1969 Dodge Charger 500 Question

[Mr. Moparman]

Hey guys, I have a recent craving to build a Charger 500. I have a Daytona and enough '68-70 R/T's to make my head spin, and I now want to add a 500 to the collection. My question is, how to do it? Would hunting down an MPC kit and popping the chassis and driveline out of AMT's GTX/Roadrunner be fine, or would it be better in the long run to grab a Revell Daytona kit, a '69 R/T body/hood/front valance, and a 500 grille from the Modelhaus and graft the R/T front fenders onto the Daytona body? Would the MPC grille even fit the Revell fenders? I really want to do this with as little sawing and hacking as possible, but if everything will fit, I wouldn't mind sawing off the fenders and grafting them on the Daytona body. I just would like some opinions before I start hunting stuff to build it this winter.

Edited September 14, 2014 by Mr. Moparman

[CJ1971]

I have the old MPC Charger 500 kit, the re-release AMT ( limited edition ) kit, the Daytona kit & both Revell Charger kits ( 68/69 ) ... I'm at work at the moment so I can't check the fittment of the MPC 500 grille into the Revell front end ?

I'd say you're going to have to chop, saw & putty whichever way you go, because what the Daytona body has the stock 68/69 bodies don't & what they have the Daytona hasn't. ? I think the easiest, with the least amount of body work etc, would be using the MPC/AMT 500 body & the Revell chassis/interior/engine etc. ??

[Mike Kucaba]

I did the MPC top to the Revell body years ago but my aim was a little off and it came out with a little chop( roof rake). Later on I grafted the front fenders to the Revell Daytona . It's doable, but the side marker lights are hard to keep.

Wish it weren't so painful to post pics here

[Mr. Moparman]

Thanks guys. I found a spare Revell R/T body today and the more I look at it, the more I think I can pull off a fender swap with the Revell Daytona. I'll have to find a Revell Daytona kit, a MPC 500 grille, and a set of tail stripes, but I'm thinking B5 blue, white stripe, either a white interior, or a lighter blue, with a 440 Magnum and 4-speed transmission. The ideas are taking shape....

[Craig Irwin]

Wasn't the Charger 500 grille a Coronet part? Modelhaus may have the exact part you need.

[Mr. Moparman]

Wasn't the Charger 500 grille a Coronet part? Modelhaus may have the exact part you need.

Yes. On the real car, Dodge contracted out Creative Industries in Detroit to build them, and all Creative did was take regular Chargers, weld in the real window plug, repaint the body, and bolt a '68 Coronet grille on top of the Charger grille. The only difference between the two grilles in the badging. One has R/T on it while the other says Charger 500.

[Rob Hall]

Wasn't the Charger 500 grille a Coronet part? Modelhaus may have the exact part you need.

The Modelhaus also has the MPC Charger 500 bumper/grille.

I built the '80s MPC issue straight from the box back in the day, I have another of the later reissues to build eventually--probably will kitbash w/ a Revell '68/69 Charger, AMT '68 Road Runner or '69 GTX for the more detailed chassis and engine...

Edited September 14, 2014 by Rob Hall

[Mike Kucaba]

I'll have to try that mpc body with the AMT mopar parts. Good Idea!!

[Mr. Moparman]

Well guys, after hearing some input, I have decided I am gonna build a Charger 500. I will use the Revell Daytona for pretty much everything, and the Revell '68 Charger R/T will donate its hood, fenders, and front valance. I will saw the Daytona fenders off right in front of the cowl and then graft on the '68 R/T fenders. I will have to purchase a Charger 500 grille from the Modelhaus. My car is gonna be B5 Blue with a C6D Blue interior and white tail stripe. Powertrain is gonna be the base 440 with a four-speed. I will probably start up a build thread here in a few weeks.