time and the car then changed hands and somehow or other ended up in an old barn that was still standing behind a house about 4 blocks from mine. It sat there until the guy who knocked down the old barn grabbed it in 78. He sold it to me a short time later. I owned it from then till the summer of 95 when I sold it because of marraige. We all make mistakes!! The next time I saw my old Bee was in a magazine while shopping with the wife. Mopar Collectors Guide. The guy who owned it lived in Ontario Canada and the story was complete Bulls**t. He even called me on the phone one night to verify the story but he refused to believe the truth. How in the world he got my phone # after all the sh*t he was told is beyond me! The next time I saw the car it was at Best of Show Motors in Cleveland OH. a couple of years ago. My daughter and I drove up one Sat to see it and talk to the owner of the museum/ dealership who had an even more amazing B. S. story for the car printed with it on the Web. I told him the true story but he said he didn't care the B.S. sounded better so it stayed. They sold it a few months later and now I have no idea where it is. You can still find it on the Web at Best of Show Motors even though they no longer exist. Its in the sold cars section. Enjoy the story, it's incredible but no true! I sure hope I get to see it again before I go! If anyone has a lead please Email me @ rcarter53@cinci.rr.com I would really like to see it and give the owners the truth. They probably won't belive me anyway though!! Thanks for listening to my old car tales. Robert E. Carter Jr. Cincinnati OH. Really like the site by the way.
Thanks for the Kneer stories Robert, hopefully you can stick around and share a few more tales. You didn't mention if you had an old Mopar curently though?
hello & welcome Robert :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: ,
awesome storys & memorys you have , if you got any pictures & more storys from back in the day would love to see / hear them sometime :2thumbs: :cheers:
Quote from: Robert96 on May 25, 2012, 09:24:23 AM
when I sold it because of marraige. We all make mistakes!!
Hopefully you mean the mistake was the sale, not the marriage. :pity: :lol:
Welcome Robert. Great entry into the forum. :2thumbs:
More stories, pics? :popcrn:
Thanks guys. I thought maybe I was being a little long winded. I got plenty of stories when I get more time. Unfortunately I have no pics of Tom Kneers and it seems that no one else does either. I even contacted Tom about 10 years ago and he doesn't even have any! The old dealership got leveled about 5 years ago for another stripmall that we don't need. Sad day when that happened. Robert
Glad to see more information out there about these cars. I'm just up the road in Hamilton but had my cars stored in Hartwell for a while.
Troy
what an interesting thread. thanks for all the posts. ive ejoyed the stories. :2thumbs:
Quote from: Robert96 on May 25, 2012, 10:57:54 AM
Thanks guys. I thought maybe I was being a little long winded. I got plenty of stories when I get more time. Unfortunately I have no pics of Tom Kneers and it seems that no one else does either. I even contacted Tom about 10 years ago and he doesn't even have any! The old dealership got leveled about 5 years ago for another stripmall that we don't need. Sad day when that happened. Robert
Robert you might PM member here Pettybird he used to work at Best in show he may remember where your car went ???
Texas, to a private collection.
I wrote the story, didn't believe a word of it, and was told what to put down.
Quote from: pettybird on May 25, 2012, 01:42:43 PM
Texas, to a private collection.
I wrote the story, didn't believe a word of it, and was told what to put down.
i figured you would remember :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :2thumbs:
I helped put it together in Wisconsin...I remember a LOT about it! I really liked the car, and the guy in Canada who owned it was cool too. He traded it on a '64 Dodge with a built Hemi...that car HAULED.
Thanks alot guys. I will contact Pettybird this weekend. I got some girl toubles going on tonight. And to answer one members question, no I don't have any Mopars anymore. I got priced out of the market about 10 or 15 years ago. If I had money though.......................
Bob Buse is the man who ordered my 70 Super Bee from Tom Kneer.
I can't find their site, what was the Best of Show story?
Great story Robert, thanks for sharing and welcome!
Ghoste, I think I found the link:
http://www.rkmotorscharlotte.com/sales/inventory/sold#!/1970-Dodge-Coronet-Super-Bee/131836 (http://www.rkmotorscharlotte.com/sales/inventory/sold#!/1970-Dodge-Coronet-Super-Bee/131836)
I got an Email from a fellow who has one of the Bengal Chargers yesterday. He want's to keep it quite about his so I respect him for that. It'a north of the border somewhere and in good condition.
