PROPHECY: Dodge Challenger, Dr. Evil's Pinky, Number 2, Hulk
This is a poignant story that refers to the history of Isabella Valentine:
It's also me as Fe-Male where everyone has this polished stylized impression of Superman, Indiana Jones, and James Bond. The real pictures of Isabella Valentine would be me. Sunny Leone would be the perfect version of Superman, Indiana Jones, and James Bond that women fantasize about.
That's what makes Davis so dumb:
Ever notice how Number Two always offers at the beginning of every Austin Powers Movie ways on making LEGITIMATE CASH, but Dr. Evil always has some Evil Plan he wants to do instead?
That's Davis as Dr. Evil WHO NEVER LISTENS and wants to do things the HARD WAY and ILLEGALLY when it would've been so much easier and LEGAL if he just listened to ROD (Number 2)...LOL
That's the Planet mocking Davis :o). I always keep telling Davis how to close and do it correctly, but he ignores me and does the "Dr. Evil Plan."
Like I said, I already know that years from now Davis is going to try coming up with his own version of of events and how things are and "Anti-Rod" Followers and especially the Black Community won't like me telling them that the Black Community was being forced to pay for 400 years worth of Slavery to even out what Davis did to me.
So the Planet lays out all these movies that everyone acknowledges on a Subconscious Level and where the Alphabet and Numbers with specific Symbols reveals the hidden tags.
As I said, this is where Psychic Abilities comes in. If my Readings are always correct and the Planet aligns with what I'm saying, it gives me more credibility over most other people who try to give their own version of the story.
As I said, Davis is VERY CONVINCING. He's a Sales and Marketing Person. He spends every day talking to people on the phone persuading them to invest money in his deals. That's why in a Formal Debate in front of an audience, Davis would make me look really stupid.
I guarantee you that because I'm not very witty. I'm a Power Thinker. Davis is a Quick Thinker. He can think up of things on the fly and last minute.
With me, I have to sit and ponder things and go through a process of reasoning things out and making sense of them. I have to deliberate over it.
That's why when it comes to Trials, the Jury is made to deliberate over the evidence and testimonies in private before giving verdict. Both Lawyers give closing arguments that are very persuasive.
This comes back to why Communication is so important. If you can't defend yourself, people who are more communicative than you will walk all over you. Have you ever seen the movie "Revenge of the Nerds" where John Goodman is the College Football Coach that yells at the Dean of the University who's meek?
I'm the meek Dean. I was given a very specific personality type where I have really immense power, but I'm timid when it comes to using it because I'm not used to exerting myself
Original Challenger
Retro Review: 1970-74 Dodge Challenger
By ERIC PETERS
The Dodge Challenger lasted just four brief years -- and it's been gone now for more than three decades. But the imprint Chrysler Corp.'s other E-body seared into the consciousness of muscle car enthusiasts -- many of them not even born when these cars were new -- assures its place in the pantheon of automotive greats.
Unlike GM's Camaro and Firebird F-cars -- which existed together as a corporate tag team from their inception in 1967 right through to the end of production in 2002 -- the Challenger came a few years late to the game. Its sister car -- the Plymouth Barracuda -- had been around as a stand-alone model since the introduction in 1964 of the famous "Glassback" coupe. But when the all-new e-bodies bowed for 1970, Dodge finally got its own version of pony car street muscle to entice buyers with.
The Challenger and 'Cuda (as the performance version of the Plymouth E-body was now known) seemed to be more or less the same car at first glance -- albeit with Dodge or Plymouth-specific sheetmetal tweaks and interior/exterior trim differences, like the Camaro and Firebird. But while they did share the same basic platform, the Challenger's wheelbase was actually two inches longer than the 'Cuda's -- allowing for a slightly larger, slightly more useful interior, as well as extending the car's visual proportions noticeably. Regardless, both cars had perhaps the best "muscle car squat" of their time -- tail high, arched hindquarters, wide body, predatory fish-looking front end treatment (especially the 'Cuda, which also had gill-like fender slats). Extra-fat tires, hood pins, pistol grip shifter and a variety of street-racer hood scoops -- including the soon-to-legendary "Shaker" that moved with the vibrations of the engine -- added to the car's formidable appearance. Buyers could choose appropriately neon-bright "High (unless there's a compelling reason for HIgh)-Impact" colors, including "Top Banana" yellow, "Plum Crazy" purple and "Sub-Lime" green -- accented with billboard-style decals, just so everyone knew what you were driving.
