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Rear Wheel Drive Mopar Bodies, 1957 - 2017

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Rear Wheel Drive Mopar Bodies, 1957 - 2017

MOPAR BODY TYPES originally compiled by and copyright Ed Hennessy

Updates have been made by the Allpar staff after Ed's contributions (made in 1998). Any mistakes are probably ours. Now includes some trucks and Jeeps. For front wheel drive body codes, see this page.

Bill Watson wrote that the 1960-80 VIN had the carline first, followed by the digit for the series. For 1981 the car make (A - Imperial, B - Dodge, C - Chrysler, E - Fargo, P - Plymouth) was the second digit followed by either car line (1981-83) or car body (1984 and up) as the fifth digit. "E" was used for the Eagle starting in 1988, after originally being assigned to Fargo trucks.

Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth Cars

A Body -1960-1976



Plymouth

Dodge

Wheelbases:

  • 106" 1963-66 Valiant; 1964-66 Barracuda; 1963-66 Dart wagons
  • 106.5" 1960-62 Valiant; 1961-62 Lancer
  • 108" 1967-73 Valiant; 1967-69 Barracuda; 1970-76 Duster; 1971-72 Demon; 1973-76 Dart Sport
  • 111" 1971-76 Scamp; 1974-76 Valiant; 1963-76 Dart (ex. Wagons);

[Canadian Valiant (Valiant front clip, Dart body) is also on Dart 111" wheelbase]

Bill Watson added: the 1960 Valiant used "X" for the carline and "Q" for the model year, the only Valiant sold as model X and the only carline that used model year Q. All other Mopars were model year P. A-body forums

B Body -1962-1979 (officially, 1964-1978)

Although this chassis debuted in 1962, Chrysler's practice of naming by letter did not begin until 1964-1965.



Plymouth
Belvedere (1962-70)
Fury (1962-64, '75-78)
GTX (1967-71)
Road Runner (1968-75)
Satellite (1965-74)
Savoy (1962-64)


Dodge
220 (1963-64, Canada only)
330/440 (1963-64)
Charger (1966-78)
Coronet (1965-76)
Dart (1962)
Polara (1962-64)

Magnum (1978-78)
Monaco (1977-78)


Chrysler
Cordoba (1975-78)


Wheelbases:

  • 115" 1971-79 all 2 door models (incl. Charger, Magnum, 300)
  • 116" 1962-70 Plymouths ex. Wagons; 1962-66 Plymouth wagons; 1962 Dart; 1962-64 Polara; 1963-4 Dodge 220/330/440
  • 117" 1967-74 Plymouth wagons; 1971-74 Plymouth 4 doors; 1965-70 Dodges
  • 117.5" 1975-78 Plymouth and Dodge 4 doors & wagons
  • 118" 1971-74 Dodge 4 doors & wagons

[Webmaster addition: GTX, from (I think) 1967-1971 - thanks, Gary Diehl]

Officially, there were no 1979 B-bodies. However, the Charger, Magnum, Cordoba, and Cordoba 300 - all B-bodies - carried over from 1978 to 1979 with no real changes; and "true" R-bodies had a 118.5 inch wheelbase. One could argue that the B-bodies did last until 1979 and the Charger, Magnum, and Cordoba were never R-bodies. B-body forums

R Body -1979-1981

PlymouthDodgeChrysler
"Real" R-bodies Gran Fury* (1980-81)St. Regis

Newport, New Yorker / Fifth Avenue

Reclassified as
R-bodies (see note)
1979 Magnum1979 Cordoba / Cordoba 300

The wheelbase of all "true" R-bodies was 118.5 inches. Gill Cunningham of the Chrysler 300 Club wrote that the Cordoba, Magnum, and Charger - previously called B-bodies - were classified by Chrysler as R bodies, though they were carryovers. We are only including the 1979 Magnum, Cordoba, and Corodba 300 in this list to conform to Chrysler's official records. R-body forums

C Body -1965-1978

The C body dates from 1960, but was not officially named until 1965.



Plymouth

Dodge
Chrysler
Imperial
  • Arguably, all 1967-75
  • All 1974-75

*Gran Fury was a high-line version of the Fury 1970-1974 and a continuation of the Fury C-body after 1974
**Royal Monaco was a high-line version of C body Monaco 1975-1976

Wheelbases:

  • 119" 1965-68 Plymouths (ex. wagons)
  • 120" 1969-73 Plymouths (ex. wagons); 1974 Fury I/II
  • 121" 1965-66 Plymouth wagons; 1965-66 Dodges; 1965-66 Chrysler wagons
  • 121.5" 1975-77 Plymouths (ex. wagons); 1974-77 Dodges (ex. wagons)
  • 122" 1967-73 Plymouth wagons; 1974 Fury III/Gran Fury; 1967-73 Dodges; 1967-73 Chrysler wagons
  • 124" 1974-77 Plymouth and Dodge wagons; 1965-78 Chrysler sedans; 1974-78 Chrysler wagons; 1974-75 Imperials

C-body forums

Imperial: C and D bodies, 1967-73

Imperial was its own division, like Dodge and Plymouth, for most of its life, though it shared a basic Chrysler chassis (with substantial trim and powertrain differences in many years). In 1967, Imperial finally moved from the old body-and-frame to unit-body construction, sharing its chassis with Chrysler's C bodies (it had not moved earlier due to slow sales; the tooling would have been barely worn even then).

