'67 Dodge R/T 440
By GREG ZYLA

Q: Greg, I really enjoy your column on the muscle cars from the '60s. I owned a 1967 Dodge R/T 440 Magnum V-8 with a four-speed and a 3:54 gear, and it was a great and fast car. How many R/Ts did Dodge build that year, and where do you rate it on the popularity scale when it comes to truly fast muscle cars? - Carolyn and Bob, Pennsylvania

A: I rate this car very high on my popularity scale for more reasons than one. Personally, I owned the Dodge R/T sibling, specifically, a 1967 Plymouth GTX with a Super Commando 440 V-8, which is an identical engine. My GTX came with a "Hemi-flite" three-speed automatic transmission.

These cars were wildly popular, and brutally fast in the quarter mile. My GTX, with a 3:23 gear and bolt-on items like a set of Hedman headers, Mallory ignition, Holley threebarrel and an Edelbrock aluminum intake, ran 13.71 at 107.6 mph on street tires at Atco Dragway in New Jersey in 1968. Your car is similarly fast, and between these two models, Chrysler set the stage for spectacular years of muscle car production.

In 1968, the Dodge Super Bee and Plymouth Roadrunner joined the fray in strippeddown versions of the more expensive R/T and GTX. They came standard with high-performance 383 engines instead of the 440, although the 440 would be offered in 1969 with its famous 390-horse "6-pack" three two-barrel carburetor setup.

All of the cars above were available with the famous 426 Hemi option, which made them the true rulers of the street, especially if you put some money into bolt-on modifications, a good pair of racing slicks and a stout 4.56 rear gear ratio.

Production numbers were low for the R/T, with just 10,181 built in 1967, of which only 238 were Hemi powered. Today, these cars are worth big dollars! Thanks for your letter.

Write to Greg Zyla in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853-6475, or send an e-mail to letters.kfws@hearstsc.com.

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