Holy crap , read magazine article on that restored rt Bengal years ago, recently got taken locally to look at a 68 rt sort of like hemi orange colour to the areas untouched , parcel shelf etc , owner claims some sort of history to us football team , had fender tag with 999 on it , car has been over here for a number of years, going to track this car back down and post a shit load of photos, stated he had build sheet and partial history, car has been moved, now got to track it down , when I looked at this car , it didn't click,
I just saw another big project when I was already in the middle of one no two , or was it three, shit , will post I update and see if you guys think this is one of the missing cars , I think it was an rt, 440 and he stated it was the original motor rebuilt but painted blue ?
Quote from: fy469rtse on November 19, 2013, 05:28:04 AM
car has been over here for a number of years,
Over here? Australia?
Quote from: fy469rtse on November 19, 2013, 05:28:04 AM
Holy crap , read magazine article on that restored rt Bengal years ago, recently got taken locally to look at a 68 rt sort of like hemi orange colour to the areas untouched , parcel shelf etc , owner claims some sort of history to us football team , had fender tag with 999 on it , car has been over here for a number of years, going to track this car back down and post a shit load of photos, stated he had build sheet and partial history, car has been moved, now got to track it down , when I looked at this car , it didn't click,
I just saw another big project when I was already in the middle of one no two , or was it three, shit , will post I update and see if you guys think this is one of the missing cars , I think it was an rt, 440 and he stated it was the original motor rebuilt but painted blue ?
looking forward to seeing any pictures & stuff :cheers: :cheers:
68 440 motor would be turquoise :2thumbs: :yesnod: :popcrn:
Quote from: tan top on November 19, 2013, 04:13:11 PM
Quote from: fy469rtse on November 19, 2013, 05:28:04 AM
Holy crap , read magazine article on that restored rt Bengal years ago, recently got taken locally to look at a 68 rt sort of like hemi orange colour to the areas untouched , parcel shelf etc , owner claims some sort of history to us football team , had fender tag with 999 on it , car has been over here for a number of years, going to track this car back down and post a shit load of photos, stated he had build sheet and partial history, car has been moved, now got to track it down , when I looked at this car , it didn't click,
I just saw another big project when I was already in the middle of one no two , or was it three, shit , will post I update and see if you guys think this is one of the missing cars , I think it was an rt, 440 and he stated it was the original motor rebuilt but painted blue ?
looking forward to seeing any pictures & stuff :cheers: :cheers:
68 440 motor would be turquoise :2thumbs: :yesnod: :popcrn:
Correct. The 440 was turquoise in 68. Not many of them were R/Ts - even though they had a stripe.
Troy
I think I started a Bengal Charger frenzy with my other post! Haha. Good luck on your search and let us know what turns up
Justin
"CornDog"
Yes in Melbourne Australia,
now have a guide regarding Vins last digits, have put the calls in already to those who know him , so I can look at car again, black vinyl top car , nice options too , he has lost interest long ago and car thankfully was stored inside,
as soon as I can get to look at car will photograph everthing and post, stand by soon to be updated
http://boards.bengals.com/showthread.php?t=108238
"Tom contacted Chrysler with his request for orange cars. Chrysler told him that in order for them to build any cars with a special color, he would have to order a minimum of 50. He eventually agreed to special order 50 orange cars with an assortment of options. Most of the cars were equipped with a 318 or 383 engine. He had a few 6 cylinder cars built for marketing purposes and an estimated 10 - 12 R/Ts. Tom's dealership was having a hard time selling the Hemi option because of its high markup. For this reason, there are no Hemi Bengals.
According to the link, there weren't that many R/T's. It's just too bad there's no documentation to authenticate how rare a R/T would be.
