1969-74 South African Chrysler 383

@T-revorNobody found another 1969 Chrysler 383 currently for sale in South Africa. This 4dr post sedan has been modified somewhat (gaining hood scoops and apparently losing the side mouldings), but these three shots should still be helpful for records. Note the lack of headrests, as in all the other pictures from 1969-1973.

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Great. I've been lusting after an Aussie Dodge Phoenix for years, and now this pops up! I'm gonna need a bigger barn (not to mention a bigger bank account).

So . . . since the various Plymouth/Dodge mash-ups are often referred to as "Plodges," would this be rightly called a "Chrodge?" May be a "Dodgeler?"

(Sorry. I'll show myself out now . . .)
 
Great. I've been lusting after an Aussie Dodge Phoenix for years, and now this pops up! I'm gonna need a bigger barn (not to mention a bigger bank account).

So . . . since the various Plymouth/Dodge mash-ups are often referred to as "Plodges," would this be rightly called a "Chrodge?" May be a "Dodgeler?"

(Sorry. I'll show myself out now . . .)
I think the appropriate term is BASTARD
 
Oh, those are cool! I want one! Pure fantasy of course. Oh how fun that'd be for the classic cruise-ins at a restaurant near me. Looks enough like a U.S. Dodge to get a lot of WTFs from my fellow Americans.
 
There was another 1969 Chrysler 383 for sale a while back on FB in Johannesburg ..this one had a..."interesting" paint job...also a ford engine? maybe just valve covers...
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There was another 1969 Chrysler 383 for sale a while back on FB in Johannesburg ..this one had a..."interesting" paint job...also a ford engine? maybe just valve covers...
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BLASPHEMOUS! I’m guessing the original 383 wasn’t cutting out for them, so they replaced it with what they had available. That is an early 60s Ford engine.
 
There was another 1969 Chrysler 383 for sale a while back on FB in Johannesburg ..this one had a..."interesting" paint job...also a ford engine? maybe just valve covers...
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Let’s set up a go fund me for a Mopar Big Block for this poor unfortunate...the oil smoke from bad rings gives the marque a bad name...
 
With no historical reference, I could do nothing more than speculate, with some idea of the most practical way to do it from a production standpoint, and knowledge of how it's done now...

You'd want to have a "body-in-white", and just to give you an idea what that is, and show that it's still (rarely) done, here's a drag-pack Challenger:
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This is everything that welds together, plus the bolt-on sheetmetal. One of the most expensive aspects of production is the "body shop" where all the panels must be welded together in jigs. Even in the day of our C-bodies, there was some level of automation here. Not quote robotics, but still too expensive to replicate elsewhere. From here they move to dip-tanks, then they are prepped for paint. There are "spur" lines here that allow cars to be moved off the regular production line for metal repairs if a defect is found OR they could be trucked on their carrier to another part of the plant with a forklift. I'm guessing that's where these Monaco's/nee Chrysler 383's would have been removed from the line. I say that because of the unique teal color that doesn't look like anything offered here. BUT they could have been painted in-house, using the 999 paint code. It would be VERY interesting to see what a build tag looks like on one of these cars.

When Ghia created their Imperial Limos, the cars were shipped semi-finished with parts inside.

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Something similar was probably done for these cars, since the interiors would have been done locally. I would guess they were shipped in truck-able crates without any suspension, trim work, glass, etc. Basically anything that would be added after the paint shop probably traveled withing the car. Perhaps the engine/trans/stubframe were shipped in car-position, but not fully bolted in place.

Another interesting question... Since these appear to have been sold for years after the bodystyle went away in the US, either the BIW were stockpiled years in advance, or the tooling may have eventually been shipped to South Africa. Even the engines present an another question... Since the 383 ended in 1971, were the post-71 Chrysler 383s actually 400 cubic inch units? Engines generally aren't fully built that far in advance because of issues with dry-starts. But would the Trenton engine plant periodically re-set their machining for an occasional run of 4.25 bore after running thousands of 4.342-inch (400) engines? That's a potential recipe for disaster.

It would be really interesting to hear from someone around at that time, who worked on this program from either the US or S.A. side.
Hi Carmine well I have a 67 Plymouth fury 2 sedan which my Dad bought in then Rhodesia and we believe it was imported to Zambia its RHD...here are the ID tags one one the left hand wheel arch and the other behind the battery can you desipher tten as the one seems to be Windsor plant but one behind battery is confusing
 
Hi Carmine well I have a 67 Plymouth fury 2 sedan which my Dad bought in then Rhodesia and we believe it was imported to Zambia its RHD...here are the ID tags one one the left hand wheel arch and the other behind the battery can you desipher tten as the one seems to be Windsor plant but one behind battery is confusing

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That’s an unusual looking body tag. I’m no expert but it looks like it has very little information compared with most radiator support tags I have seen on North American cars. But... I don’t claim to be an expert.

I just think it’s really cool that there was both a market and manufacturing for C-bodies on the continent of Africa.
 
Dirk, the all silver tag is the data tag listing what the car was built with such as model, paint color, trim color, assembly date etc etc. The Certicard identified the original purchaser and was used when taking the car to the dealership for service and/or repairs.

Hope this helps.

Cheers from NZ
Thanks s mil for the feedback getting spares here is S.A.is a real challenge and sadly emailing most US companies don't even respond to.
 
Thanks s mil for the feedback getting spares here is S.A.is a real challenge and sadly emailing most US companies don't even respond to.
Most suppliers probably don't want the hassle of overseas shipping. I suggest inquiring whether a member is willing to assist as that was how I met my good friends in Wisconsin. Personally I used PayPal as that was virtually immediate. I'm sure some nice member/s will assist you.
 
Most suppliers probably don't want the hassle of overseas shipping. I suggest inquiring whether a member is willing to assist as that was how I met my good friends in Wisconsin. Personally I used PayPal as that was virtually immediate. I'm sure some nice member/s will assist you.
Thanks for the info where would I post for assistance?
 
Thanks for the info where would I post for assistance?
Dirk I 100% agree with what LeBaron 1973 is saying. There are people who scour junkyards in the US who are C-body enthusiasts themselves and are reasonable in pricing. PayPal makes things like this possible if you are willing and able to use that service from SA. Just understand international shipping costs (and risk) will be at your expense, of course.

Would love to see a pic of the car you are trying to restore/maintain, here in this thread. And a list of what parts you are looking for. But yes, posting a Parts Wanted thread is the best way to go.
 
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