And it was 1970 -- the peak of the original muscle car-era's horsepower frenzy -- so the Challenger (and 'Cuda) entered the fray all-out. Though base models came through with Chrysler's endlessly durable 225 cubic-inch "slant six," what made the synapses crackle with anticipation was the bevy of bench-pressing V-8s buyers could choose from. The first of these was a 383 cubic inch big block in the R/T (for Road and Track) good for 335 hp.. This engine came as part of a package that also included an upgraded HD suspension and snarky (but not yet functional) twin-scooped hood. The base R/T Challenger was already packing a punch as powerful as some of its competitor's top-dog models (for example, the 1970 Pontiac Trans-Am's Ram Air III 400 V-8 rated the very same 335 hp; ; the most you could get in the '70 Trans-Am was the barely streetable Ram Air IV -- and that only got you 345 hp).
But Dodge was just getting started.
If the 383 didn't satisfy, two versions of the even bigger 440 cubic inch big-block V-8 were available. The first -- with single four-barrel carburetor -- upped the ante to 375 hp. Not enough? One could add a six-barrel intake (three Holley two-barrel carburetors) to push the output of the 440 to 390 hp -- which was almost 50 hp more than the top-dog 1970 Trans-Am engine and significantly more than the Corvette-sourced LT-1 350 small-block that was the top engine in Chevy's Camaro Z28. The 440 Six Pack was even rated higher than the fearsome Boss 429 Mustang -- which at 375 hp was the beefiest Mustang available in 1970.
Even then, Dodge wasn't done.
For the ultimate brain-smasher, buyers could step up to the 426 Hemi -- an engine which differed from the 440 in the same way a pit bill differs from a Labrador retriever. While the 440 was a great performance engine, it was always a street performance engine. The Hemi, on the other hand, was basically a full-on race engine that Chrysler fiddled with just enough to be able to hang a license plate on the front fender of cars so equipped.
Conservatively rated at 425 horsepower, the Hemi was probably the strongest, meanest muscle car V-8 to ever see the light of regular production. It was the same basic engine that was breaching 200 mph on the NASCAR super speedways -- and dominating bracket races all across the country.
The Hemi, however, was expensive to bankroll -- adding $1,228 to the price of the car. This may be why just 356 orders were placed that first year out -- compared with 2,035 for the 390 440 Six Pak (and many more 383-equipped R/Ts). Buyers could also choose a convertible bodystyle -- which the second-generation (1970-'81) GM F-cars never offered -- as well as an SE luxury group and a very groovy vinyl roof.
Only 1,070 R/T convertibles were minted in 1970 -- with Hemi versions being the rarest of the rare. 1970 also marked the debut -- and disappearance -- of the Challenger T/A, a street-going version of the race cars Dodge was running in the Sports Car Club of America's Trans-Am road-racing series. (Plymouth's version was the AAR 'Cuda.) Unique to this model was a high-rpm 340 small block with a three-carb intake (like the 440's) rated at 290 hp (but reportedly producing closer to 350 hp). These cars also got a unique matte-black fiberglass hood with a raised-snorkel air scoop that was designed to draw fresh air into the engine in the high-flow zone just above the surface of the hood itself. Standard disc brakes, hooligan side-exit exhausts with megaphone tips and DayGlo paint schemes (including "Panther Pink") further set the Challenger T/A apart. This car was also among the very first production cars to come fitted from the factory with different size rolling stock -- extra-fat G60x15s out back and E60x15s up front. The rear tires jacked up the tail end slightly, providing extra clearance for the megaphones -- and made the already ferocious-looking car seem even meaner. Though quick on the street (T/A Challengers could nail 60 mph in 5.9 seconds), their race counterparts didn't make much of an impression. Dodge pulled out of Trans-Am racing shortly thereafter -- and the T/A Challenger was dropped.