Quote from: Brock Samson on December 03, 2010, 09:56:20 PM
Quote from: clair446 on August 31, 2007, 10:43:22 AM
Hi this is Clair. I own the 1968 Bengal R/T. In the picture that shows the two cars sitting side by side, mine is the one without the vinyl top. I found it just outside of Hazard Kentucky in 1993. It was made to look like a Dukes car; it had the Dukes wheels on it and thats why they took the top off. My brother-in-law told me about the car so when we went to look at it it had little football helmet stickers in the back window and had the Bengal Charger emblems still on the fenders. I told my brother-in-law I wonder what kid stuck these on there, but when I popped the hood and seen the 999 code, I knew there was something special about the car because the color was special ordered. I told the guy I'd be back in a little bit, went into Hazard, called Galon on the phone, and asked him whats a Bengal Charger? He said "is it an R/T?" I said yes. He said over twenty years now nobody knew what happened to them. I just found the only R/T that was known to exist. So I went back to the guy and bought it. It had the build sheet behind the back seat. It coded out as 440 with AC automatic with white interior and the sheet said SPEACIAL HANDLING JOB at the bottom of it. The other three documented Bengals all have black interior. I took it to the Nats right after I bought it and then tucked it away for thirteen years while raising kids and building a house. Then last year, I had the car disassembled and bead blasted. Its a rolling shell right now. I've been gathering NOS parts all along for rotisseri restoration. I'm still looking for the NOS right trunk extension and lower NOS cap at the bottom of the right quarter panel. If anybody has these parts, I'd really appreciate a call, 1-810-908-3812. Also, as for the other three documented cars, the 383 car was resently restored and is in Texas, the 318 car with the low miles was sold to a guy in Missouri, and the 318 car in Saskatchewan Canada was nicely redone into a R/T clone. That's the one next to the jet.
Anyone know Clair or of this R/T Bengal Charger's current state?..
His Info says he logged on this Yr... :shruggy:
His last post was a few months ago. LEON.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,101962.msg1202772.html#msg1202772
I found this pic. Apparently an R/T but the fender badge is weird. http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?46930-1968-bengal-charger
nother picture of that Bengal name plate here , deffo not original :scratchchin:
http://www.moparaction.com/article/mo_show_to_the_max/mo_show_to_the_max.html
Like bull stated , I had never seen a fender tag with 999 before , so I thought it fake ,
should had been clear , motor in the car I've seen been rebuilt alloy heads and such but he painted it an Australian Chrysler engine color, that's as far as he got as well as pulling the interior out
Quote from: fy469rtse on November 20, 2013, 07:07:14 PM
Like bull stated , I had never seen a fender tag with 999 before , so I thought it fake ,
should had been clear , motor in the car I've seen been rebuilt alloy heads and such but he painted it an Australian Chrysler engine color, that's as far as he got as well as pulling the interior out
If you get a second chance to look at the car, let us know what the VIN is so we can narrow down the group of cars. Good luck on your possible find!
Justin
"CornDog"
yes hunting it down , got on to the guy and will know the cars location next week , hopefully he will let me take photo's
repeated his story about being a US football team promotion car,
I'm going to borrow my old 68 triple green car to go and see him , it helps soften them up when they know your one of them , will take photo's and post that on the 68's post
Wow! That's great. I can't wait to see what you find!
Justin
"CornDog"
Any other info on this Bengal Charger booklet that was printed a while back?
have a look here , magazine feature on a Bengal charger , show a vin number too :yesnod:
:yesnod:
I've got that issue. You notice that the two VINs given are only 7 digits apart. Does anyone know if Mopar Collectors Guide, Mopar Action, Mopar Muscle, or any other magazine has featured a Bengal?
Justin
"CornDog"
Quote from: bull on November 20, 2013, 03:07:39 PM
I found this pic. Apparently an R/T but the fender badge is weird. http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?46930-1968-bengal-charger
I've seen that car in person and talked to the owner. It is NOT a Bengal Charger - just a tribute the owner thought would be neat.
Troy
Not a bengal charger ,
999 code for paint , but mystery deepens now with this car, with 4 bronze colours on the paint list for this year , ? why would you order bronze in 999 code ,supposedly for a footballer , maybe you guys can help ? what football teams have a really bright bronze colour to there uniforms,
cars an Rt , no holes for special badges to fenders , dealership ordered, very high optioned ,
So is it orange or bronze? In 68 there was only JJ1 gold and MM1 Bronze (which has a lot of red in it). In 69 there were a lot more shades of bronze available.
San Francisco 49ers maybe?
Troy
Quote
Quote
Anyone know Clair or of this R/T Bengal Charger's current state?..
His Info says he logged on this Yr... :shruggy:
His last post was a few months ago. LEON.
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,101962.msg1202772.html#msg1202772
That is who i bought my doors off of & also some end caps....saw the Bengal at that time but it was buried in his garage..also showed me the fender tag so it was a 999 paint code and he seemed to have all the history....really hope he gets it done!
My Charger came from a clare in Michigan back in 1980's. Wonder if it's the same clare? LEON.
