Another 68 rotting Away!

[buckeyecharger]

My brother found this 68 in this guys yard. The guy wouldn't even talk to him about it. Simply said..."Not for sale, ok bye." and then shut the door. So my brother was like ok fine, and went and took some pics anyway. This thing is all but gone, but looks complete. Not an RT, looks like an F3 shade. AT console car. Mark another for the "rotting away to nothing" list. 

[buckeyecharger]

another pic

[buckeyecharger]

another

[TruckDriver]

sucks!

[Baldwinvette77]

We can save it, We have the technology!!!!... oh, it's not for sale?.... 

[F8-4life]

damn shame. looks like ohio rust, local car?

[buckeyecharger]

NE Ohio rust! He's going back later this week for one more shot at it. I told him not to get shot!! 

[charge69]

Nice find but, it is already pretty far gone.

You never know what motivates a person to tell you the "not for sale" line. Most times, I presume, they have some idea of restoring the car themselves. They just will not face the fact that these cars are getting more and more expensive to restore and just do not want to face the fact that they will never have the spare time or cash to restore them.

A long time ago (1973/74ish) when I was searching for a MOPAR muslecar to own and restore to new, I came across a 1969 Charger R/T, B5 blue, white vinyl top and R/T stripe and interior that was a 4-speed just sitting in front of a home in Conroe Tx., out on Hwy105 just east of Loop336, for those familiar with the area. The Charger had obviously been neglected but it was still in decent shape as the interior still looked new, just dirty, and the Charger R/T was, obviously, being neglected.

I stopped to talk to the people in the home there and the man, around 50 then, was kind enough to talk to me although he definitely did not want to sell it. We BS'ed a little while looking at the car and got around to me being former military and a Vietnam vet. Suddenly, he got a far away look in his eyes and began his story. His son, an Army vet, had bought the Charger just before he left for Vietnam and had left the car there at his parents' home for safe-keeping. Yep, he was killed just a couple of months in-country. His Father, standing before me, and his Mother parked the Charger out by the road and waited for him to come home and retrieve it as he said he would.

They were not interested in protecting it and, especially, selling it as they were just waiting for him to come home and get his car!  Istill remember stuttering around and telling the gentleman that I was real sorry about his son and understood what he was doing all-the-while hoping I could convince him to sell it to me or, at least, get it out of the weather and protect it. All to no avail. That car sat there for years slowly sinking into the ground and rotting away. Then, one day, it was gone! By then it was nothing but a scrap heap but I always wondered what happened to it.

No amount of money would make him sell ........ such a shame!

[NHCharger]

He shouldn't waste his time. The entire under carriage of that car will be soft.

[Daytona R/T SE]

Let's see...

Trespassing...

Taking pictures while trespassing...

Posting said pictures on the internet...



Going back later in the week to do it all over again...






or...

[charger_fan_4ever]

I'm sure the owner already knows what color he is having it painted after the restoration

[JB400]

Sad to hear.  If he wants the car bad enough, he should wait a month, then check in.  Badgering the owner will only make it more likely that he won't sell it.  Maybe, put a note on the door or something.  Key word to remember here is patience. 

[tan top]

   sad sight ,  prolly nothing left of the underside 

[1974dodgecharger]

I WOULD RATHER CRUSH IT THAN SELL TO ANYONE!!!!!

[GOTWING]

all you have to do is take $100 bills with you and flash the cash, everything else is just talk.

[ottawamerc]

Let's see...

Trespassing...

Taking pictures while trespassing...

Posting said pictures on the internet...



Going back later in the week to do it all over again...








or...

[ws23rt]

Nice find but, it is already pretty far gone.

You never know what motivates a person to tell you the "not for sale" line. Most times, I presume, they have some idea of restoring the car themselves. They just will not face the fact that these cars are getting more and more expensive to restore and just do not want to face the fact that they will never have the spare time or cash to restore them.

A long time ago (1973/74ish) when I was searching for a MOPAR muslecar to own and restore to new, I came across a 1969 Charger R/T, B5 blue, white vinyl top and R/T stripe and interior that was a 4-speed just sitting in front of a home in Conroe Tx., out on Hwy105 just east of Loop336, for those familiar with the area. The Charger had obviously been neglected but it was still in decent shape as the interior still looked new, just dirty, and the Charger R/T was, obviously, being neglected.

I stopped to talk to the people in the home there and the man, around 50 then, was kind enough to talk to me although he definitely did not want to sell it. We BS'ed a little while looking at the car and got around to me being former military and a Vietnam vet. Suddenly, he got a far away look in his eyes and began his story. His son, an Army vet, had bought the Charger just before he left for Vietnam and had left the car there at his parents' home for safe-keeping. Yep, he was killed just a couple of months in-country. His Father, standing before me, and his Mother parked the Charger out by the road and waited for him to come home and retrieve it as he said he would.

They were not interested in protecting it and, especially, selling it as they were just waiting for him to come home and get his car!  Istill remember stuttering around and telling the gentleman that I was real sorry about his son and understood what he was doing all-the-while hoping I could convince him to sell it to me or, at least, get it out of the weather and protect it. All to no avail. That car sat there for years slowly sinking into the ground and rotting away. Then, one day, it was gone! By then it was nothing but a scrap heap but I always wondered what happened to it.

No amount of money would make him sell ........ such a shame!

That car was only 4-5 years old when you saw it- must of been pretty solid. Your tale reminded me of a 58 chrysler 300E 413 two 4bls etc that I found in an old mans yard (late 1980s). It was about 30yrs old at the time but looked only a few. Clean solid all their etc. He was grumpy and short with me (not for sale).
I went by there every year for five or six. The car was in the same place having never moved. Should have taken a picture every year to show the regress. Dirt, pine needles, leaves, moss. It was becoming one with the northwest rain forest. (I am thinking time laps of a dead creature turning back into dirt.) Don't know how far it went down but last time I saw it I didn't want to buy it any more.

[charge69]

Yeah, it was still a nice car. Just needed a good cleaning and fluid change to make it look nice and it would have been a great daily driver.

I suppose most of us have a "story" about a found-car that the owner said ... Not for Sale! Why do people simply refuse to face the fact that THEY just are never going to have the time and/or cash do do it? Frustrating but a human-nature fact, for sure!

Maybe it was because that was all I was looking for but, it seems most of these stories involve MOPARS, not other makes. I really don't recall near as many other makes as MOPARS but, the law of averages says there must have been.

[ws23rt]

We are wearing mopar blinders. I am sure these stories apply to all makes. There is a story for each one of these. Life gives us many unexpected things and letting go of the past is admitting we can't do all we wanted. I am doing this myself. My projects are greater than the years I have left but I will not let something decay needlessly. A few years back I looked at the line of cars in my back yard without cover and decided to call wildcat auto wrecking. I gave them four cars for yard credit and am sure they went to the best place possible. (69 charger, 65 barracuda, 65 sport fury, and a 70 charger rt.)

[GOTWING]

They do, my neighbor worked for GM, he bought a 69 SS triple black chevelle 396 / 325 4spd. Brand new, in 74 he parked it with 14,000 miles on it in his back yard under a tree and left it there until 2007 when the property got sold and the car was left there, the new owner gave it away to the first person that stopped by. To this day no one understands why it was parked so early, it still had the same tires on it from the factory. The car had no floors or trunk left in it but was still complete.

[Dino]

That was pretty dumb to go onto his property to mess with his car.  As wrong as it is to let it rot like that, it's his car and his business.  Your brother was lucky not to get shot.

It's not because he has a charger in his yard that anyone else has the right to just go over there to check it out.  That's what gets me in the classic car hobby, people think they are entitled to do more than look at the car and they are not. 

When mine is in the driveway most people will call out and wait at the side of the road until I motion them to come over.  Those that think they can just walk up to my car without permission will be sent away promptly. 

[1974dodgecharger]

well said dino.....

That was pretty dumb to go onto his property to mess with his car.  As wrong as it is to let it rot like that, it's his car and his business.  Your brother was lucky not to get shot.

It's not because he has a charger in his yard that anyone else has the right to just go over there to check it out.  That's what gets me in the classic car hobby, people think they are entitled to do more than look at the car and they are not. 

When mine is in the driveway most people will call out and wait at the side of the road until I motion them to come over.  Those that think they can just walk up to my car without permission will be sent away promptly. 