Overall, Dodge sold more than 53,000 base model Challengers that first year out -- and more than 13,800 R/Ts. Unfortunately, outside forces were conspiring to put the kibosh on muscle cars generally. By 1971, feeling the heat from Washington (and the slew of recently-passed anti-pollution requirements), Dodge dropped the compression ratio of the Challenger R/T's standard 383 -- which now produced just 300 hp -- and pulled the step-up 440 four-barrel off the roster entirely. The six-barrel 440 was still there -- although power had dropped by 5 to 385 hp. And for the very last time, the 426 Hemi was listed as the top-of-the-line Challenger engine -- still good for 425 hp. Minor visual/cosmetic changes -- including dummy brake cooling slats for the R/T and a revised grille -- comprised the remainder of the changes. The smell of death was in the air by now -- with sales of the '71 models plummeting by almost half of what they had been just one year previously.
By '72, the shell of high-performance still remained -- but the Challenger's sharpest fangs had been unceremoniously pulled. The 440 and Street Hemi were gone for good -- as was the R/T package itself, replaced by the oatmeal-sounding Challenger Rallye. A droopy-looking "sad" front-end treatment appeared, too -- as if the car were aware of its vitality slipping away. The strongest engine available that year was a lukewarm 340 small block rated at just 240 hp. The top Challenger model had lost more than 150 hp -- in the course of just a single calendar year. Most 1972 V-8-equipped Challengers came through with the even-less-impressive 318 V-8 -- which mustered just 150 hp. By this time, the Challenger wasn't even in the same league as the '72 Pontiac Trans-Am, which boasted a still-stout 300 hp 455 HO V-8.
Dodge tried to "rally" a little for 1973 by offering a larger 360 V-8 as the Challenger's top-dog engine. With 245 hp on tap (five more than the previous year's 340), it was respectable -- for 1973. Production upticked slightly, to 32,596 units for that year. But the car's fate was sealed nonetheless. Dodge weighed the expense and hassle of keeping the Challenger viable in an era of ever-more demanding federal regulations against flaccid sales and shifting buyer tastes -- and decided to pull the plug. 1974 would be the final year. No major changes would be made for the final season since Dodge had already given up on the car. Just 16,437 left the factory -- and as December 1974 rolled into January of '75, the Challenger slipped away into the history books.
Yet in spite of its brief and abruptly ended life, the Challenger (along with its sister E-body, the Plymouth 'Cuda) remains among the most memorable and most-loved of classic-era muscle cars. It stood apart at a time when outrageous power and throbby styling were par for the course -- pushing the envelope farther and harder than most of its contemporaries.
The straight-pipe rip of the Challenger T/A's megaphone exhaust echoes to this day -- and the lonesome sight of a broody-looking Hemi R/T's shaker doing its nervous dance remains an image of raw menace few new cars will ever surpass.
They may not have been with us for very long -- but we will never forget them.
2006-03-21 16:38:15
[Click Here for Original Link]
- I said 3/25/2006 about Isabella Valentine's MySpace Page
- I said 1/4/2006 that the Mind is like a Car
- It refers to the "Hemi"
- H(EM)I = H(EM)(IV) - V = Superman(H) Sunny Leone(E-M/5-13) Isabella Valentine
- He/MI = Gemini(He/Helium/2) Sun(M/13+I/9=V/22=5/Leo)
- H(EM)I = HA/WA-II(HI) with Sunny Leone(EM) in it
- H(EM)I = H(EM)(IV) - V = Superman(H) Sunny Leone(E-M/5-13) Isabella Valentine
- Inception 1967:
- 67 = Ho on the Periodic Table
- Ho = Slut. I said 2/17/2006 that Isabella is a Slutty Ho
- Isabella Valentine is 2/14 and Davis is born 2/14
- 67 = Ho on the Periodic Table
- Personality:
- I said Isabella is a really nice person, but shy
- There was nothing wrong with Isabella. She was just freaked out and thought I was a Stalker so she turned nasty toward me
- Opposite of a shy, sensitive, and honest Slutty Female is confident, insensitive, sly Male (Davis)
- I said Isabella uses pictures of Sunny Leone(SL). Davis is born Valentine's Day so he'd be "SL-y" (Sunny Leone Male)
- I said Isabella is a really nice person, but shy
- "Top Banana" yellow: I said 1/7/2006 that Davis is a Del Monte Banana
- "Plum Crazy" purple:
- P L u M Crazy = Aquarian Male(P) Bad(L/Non-7) in Union with(U) 5/29(M) Insane(Crazy)
- I said Davis is a B/AD(L) Aquarian Male(P).
