318 Chargers... Does anybody ever restore them to original condition ?

[Daytona R/T SE]

318 Chargers...

Does anybody ever restore them to original condition ? 

Or...

Do they all get cloned into R/T's or hot rodded ? 

[400sforever]

My 74 se was a rust free original 318 triple white. . Now it's a red 512 torque monster that scares old ladies and dominates rice burner punkasses. It's priceless to me now in this shape!

[lukedukem]

if I can locate my original motor and tranny I would. Q5 car. column car. but I can't so I will sell stuff I don't need and keep it scary

luke

[dyslexic teddybear]

Interesting thought.....

Don't think many are willing to incur the costs of "restoring" a 318.....

I suspect there are quite a few not quite survivors that are 318s. I'd be quite happy with one as a cruiser.

Being a fan of stealth.....if somehow enough $$$ came my way[lottery?] I think much fun could be had by taking a small block out to as big as possible and make it appear as stock as possible.......

Yeah....I think much fun could be possible.

[472 R/T SE]

Seeings how it costs the same regardless I think I'd try & find a 6 banger if I were to go back to factory.

I mean if you're willing to restore the single most popular combination Charger, by all means knock yerself out.  Popular or not, you don't see them restored.
If both cars were restored sitting side by side I'd go straight to the 6 banger.   

[Alaskan_TA]

Restorations, even for Hemi cars can cost more than the car is worth afterwards.

So I like cars in 'driver' condition. Not Chargers, but I have one /6 car & three 318 cars. My need for speed passed long ago.

[tan top]

 there has been one or two 318 , 69 chargers on ebay  over the last couple of years , deffinatly one  , it was Y2 , white top & interior , that was restored !

heres one on youtube  , not exactly  Factory OEM type resto , but looks nice     ok      

 .....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJt_gGBYJO8

[TUFCAT]

Speaking of both 1st gen and 2nd gen Chargers....(but 2nd gen specifically), I think DTBear hit the nail...

The desirability and "coolness factor" (let's be honest) without that big block under the hood of a 2nd gen Charger is pretty low.......and almost always drops the resale value - unless its a survivor.  

I don't think it matters as much for the 3rd gen cars.  Personally I think any 318 Charger (with cold a/c) would make for a seriously nice driving/cruising machine.  I still see many 1973/1974 cars equipped this way that have not been modified.

[Ghoste]

Since I have an RT I wouldn't mind a nice 318 daily driver kind of Charger but to seek one out and restore it???

[ITSA426]

We've done two.  One was my nephew's first charger and he restored it as a high school shop project.  He got an A on the project and he's still driving it 15 years later.  The other is a no option 66 that I restored because I wanted a three on the tree Charger.  I enjoy driving it as much as my hemi car and it is a great road car.  They are as nice as any others we own. 

[TUFCAT]

We've done two.  One was my nephew's first charger and he restored it as a high school shop project.  He got an A on the project and he's still driving it 15 years later.  The other is a no option 66 that I restored because I wanted a three on the tree Charger.  I enjoy driving it as much as my hemi car and it is a great road car.  They are as nice as any others we own.  

I know right!  My 318 Coronet would start right up after a winter's slumber, run great in any traffic situation, never overheat on the hottest day, got decent gas mileage, wasn't fussy, never broke down, and started every time hot, cold, warm it never mattered!  Basically it performed exactly like it was designed to do.

I always appreciated that kind of dependability....  and I never worried about driving it anywhere I wanted to go.    

Unfortuantley in todays world, if my car was a high school chick, she wouldn't get asked to her senior prom...

It got NO RESPECT!..... [Insert Rodney Dangerfield soundbite here].  

 

[Daytona R/T SE]

The one I have in mind is my '72 318 Charger.

I bought this car from the original owner's son back in '95 or '96 for the huge sum of $600.

I drove it as my "cruiser" car for a few years, and put it in storage when I bought my Imperial in 2001.

It always ran great, seemed like it didn't suck gas too bad, and would actually burn rubber when I wanted it to.

When I put it in the barn, the A/C still worked.  

It does have some rust issues, but I can fix all of that myself for the cost of parts and welding wire.

Fast forward to now...

