Hey Charger
From the moment I saw pictures of this car, I wanted to feature it. In the 70s, while the legendary GT’s, GTS’s and Toranas were running around, there was an outsider that was demanding just as much respect, the Charger. In 71, 72 and 73 there was a Charger in the top 10, including a podium 3rd place finish by Doug Chivas in 72. Chargers are and have always been tough. Col Marshall’s Sting Red 72 VH Charger is no exception.
Now this isn’t a car that Col just bought and slapped together. Col bought this car 18 years ago at age 17, and he owned it for 6 years before it ever saw the light of day. So what did Col spend all that time bolting on? Well the engine is a Chrysler 360 cuber, and on board is all the good stuff. The bottom end is basically stock, with shot peened and polished rods and Keith Black hypereutectic pistons. There is a Crower Beast cam and Yella Terra rollers opening the valves on the Edelbrock Performer heads. The fuel/air from the Barry Grant 750 Mighty Demon comes in through an Edelbrock RPM Air Gap manifold. The fuel is pumped up through 2 Holley Blues.
No expense has been spared on the rest of the drivetrain either. The gearbox is a 727 Torqueflite, running through a 4 inch Hardy-Spicer tailshaft into a very custom diff. The housing is a Competition Engineering Chrome Moly unit, with a 3.9:1 Detroit Locker, with 35 spline Mark Williams axles and a US Strange diff carrier.
The Sting red paint was put on after the VH got stripped back bare, and all the joints between the panels were regapped true, which makes this car look stunning sitting on the Simmons V5 15 x 8s & 15 x 7s. The rubber on the rear are Mickey Thompson ET Streets 275s, and the front sits on Bridgestone 225s. The stopping comes from F300 twin spot slotted Hopper Stoppers on the front and 280 XD disks on the back.
Chassis joiners have been installed and the chassis strengthened, and the rear springs have been moved in 2 inchs, and it has CM Valiant radial tuned suspension. The car sits nice, rides nice and is 100% street legal. All very impressive for a car celebrating it’s 36th birthday this year.
The inside of the car has been totally customised. The rear seat is out of a 95 VS Statesman, and the fronts have been replaced with Monza race seats. The stock dash has been removed as well, and a full set of Autometer gauges has been installed in it’s place. All except for the tacho that is, which is a custom Speed Hut model, with ‘Charger’ stamped in the middle. As I said, a ton of work has gone into making what was already an early 70s legend into a fully customised work of art.
Col is as old school as they come. He has an old school attitude with a beautiful old school car. This thing is not all looks and no go though, as it has been down the strip at a very impressive 12.63 @ 109 mph, and that was with a slow 60 footer in full street trim. Unfortunately, old school Charger’s like this are becoming rarer and rarer by the day, and unfortunately, so are guys like Col.
