guys, help, 1972 dodge charger

[ACUDANUT]

Just my 2 cents. if it was a real rallye I would restore it.  But a plain jane. 72 318, no way.

[F8-4life]

That 72 may be worth 3500 fyi

[ACUDANUT]

IYO. No hate hear, just a " I hope so" 

[moparnation74]

So we're giving you crap and you wonder if you should be honest to the guy?  Wow!

I don't give a damn what you do with the 72 as long as you don't flip it as you promised him.  The fact that it will cost 10 times the cost to restore vs what it's worth is really irrelevant here, but the promise is.

Ever thought about paying it forward?  Finding a kid who has a dream about restoring one?  Maybe a father/son project?  The old man may like that idea.  How about a raffle to collect some funds for a good cause?  No flipper will buy this money pit, but a kid with a dream will be all over it.

This was his wife's car, it has a lot of sentimental value but no monetary.  If you do anything to turn that around then you make his worst fear come true so I think you should return the 72, forget all about this deal and buy what you want.  

If I had been given a chance like this I would treat those cars as my children.  You don't find generosity like this much more.  But if you cannot commit to these projects because they would surpass their actual worth then let them go.  I think it would be in the best interest of the old man.

WELL STATED, DINO

The older gent is a true mopar aficionado!  He came from a time were, "Your word was your word!"  You say it and own it, for better or for worse.

What doesn't make sense is the fact that all you had to do was to get the 72 "road worthy" for a drive.  And only initially out of $400.00, to most of us here that is like acquiring that car for free.  Then you turn around at look at this car as a full restoration.  Numbers starting to add up fast, compare prices on the web and now you want to back away.

It is obvious the only car you have any interest in is the 69.

[HPP]

Just started reading through this.

8 days, 10 pages.  That how long this thread has been running.  I've seen things like this develop over years and this one became a story in just a week. Wow!

Sawyer, you strike me as a very enthusiastic, albeit it only basically mechanically inclined enthusiast. You seem to have some basic knowledge and while a '69 Charger RT may be your dream car, you do not seem to know a great deal of basic knowledge that are mopar specific to owning one.   You definetely need to do some homework on classics. I'm not saying this as a slam, but owning an old car is nothing like owning a new car. They have quirks, they piss you off, they make you smile, then leave you stranded. They are the closest thing to a personal relationship you will ever develop with an object.

Obviously "restoring" this '72, or maybe even the '69, is probably beyond your ability.  As such, perhaps you should do nothing more than make the '72 road worthy and drive it on occasion. Don't make grandious plans on what to do to it, make it work, drive it for fun. This accomplishes the goals you have of making it workable and accomplishes the goals of your new friend to get a ride in it. Until you do this, you have no idea what the exact deal is with the '69. If he is willing to give the '69 to you, than celebrate. It he sells it for under $1000, celebrate still. In all honesty, based on what I've seen in this forum, it is anything less than $15,000, you should be happy. However, that is qualified by how much work it actually needs and requires to be done to it. If its anything like the '72, its more than you can tackle.

Total cost into this '72 is what, maybe $600 including the purchase price, tune up and inspections? lets say you get the '69 for a similarly good price and requires similar work. I think you need to be honest to yourself and your friend about your ability to tackle this work.  If you can't take it on, then maybe you tell the old man your in over your head, would he buy the '72 back from you for $400, and you chalk it up to experience and decide if you want to search for a complete car or not. Or leave the deal as is for the '72 and decline the '69.  Or if its another screaming good deal, take it, park it, and  thank your good fortune while you develop a plan of attack. If you just want to keep these things on the road for another few years, then don't worry about fixing everything up. Drive em, make new friends, create new relationships as these cars will DEFINETELY do that for you.

If you do keep this one or both, do yourself a favor, buy a Factory Service Manual for them and study it like the Bible. 90% of what you need to know technically is in those documents. That doesn't mean you won't need to come on here, but it will surely supplement a lot of the advice you get on here.

At the core if it all though, you have to be a stand up guy to this old man.