Imperial had body-and-frame construction through to 1966, with a 129" wheelbase from 1957 until 1966; many consider this to be a D body. From 1967 until 1973, the Imperial shared the Chrysler C body. After that, Imperial was a model of the Chrysler brand. (More.)

One odd Imperial, never produced, was the 1966 Duesenberg Model D. Created by Virgil Exner Sr. and Jr. together, it was Fritz Duesenberg's attempt to rebuild the marque; drawn for the December 1963 issue of Esquire, it had an Imperial chassis and 440 V-8, with a cashmere-and-leather interior. Built by Ghia, the prototype was shown in 1966, with a price of "nearly $20,000." Duesenberg started building a factory, with orders ready, but never reached production. Hemmings wrote about the prototype.

Y vs C vs D controversyD-body forums



Imperial

all models; wheelbases 129" (1957-1966), 127" (1967-73)
Gil Cunningham of the Chrysler 300 Club wrote: "The earliest of the body charts I have that use the D body nomenclature is for 1964. 1962 does not use it. The D body designation is used up to C Series (1967)."

Modern D body: Ram

D1- Ram 3500 (2003-2009)
D2- Ram 3500 (2010-2016)
D3- Ram 3500 future gen?
DA- Ram 4500/5500 Sterling cab chassis (2008-up)
DC- Ram 3500 Cab Chassis (2007-up)
DD- Ram 3500 Cab Chassis (2010-2016)
DE- NEW
DH- Ram HD Regular, Quad cab / 1500 MegaCab / Ram 2500 (2003-09)
DJ- Ram 2500/3500 (2010-2016)
DJ- Jeep (1955-1982)
DK- ?
DM- Ram 4500/5500 cab chassis (2008-up)
DN- Durango 1st gen (1998-2003)
DP- Ram 4500/5500 (2010-2016)
DR- Ram 3rd gen (2002-2008)
DS- Ram 4th gen (2009-2015)
DT- Ram 5th gen?
DU- Ram future gen
DX- Ram (2005-2016, Mexico)
DY- Ram (2010-up?, Mexico)
DZ- ?
E body -1970-1974

Valuable today, poor sellers in their day.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Muscle car Classic car


F, M, J, and Y Body -1976-1983

The F, M, J, and (optionally) Y bodies were "clean sheet" designs, but were all closely related. The three or four carlines were largely differentiated not by engineering, but by trim, features, names, tuning, and sheet metal. Did they deserve different body codes? Burton Bouwkamp, former head of product planning, wrote in 2017:

In general, we called it a different body if the windshield and the surrounding "A" pillars were different. A different platform had a different front track and a different position ("H point") of the driver relative to the front wheels.

By these definitions, the M body was on the same platform as the F body. I don't remember if the M body had the same windshield and cowl as the F body, but if it did have the same windshield and cowl, it was a stretch for us call it a different body.

I wasn't involved in the J body so I don't know how unique the vehicle was; from pictures, I would think that a unique body designation was appropriate. The windshield and cowl appear to be different from the M body. [That said,] if the J body had the same front suspension, then it is probable that while the body was new, the platform was the same.
BodyCarsYears
F
Plymouth Volare (including Road Runner, Duster)
Dodge
Aspen and Aspen R/T)
1976-1980
JDodge Mirada, Chrysler Cordoba1980-1983
JImperial1981-1983
MPlymouth Caravelle (Canada)1978-1989
MChrysler LeBaron
1978-1981
MPlymouth Gran Fury*,
New Yorker, Fifth Avenue
1982-1989
MDodge Diplomat1977-1989

There were two different wheelbases:

WheelbaseTwo DoorsFour Doors
F-bodies; M-bodies, 1980-81108.7112.7
M-bodies, 1977-79; J-bodies, 1980-83112.7112.7

1979-1980 Duster was a Volare package, not a separate model; while Road Runner, which was largely an appearance and tuning package (with the 360 engine), was listed as a separate model. Bill Watson wrote, "The Road Runner VIN was the same as the Volare coupe. To confirm you have a 1976-80 Road Runner, check the data tag. The Road Runner package was A57 (1976-80) while the RR Decor package was A21. The Aspen R/T was also a package, not a series. A42, A48, A49 were the code for the Duster package on the Volare. So, again, the Duster should not be appearing on any F body list was it was a package, and not a series, model or car line."

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Full-size car Motor vehicle


Within Chrysler, the 1981-1983 Imperial was a J body, car line Y. John Capron said it was unofficially known as "why" car since the company didn't have the resources to build it properly. Gil Cunningham wrote, "As far back as October 5, 1978 the Y carline is included in the J body area of the Model Chart. The name Imperial was added sometime in 1980."