- When he seduces you with Music with a "Song and Dance," he's an "LP" Record
- 8-Track = Superman Railroad Track in the 1970s. I'm a T/R-A/IN = Female(T/20/XX) Gemini(R/18/2x9/2xI/II) God(A/1) Final(I+N=W)
- CA/SS-ET/Te T/Ap-E = California(CA) Gemini Superman(SS) Alien(ET) Non-Alien(Te) Female(T/20/XX) Mother(Ap/Non-Pa/Ma) Earth(E)
- CD = Dominant(C) Leo Female(D)
- MP3 = Military Police Earth.
- IP-OD = IP Address Overdose
- P L u M Crazy = Aquarian Male(P) Bad(L/Non-7) in Union with(U) 5/29(M) Insane(Crazy)
- "Sub-Lime" green:
- Sub/Li-M.E. = Submissive(Sub) Fire(Li-Chinese) Mother Earth(M.E.)
- I said I'm typically submissive or shy
- Sub/Li-M.E. = Submissive(Sub) Fire(Li-Chinese) Mother Earth(M.E.)
- They may not have been with us for very long -- but we will never forget them: That's Isabella who wasn't with me for very long.
- That's why the U.S.S. Challenger as a Space Shuttle blew up and how you got Sally Ride.
- It had Janeane Garafalo (J/G = 10/7 = Rachel McAdams = Alison from "The Notebook")
- Uma Thurman was Noelle. Th u R-Man = Female(T/20/XX) Superman(H) in Union with(U) Gemini(R/18/2x9/2xI/II) Male(Man)
- PLOT OUTLINE: A successful veternarian & radio show host with low self-esteem asks her model friend to impersonate her when a handsome man wants to see her
It's also me as Fe-Male where everyone has this polished stylized impression of Superman, Indiana Jones, and James Bond. The real pictures of Isabella Valentine would be me. Sunny Leone would be the perfect version of Superman, Indiana Jones, and James Bond that women fantasize about.
- I'd be the real Austin Powers (Ap/Non-Pa/MA) who's geeky and with crooked or bad teeth compared to the suave and debonair James Bond.
- On another level, it works out with me as a kooky villain Dr. Evil.
- I said Davis is Bald like Dr. Evil with a Lazy Eye.
- I'm the L/AZ/-y "I" (Bad Valentine(AZ/Arizona/2-14) Male(Y) or the L.A./Z-y "I") Los Angeles(L.A.) Aquarius(Z) Male(Y).
- I said Davis is an Aquarian Male(P). If the Planet Earth with North America was the Face of Dr. Evil, the Pinky is the P in K-y = Aquarian Male(P) in the Aquarian(K) Male(Y)
- That's how you get "Pinky and the Brain." I'm Brain and Davis is the stupid P in K-y who says the dumbest things...LOL
- Davis always says something stupid as Pinky and I'm Brain rolling my eyes
- That's why Pinky (Davis) says NARF!!! N.A./Rf = Not Applicable(N.A.) Mother(Rf./Non-Fr.) = Applicable Pennsylvania(Pa/Fr./Father)
- Pinky (Davis) says, "POIT!!!" P-O/I-T = Aquarian Male(P) Sun(O) God(I) Female(T)
- Those words coming out of Pinky's mouth is the nonsense that comes out of Davis' mouth...LOL
- That's why Pinky (Davis) says NARF!!! N.A./Rf = Not Applicable(N.A.) Mother(Rf./Non-Fr.) = Applicable Pennsylvania(Pa/Fr./Father)
That's what makes Davis so dumb:
- I'm Ro/Be-Rt. WA-G/NE-R
- His IMDB is 1822 = 1/8-22 = God Valentine Leone. I said Valentine Leone is born 8/22
- His character is Number 2 = Gemini (II)
- He has an Eye Patch that allows him X-Ray Vision
- P-IR/Ates wearan "I" Patch
Ever notice how Number Two always offers at the beginning of every Austin Powers Movie ways on making LEGITIMATE CASH, but Dr. Evil always has some Evil Plan he wants to do instead?