[sawyer440rt]

K

[polywideblock]

like I said fix it and drive as is except for floor        don't sink thousands into it just what HAS to be done 

think your dealing with some "cabin fever" as well  , but I'm on the other side of the globe what do I know   

                                                                   

[Dino]

Actually we do read and came to the same conclusion, so maybe you should learn how to express yourself a bit better.  If one misinterprets what you say that's one thing, but if 5 or more read the same then the error probably lies with the source so maybe you could take some responsibility for that.

People here are trying to help you and the old man, including me.  But if you're going on the defense every time someone reacts to your unclear intentions then I will stop here and go spend my time on something worth my energy.

Good luck in all your future endeavours.  May both parties find happiness in this matter.

[TUFCAT]

I just can't see how a ride in a cruddy, old, rusted out, musty, filthy, dirty car can bring back so many fond memories for this nice old man?  If restored and looking as good as it did when wifey was driving it, well then maybe. I guess everyone has their quirks....so be it.

I also think you're going to be over your head doing these restorations. You need to acquire more knowledge (as others have said).  Not an attack, I realize people need to start somewhere.....but it sounds like your starting from a position higher than you can handle.

[ACUDANUT]

poly, I think our winters here in The USA makes us all crazy.

[Beav]

Yea, Mike... I CAN read.

Beyond that, I can also comprehend.  

Like I said... don't screw the old man.

"Gee honey, I wonder if we can talk him into THIS.... whatdaya think?!"

It went from a "ride" to full blown concourse restoration.... how'd that happen?

Yet, by some of your questions... it seems that your unsure of which end of a wrench to hold, and ask in a panic reply to the thread "Golly fellers, please help.... it's URGENT!!!!!!"

BTW, in reference to your wife, I didn't refer to her as that... got it from you.

Best of luck "Bro," you'll get what's coming to ya... good or bad.



Beav

[TUFCAT]

Yes, its frightening when a guy doesn't know where a cowl is located on an automobile.....

Beyond that, if this '69 Charger didn't exist how long would Sawyer continue talking to this dude after he bought the '72?  Hopefully a long time, but someone mentioned earlier (the ass-kissing) will stop once he gets the '69.  I hope that's not a forgone conclusion. The '69 Charger could be a bigger roach than the '72, but as others pointed out it will have significant market value $ compared to the '72 and may be able to be purchased for beans....which Sawyer must be hoping for.

[polywideblock]

 going to piss someone off now but ....

I'd do a "ass monkey garage" to it  .   scotchbrite the sunburned paint ,satin clear , fix floor make water proof  ,fix seats, new carpet...  drive  

how often do you see them do this to just such a car  ?

how old is your son ? could this be the perfect(cool) first car ? e.g. what scratch in the paint      

if not somewhere down the road (read when old guy has left the building ) there will be some wanabe hipster that will give coin for a "cool ride "  


     heres an example read this     http://www.hotrod.com/cars/featured/1503-1966-dodge-coronet-hard-life-hemi/

[XH29N0G]

If it were me, I would stick with the original plan rather than try (or even ask about the possibility of) rewriting the handshake (or even backing out). 

I still don't have the car my neighbor gave my son for $1 in a fully functional form, and I have spent more time and money than it is worth (or would cost to get another one), but we have lots to talk about, and my neighbor reminisces because it was his daughter's car.  All of this has been worth much more to me than I ever imagined.  I think you may be in a similar situation. 

[Wicked72]

plain ol 72 time for a resto moD!!!!!

[sawyer440rt]