I too grew up a few blocks from Tom Kneer Dodge. My dad bought a '73 Dart Swinger and a '76 Ramcharger from there. I drove the Ramcharger thru college and received the Dart when I graduated.
In 1976 my brother worked at Kneer in the body shop, which might have been around the time when the name changed to Glenway Dodge, they were cleaning out the shop and throwing stuff in the dumpster and my brother snagged these badges and brought them home. They have been in an old milk carton with various other badges and hardware for 38 years. I knew what they were but I thought that all Cincinnati area Dodge dealers sold them, I also thought that one badge went on the fenders and one on the trunk (wasn't sure which was which). Now reading all the history and the two different years I guess these are some unique historical items.
Fast forward many years, I asked a MoPar friend of mine if he knew of anyone that might be interested in them, he didn't at the time, but at Hersey Pa earlier this year he saw a Charger with painted on Bengal badges (see Nov 20 2013 post by Bull and Tan Top I think it's the same one) and told the guy I had the real badges. So I contacted him, he is from Scranton Pa and read the magazine article about them and liked the story and the color (his was originally an ugly green) so made a clone. Now he has a set of REAL badges. That's my story anyway, Alan Ray Cincinnati Oh.
Thats great! Welcome to the forum.
Quote from: Ghoste on August 30, 2014, 11:38:07 AM
Thats great! Welcome to the forum.
:yesnod: :iagree:
Hello & welcome ARay , thanks for sharing your memories :yesnod: :cheers: :2thumbs:
:popcrn:
having trouble making my pics small enough, they are 400-600kb and each post has a 200kb limit
here is one
another
and another
Any left? Maybe one of the repop folks should get a cast made.
yeah, the guy in Scranton only bought one set.
I have seen one at car shows over the years in Rochester NY, it has a plaque on the dash too.
His car needs some TLC though or it did years ago when I saw it last. I think he was in one of the Mopar clubs.
Quote from: aray17 on August 30, 2014, 12:13:45 PM
and another
Quote from: hemi-hampton on August 20, 2007, 07:18:26 PM
Heres what the Emblem looks like on my 1972 3rd Generation Bengal. Unrestored original & the 1972 Emblem looks nothing like the 68 version. LEON.
(http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q101/hemihampton/bengalemblem.jpg)
wow , thanks for the pictures ! appreciated :cheers: :cheers: !! so that confirms Leons third generation may well have been a real dealer model :scratchchin: :coolgleamA: :2thumbs:
YEAH, I got real one, But now everybody will be throwing these emblems on any charger & there will be fakes every where. :shruggy: LEON.
Quote from: aray17 on August 30, 2014, 12:24:18 PM
yeah, the guy in Scranton only bought one set.
I'd be Interested in a set since I got a real one, THANKS, LEON.
Looks like I was lucky enough to get a set of 3 original NOS 1972 Bengal Charger Emblems for my car. Didn't think that would be possible. If I someday decide to restore this car they will come in handy. Pic shows my beat up original emblem on left. LEON.
WOW ! someone got very lucky ! Nice find ! Congrats !
Quote from: hemi-hampton on December 27, 2014, 07:22:49 PM
Looks like I was lucky enough to get a set of 3 original NOS 1972 Bengal Charger Emblems for my car. Didn't think that would be possible. If I someday decide to restore this car they will come in handy. Pic shows my beat up original emblem on left. LEON.
good stuff , who would have thought that , there would be nos Bengal emblems out there ... amazing
That is an incredible find, way to go! :cheers:
Got a hold of some original '68 BENGAL Charger emblems for my Original '68 BENGAL car!!!
I have recently come back to the DodgeCharger.com because I have been seriously entertaining the idea of
finally restoring my '68 Bengal Charger I have owned for almost 40 years. I came across a post in a Bengal
Charger Forum topic from 2014 from aray17 that he had original emblems from the Tom Kneer dealership that
closed in the late 70's. Hemi-Hampton contacted him and bought 3 '72 Bengal emblems, and some guy from
Pennsylvania who made a '68 Bengal clone bought 2 of the '68's.
What are the chances of him still having the remaining 2 '68s??? I sent him a email last month and last
week I received 2 NEW '68 BENGAL Charger emblems to replace my originals!!!
Thanks again aray17 and DodgeCharger..com!
:popcrn: :drool5: :2thumbs: :2thumbs: :drool5: :popcrn: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: