What is the quicked standing quarter mile time for a vintage C-Body Mopar
Executive summary
The quickest documented standing quarter‑mile runs associated with vintage Mopar hardware generally cluster in the low‑ to mid‑13‑second range for near‑stock cars, while factory‑special and heavily prepped examples have been recorded in the low‑12s and — for purpose‑built race cars — into the 11s [1] [2] [3]. Narrowing specifically to C‑Body Mopars yields a fuzzier picture in the published record: factory test numbers show mid‑13s for full‑size models like the Sport Fury, enthusiasts’ logs claim mid‑12s for modified C‑Bodies, and magazine drag tests place top Mopars of the era around 13.1–13.6 seconds [4] [5] [2].
1. The quick baseline: factory and contemporary magazine tests
Contemporary road‑test and magazine reports treated 13‑second quarter‑mile times as the benchmark for “quick” muscle cars in the 1960s and ’70s, with specific tests documenting examples around 13.1–13.6 seconds; for example, Car Craft recorded a 426‑ci Hemi Challenger at 13.10 seconds and 107 mph, and period testers noted runs in the 13.4–13.6 range on several Mopars [2] [3]. Hemmings and compilation sites likewise mark the A12 Road Runner and other high‑performance Mopars as capable of roughly 13.0–13.2 seconds in near‑factory trim, establishing the low‑13s as the fastest credible stock territory [1] [6].
2. The C‑Body within the Mopar family: factory Sport Fury numbers and ambiguity
When attention turns to full‑size C‑Body Mopars specifically — cars such as the Sport Fury and other big Plymouth/Dodge/Chrysler full‑sizers — published factory and catalog specs place at least some models in the mid‑13s: one roundup cites a 1964 Sport Fury with a Max Wedge 426 doing a 13.5‑second quarter [4]. That single published data point is useful but not decisive: many period tests focused on lighter E‑ and A‑body muscle cars, and large C‑Bodies carried more curb weight, which typically slowed ETs relative to smaller platform Mopars [4] [5].
3. Enthusiast reports and the mid‑12s claims — bragging, tuning, or truth?
Owner forums and “fastest C‑body” threads claim quicker times — for example, individual Sport Fury and other C‑Body owners report mid‑12‑second passes (a 12.50 was cited on a C‑Body forum), often accompanied by details about lightening, stronger internals, or non‑stock induction and exhaust work [5]. These community reports reflect real street and strip experience but are unevenly sourced and often mix stock, mildly‑modified, and heavily‑sorted cars; they therefore suggest that a well‑prepared C‑Body can crack the 12s, but they do not constitute controlled, factory‑style test proof [5].
4. Where the fastest Mopars end up: race preps and the 11‑second zone
Magazine drag events and modern restorations show a sharp gap between top factory cars and purpose‑built machines: Hot Rod’s reporting on competition and Pure Stock drag results shows Hemi‑powered Mopars and privateers running in the 11s when set up for drag competition, with times like 11.64 and 11.69 posted by highly‑prepared Hemi cars at events [3]. Those times demonstrate what’s possible with race gearing, transmission work, traction measures, and engine tuning — not what an original, showroom C‑Body would reliably do off the dealer lot.
5. How to read these numbers: weight, gearing, and the “rule of thumb”
Enthusiasts repeatedly point out that weight and modifications govern ETs: a commonly repeated rule is roughly 0.1 second per 100 pounds of weight saved, meaning the heavy C‑Body platform is at a disadvantage unless offset by engine and driveline changes [5]. That rule helps reconcile why factory C‑Bodies often sit in the mid‑13s while forum cars and purpose‑built strips show mid‑12s or better after lightening and performance upgrades [5].
6. Conclusion and the most defensible short answer
Based on published period tests and widely cited compilations, the quickest documented quarter‑mile times for vintage Mopars in near‑stock form are around 13.0–13.5 seconds (A12 Road Runner ~13.0, 426 Hemi Challenger ~13.10, Sport Fury ~13.5) [1] [2] [4]. For C‑Body Mopars specifically, the best sourced factory-ish number is roughly 13.5 seconds for a Sport Fury [4], while verified magazine and event records plus enthusiast reports show that well‑prepared C‑Bodies can and have run in the mid‑12s and, when fully race‑prepped, into the 11s [5] [3]. The published record is fragmented and mixes body styles and prep levels, so any claim of a single “quickest” C‑Body ET should be treated as conditional on how “stock” and how well‑prepared the car is [5] [2].