goneballistic

Hi, I am *brand* new to the forum, and am needing some advice from you experts.

I have been looking for a classic mopar for a long time. there is not a better looking piece of metal on the road and I really want one.

lo-and-behold, one appeared for sale just 20 miles from me the other day. Here's what I know about it:

1973 Dodge Charger "limited edition" although I suspect he means Special Edition, there is no badging to indicate that.
400 Engine. Turns over but won't quite catch. he said it ran a couple days ago, I think it's out of gas, it runs for a few seconds on starter fluid
727 Transmission
3 speed shifter on column
76,000 miles
original engine and everything else.

body looks pretty rough, but most of the rust looks like deep surface vs all the way through with the exception of the quarter panels. He took it to a body shop to get restored and they poked a hole in the front fender to check for rust.

The carb is leaking gas out from under the base gasket and onto the manifolds. I think an easy fix.

interior is pretty rough, seat tears and headliner falling down. He has a new headliner in the car and also has the exterior vinyl top bought and sitting in the back seat. He also has all new door and trunk seals in a box. he says he's got about 2K worth of new parts but those are the only ones he called out and that doesn't seem like 2K

he is looking for work and is looking to get money. Edited to add: his wife is also sick of it and wants it gone.


I want a basic Dodge Charger, black, with white or charcoal interior. it *looks* pretty good considering the price, but I have a history of getting enamored of a car and buying complete junk.

Is this a good deal? Should I walk and keep looking? Anything I need to pay closer attention to? The rear end underneath looks pretty gnarly but it looks like undercoating and not some weird corrosion. This was a california car till three years ago.

Thanks for any advice you can give me, I am trying to be very objective about this. I am going back up tomorrow to see it again and drive it. Let me konw what I should be looking for. I really really appreciate any advice you guys have for me. I love the forum and have been lurking here for a while, but not owning a dodge, I didn't have much to offer. hopefully that'll change pretty soon.


Matt
goneballistic








Rear left wheel















rot under door sill








rust under door sill...

















Under rear lip/trunk area. White stuff appears to be undercoating junk







Trunk Area, Rusty but not through











under rear braces/sheetmetal

MercuryDon

Rust is expensive to fix right. I would have a good bodyman take a good look at it. These cars are unibody, which means they do not have a full frame. If the car has rust in structually criticle areas it can get darn expensive. I would look for a good solid south western car if it was me.

theomahamoparguy

price is not bad. Depends what you want to do with it. I'd say that the rust is not too bad compared to what we have here in Nebraska. Looks like the original paint and that would be good (if it is). Body parts will be somewhat hard to find but not immpossible. If it were a 72 instead of a 73 it would definitly be worth it.(they got that cool roofline with the upswept rear side window, (alot of Moparites think they look better). No problem getting engine parts and it is a good sign that it turns over at least. BUT....it is a buyers market........I say, offer him 1800.

Archer

Matt -

I'm partial to 73-74 SE's, but that's not one of them. The 73/74 SEs had opera windows and badges. And I don't recall that interior.

As far as the rust is concerned, a lot depends on how good you are at fixing it yourself or how much you want to pay to have it done. Full body restos ain't cheap to farm out.

The engine is less of a worry, unless there are some serious internal things going wrong. What you describe may be simple stuff that you'll wind up replacing anyway, if you go the performance route.

Thanks for the pictures, it tells a good story. I'f it were me, I'd pass on this one. Always stuff being sold at car meets, on-line and of course - eBay. Even a car that "looks" perfect will need some kind of work. A car that really seems to "need" work can be a nightmare, unless you are ready to dive in head first (and have the time and tools to do it).

Archer

72Satellite440

The good thing is that the org engine is there....Soo when restored it will retain its value. and be worth a bit more than a basket case.(Double check the matching numbers)

With the rust in the structural areas (Window pillar/rockers) and trunk doesnt look too far off as it is will at least cost around 2k+ a paint job/clear coat to repair by someone else.

Unless you really like it id pass for a earlier version/ less rust
Id say 1800 MAX

Barfly

Take a $150 over there and a big bag of groceries and help the old boy hang onto his dreams.

Joe.

goneballistic

He said that when he was thinking about getting it fixed up he found a local body shop that would fix the rust and put a coat of black on it for 2400 bucks. That sounded really really low to me but I have never done anything like that before so dont know how realistic that is. I think what I want is a basic 'stand off restoration' look which would not be for show but would just eliminate the basic rust and get a coat of paint on to change the color. Matte black or something.
The reason this one seems interesting is thAt every charger I've seen that had a running engine and was drivable was 7k or up.

Based on you guys longer term knowledge in this market, can I expect to find a decent or better car with less rust for something like this price given some patience and willingness to drive around a bit in the west?

That's my fear, I Pass this and the next charge I see is 4 k or 7 k for only a little better.

I have never done body work before but have done some mechanical work. I replaced a head gasket in my wifes 96 land cruiser using a DVD someone made about the process. I'd be learning on the fly if I did some myself

Honestly if I could find a shop that could replace the rockers and window rust and put paint on for 3 k I wouldn't even think about it. I'd just do that.

MercuryDon

$2400 is pretty cheap for a quality paint job. I would ask to see the estimate and then go talk to the shop and have them explain what the car needs and what their estimate fixes. I got an estimate last summer on a So Ca. car and it was $5000 with some lower qtr rust repair and a door dent repair. That included stripping the old paint,quality primer and BC paint in original color. Most paint quotes involving a color chainge do not include engine compartment,trunk and sometimes even door jams. So make sure you get in writing what is to be repaired and how, and whats to be painted.

goneballistic

I just went and looked at it again with the wife to see what her impression of it was and if she'd ride arOund in it or not. He wasn't home so I called him and told him I was going to look at it. I crawled around and poked at the underside rust with a screwdriver. The frame looks and feels solid under the white stuff, I scraped some of that stuff off and the frame was solid and with light rust but just pretty light. The floor pans are solid and he has had a steering pump leak for a long time apparently so it has coated under the body with steering fluid and under that stuff the metal is great.
The rocker panels under the door feel solid and I could not make a dent. The only spots they are soft is right behind the rear wheels and behind the edge of the door.

Still not sure what to do, I offered him 2k but he said he paid 2800 and wants that and he also says he has 2000 dollars in parts as well.

Nobody else has bought it either which sorta scares me although he's said he's getting lots of calls on it

MReeves

In todays market it will cost $2,400 just to paint a car and that doesn't include any body work... You MIGHT get a color change for that but you will have to be a very good salesman to get all the door jams, trunk liner and under the hood done for that..... My advise is to stay with your originial offer and it it works out OK... If not let it ride..... I do like BarFly's idea of the donation and bag of groceries.......