That's Davis as Dr. Evil WHO NEVER LISTENS and wants to do things the HARD WAY and ILLEGALLY when it would've been so much easier and LEGAL if he just listened to ROD (Number 2)...LOL
That's the Planet mocking Davis :o). I always keep telling Davis how to close and do it correctly, but he ignores me and does the "Dr. Evil Plan."
- That's why in "Austin Powers 2" (Gemini/II), the Evil Headquarters is at the top of the Space Needle in Seatttle, WA
- I said that I'm from Washington State
- S-Pa/C-E Need/Le = Superman(S) Pennsylvania(PA) Dominant(C) Sun(E) Dependent(Need) Definite-Fr.(Le-Th/Fr./Pa)
- I said I'm the Virgin Mary. Why do you think you have the song "Beautiful Stranger" by Madonna on the "Austin Powers 2" Soundtrack? LOL
Like I said, I already know that years from now Davis is going to try coming up with his own version of of events and how things are and "Anti-Rod" Followers and especially the Black Community won't like me telling them that the Black Community was being forced to pay for 400 years worth of Slavery to even out what Davis did to me.
So the Planet lays out all these movies that everyone acknowledges on a Subconscious Level and where the Alphabet and Numbers with specific Symbols reveals the hidden tags.
As I said, this is where Psychic Abilities comes in. If my Readings are always correct and the Planet aligns with what I'm saying, it gives me more credibility over most other people who try to give their own version of the story.
As I said, Davis is VERY CONVINCING. He's a Sales and Marketing Person. He spends every day talking to people on the phone persuading them to invest money in his deals. That's why in a Formal Debate in front of an audience, Davis would make me look really stupid.
I guarantee you that because I'm not very witty. I'm a Power Thinker. Davis is a Quick Thinker. He can think up of things on the fly and last minute.
With me, I have to sit and ponder things and go through a process of reasoning things out and making sense of them. I have to deliberate over it.
That's why when it comes to Trials, the Jury is made to deliberate over the evidence and testimonies in private before giving verdict. Both Lawyers give closing arguments that are very persuasive.
This comes back to why Communication is so important. If you can't defend yourself, people who are more communicative than you will walk all over you. Have you ever seen the movie "Revenge of the Nerds" where John Goodman is the College Football Coach that yells at the Dean of the University who's meek?
I'm the meek Dean. I was given a very specific personality type where I have really immense power, but I'm timid when it comes to using it because I'm not used to exerting myself
- That's why I'm the Incredible Hulk as David Banner (The one who bans Davis).
- Why do you think it's Eric Bana as th "Incredible Hulk"?
- E(RI)C = 53(I-Periodic) with 5/29(RI/Rhode Island) in it?
- Ban/A = Ban God(A)
- It was said to be a lot of Special Effects. That's because that's all my Psychic Abilities are. It's just all Special Effects and "CGI"
- CGI = Dominant(C) God(G) God(I) = Dominant Gemini God
- C/G-I = Dominant(C) Sun Gemini(G/7/VII) Isabelo(I)
- Hulk = Superman(H) in Union with(U) Bad(L/Non-7) Aquarius(K/11)
- When I'm being mean to you and transform into the Hulk, I'm being a "Davis"
Original Challenger
Retro Review: 1970-74 Dodge Challenger
By ERIC PETERS
The Dodge Challenger lasted just four brief years -- and it's been gone now for more than three decades. But the imprint Chrysler Corp.'s other E-body seared into the consciousness of muscle car enthusiasts -- many of them not even born when these cars were new -- assures its place in the pantheon of automotive greats.
