H-Code Roller: 1969 Dodge Charger Project
This 1969 Dodge Charger appears like somebody borrowed many of the crucial components and left it for dead years ago, but a second glance reveals at least a ray of hope that what’s left does include a handful of solid components, although it’s gonna be a massive undertaking for whoever decides to put this B-Body back together. So far, only one person is showing optimism, as a lone bid of $11,500 has been placed here on eBay but some good news is that’s enough to buy the car. If you’re sharing the enthusiasm and have a strong set of metal and mechanical skills plus a lot of time on your hands, head on over to Newton, Kansas to check out the Charger in person.
Not much information is offered about how the Charger ended up in the state it’s in now, other than the previous owner brought the car as we’re seeing it from California to Texas, where he parked it in a field and did nothing other than just let the Dodge sit. The seller hasn’t done a whole lot either, but he has given the car a good going over and describes it as the proverbial blank slate offering, as in building it the way you want it. About the best feature I can find from what’s left outside is the rocker panels, which don’t appear to be all that bad, but everything else is going to need some sort of attention and even the roof has sustained some hail damage. Wonder what happened to the red Challenger in the background?
Originally, a 4-Barrel 383 would have been residing underneath where a hood once was, but it’s long gone as is the TorqueFlite, and that rear-end isn’t original either as there was nothing back there when the seller acquired the car, so he installed an B-Body rear housing, leaf springs, and wheels that were lying around somewhere just so it will roll. Perhaps the best news in the engine bay is that the fender tag still happens to be present.
This area where the interior started out is looking pretty sparse, and what few pieces remain seem to be of little use, but maybe the brake pedal can be salvaged if you install a new pad on it. As corroded as those floors are, the seller claims that there is some solid steel down below, including the frame rails and cross member, but with as much rust as is appearing elsewhere, I’d definitely go over them with a fine-tooth comb to make absolutely sure their integrity hasn’t been compromised. This one’s far beyond any project I’ve ever attempted, but maybe somebody who has the time, skills, parts, and patience can save this car, and having a spare drivetrain already laying around would also be a plus. Do you see any hope left for this 1969 Dodge Charger?
Auctions Ending Soon
2002 Subaru Impreza WRXBid Now3 hours$333
1975 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleBid Now4 hours$4,000
1964 Ford F-100 Camper CustomBid Now5 hours$2,000
2006 Jeep Wrangler SportBid Now2 days$11,000
1974 Datsun 260ZBid Now4 days$750
Comments
1969 Charger VIN’S are worth 11 large?
11500 is probably a schill bid. Scrap value imo. This probably was a canalabized car out of scrapyard that closed long ago.You’ll put 100k+ into this to make a 50k car. Glwts.
It probably is. Then all you need is one other person to bite and you can fire up a bidding war, based on the psychological pyramid of “well, if he bid X on it, it cannot be that bad.” The higher X is, the more acute the psychology will be.
It’ll be interesting to see if that happens here with this pile of c***!
You don’t want to be left out do you? Bid! It’s only got a day left and you’re right. Once you put a few bucks into this, the sky is the limit.
Before anyone says price is too high. Just look at what 69 Charger RestoMods are going for. All body and interior pieces are available to redo this. Got skills and a shop you can take to ‘bleed em dry Mecum ‘ or another popular auction. A thrown together mess of a 69 Charger with damaged suspension, non running 440 non original, body panels misaligned, moldy dash w\no screws holding interior panels on, but an excellent paint job. Sold @Mecum for $164,000. It was a hot pile mess that people didn’t even look over the car before bidding. Just saw shiny paint, new rims\tires, and R\T badges and phone and internet bidders took it beyond what a nice driver would cost. And it was NOT drivable.
So this lump of field food will bring someone, if body and paint is spot on, a lot of money when finished.
I bet today, you’d get $225k for this restored and no one would look too deeply. I say put in a bid and put the money into it! You don’t want that $11,500 guy to beat you do you?
The shilling goes on …
100K maybe for people with no resources or ability do for themselves. There’s plenty of people with a stash of parts and the means to do the work themselves that could be in this cheap aside from the initial purchase, like real car guys from the pre internet and TV auction days.
I’ll give you $10,000 to restore it to show car condition for me ;-)
Life is finite. Time is worth $ . Why would you waste it on a stripped to the bone rot bucket , I at least myself would figure it in to the total of the restoration imo and you can find a complete one for a whole lot less.My buddy found a rot bucket but complete #’s car 70 Charger 440 SE same color as this turd with automatic buckets and console and nearly every option you could order that year with a black vinyl top for 3500 not long ago.Just my .02.
