73 dodge polara custom VIP

[Bandit]

Excellent point.......good thought

I wish i did. I didn't know they were so rare back then, i just knew they were ugly
No, i had them put away nice, to keep with other original equipment, but i lost them during a dramatic foreclosure with wellsfargo and i had 5 days to pack everything and get out-ordered by the Sheriff. I didn't have time to grab everything and i had to leave alot of stuff behind, including shop equipment engine hoists motors and even 6 other old cars i had... it's too sad to tell the story.

But!!! I DO have the original plastic seat covers from the factory including the sun visor covers! They were on the car still when i bought it. I kept them on for about a year before i couldn't stand them anymore and took them off and folded them up nice and put them away. I wonder how many other "VIP" owners have them, or if it wasn't just a VIP thing, i still wonder how many still exist.

I would like to write to Dodge and ask them how many of 'this' car was made, with the big block and all, but just haven't gotten around to it. This forum is the first i learned about the "VIP"...

I would like to Thank the guy who started this post, and who started this forum!

Bandit

 

[Bandit]

Does anyone here know what all this means? Or where i can find out? About all i know is the 2:11 (R11) gears in the rear 'end'

 

[fc7_plumcrazy]

R11 is the 2 watt AM/ Musicmaster radio, not the rearend ratio
The "67" is just an inspection stamp.

It is a factory black car (tx9), has black top (v1x), a 400ci engine (E63), automatic trans (D34), was built in march 22nd (322). Also has tinted glas (g11) and AC (H51)

Carsten

 

[tbm3fan]

Since we're on the subject, does anyone know where I can the right vinal for it? I am taking it off right now to fix the rust behind it on the rear roof piller at the joint - it was getting pretty bad. Also, my badges on the roof pillar are shot, does anyone know where a guy might get some?

Any shop will be able to get it since only one type is available anyway as my guy who did mine told me.

The emblems on the side you will have to restore yourself. I have a friend down on the Hornet who has done sign painting all his life. Gave him my emblems and he restored them for me and clear coated them.

 

[tbm3fan]

View attachment 32385
Does anyone here know what all this means? Or where i can find out? About all i know is the 2:11 (R11) gears in the rear 'end'

The F3XW is what denotes our cars as Spring Specials.

 

[chry73luv]

View attachment 25541View attachment 25542View attachment 25543View attachment 25544View attachment 25545View attachment 25546View attachment 25547View attachment 25548View attachment 25549

I cannot believe I just ran across this post since Feb. I am the one with the same car that originally posted about it. My car is a bookend to yours but in process of being restored. I would love to talk to you about it and would you allow me to contact you?If so I can supply u with a number. This car is a beauty and such a scarce model package. Not very many made in this combo for sure. Hopefully we can talk soon. Doug

 

[Bandit]

Thank you Fc7_Plumcrazy for the information! I was guessing about the r11 because i think it has 2:11 gears. Is there a code that tells the rear end? Yes, it came with an AM radio
Is there a book or webpage available to decode these? I'm curious how you know, just lots of love and research?

Thanks tbm3fan! I could paint my emblems myself, but it's gonna be impossible to restore the plastic star; an "ex" friend of mine who said he would keep GOOD CARE of my car for four years, moved it out and parked it in the hot sun, under a young dripping pine tree of all places, in the grass... (the a-hole practically destroyed my car!) and my stars are melted and warped and clouded over now. I'm gonna have to find or make, new stars.

To: Chry73luv, Of course! I'd enjoy talking about my car's "sister" to you! I had been looking for anyone with a "bookend" to mine since i bought it, 16 or so years ago. You can message me, and we can exchange #'s. Do you have any pictures of it yet?

To all others: I'm still working on writing my story about how I came across my Polara, and why I why I love it so much.

 

[Bandit]

I think this is my most favorite pictures of "Moonshine".
Notice how the picture appears to have been 'stretched'? But it's not; it resembles (to me) a few different cars of the 70's; I can even see the the 72 Ford Torino shape.

 

[fc7_plumcrazy]

Thank you Fc7_Plumcrazy for the information! I was guessing about the r11 because i think it has 2:11 gears. Is there a code that tells the rear end? Yes, it came with an AM radio
Is there a book or webpage available to decode these? I'm curious how you know, just lots of love and research?

Thanks tbm3fan! I could paint my emblems myself, but it's gonna be impossible to restore the plastic star; an "ex" friend of mine who said he would keep GOOD CARE of my car for four years, moved it out and parked it in the hot sun, under a young dripping pine tree of all places, in the grass... (the a-hole practically destroyed my car!) and my stars are melted and warped and clouded over now. I'm gonna have to find or make, new stars.

To: Chry73luv, Of course! I'd enjoy talking about my car's "sister" to you! I had been looking for anyone with a "bookend" to mine since i bought it, 16 or so years ago. You can message me, and we can exchange #'s. Do you have any pictures of it yet?

To all others: I'm still working on writing my story about how I came across my Polara, and why I why I love it so much.