Unlike GM's Camaro and Firebird F-cars -- which existed together as a corporate tag team from their inception in 1967 right through to the end of production in 2002 -- the Challenger came a few years late to the game. Its sister car -- the Plymouth Barracuda -- had been around as a stand-alone model since the introduction in 1964 of the famous "Glassback" coupe. But when the all-new e-bodies bowed for 1970, Dodge finally got its own version of pony car street muscle to entice buyers with.
The Challenger and 'Cuda (as the performance version of the Plymouth E-body was now known) seemed to be more or less the same car at first glance -- albeit with Dodge or Plymouth-specific sheetmetal tweaks and interior/exterior trim differences, like the Camaro and Firebird. But while they did share the same basic platform, the Challenger's wheelbase was actually two inches longer than the 'Cuda's -- allowing for a slightly larger, slightly more useful interior, as well as extending the car's visual proportions noticeably. Regardless, both cars had perhaps the best "muscle car squat" of their time -- tail high, arched hindquarters, wide body, predatory fish-looking front end treatment (especially the 'Cuda, which also had gill-like fender slats). Extra-fat tires, hood pins, pistol grip shifter and a variety of street-racer hood scoops -- including the soon-to-legendary "Shaker" that moved with the vibrations of the engine -- added to the car's formidable appearance. Buyers could choose appropriately neon-bright "High (unless there's a compelling reason for HIgh)-Impact" colors, including "Top Banana" yellow, "Plum Crazy" purple and "Sub-Lime" green -- accented with billboard-style decals, just so everyone knew what you were driving.
And it was 1970 -- the peak of the original muscle car-era's horsepower frenzy -- so the Challenger (and 'Cuda) entered the fray all-out. Though base models came through with Chrysler's endlessly durable 225 cubic-inch "slant six," what made the synapses crackle with anticipation was the bevy of bench-pressing V-8s buyers could choose from. The first of these was a 383 cubic inch big block in the R/T (for Road and Track) good for 335 hp.. This engine came as part of a package that also included an upgraded HD suspension and snarky (but not yet functional) twin-scooped hood. The base R/T Challenger was already packing a punch as powerful as some of its competitor's top-dog models (for example, the 1970 Pontiac Trans-Am's Ram Air III 400 V-8 rated the very same 335 hp; ; the most you could get in the '70 Trans-Am was the barely streetable Ram Air IV -- and that only got you 345 hp).
But Dodge was just getting started.
If the 383 didn't satisfy, two versions of the even bigger 440 cubic inch big-block V-8 were available. The first -- with single four-barrel carburetor -- upped the ante to 375 hp. Not enough? One could add a six-barrel intake (three Holley two-barrel carburetors) to push the output of the 440 to 390 hp -- which was almost 50 hp more than the top-dog 1970 Trans-Am engine and significantly more than the Corvette-sourced LT-1 350 small-block that was the top engine in Chevy's Camaro Z28. The 440 Six Pack was even rated higher than the fearsome Boss 429 Mustang -- which at 375 hp was the beefiest Mustang available in 1970.
Even then, Dodge wasn't done.
For the ultimate brain-smasher, buyers could step up to the 426 Hemi -- an engine which differed from the 440 in the same way a pit bill differs from a Labrador retriever. While the 440 was a great performance engine, it was always a street performance engine. The Hemi, on the other hand, was basically a full-on race engine that Chrysler fiddled with just enough to be able to hang a license plate on the front fender of cars so equipped.
Conservatively rated at 425 horsepower, the Hemi was probably the strongest, meanest muscle car V-8 to ever see the light of regular production. It was the same basic engine that was breaching 200 mph on the NASCAR super speedways -- and dominating bracket races all across the country.
The Hemi, however, was expensive to bankroll -- adding $1,228 to the price of the car. This may be why just 356 orders were placed that first year out -- compared with 2,035 for the 390 440 Six Pak (and many more 383-equipped R/Ts). Buyers could also choose a convertible bodystyle -- which the second-generation (1970-'81) GM F-cars never offered -- as well as an SE luxury group and a very groovy vinyl roof.
