For my new job, I was tasked with a homework assignment to take photos and describe my 69 R/T. (I got the job!)

Here is just a walk around to begin with to take a look at the car from all sides. It's a 1969 Dodge Coronet R/T that came from the factory with a 440 and 4 barrel carb, a 4 speed hemi spec 833 with the 18 spline shaft, a Dana 60 with 3.71 gears as the car was optioned mildly with the Trac Pac option that also includes the power steering line cooler



the RamCharger Air Grabber hood scoops are manually adjusted from taking hot air from under the hood in cold weather or while warming the engine up (450 pounds of iron can take a couple minutes to warm up if in a Minnesota cold snap of -30 degrees in January)



the rims are 15 inch Magnum 500's with beauty trim rings. 275 60-15s will fit easily in the back



This R/T was not optioned with the side scoops. They weren't functional, just decorative, and detract from the flat sides design

and something I admire is that this car still has the dealership trim rings, distinctly placing this as a So Cal car, in addition to the license plate which dates the first registration in Dec 1968 Jan 1969, I think.. but in total it's placing this car as one that has always been in So Cal, and with the mileage at 135,000 it's a good bet that it's likely to have never been outside California. In just 2 years I've driven 48,000 miles with my daily commuter, and in 44 years this car seems with so little mileage and such little evidence of hard use, I'm guessing it was stored for 30 years or so. I've owned it for 12 years, and only driven it 12,000 miles





Now for some detailed looks at some important areas on a 1969 car, like the front edge of the fender... you can see here that no one dented this one! Tiny dings, yes...

The scoops are perfect, the chrome is in great shape and so are the engine size numbers

Stepping into the office you can see the bar speedo, and the mileage, which of course has went over 100,000 miles, though the car doesn't show much evidence of 135k miles of driving

a higher dollar option, the AM / FM radio works too!

as do the ignition key area light, and the reverse indicator





This photo shows the foam dash panel hasn't warped much at all, the distances around the ashtray, and between the glove box and ashtray seem decently normal. Some warped really bad due to high heat in Arizona and Nevada



and for the pleasant touch, no cigarettes in the ash tray, just coins for parking meters, spare light bulb for the brake lights, and the lock lug key



a better look at the passenger side

still has the original seat belts, and thye are in good shape, and not just a lap belt, but also the shoulder belt option

pardon the hard to see belts in these photos, which are contrasted by the sunlight which doesn't help photographers

Drivers side door shows the striker area not peeled open like an old tin can, and the door panel is in great shape



Original stickers masked off at the last paint job, the only new paint job it's had, in 1980, when laquer was still legal

Original inspection marks

and the passenger side strikers too, along with reciever

Back to the driver side receiver and factory air specs for the tires

the Hurst optional shifter! Rebuilt by Hurst when the reverse action broke in 2003, for free, as they have life time warranties. Yes, that is incredibly cool considering the abuse these shifters usually take

Some rubbing from 40+ years of drivers shoes. Notice that the gas pedal and brake pedal are at exactly the same height from the floor.



no kids ever kicked the backs of these seats!

the original reciever latches for the seat belts so they can be left flattened out... these sides of the seat belt were not built with retractor spools. So you could either drop them wherever, or click them onto these for good flat storage and good looking aesthetics when  not in use

new carpet, and new floor mats. Cheap little things, but I haven't let anyone ride in the back since learning just how brittle and sun damaged the rear seat was

Here you can see the quiant old cigarette ashtrays in the arm rests, and the tears in the seat bottom... yeah, one person, just one time, tore this perfectly fine seat. Un-repairable, but replaceable

I can't recall if it was a factory, or dealership item, but these little Scat Pack bees are meant for the rear window corners.

1969 was the first year for headrests I've heard. Along with the side reflectors on the fenders and quarter panels, the insurance companies were (rightfully) getting some safety measures added to cars. The little chrome strip around the headrest was an option I believe

Under the hood, well, that is where stories begin. First, the chrome valve covers were an option, or dress up kit from a dealership, and this car now has a 426 max wedge, with a 440 six pack intake, the Edelbrock aluminum unit with Holleys that was a rare 1969 1/2 year option as they rolled out the A12 Super Bees and Road Runnners, and my car has this 426 due to the prior owner spinning a bearing on the #6 con rod to crank shaft. So the 440 that is numbers matching and in good condition, but needing a new crankshaft and con rods, is in my garage

the last owner, or the time it was painted, gave it fresh silver paint on the hood latch

this isn't the correct 6 pack air filter base for a 1969 but I'm not wasting money replacing it. It works, it's just fine. The K and N air filter I bought for my 1969 Super Bee with the same RamCharger Air Grabber hood scoop system in 1995 is now here in my R/T as I had this and that Bee for about a month before finding a buyer for my Bee, and swapped a couple nice parts from my Bee into my R/T before selling my Bee

the decal on the valve cover is from the Dyno Shop... that gets earned and paid for, not given out. Who else are you going to trust to tune a 6 pack? Install the right ignition curve kit? Not a shadetree mechanic, that's for sure. Go to the professionals with a dyno.

Clean inner fenders, new and never used windshield washer resevoir

Power assist brakes, dual resevoir

custom bent radiator overflow hard line to a hidden catch can inside the passenger side fender in front of the tire. Not factory equipped with a catch can, (coolant retrieval system) they just let them puke antifreeze on roads and parking lots. Not a pretty site, and deadly to animals that I've been told think antifreeze is sweet tasting. How in the world would anyone know if animals think something tastes sweet?

newish radiator

the area behind the grill and in front of the radiator is painted black for good looks and heat dissapation. Black transfers heat about 10% better than other colors, by conduction and convection

the air for the floor air ducts comes in though this grill, and like most every other repaint I've ever seen, they never get this area clean and ready for painting, so it peels and looks tacky (just look around at the next car show, unless it was media blasted, this probably will happen)

numbers matching fender tag and vin plate

the 1969 reflector above, about the size of a chalkboard eraser, was a big improvement over the 1968 "bullseye" lit side marker light... but without any light behind it... so in 1970, Mopars were further improved with an even longer and lit side marker/reflector

these are the tallest tires I could buy for the front, to get the 8 quart oil pan farther from the pavement. Still only 5 inches off the ground at the drain plug, which has been peeled open by bad roads several times

More than a photo of the Chrysler pentastar logo, the above shot also shows the flashier optional rocker panel, and wheel opening trim pieces

under the trunk lid you can see that someone once drilled holes and mounted a wing. Why the splotchy paint, I don't know

Might be a replacement/reproduction jack and spare tire instruction decal

original or period correct spare tire, and a correct part number jack foot, lug wrench, and wingnut

only the slightest surface rust under the truck mat. Trunk mats made of rubber. Terrible idea, holds moisture for weeks or months

optional trunk light and it's switch are in the middle of this photo.. I took it off my Super Bee. That's why it's red

No rust in the typical areas of the front corners of the trunk lip

no damage or rust inside the quarter panels

an original dealership brochure, to let people look at while displaying at car shows











But looking at photos does not give you an idea of the cars ability to make you happy driving it, or if the engine is strong and sounds great... so ... as my helpful assistant will demonstrate



just turn the key

step gently on the gas pedal for a smile

stomp on it for a full bodied laugh

and that is satisfaction delivered with brute strength