Barn Find Charger Poll

[Cudapower]

I picked up a 69 charger that was stored in a cattle barn for 36 years. it is y3 cream color with a black vinyl roof and a tan interior. It is a 383 2 bbl with steering air and brakes. It is not special to me, it is a project to work on for a couple of years.  I have done several other cars so I have cars to drive and show. What do you think is a better way to restore this car, stock or modified? I would modify it keeping the numbers matching engine and changing it to a correct look 4 speed, and change the color to black or blue with the tan interior, and 4 barrel and cam the engine.
Thanks for your opinion.

[Mike DC]

                   
A good condition stock car is a blank canvas.

A few artists out there can get good money by selling their artwork.  But not the vast majority.  If you want to make money as a canvas dealer then you're probably better off dealing in blank ones. 

 

[JB400]

If it's one you intend to keep, have fun with it, but keep the parts to put it back original for the next guy.  If it's one to sell, put it back stock, with the exception of the carb.  In that case, put a 4 bbl on it.

[MAD]

I would say go nuts on the thing and get creative with it. Do all the things youve wanted to do to your previous cars but maybe didnt because you thought stock was the way to go or you were told not to touch original.

But I dont know if you should listen to me, Ive got a #'s matching 74 charger and Im doing a colour change, widebody and chopping it all over regardless of me keeping it or selling it. haha.

Im sure there is always that one guy or girl out there that will want to buy a cool modified car over stock, but depending what you do might lower the # of parties interested.

[don duick]

I voted restore to original but really I also like modified. The only problem with modified is very few end up looking good especially when they destroy the dash. Because it is not a R/T paint it any color you like or a color that will sell easy. Definitely forget y3 has to be one of the worst colors ever

[VegasCharger]

I voted original, but that's me. Being a non R/T 383 2bbl opens to door w/o having a guilty conscience on what path you're going to take. If you go mod please keep in mind that a return investment now becomes minimal. If you plan on keeping that car forever then it doesn't really matter.

Good luck on whatever direction you go and welcome aboard. 

[myk]

Your question implies that a "modified" car is just all about looks. Some cars get meaner and better as they get older, and resto-mods are the perfect example of that.  What's a name or a VIN tag matter when these cars were meant to run hard and conquer the road?  And what better way to do so than modernizing timeless styling and beauty like a 2nd Generation Charger has to offer.

Then again, that's MY opinion.  What do YOU want to do with YOUR car?  Your wants are the only thing that matters here...

[Baldwinvette77]

Modify it's ass!!!  

(if you mean "build it the way you want")

[Cudapower]

I might add that I have and enjoy restored cars also. I am not a flipper and am not just trying to cobble it to sell it. It needs complete restoration, quarter patches fender patches, paint and all new interior which I will do myself. I enjoy working on mopars and it will keep me busy for a couple of winters. But as others have said it costs the same to make it original as it does to modify it, especially since I have the parts. I just don't want to put the money in to making it original only to have people say why did you waste the money on a cream colored 383 2 bbl? You should have stuck a 440 in it. I am getting older and will eventually sell my mopars and since this is not a RT or 1 of 1 blah blah, I  would just like to make it as desirable as I can since I am going to do it. I would keep the original 383 only make it a magnum, remove the air, change to a factory look 4 speed and paint it black with a tan interior. I also agree that I hate to find a car I like that has been modified and if I buy it I pay for the modifications I dont like and go home and take them off and throw them away. But I would think the mild changes I am thinking would be acceptable if not desirable to most people. However it is interesting that the majority thinks I should restore it as is. Would you be more apt to want to buy a numbers cream 2 bbl automatic or a non numbers black 4 bbl 4 speed? I would think numbers matching would not be very significant in this car. But that's the reason for my question.

[DadsCharger00]

Would you be more apt to want to buy a numbers cream 2 bbl automatic or a non numbers black 4 bbl 4 speed?

I think that's the key here. I'm all for the original, and preserving the past, and keeping the true alive and true....but in this instance...

[BROCK]

Would you be more apt to want to buy a numbers cream 2 bbl automatic or a non numbers black 4 bbl 4 speed?

I think that's the key here. I'm all for the original, and preserving the past, and keeping the true alive and true....but in this instance...