[PlainfieldCharger]

Bring some hundred dollar bills with you and knock on his door. Maybe even a catalog of parts that have prices... Might walk you back out to the car and make a deal...

[dyslexic teddybear]

That was pretty dumb to go onto his property to mess with his car.  As wrong as it is to let it rot like that, it's his car and his business.  Your brother was lucky not to get shot.

It's not because he has a charger in his yard that anyone else has the right to just go over there to check it out.  That's what gets me in the classic car hobby, people think they are entitled to do more than look at the car and they are not.  

When mine is in the driveway most people will call out and wait at the side of the road until I motion them to come over.  Those that think they can just walk up to my car without permission will be sent away promptly.  

VERY well put.  

The lack of respect for private property in some of these posts....is a bit disturbing.

[charger500rt71]

1970 SUPERBIRD 440-6 orange, auto, black interior parked under a tree in Michigan. I talked to to owner several times over the last 2 decades and he still won't sell it. Plans to restore it some day, he's 80 + now. BASTARD!

[Daytona R/T SE]

The man said "No."

What part of that statement don't you people get?

[charger500rt71]

I think at times its hard for a rational person to accept an irrational response to a logical situation. NO?

[GOTWING]

Hey "CHARGER500RT71" got any good pictures of it? 

[Kern Dog]

I think at times its hard for a rational person to except an irrational response to a logical situation. NO?

Do you mean "ACCEPT" ?

It sucks to see a desireable classic car sit and rot away. It is a waste and a shame to see it. I will also add that trespassing on a mans property is bad, and puts you at risk of the law or a bullet.

[charger500rt71]

No pictures, car is in the owners back yard behind a fence. This summer I will try and get a vin and pictures.

I always forget to use spell check. Thanks.

[skip68]

I wouldn't do that without the owners permission.    The owner is OK with you going back there right?   

[Cooter]

With it being that rotted, All it would be a parts car, and dude might not wanna see it destroyed in THAT fashion.

As for the Superbird, I know of one as well. Owner said he'd NEVER sell it. Sitting in a Pole barn, chicken sh*t all over it, No wheels on it, up on Cinder blocks with the engine and trans (440-4spd and DANA 60) sitting on the ground beside it. He won that thing in a cereal contest in 1970.

He once told me back around 1999, "Son, all your gonna do is maybe restore it, at the very least get it running, and flip it for big money when your tired of it and want something new. This car means alot more to me than it ever will to you. It'll sit right here until I'm gone, then you can do with it what you please"....

I shook his hand, thanked him for letting me look at it, and walked away. Never returned. I think I did see it restored and flipped on Evil-Bay around 2005. I had to think of the old man when I saw the listing. Bottom line, is even if it were to be sold, owner prolly wants more than it's worth to you, and we'll be seeing yet another thread about how CRAZY someone is for wanting as much as they do. It obviously means more to him than any of us here.

At least let it rest in peace.

[1974dodgecharger]

Pretty cool story cooter about dude winning it......wow

[mikeydf14]

It's the same way out here in the Carolina mountains. They say, "It was my Dad's car and I am going to make a race car out of it."  They never do and when they do every last one of them sincerely believe they have a Barrett Jackson wanna be! You cannot fix dumb A**!!!!

[Cooter]

That may be, but dude with this Charger ain't knocking on anybody's door to sell it......

Dumbass or not, dude can believe he has BJ wannabe material all he wants, it's the ones hounding him that kill me. All over a rust bucket, POS.


I find it laughable that many seem to hate BJ auctions until the time comes for it to come full circle when they are buying. Do people really think that showing rich people throwing money around at a few cars wouldn't cause this to happen? Really?

[mikeydf14]

Well excuse me for telling of my experiences trying to save a few of our classics like most true car people try to do instead of bashing their efforts.  Is it inconsiderate to badger some one?  Yes.  Trespass after a firm no. Not smart! Taking pics after all was said and done..........  not smart again.  But I stand by my statement as a car person who has driven and owned Chargers since 1970 and to see one going to dust is as I stated is still a case of Dumb A**!