Good bye guys and may God smile upon you and yours, this is the last time I write to you all, be safe out there. I showed my wife everything that was put on here, she called me a dumbass because it didn't even sound right to her. Fast forward a little, my wife and I went over to mr. Russell's house today, we sat down for coffee and I started talking about the cars, i said I am sorry, but I believe they are out of my league of repair, he quickly jumped down my throat saying you ain't even looked at the 69 that good, not to be rude, I kept my mouth shut, but I thought to myself, well, that's the way you wanted it. Anyways, he grabs the barn door keys and we walked out to look at the 69, it's rough, rougher than I think that I could handle, we get done looking at the car, go back inside, I told him that he could make a lot of money selling them on eBay, or craigslist, after i explained what those were, i handed him the title back to the 72, gave him a hug and asked him if we were still friends and fishing buddies once i tell you our idea I told him he could put a lot of money in his pocket, i said not to piss you off, here's the idea my wife and I have, and if you tell us to get out, we will understand and we will bring the car back to you monday. So we fired our idea at him, explained every detail to him, waited on the explosion that never came, he thank us for having coffee with him and for being honost with him, said let me think on this, my wife and I gave him another hug and left. We weren't home 30 minutes and he pulled in the driveway, got out, walked over to the 72, looked at it a few minutes, i walked up and said sorry if we offended you in any way buddy, just think they are out of my league, he snapped at me and said, don't be scared of them boy!, i said we ain't scared of them sir, but it would take me 20 years to restore them to their formal glory which im not sure if I can make that happen, he said, im 81, I know I ain't got 20 years left, and he laughed, said coffee ready, i said yes sir, he said good, he said, you go inside, I got something in the truck I want to show you, i said ok, coffee be waiting on you sir, he said good again, so I went inside, a couple minutes later, he walked in, asked me and my wife to get him a cup of coffee, so me and him sat down and the wife grabbed the coffee and sat down with both of us. He pulled an envelope out, put it down in front of him and said I got a better idea, i said what is that sir, he goes, you promised me a ride, you owe me a ride, before I could say one word, he said shut up and let me finish, i said yes sir, he proceeded to tell me he had a few offers over the years and never took them, but he wasn't sure why, he had plenty of mopar nuts that he couldn't read he said, including me, but I started the conversation off differently and it peaked his interest. then he proceeded to tell me his idea as he slid the envelope over to me and my wife, i opened it, inside is the title to the 72, he said a deals a deal, he said, don't be scared I want both of you to try, then he pulled out another envelope and slid that over to me, and finished telling me his idea as i opened the second envelope, in it was the title to the 69, and its signed by him, he said, when we ain't fishing, or at church, or busy with something else, we can work on them together, he held out his hand and said deal, I hesitated and said im not sure what to do here, i said sir, i truely believe they are out of my league, my wife even said that they are out of our league, he said, dang boy, I ain't telling you to replace every nut and bolt, he said, let's do it together, but if I leave this world unexpectedly, at least they will be in your name and you won't have to fight no one over them, held his hand out again, i shook it and said we will try our hardest. after church Sunday, he's coming over for supper, coffee and to discuss ideas with us. THX for all your help if you help me in the past, may God be a great God to you and yours, good bye my friends.

[TUFCAT]