True dat!  Some cars deserve stock on account of there aren't enough of them around to ensure someone preserves
that history.  This isn't 1 of those   I have the 72 version of your car:  It ain't one of those either!!!!
That's why we have them:  So we can build them our way

[indreams84]

In regards to the Y3 color, I am about to buy a #s matching 1969 Y3 cream R/T charger with black vinyl roof/interior. Was this my first choice colorwise? Hell no. Do I think it looks awesome regardless- yes! I may have it painted black farther down the line, but have to pay it off first  .....in your case I imagine repainting a non-R/T black and marketing it as #s matching would override the color change, probably be a little more desirable.

[XS29L9Bxxxxxx]

Tan interior?

I vote for:

[Lord Warlock]

I can think of several colors that I think are worse than the Y3 color.  It may not have been popular 40 years ago, but it is fairly popular today, I've seen more Y2 and Y3 cars in the last 2 years than I have in the last 20.  I've always thought it was a classy color and looked good on the charger, and its rarity was one of the reasons why I held on to mine for so long instead of selling it off and getting another with a 4spd or repainting it a different color.  Changing the color would have been simple for me, since i did all my own paint work.  Mine being a true R/T with the SE package and a tan top/tan leather interior w/woodgrain dash and loaded with options made it very hard for me to do a color change.  

As to your situation, if you don't care for the y3 color, I wouldn't feel bad about changing the color and swapping in a 440 or 426 since it was a 383 car,  you can always set the original matching number motor aside and sell it with the car  later on.  The motor wouldn't take up that much garage space if stood up on one end and removing the heads and stacking them on top of the block to conserve space.  I don't think the non stock color would hurt the value much as it wasn't an RT car to start with.  I'd rather see someone modify a 383 car than an RT.  Plus if you do change the color, it makes mine that much more uncommon.  Do what makes you happy, and floats your boat.  That's all that really matters anyway.  

[tan top]

 hello & welcome CP   ,

tri color combo of  Y3 - C6X -V1X  ,   eh  , would love to see pictures sometime  


you said it needs complete restoration !!  then its not much of a biggie if you change the color combo , can easily ( not cheap ) be put back ! to factory ,  I don't mean any offence , not as if its rot free etc  like
Y3 Survivor in the link below , only original once ! would be criminal to do something like that or an original rot free time warp car  
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,104333.25.html ,
 a car can be restored  many many times , but its only original once ,
 yours needs a resto  build it how you want  , & have fun , lifes too short  
having said this ,  no offence meant again  , sounds like you might build this car &  sell it on after a short while , have the fun in building then want another project  ,  the car might loose some of its value potential customers if you deviate away too much from stock ,  its the  OEM factory restorations that hold the most value to some   .
 to some yours is not a desirable color combo !!  although to some its  a rare combo      , while others will want red or orange or black etc  & don't care for  original colors  as per factory fender tags BC sheets etc


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In regards to the Y3 color, I am about to buy a #s matching 1969 Y3 cream R/T charger with black vinyl roof/interior. Was this my first choice colorwise? Hell no. Do I think it looks awesome regardless- yes! I may have it painted black farther down the line, but have to pay it off first  .....in your case I imagine repainting a non-R/T black and marketing it as #s matching would override the color change, probably be a little more desirable.

 would love to see some pictures as & when  

[Patronus]

"modify it to be cooler looking" is not possible.. (Besides removing the tan..)  Im a big proponent of painting it a new color. If it was tan paint it a newer color tan, or even these new browns coming out. I saw a Lexus or something in the sun the other day and thought, that would look great on the curves of a Charger. 

[64dartgt]

I am struggling with the same decision.   I have a 73 Charger with a sunroof, console, AC and PW.  Great options for a driver.  Car is B1 baby blue with a white halo top.  It had a 318, but it had a bad bearing, so much like your 383, I pulled it and put a 340 under the hood instead.

Maybe do something that rides the line.  This BJ car is in a color called bronze fire and it isn't something you see every day and the subtle metallic color gives it a more modern look.  Changing the wheels from magnum 500s to some 17 or 18's makes a huge difference.

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/application/onlinesubmission/lotdetails.aspx?ln=69&aid=343

For me the real question becomes whether or not to keep the vinyl roof.