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White Hat Special: 1969 Dodge Charger

The “White Hat Special” was an unusual options package offered on the 1969 Dodge Charger. You would be forgiven for thinking that all of those cars wore a white vinyl top, but that wasn’t necessarily the case. This Charger is one of the cars that were an exception to that rule. It now needs to be restored, but would you like the original combination enough to restore it to its factory specifications? That is a question that we are about to consider. Located in Oologah, Oklahoma, the owner has listed the Dodge for sale here on eBay. He has set a BIN of $30,000, although there is the option to make an offer.

The name suggests that Dodge intended to offer all examples of the White Hat Special with a white vinyl top. However, buyers could choose any other color within the company’s range. They could also delete the vinyl entirely, making it a White Hat without the hat. This Charger originally wore a Green vinyl top, and this would have provided a striking contrast against the original Y4 Gold paint. A previous owner chose to change this to something slightly more “mainstream,” but the buyer could decide to return the car to its original appearance. They will have some rust issues to tackle before thinking about applying a fresh coat of paint. This has impacted the lower rear quarter panels, the rear valance, rear pillars, front floors, the trunk pan, and possibly the trunk extensions. There are also some dings and dents that will require attention. The driver’s door is particularly bad, and this may require replacement. The buyer will need to add trim and chrome pieces to the shopping list, and if the existing American Racing wheels aren’t to their taste, these will need to be replaced.

The Charger is not a numbers-matching classic, and the 440ci V8 that currently occupies the engine bay is not included in the sale. In its place, the seller will be slotting in a 1969-vintage 383ci unit. The 3-speed TorqueFlite is original, but the existing rear end will be swapped for an 8¾” rear from a ’68 Coronet. If this combination is revived, it should give the driver 290hp at their disposal, and the ability to cover the ¼ mile in 15.8 seconds. If spotless originality is not on the agenda, the buyer could perform a few upgrades, and the potential is there for them to have significantly more power at their disposal. Extracting 330hp from these engines is pretty straightforward, but there could be even more on offer if the buyer chose to splash some cash.

The Charger’s interior will need some work, but at least the woodgrain wheel that was part of the White Hat package remains intact. It is badly cracked, and it is debatable whether it could be repaired. The vehicle features Rally gauges and a console, but these components will need to be restored. The radio is gone, and most of the upholstery will need to be replaced. A trim kit will probably be the most cost-effective solution, and while that won’t be cheap, it is worth remembering that it should represent a one-off expense. If a new interior is fitted and then treated with respect, it shouldn’t need to be touched for decades.

Gold paint with a green vinyl top is an unusual combination, and it wouldn’t appeal to every enthusiast. It obviously appealed to the original owner enough to hand over the cash for it, and it might appeal to you equally. If the buyer returned the Dodge to that combination, there’s no arguing that the Charger would stand out in any crowd. Would you choose to follow that path, or would you select a different combination altogether?

Comments

  1. Avatar Curt Lemay

    Or you could put a standard 318 in it and have a responsible and pleasant driving experience. Even a six would fit, but that might be a little underwhelming. The 318 would cost almost nothing and it would stand out at a car show. Just think of it, you were the man (or gal) so much a purist to the hobby that you would fully restore a car and not care about resale, just wishing to please yourself. We all have to admit that these cars handling was day and night with a small block vs a big block. A 318 with a modest 4bbl and dual exhausts with a 323 rear would be a mighty pleasant driving machine. I would add in air, a nice stereo and head for the hills. What a great vacation machine that would make! Lots of luggage room and comfort to spare. I get goose bumps just thinking about it. Wish I wasn’t so old that I might actually attempt it. (not to mention, running out of money for my Depends too)

    Like 6
  2. Avatar Steve R

    Not sure why the seller showed a picture of the Dana 60 if he’s planning on swapping it out. Same goes with the engine, he should have removed the 440 first and taken pictures of an empty engine compartment or install the 383 that’s going with the car. The way he write the ad will cause him nothing but grief, which could have easily been avoided.

    That being said, it is an ugly color combination, unless you are a Green Bay Packers fan. The powertrain included in the sale will make it nice driver.

    Steve R

    Like 8
    • Avatar leiniedude Member

      Not seeing the Packer connection Steve. Green & gold, not green & orange.

      Like 1
      • Avatar Don Eladio

        Since when are the Packers Green and Orange?

        Like 2
      • Avatar Steve R

        Read the sellers description on eBay, the factory colors were gold with a green interior.