Only 1,070 R/T convertibles were minted in 1970 -- with Hemi versions being the rarest of the rare. 1970 also marked the debut -- and disappearance -- of the Challenger T/A, a street-going version of the race cars Dodge was running in the Sports Car Club of America's Trans-Am road-racing series. (Plymouth's version was the AAR 'Cuda.) Unique to this model was a high-rpm 340 small block with a three-carb intake (like the 440's) rated at 290 hp (but reportedly producing closer to 350 hp). These cars also got a unique matte-black fiberglass hood with a raised-snorkel air scoop that was designed to draw fresh air into the engine in the high-flow zone just above the surface of the hood itself. Standard disc brakes, hooligan side-exit exhausts with megaphone tips and DayGlo paint schemes (including "Panther Pink") further set the Challenger T/A apart. This car was also among the very first production cars to come fitted from the factory with different size rolling stock -- extra-fat G60x15s out back and E60x15s up front. The rear tires jacked up the tail end slightly, providing extra clearance for the megaphones -- and made the already ferocious-looking car seem even meaner. Though quick on the street (T/A Challengers could nail 60 mph in 5.9 seconds), their race counterparts didn't make much of an impression. Dodge pulled out of Trans-Am racing shortly thereafter -- and the T/A Challenger was dropped.
Overall, Dodge sold more than 53,000 base model Challengers that first year out -- and more than 13,800 R/Ts. Unfortunately, outside forces were conspiring to put the kibosh on muscle cars generally. By 1971, feeling the heat from Washington (and the slew of recently-passed anti-pollution requirements), Dodge dropped the compression ratio of the Challenger R/T's standard 383 -- which now produced just 300 hp -- and pulled the step-up 440 four-barrel off the roster entirely. The six-barrel 440 was still there -- although power had dropped by 5 to 385 hp. And for the very last time, the 426 Hemi was listed as the top-of-the-line Challenger engine -- still good for 425 hp. Minor visual/cosmetic changes -- including dummy brake cooling slats for the R/T and a revised grille -- comprised the remainder of the changes. The smell of death was in the air by now -- with sales of the '71 models plummeting by almost half of what they had been just one year previously.
By '72, the shell of high-performance still remained -- but the Challenger's sharpest fangs had been unceremoniously pulled. The 440 and Street Hemi were gone for good -- as was the R/T package itself, replaced by the oatmeal-sounding Challenger Rallye. A droopy-looking "sad" front-end treatment appeared, too -- as if the car were aware of its vitality slipping away. The strongest engine available that year was a lukewarm 340 small block rated at just 240 hp. The top Challenger model had lost more than 150 hp -- in the course of just a single calendar year. Most 1972 V-8-equipped Challengers came through with the even-less-impressive 318 V-8 -- which mustered just 150 hp. By this time, the Challenger wasn't even in the same league as the '72 Pontiac Trans-Am, which boasted a still-stout 300 hp 455 HO V-8.
Dodge tried to "rally" a little for 1973 by offering a larger 360 V-8 as the Challenger's top-dog engine. With 245 hp on tap (five more than the previous year's 340), it was respectable -- for 1973. Production upticked slightly, to 32,596 units for that year. But the car's fate was sealed nonetheless. Dodge weighed the expense and hassle of keeping the Challenger viable in an era of ever-more demanding federal regulations against flaccid sales and shifting buyer tastes -- and decided to pull the plug. 1974 would be the final year. No major changes would be made for the final season since Dodge had already given up on the car. Just 16,437 left the factory -- and as December 1974 rolled into January of '75, the Challenger slipped away into the history books.
Yet in spite of its brief and abruptly ended life, the Challenger (along with its sister E-body, the Plymouth 'Cuda) remains among the most memorable and most-loved of classic-era muscle cars. It stood apart at a time when outrageous power and throbby styling were par for the course -- pushing the envelope farther and harder than most of its contemporaries.
The straight-pipe rip of the Challenger T/A's megaphone exhaust echoes to this day -- and the lonesome sight of a broody-looking Hemi R/T's shaker doing its nervous dance remains an image of raw menace few new cars will ever surpass.
They may not have been with us for very long -- but we will never forget them.
2006-03-21 16:38:15
[Click Here for Original Link]