1969 GTS 383 With Power Steering

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6PakBee

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I've been trying to find out if power steering was optional for a '69 GTS with the 383. All I've found so far is conflicting statements, the majority saying it was not available. The worse example was this one that states power steering was not available and a photo in the same article shows a power steering pump!

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/article/survived-and-revived-1969-dodge-dart-gts-383-4/

So what is accurate?
 
I have absolutely no documentation to prove this, BUT- years ago I read (can't remember where) that Dodge claimed that power steering would not fit the big block Darts, so they did not offer it. Plymouth, however, offered it as a dealer-installed option on the B engine Barracuda. My best guess is that it didn't lend itself to an assembly-line installation, but would fit if added after assembly... If this is true, I would assume that more than one Dodge dealer did the same conversion so as not to let their Plymouth cousins one-up them. Take this for what it's worth: equal parts ancient memory and speculation.
 
In the article it states that he had the dealer install power steering on it because it didn't come factory with it. And that the tech that installed it was cussing about it because it made his knuckles bleed.
 
Well, I was there. Worked for a dealer in '68, and with all the paperwork in front of me, I ordered my '68 cuda 383, 4-sp. P/S was not available. That was about January, car came in about May. I now own another '68 cuda 383, 4-sp car that has factory P/S (I have the window sticker). The difference seems to be that my present car has a later build date. I am guessing that late in 1968 Mopar found a way to put P/S in these cars.
 
In the article it states that he had the dealer install power steering on it because it didn't come factory with it. And that the tech that installed it was cussing about it because it made his knuckles bleed.
You're spot on with your response.
If you read the article, (and all of it) it states that the power steering was added at the dealership........
 
Well, I was there. Worked for a dealer in '68, and with all the paperwork in front of me, I ordered my '68 cuda 383, 4-sp. P/S was not available. That was about January, car came in about May. I now own another '68 cuda 383, 4-sp car that has factory P/S (I have the window sticker). The difference seems to be that my present car has a later build date. I am guessing that late in 1968 Mopar found a way to put P/S in these cars.
Could you post a picture of the window sticker, that's interesting.
 
Power steering was factory available at some point in production and fits fine with a B or RB block. This is not a factory big block car, but we fit both power steering and AC in this '67 Barracuda. Even used a stock fan.

P1011277.JPG
 
In my best Arnold Schwarzenegger voice.

Power steering is for girly men!
 
In my best Arnold Schwarzenegger voice.

Power steering is for girly men!

Or women...my wife drives the cars, too. Actually we went power steering on my son's autocross car only for the faster steering. He didn't have time to steer the stock manual box and we didn't have the money for a 16:1 manual.
 
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