My New Find

[Belair62]

Nice Swingers and Demons are pretty tough to find !!! Try finding a Mr Norms GSS Dart !!!

[442w30]

The car in the pick is a '70. The '69s are much different looking. What color is the car?

[BBIGG BLOCK 396]

I went back today and talked with the owner Mike Cessna of Cessna Motors of Cleveland Texas.He had some good stories.The car is black on black and was that way originally,But it also came with a GREEN VINYL top with paisley flowers,he said his Dad ordered it that way,and it was BUTT UGLY!He said that he immediately removed the vinyl top and painted the top black.The car was sold new to a James Lewis,then repossed by the dealer.Mike told me that he had a Hemi Charger,and that one night he was racing a GTO Judge and the police started chasing him.He said the Judge stopped but the police kept after him,he said that they finally caught him but theu blew the engines on 3 police cars trying to catch him.Of course he said he went directly to jail where his Dad had to bail him out.His Dad took the Hemi away from him and gave hime the 69 Swinger as punishment,he said it was either the Swinger or walking or riding the school bus.Mike said he hated that car and did his best to blow it up so his Dad would give him something else,he said it would not blow up!He said he will look for anything on the car to see if he can find something but said he did not think he had anything.There was a book at one time and it contained a lot of pictures etc but that someone took it out of the car and he has not seen it in years.They did keep records at the dealership but mikes Dad said he did not know where to even start looking!So I may not get anything.I do have the original 1969 title sold to James Lewis,title date issued is 07/18/69,date of lein where it was financed through Chrysler Credit and Cessna Motors is 06/06/69 On the rear of the title the lein was released by Chrysler Credit on 11/27/70.Mike did tell me he would file for another title so I could keep the original.He was pretty impressed with my 67 Chevelle and knows the Swinger went to a good home and will be well cared for.The Car has been repainted some years ago and has a few blemishes here and there but is a really nice driver with the exception of the rear gear.I believe it is a 4:56.The other 69 Swinger I have has a 3:55 I believe so I a going to probably swap Chunks.The blue 69 Swinger I have is all lader bar rear suspension and I am going to let my soninlaw race it at the track to have some fun.Should have some pictures by weeks end for you to see.

Bobby Dodson

[njsteve]

You should be able to document via the fender tag that the car had that wierd vinyl top. It was called the "Mod-Top" option and is probably one of the rarest trim options there is. There was also a matching interior option in the same fabric. You could have a one-of-one car. Now the impossible part would be trying to find that vinyl top material!

[Xplantdad]

Here are some figures for Mod tops...


1969 Model Year
VIN Model Mod Tops Produced
RH23 Satellite 1,637
BH23 Barracuda 937
LL23 Swinger hardtop 48
LM23 Swinger 340 50
LH23 Dart Custom 25
LP23 Dart GT hardtop 14
LS23 Dart GTS hardtop 16
WM21 Super Bee coupe 8
WM23 Super Bee hardtop 18
WH23 Coronet 440 hardtop 39

Here's what the top would have looked like




Information taken from HERE-A ModTop Registry

[Belair62]

I guess you had to be there in those times to understand but they were pretty cool.

[Mr70]

Bruce
That Mod Top looks like my Grandmothers Shower Cap.

[Xplantdad]

[442w30]

Hey, Steve, nice Camaro in the mag!

The paisley vinyl top technically is not called the Mod Top - that was Plymouth's name.

I also think these cars were supposed to be F6 green only. The original poster said the car was black. I see three scenarios:

1) Car isn't a paisley top car

2) It's really not black

3) Perhaps the top WAS available in other colors (after all, black matches everything!), the info I have seen had subsequent running changes, or it's a special-ordered car!

[Xplantdad]

From what I understand...if it has LM23 on the fender tag...it's a mod top car. There are pictures of other mod top colors and top color choices if you click on the hyperlink to the registry.

This should be fairly easy to prove/disapprove as far as mod top option...just look at the fender tag!?