RT Auto
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 15 2:54 pm
As some of you may know the UK had access to Australain Valiants from about 1967 until late in 1974
they were sold by Warwick Wright and a few other select dealers in the UK who sourced through WW.
Chrysler being Chrysler operated an option sheet, much like they did in other countries, and although the UK models tended to be the upmarket VIP and 770 luxury models you could, if you were in the know and willing to wait a long time Speical order an RT or any other combo you fancied.
this meant out of the 2000 or so valiants imported, 4 doors, utes, 2 door hard tops and chargers we had a few oddities.
chargers could be ordered as
Charger 215 or 245 6 cylinder
Charger XL 245 or 265 6 cylinder
Charger 770 265, 265 E37 (sixpack) , 318 v8 or 340 E55
charger RT in 265 2bbl , 265 e37/e48 sixpack or 265 E38/E49 sixpack
we got 2 Rt base model 2bbl cars and an E55 340 car
This is one of the RTs
It was/is the only Charger RT 2bbl (base model RT) produced with a Not available option of an Borg Warner 35 auto box
it has a chassis number/vin plate with a number on it that is a combination of RT and 770. It should not exist.
we can only presume it is the result of a Special Order Authorised (Accepted??) SOA Option sheet, where the rules of what you could have were studiously ignored by the dealer.
In fact its existance was dismissed by many experts In Australia who assumed its chassis number was a made up joke.
It was discovered by a previous member called steve(RTAuto) who many of you will know (electric Blue South African VH wagon), in what used to be a huge breakers yard in West Drayton (same place Warwick Wright sold all the NOS aussie spares to)
he purchased it, i think in the late 90s and took it away for restoration/safe keeping. saved it from the crusher.
He knew that he owned an exceedingly rare car and that restoration was going to be a monumental task when so many of the parts you would need were round the other side of the world, and so, possibly with either a tear in his eye or a massive sense of relife
. sold it to another ex-member, Stephen who was a member here while working in the UK.
Stephen was or is either president or secretary of the Chrylser club of victoria or is at least well known in the club, and owns a few interesting cars US and Australian.
He purchased it and shipped it back to Oz about 5 years ago and followed it back a short while after once his work allowed.
as you can see he has recently been cracking on with the resto and its looking exceedingly good.
i'll let him take up the story
Hi Dave,
We spoke and emailed a few years back when I purchased the one-of-one UK Export Aussie Charger RT Automatic, and I just thought I’d pass on a few progress pictures.
I think it has been 5 years now (!), but at last all the rust and bodywork has now been completed, which took more than 775 man hours in the panel shop. Nevertheless, the body and paint have come up beautiful, as have the stripes, and the underside has been done in the correct red oxide along with some overspray body colour to re-create the factory finish.
You will note from the pictures the inclusion of cut outs and inserts for the UK-based side marker lights.... ugly, but had to be kept to be original!
The car has now moved into the stage of re-assembly, and if all goes to plan it will be finished in time to attend a major Australian car show called “Chryslers on the Murray” in Albury, New South Wales next March.
Please pass on this info to anyone in UK Mopar Muscle Club who might be interested (Matt, perhaps, if you have his email?)
All the best,
Stephen
Its looking good
1 proper X35 UK export car with side markers and i guess possibly the logo rather than written (Lights Wipers etc) dash swicthes mind that was luck of the draw they were for japan...
anyway i digress
Dave
PS other oddities included
VG big tank 2 door
E55 340 charger
a high ratio of vh 2 door hardtops (compared with Austrlia where few were sold)
they were sold by Warwick Wright and a few other select dealers in the UK who sourced through WW.
Chrysler being Chrysler operated an option sheet, much like they did in other countries, and although the UK models tended to be the upmarket VIP and 770 luxury models you could, if you were in the know and willing to wait a long time Speical order an RT or any other combo you fancied.
this meant out of the 2000 or so valiants imported, 4 doors, utes, 2 door hard tops and chargers we had a few oddities.
chargers could be ordered as
Charger 215 or 245 6 cylinder
Charger XL 245 or 265 6 cylinder
Charger 770 265, 265 E37 (sixpack) , 318 v8 or 340 E55
charger RT in 265 2bbl , 265 e37/e48 sixpack or 265 E38/E49 sixpack
we got 2 Rt base model 2bbl cars and an E55 340 car
This is one of the RTs
It was/is the only Charger RT 2bbl (base model RT) produced with a Not available option of an Borg Warner 35 auto box
it has a chassis number/vin plate with a number on it that is a combination of RT and 770. It should not exist.
we can only presume it is the result of a Special Order Authorised (Accepted??) SOA Option sheet, where the rules of what you could have were studiously ignored by the dealer.
In fact its existance was dismissed by many experts In Australia who assumed its chassis number was a made up joke.
It was discovered by a previous member called steve(RTAuto) who many of you will know (electric Blue South African VH wagon), in what used to be a huge breakers yard in West Drayton (same place Warwick Wright sold all the NOS aussie spares to)
he purchased it, i think in the late 90s and took it away for restoration/safe keeping. saved it from the crusher.
He knew that he owned an exceedingly rare car and that restoration was going to be a monumental task when so many of the parts you would need were round the other side of the world, and so, possibly with either a tear in his eye or a massive sense of relife
. sold it to another ex-member, Stephen who was a member here while working in the UK.Stephen was or is either president or secretary of the Chrylser club of victoria or is at least well known in the club, and owns a few interesting cars US and Australian.
He purchased it and shipped it back to Oz about 5 years ago and followed it back a short while after once his work allowed.
as you can see he has recently been cracking on with the resto and its looking exceedingly good.
i'll let him take up the story
Hi Dave,
We spoke and emailed a few years back when I purchased the one-of-one UK Export Aussie Charger RT Automatic, and I just thought I’d pass on a few progress pictures.
I think it has been 5 years now (!), but at last all the rust and bodywork has now been completed, which took more than 775 man hours in the panel shop. Nevertheless, the body and paint have come up beautiful, as have the stripes, and the underside has been done in the correct red oxide along with some overspray body colour to re-create the factory finish.
You will note from the pictures the inclusion of cut outs and inserts for the UK-based side marker lights.... ugly, but had to be kept to be original!
The car has now moved into the stage of re-assembly, and if all goes to plan it will be finished in time to attend a major Australian car show called “Chryslers on the Murray” in Albury, New South Wales next March.
Please pass on this info to anyone in UK Mopar Muscle Club who might be interested (Matt, perhaps, if you have his email?)
All the best,
Stephen
Its looking good
1 proper X35 UK export car with side markers and i guess possibly the logo rather than written (Lights Wipers etc) dash swicthes mind that was luck of the draw they were for japan...
anyway i digress
Dave
PS other oddities included
VG big tank 2 door
E55 340 charger
a high ratio of vh 2 door hardtops (compared with Austrlia where few were sold)