Uggghhh! What a ghastly mess.
I saw Bo and Luke jump this in 1979.
all i see here is a k-frame, big block torsion bars, a couple of doors, glass and some trim. not a whole lot to work with.
and by the way, just because he hung an e body rear end under it does not make this charger an e body car. ;-)
I saw many of these with windows removed, roll cages installed and raced on Saturday evenings at The Barren Co. Speedway in KY back in the 70’s. They were a dime a dozen back then and considered by most as overall bad cars and “gas hogs” for daily use.
Yep. And my 72 Nova I sold in 1993 for $1200 is worth over $35k in the condition I sold it in. Everyone who ever had a decent muscle car in the 70s-90s is kicking themselves in the butt for selling them now that they are all worth 20 x’s the price. Heck, now the crappy trucks which were slow and good only to haul hay and scrap are going for BIG BIG money and are the newest craze. Slab side K1500 and K2500 pickups done up with LS motors, modern suspension, redone interiors and laser straight bodies are going for over $100k all day. $5k foxbody mustangs are going for $30k when low miles and great shape.
Yep..cars I had and sold for $500 in the 90s are now selling for $7k -$9k in the condition they were in..lol. Did manage to pick up a 63 Grand Prize for $3k recently. Numbers matching car with a 389..runs and drives…a bit rusty, but all there. Just gonna refresh her and drive. Doing a restoration is not cost effective.
I doubt very much that anyone bid $11,500.00 for a car that has already been stripped. All that is left is usually what would go to the crusher.
Minor correction, but a ’69 Charger is a B-Body, not an E-Body. Granted, there’s hardly enough here for a positive identification :)
Frank, not sure about the crusher comment, but do agree there is a BIG difference in price when posted on sites and showing up in person with green backs in hand! I have been doing this a VERY long time and rarely buy a car online, but do make contact with potential sellers. The majority are actually willing to make very common sense deals when I’m person. Majority of time they want to seperate the dreamers from the serious buyers! This car is not too far off just a few hours away. I may see if I can see this one in person! There is GOLD in those hills, just got to know how to mine it. Got to give a shout out to Bick, brother keep running these rare cars into the ground, makes more of them available, appreciate it! Take care.
I sincerely believe this car qualifies for the title of Class A Pile.
It’s hard to believe that I sold my nice 70 Dodge Charger 500 for $1,500 bucks in 75 and I thought I did real good 😂
His buddy placed that lone bid for this remarkable car!!!
I have only placed 1 item here for sale, a HD motorcycle and it sold to a collector in Ark within a week for reserve price. He drove over here to Ga, hardly asked a question, and handed me cash. That’s how it works If you research fair market value prior to purchasing the ad.
What am I missing? All I see is a piece of Schiff!
Scrap. Move on to the next.
HhhhaaAa oh the fools and their money… Sadly some idiot will buy it.
We see so much literal JUNK sold on here. For major Cash. Cash for crushers would better suit than Barnfinds. Maybe Barn Thieves? HhhhaaAa
Dumpster drop !!
Back in 79 someone I know bought a mint 69 Charger R/T for $600 from the original owner. In 1979 gas prices doubled and people were giving away muscle cars.
Yea they went from 34cents a gallon in 1973, to 70cents a gallon in 1979. Also interest rates were rising to 18 to 21 %. It was crazy 🤪
Barn finds, BAT, and now a new site, Bring A Broom. I see nothing here, like lots of things, another junkyard refugee drug out to be dumped on some dreamy goof. The flip side is, junk like this keeps the old car economy going. 5 years down the road 90% of these escapees from metal shredders will resurface with some primer a few panels welded along with boxes of bits and it will move to the next goofs garage. I would scrap it even today and think nothing of it. I somewhat admire folks that have the ability to sell ice to Eskimos.
In the collector’s market of 2023, every ’69 Charger has value. Even ones pulled out of junkyards and field are worth a lot more than what they appear to be.
Like Eric said, the prices that these car are getting is insane.
Hmm looks like graveyard cars material the only one I know would tackle something like this oh yea we just happen to have a 440 with 727 laying around and parts are available. I feel tired just looking at it
more proof that P. T. Barnum was right.