Auto Metal Direct continues to push their creed that nothing is too far gone, by continuing to expand their already staggering line of reproduction sheet metal. We’ve been in this hobby since before it was a hobby, and in the last half dozen years we’ve seen AMD begin to reproduce steel and body parts we never dreamed of seeing again, and this month, we’re once again sitting here with our jaws agape at what has returned to the parts bin after at least three decades of extinction – 1971 to 1974 Charger R/T and Charger Rallye Ramcharger and “Power Bulge” hoods. Yep, you read that right and your eyes aren’t deceiving you, this is real and happening now, and for everybody with a long-nosed Charger, the world just became a better place.
AMD is now offering these all-new hoods produced precisely from factory OE original hoods from which they made all-new tooling. Thus, these are exactly the same hoods you would’ve found on the Dodge assembly lines during those four years, and they have completely and precisely detailed framework and flawlessly perfect external contours. These were arguably some of the best-looking hoods Dodge ever came up with, and they were standard fare on 1971 Charger R/T’s and Charger Super Bees, and then they could be had on the ’1972 Rallye Charger, before becoming the “Power Bulge” or “bubble” hood that was used on the ’1973 and ’1974 Rallye Chargers, and it’s also been seen on non-Rallye Chargers on very rare occasions.
AMD made their own steel tooling for these, and all the little braces and brackets on the inside are exactly where they should be, all the mounting holes, everything. And if you order a Ramcharger fresh air hood, yes, they make the reproduction pop-up hood scoops as well! All of these hoods come finished in an EDP rust-resistant coating which is applied through an electrically charged process so the coating gets inside the hood’s framework as well! Inside and out these look exactly like original pieces. They are licensed by Chrysler as authentic reproduction restoration pieces, and honestly, if you’ve been around here for any amount of time, did you ever think you’d see these things again?
Being big fans of the third generation Chargers ourselves, we are floored these are back in production and they’re ready to prime and paint right out-of-the-box. Being a Mopar devotee is becoming easier and easier with each passing month! For more information, contact Auto Metal Direct, 940 Sherwin Parkway, Suite 180, Buford, GA 30518, or call them up at 866-591-8309, or check out their website, www.autometal direct.com. Tell ‘em you saw it in MCG!