Good bye guys and may God smile upon you and yours, this is the last time I write to you all, be safe out there. I showed my wife everything that was put on here, she called me a dumbass because it didn't even sound right to her. Fast forward a little, my wife and I went over to mr. Russell's house today, we sat down for coffee and I started talking about the cars, i said I am sorry, but I believe they are out of my league of repair, he quickly jumped down my throat saying you ain't even looked at the 69 that good, not to be rude, I kept my mouth shut, but I thought to myself, well, that's the way you wanted it. Anyways, he grabs the barn door keys and we walked out to look at the 69, it's rough, rougher than I think that I could handle, we get done looking at the car, go back inside, I told him that he could make a lot of money selling them on eBay, or craigslist, after i explained what those were, i handed him the title back to the 72, gave him a hug and asked him if we were still friends and fishing buddies once i tell you our idea I told him he could put a lot of money in his pocket, i said not to piss you off, here's the idea my wife and I have, and if you tell us to get out, we will understand and we will bring the car back to you monday. So we fired our idea at him, explained every detail to him, waited on the explosion that never came, he thank us for having coffee with him and for being honost with him, said let me think on this, my wife and I gave him another hug and left. We weren't home 30 minutes and he pulled in the driveway, got out, walked over to the 72, looked at it a few minutes, i walked up and said sorry if we offended you in any way buddy, just think they are out of my league, he snapped at me and said, don't be scared of them boy!, i said we ain't scared of them sir, but it would take me 20 years to restore them to their formal glory which im not sure if I can make that happen, he said, im 81, I know I ain't got 20 years left, and he laughed, said coffee ready, i said yes sir, he said good, he said, you go inside, I got something in the truck I want to show you, i said ok, coffee be waiting on you sir, he said good again, so I went inside, a couple minutes later, he walked in, asked me and my wife to get him a cup of coffee, so me and him sat down and the wife grabbed the coffee and sat down with both of us. He pulled an envelope out, put it down in front of him and said I got a better idea, i said what is that sir, he goes, you promised me a ride, you owe me a ride, before I could say one word, he said shut up and let me finish, i said yes sir, he proceeded to tell me he had a few offers over the years and never took them, but he wasn't sure why, he had plenty of mopar nuts that he couldn't read he said, including me, but I started the conversation off differently and it peaked his interest. then he proceeded to tell me his idea as he slid the envelope over to me and my wife, i opened it, inside is the title to the 72, he said a deals a deal, he said, don't be scared I want both of you to try, then he pulled out another envelope and slid that over to me, and finished telling me his idea as i opened the second envelope, in it was the title to the 69, and its signed by him, he said, when we ain't fishing, or at church, or busy with something else, we can work on them together, he held out his hand and said deal, I hesitated and said im not sure what to do here, i said sir, i truely believe they are out of my league, my wife even said that they are out of our league, he said, dang boy, I ain't telling you to replace every nut and bolt, he said, let's do it together, but if I leave this world unexpectedly, at least they will be in your name and you won't have to fight no one over them, held his hand out again, i shook it and said we will try our hardest. after church Sunday, he's coming over for supper, coffee and to discuss ideas with us. THX for all your help if you help me in the past, may God be a great God to you and yours, good bye my friends.

[F8-4life]

So by your last post, you mean your gonna be asking how to patch a floor tomorrow?

[polywideblock]

so if your got the 72 and getting the 69 why last post ? hope you aren't letting a few negative comments drive you away ,
               this is still the best place to get charger info   

                                 anyway 

[TUFCAT]

Now sawyers going back and deleting all of his posts .....wtf?  

[XH29N0G]

  

[polywideblock]

bat and ball and gone home   

[redgum78]

 .....just read the whole thread. It would have to be the strangest thread on the forum! Am I right?

[BIGBLCK11]

Hi Sawyer, I have been following this thread since you started it, but have not posted.  IF you really want to do the old man and those cars justice, please do NOT leave.  The members here only have the best interest of both in mind.  You do have to take some opinions and conclusions with a grain of salt and/or just ignore them.  Some people are just that way, but others also have to interpret by what is posted.  Many have helped others and been burned before.  You really will find good people willing to help you with every step of the way and one of the largest single places for the exact information you will need.  Including pictures and their experiences with the same thing.  If you decide to come back, great.  If you don't, best of luck getting them back on the road and furthering your friendship with Mr. Russell.  You should also understand why, if any of the suggested conclusions about your intentions were true, it would not be welcome or taken lightly by a group of people with good intentions in their hearts.  Take care.

[TUFCAT]

Hi Sawyer, I have been following this thread since you started it, but have not posted.  IF you really want to do the old man and those cars justice, please do NOT leave.  The members here only have the best interest of both in mind.  You do have to take some opinions and conclusions with a grain of salt and/or just ignore them.  Some people are just that way, but others also have to interpret by what is posted.  Many have helped others and been burned before.  You really will find good people willing to help you with every step of the way and one of the largest single places for the exact information you will need.  Including pictures and their experiences with the same thing.  If you decide to come back, great.  If you don't, best of luck getting them back on the road and furthering your friendship with Mr. Russell.  You should also understand why, if any of the suggested conclusions about your intentions were true, it would not be welcome or taken lightly by a group of people with good intentions in their hearts.  Take care.

It's over, Sawyer has already gone back and ruined the thread by deleting all of his posts so the essence of his original posts are long gone and will never be back.

Since he left in a huff, why would any members will try to help him in the future? Forget about this 10 day adventure.  This thread is at the top of the list for the craziest threads of 2015