Caravelle was a Canada-only model. Mike Taylor wrote that it lasted through 1989, and that there was no Gran Fury in Canada. "When the front wheel drive Caravelle came out, the older one became "Caravelle Salon;" until then Salon was an options package on the Caravelle." F/MJ-body site with forums

LH Cars

A wide range of LH cars were made, in two generations; all came under the code LH. These included the Dodge Intrepid, Chrysler 300M, Eagle Vision, Chrysler New Yorker, Chrysler Concorde, and Chrysler LHS.

L-cars / Lx bodies: the large rear wheel drive cars

Thanks to Mopar392 for checking build sheets.

These cars are often loosely referred to as the LX cars, though only some are, technically, LX bodies. The L, or large-car, family was the loose basis for Maserati Ghibli, Quattroporte, and Levante, which have been heavily modified, particularly in the front suspension. Generally, Allpar refers to them as the Lx (note the italic x, used as in algebra, to signify a variable) or as L-cars or just as "large cars."

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Chrysler 300 Luxury vehicle


LX Body - 2004-onwards:

  • Dodge Magnum (2005-2008)
  • Dodge Charger (2006-2010 only; LD from 2011 on)
  • Chrysler 300 / Lancia Thema, 2005-current (written in 2016; Thema lived 2011-2014)

LC body: Dodge Challenger (2008-2014); also Chrysler 200 concept.

LA or LY body: 2015-onwards Dodge Challenger, partly created to use the eight-speed automatic.

LD body (2011-current) Second-generation Dodge Charger.

Others

Older vehicles, made before the letter system (e.g. 1920s-1950s) are in our main model list.



SR

ZBViper, 2003-2008
ZHCrossfire, 2004-07
PRPlymouth Prowler
Jeeps

CJ: Civilian Jeeps (postwar to 1986 Wrangler-predecessors)

JK: 2007 Wrangler/Unlimited

KJ: 2002-7 Liberty / (Dodge Nitro was KA)

KK: 2008-12 Liberty / Dodge Nitro

KL: 2014+ Jeep Liberty

MJ: 1985-1992 Commanche (113, 119.9" wheelbases)

SJ: 1966-1991 Cherokee, J10, J20, Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer (thanks, Dan Grdovic) "Senior Jeep"

TJ: 1997-2006 Wrangler

  • 93.4" all but unlimited (2 and 4wd)
  • 103.4" Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

WJ, WK, XK: 1999 and newer Jeep Grand Cherokee and Commander

  • WJ: 1999-2004 Grand Cherokee - 105.9" wheelbase
  • WK: 2005+ Grand Cherokee - 109.5" wheelbase
    (including 2011+ models)
  • XK: 2006+ Jeep Commander - 109.5" wheelbase (essentially the same vehicle as the Grand Cherokee with two inches greater length, a squarish body, and a revised interior with three rows of seats and an updated dashboard. Think "Xtended wK." In the 1960s it would probably have kept the WK code.)

XJ: 1984-2001 Jeep Cherokee and Wagoneer (wheelbase: 101.4")

YJ: 1987-1996 Jeep Wrangler / YJ (93.4" wheelbase)

The Jeep YJ name was used in Canada only -GM Canada was using "Wrangler"
ZJ: 1993-98 Jeep Grand Cherokee (105.9" wheelbase)

Plymouth and Dodge trucks

Note: some platform codes were created in 1989 but used retroactively to cover earlier models.

BodyYearsNames (Dodge unless specified) Wheelbases
AB1971-2002

Tradesman (1971-79)
B100-B350
Ram Van, Wagon, 100-300 (1980-92)
Ram 1500-3500 vans (1993-2002)
Plymouth Voyager 1974-78

109.3
127.2
AD (RWD)
AW (4x4)
1972-93D100-350
W100-W350
Ram pickups
Ramcharger (1974-90)
Plymouth Trailduster (1974-78)
Many
AF1993AD models in Mexico
BE1994-2000Ram Extended Cab

134.7 Club Cab,

138.7 Quad Cab, 154.7 Quad Cab
Duallie

BR1994-2001Ram 1500-3500 (standard cab)
DN1998-2003Durango (Dakota-based)115.7
HB/HG2004-10HB, Dodge Durango; HG,
Chrysler Aspen (2007-?)
DR2002-?Ram 1500 (2002+),
2500-3500 (2003+) standard cabs
118.7-134.7
DE2002-?Ram Extended (Club and Quab) cab 134.7 CC
138.7 QC
154.7 QC/D
N/AN1987-2004Dakota112 (reg cab)
131 (ext cab)
ND2005-11Dakota
(A)1964-69A series vans never had a code
DC2007-08Ram Chassis Cab (medium-duty truck/Bullet)
VA, VB2002-09Sprinter (Mercedes design); VB started 2007
ProMaster
ProMaster City
Did we miss something? Did we make any mistakes?

Let us know via the correction or addition link at the bottom of the page.


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