[1974dodgecharger]

Well excuse me for telling of my experiences trying to save a few of our classics like most true car people try to do instead of bashing their efforts.  Is it inconsiderate to badger some one?  Yes.  Trespass after a firm no. Not smart! Taking pics after all was said and done..........  not smart again.  But I stand by my statement as a car person who has driven and owned Chargers since 1970 and to see one going to dust is as I stated is still a case of Dumb A**!

As most folks have said u can't Change them so why try and intrude? I bet u have some items of interest in your home that u don't take care of that would piss me off also should I intrude to try save such things?

[skip68]

You just gotta be careful Mikey that's all.    

[mikeydf14]

1974dodgecharger, you can come by my home any time and pick it apart to your hearts delight.

[AKcharger]

I'm glad I have my 2 chargers 

[mikeydf14]

Made it home safe Bill?

[1974dodgecharger]

1974dodgecharger, you can come by my home any time and pick it apart to your hearts delight.

Lmao   

[Cooter]

Well excuse me for telling of my experiences trying to save a few of our classics,  But I stand by my statement as a car person who has driven and owned Chargers since 1970 and to see one going to dust is as I stated is still a case of Dumb A**!

Ok, let's flip the skript here and say the guy was finally willing to sell it at HIS price. What are you gonna do then, tell us again how stupid people are for thinking they have BJ money in a POS that is a rust bucket? I mean, every way you go this is a lose/lose. The car isn't worth the time it took to write this entire thread, let alone try nd buy from a person that clearly thinks it's worth more to him. Even IF it were to be sold at a decent price AND was in great shape, it would be on EvilPay before you could bat an eye. Flipped, shipped, maybe even stripped. What about all those cars? I don't see any threads hating on those "Dumbasses" that DO actually get the screamin' deals then, in the same breath, sell it for pure D profit? They ain't saving a damn thing, all they are doing is making fu*kin' money. Excuse me if I can't stand seeing either one, but at least I'm reallistic about calling the poor guy a dumbass just because he saved you and me alot of heartache by just allowing the damn thing to go back to the Earth where it came from. Hell, today, with AMD, one can BUY an entire 1968-69 Charger.  It ain't like it was 15 years ago when The only ones for parts were these cars. It's as easy as buying a brand new, catalog Camaro now.

[ws23rt]

AMD did step up with much of what we need. But there are cool cars other than chargers ( I know a tough pill to swallow). I have a 68 sport fury fast back 440 car that needs resolution soon. AMD makes valve covers for this car but I have good valve covers. All that is left to preserve something like this are the rotting cars. Hmm maybe someone in Cuba has what we need.

[Cooter]

AMD did step up with much of what we need. But there are cool cars other than chargers ( I know a tough pill to swallow). I have a 68 sport fury fast back 440 car that needs resolution soon. AMD makes valve covers for this car but I have good valve covers. All that is left to preserve something like this are the rotting cars. Hmm maybe someone in Cuba has what we need.

My brother junked three 1968 Plymouths. Two 2drs, and one a 4dr. One was even a 413-4-spd., 2dr sedan. NOBODY wanted them.
I owned a 1969 Chevelle, an IROC Camaro, still own a Maverick, and an old Ford pick up. Only one I couldn't buy parts for even 15 years ago, was the Maverick and they were a dime a dozen then. Good thing I was smart and stocked up on Maverick parts huh?

[ws23rt]

AMD did step up with much of what we need. But there are cool cars other than chargers ( I know a tough pill to swallow). I have a 68 sport fury fast back 440 car that needs resolution soon. AMD makes valve covers for this car but I have good valve covers. All that is left to preserve something like this are the rotting cars. Hmm maybe someone in Cuba has what we need.

My brother junked three 1968 Plymouths. Two 2drs, and one a 4dr. One was even a 413-4-spd., 2dr sedan. NOBODY wanted them.
I owned a 1969 Chevelle, an IROC Camaro, still own a Maverick, and an old Ford pick up. Only one I couldn't buy parts for even 15 years ago, was the Maverick and they were a dime a dozen then. Good thing I was smart and stocked up on Maverick parts huh?

Wish I had been there for the 413-4-spd. The top end odd ball cars were few to begin with. As they go there value goes up. Some cars may not be what we are into but when they go they are gone forever.