        Steve R

        Like 2
  3. Avatar George Mattar

    For $30,000, I can spend another $30,000 and have my dream 1967 Corvette, 100 times these heap will ever be. While I love 69 Chargers, this seller is watching too much Barrett Jackson.

    Like 18
    • Avatar George Louis

      The seller is “NOT WATCHING BARRETT JACKSON ACTION. They would not let a car in this shape even qualify for a picture in the Catalog!!!!!!! Yes in order to get a RESPECTABLE vehicle the new owner would have to fork over a conservative $30, 000.00 for repairs. A nice 340 engine would also fit as an upgrade to a 318 V8

      Like 0
  4. Avatar Arthell64

    I guess some people can’t be responsible in a high power car so they drive 318 and slant six cars. It’s odd to me the seller wants 30k for the car but is keeping the engine and rear end. A rebuildable 440 is worth what 500 to 700 dollars. A 69 charger is not a cheap car to restore but they are cool.

    Like 6
    • Avatar Dave

      Maybe it’s not about being “responsible”, it’s about being “practical”.
      Before the end of 2016, I drove a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 4×4 with a 5.9 V8. It was costing me $20 in gas every day. When I traded it in on a 2016 Jeep Patriot with the 2.4 my gas bill dropped to $20 every four days. Driving a classic with a more fuel efficient engine allows you to enjoy driving it more often without going bankrupt.
      That said…with everything that the buyer is *not* going to get that originally came with the car you might as well go the full restomod route, and the sale price should reflect the fact that you’re essentially buying a shell with all of the unique bits missing. Because of the seller it will never be numbers matching.

      Like 5
  5. Avatar The Tower

    $30k for a potential hack-job? I know these vintage Mopars have been going up in value like crazy since the late 80’s, but $30k for a mongrel basketcase is peak insanity.

    Like 17
    • Avatar Jim

      I’d pay YOU $500 to drag that worthless pile of tetanus off my lawn. Asking 30K for that joke is DragonVette guy level crazy.

      Like 10
  6. Avatar Miguelito Loveless

    This is not even worth 30,000 Rupees.

    Like 13
  7. Avatar Bmac777

    When it says a previous owner changed it to be more “mainstream”, did he mean the actual stream/river that this car spent time in.
    Someone will definitely have to “splash” a lot of cash to make this vessel sea worthy again.
    Maybe they can get SeaTow to help with shipping.

    Like 4
    • Avatar Don Eladio

      lol!

      Like 0
  8. Avatar Steve

    A lot of room under the hood. How about a V10 from a Viper??

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Don Eladio

    Another junk 318 Charger…boooooooooring. Only a fool would restore this car. Thankfully, there are a lot of fools out there so it likely will carry on and survive.

    Like 3
    • Avatar DON

      The “White Hat Special” has nothing to do with a white vinyl top , although some did have white tops. Its because of the “Dodge Boys” ads at the time , which showed a cartoon cluster of guys all wearing white ten gallon hats . In westerns ,good guys wore white hats, bad guys wore black hats , so basically the Dodge boys were the good guys to buy from. They also had a cute girl in their ads who also wore a white hat as well as GoGo boots and short dresses. .

      Like 6
    • Avatar karl

      No where does it say it is or was a 318 Charger .

      Like 2
  10. Avatar DON

    The “White Hat Special” has nothing to do with a white vinyl top , although some did have white tops. Its because of the “Dodge Boys” ads at the time , which showed a cartoon cluster of guys all wearing white ten gallon hats . In westerns ,good guys wore white hats, bad guys wore black hats , so basically the Dodge boys were the good guys to buy from. They also had a cute girl in their ads who also wore a white hat as well as GoGo boots and short dresses. .

    Like 2
    • Avatar Curt Lemay

      Ahh yes, who can forget Judy Strangis, AKA Mean Mary Jean!

      Like 3
      • Avatar karl

        Joan Parker was probably the most recognized Dodge girl then Pam Austin ; Mean Mary Jean was Plymouth’s girl in the early 70s . I still have a couple of Duster ads with her in it !

        Like 2
  11. Avatar bone

    I’ve read somewhere that when it came to White Hat Specials, The larger Dodges with the special could have come with or without a vinyl roof , but White Hat Chargers all had vinyl roofs

    Like 0
  12. Avatar rod glaser

    easy fix on the wheel….

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Kevin

    Agree with Curt,and Don quit being so negative…lol,318’s don’t have to be boring, they are super durable, and can be made to push 400 hp relatively easy,(look up 318 build),anyway whoever buys it,will do as they wish the main thing is this car survives,and the hobby is kept alive also.

    Like 0

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