The Imperial has been sold.

I've built a new garage to house my "keeper" project cars and parts.

Slowly, I'm bringing my cars home from storage, and the old brain starts storming...

[jdiesel33]

My 74 se was a rust free original 318 triple white. . Now it's a red 512 torque monster that scares old ladies and dominates rice burner punkasses. It's priceless to me now in this shape!

Love it. Well said. And that is a bad ass 3rd gen. Would love to see more pics.

[A383Wing]

my car restoring days are over..I can't keep up with what I have left now.

But, if I were to take another project on, I would like a 66 or 67 Charger with 318 and manual trans on column, or a 2nd generation 6cyl car, manual or auto trans...

[sdweatherman]

Not a Charger - but the Plymouth counterpart. Restoring a 1971 Sebring Plus with 318/Auto. Doing most of the work myself and keeping the 318. Going to drive the wheels off of it when I get it done, so I like the prospects of semi-decent gas mileage. The 318 will have a little more umph than stock - 340 cam, mid 80s swirl port heads, aluminum intake with 4bbl, headers. Going to keep the Sebring Plus emblems on it, but it will have a Road Runner feel - painted bumpers, police wheels, etc. - but no strobe stripe.

[1974dodgecharger]

would you buy a slant 6, 70 charger, in awesome condition for 40k?  Didn't think so, lol....

[500Jon]

318 chargers are all the RAGE now in Europe...
Go twice as far on a gallon of GAS @$7.50 (£5).

My Moparmate has a 67 Charger with a 318 fully restored and got top-5 in the Euro-Nats...
He can drive it every day, where as I don't drive my 440 cars at all!!!

[Dino]

I bought my 318 car with a 440 under the hood and nobody knows where the original engine is, or trans, or rear end...

I would have considered restoring it back to original if all the parts were there and if the car wasn't green on the inside.

[J-440]

 Someone did a 318 turbo build up awhile back and it made the cover of a Mopar mag.  Got 600 horses out of it on race gas and was built up heavily.  It's rare but they do hot rod those motors sometimes.

[paironines]

I would sink the money into my green 68 Charger to restore it and keep it green but I would keep the big block that's in it instead of the original 318. No RT emblems. So to answer your question, kinda keep it original.

My uncle has a red 71 318 Charger and his plans were to definitely keep it 318 as that's all he needs / wants.

[keith88]

I bought mine last year with a 318 its not the balls to the wall 383 that that i owned when i was 18 but neither is the price of gas, oh it might be cheaper right now but believe me that wont last long it will go back up than im really going to like the 318 gas mileage. There anit nothing wrong with keeping them a 318  makes them a little more drivable and doesn't temp you to do things to that  might break it.

[bill440rt]

I did. My '68, kept it with the 318 for years. Wasn't restored stock, but the 318 stayed for a few decades until the 440 swap. 

I do remember reading a few years back about a 2nd Gen 318 Charger that was restored to OE specs, I think it was even ran thru the OE Cert. judging at the NATS, IIRC. I think the car was light green in color. 

[ACUDANUT]

318 chargers are all the RAGE now in Europe...
Go twice as far on a gallon of GAS @$7.50 (£5).

My Moparmate has a 67 Charger with a 318 fully restored and got top-5 in the Euro-Nats...
He can drive it every day, where as I don't drive my 440 cars at all!!!

318's don't get much better fuel mileage than 440's.  Maybe, what 2-3 more per gallon?

[Sublime/Sixpack]

would you buy a slant 6, 70 charger, in awesome condition for 40k?  Didn't think so, lol....

I don't know about spending $40k, but depending on the color combo, other options, etc., I'd be interested. Personally not EVERY car I drive or own has to be fast.
There's something to be said about having an appreciation for a piece of machinery for what it is.

[dyslexic teddybear]

would you buy a slant 6, 70 charger, in awesome condition for 40k?  Didn't think so, lol....

I don't know about spending $40k, but depending on the color combo, other options, etc., I'd be interested. Personally not EVERY car I drive or own has to be fast.
There's something to be said about having an appreciation for a piece of machinery for what it is.

Very much agree.....appreciate a piece of machinery for what it is.