I am sure there are homepages which do have a bunch of these codes listed.
There are also books around i.e. the white Books from Galen Govier.
I am into numbers since a long time and know a lot of them out of my head.

Of course there are codes for the rearend, too. But unless they are Hi performance packages they aren't coded on the fender tag and you will find them only on a broadcastsheet which your car might still have.

Carsten

 

[chry73luv]

73 polara

Thank you Fc7_Plumcrazy for the information! I was guessing about the r11 because i think it has 2:11 gears. Is there a code that tells the rear end? Yes, it came with an AM radio
Is there a book or webpage available to decode these? I'm curious how you know, just lots of love and research?

Thanks tbm3fan! I could paint my emblems myself, but it's gonna be impossible to restore the plastic star; an "ex" friend of mine who said he would keep GOOD CARE of my car for four years, moved it out and parked it in the hot sun, under a young dripping pine tree of all places, in the grass... (the a-hole practically destroyed my car!) and my stars are melted and warped and clouded over now. I'm gonna have to find or make, new stars.

To: Chry73luv, Of course! I'd enjoy talking about my car's "sister" to you! I had been looking for anyone with a "bookend" to mine since i bought it, 16 or so years ago. You can message me, and we can exchange #'s. Do you have any pictures of it yet?

To all others: I'm still working on writing my story about how I came across my Polara, and why I why I love it so much.

Hey I just sent you some contact info on private messages here hope you can respond and hopefully talk to you on the phone concerning our cars. Thanks-Doug

 

[chry73luv]

Any shop will be able to get it since only one type is available anyway as my guy who did mine told me.

The emblems on the side you will have to restore yourself. I have a friend down on the Hornet who has done sign painting all his life. Gave him my emblems and he restored them for me and clear coated them.

I have an interior question. I talked with Gary (Bandit) on the phone about the red piping trim on the seats. In his pictures it shows the red on the front buddy seat armrest. Mine does not have it and looking at others it looks to be all white as well but his interior is all original, even has plastic covers for the seat. Which is correct? I want to fix my seats correctly but now confused about it. Help!

 

[Bandit]

So, has anyone figured out how many of these cars were made? mdh157 said that there were only a few hundred made???
I am still trying to figure out how many black on black 2drs were made, if engine type would also be really interesting to note.
Some one said something about the build sheet, so I dug it out and scanned it. I also took a picture of the visor covers; they look the same as the seat covers I have for it. The guy who owned it smoked allot and they were yellow when i bought it.

 

[Bandit]

Any shop will be able to get it since only one type is available anyway as my guy who did mine told me.

The emblems on the side you will have to restore yourself. I have a friend down on the Hornet who has done sign painting all his life. Gave him my emblems and he restored them for me and clear coated them.

I don't mean to be picky, but I thought the emblems in your picture looked a little 'funny' (weird), and I thought the colors were reversed. Your friend painted the wrong part red. The red should be on the lower surface and not the raised surface. Since I had to remove mine to redo the roof, I just scanned them to show you the difference. Mine are 'bad' but they are still original and have never been touched up. Just thought you might want to see them, and maybe want to correct yours.

 

[Bandit]

Here are a few pictures of my work after my roof project. I have pictures on my phone of before and during but Can't get them off my phone for now. I guess i have to go get them printed, and then scan them, in order to post them.

 

[tbm3fan]

I don't mean to be picky, but I thought the emblems in your picture looked a little 'funny' (weird), and I thought the colors were reversed. Your friend painted the wrong part red. The red should be on the lower surface and not the raised surface. Since I had to remove mine to redo the roof, I just scanned them to show you the difference. Mine are 'bad' but they are still original and have never been touched up. Just thought you might want to see them, and maybe want to correct yours.View attachment 52430View attachment 52431

Well since he was a paint restoration guy, who had an example right in front of him to copy off of, I'm not going to question it.

 

[Bandit]

Your welcome anyway.

 

[commando1]

WTF am I looking at?

 

[cm23uoc]

Remnants of this c-pillar Emblem.

 

[Bandit]

WTF am I looking at?

These are MY badges from my 73 Polara VIP. You can still see the red paint on the inside (lower) surface of the corners designs. They are faded quite bad but some of the original red paint still remains. I remember clearly what they looked like like when i bought it, and the car only had about 47,000 miles on it. It sat in the guys garage for the first 10 years he had it because they only drove his wife's car so I know it wasn't sitting in the sun. Everything was original on the car, and the red you see here is factory paint. I seen this other guys "restored" emblems and I think they are not correct, because only the upper surface is painted red. And I think it's the wrong red to, so I though I would try to be helpful and went out to my garage, got the emblems (because I have them off right now) and scanned them for this guy and posted the pics for him, to be helpful, and all i get is **** for it.

This is the exact reason i don't post much on these forums!
I spent over a half hour doing this for him. Some a-holes don't appreciate anything you do for them.
Bandit

 

[polara71]

Thick skin is required here............ dont be like that. Everyone's knowledge is needed here, if someone is wrong, we all learn from it......probably