What does $25K buy you nowadays?

[Reezee]

Hi Guys,

I've been a longtime lurker/member on this forum but never actually got to posting. Mainly because I dont have a Charger and have just been here soaking up infomation for when the day finally comes.

Im 26 now and have been wanting a 68 since I was 11. After years of saving I am surely but slowly working towards the position of buying a Charger. But when I my goals as a teenager, 25K was a realistic number for a nice running and driving Charger. However nowadays everything you see online is way more up there. Inspired by the "So how do you find out what a Charger is really worth?..." I started turning the question around. What type of money would you actually need this day, to purchase a running & driving big block (2nd gen) Charger, that isn't completely rotted or a bondo bucket. Is 25 still realistic? Especially if your buying from overseas?

I was just wondering what your expert opinions are on this matter. Always good to hear from people who know what they are talking about and not the sellers who will say anything to get you in the seat  .

[Bad B-rad]

I just paid $16k for a rust free car,that needs a total resto. It is a numbers matching triple green 383 auto,PS,PB,A/C ,column  shift,white hat special with the buddy seat. Car was complete with a set of 1970  seats in place of the 69's. And I thought I did ok. Due to the fact that it's got no rust, even still has original brake/fuel lines. But every system needs complete resto.

I Could have gotten an all original 68,383 auto, running driving, Very nice daily driver,not a show car but all original metal with no rust for $29,000. And I thought that was very fair also,not that I wanted to pay $29K but that car you could have slapped plates on it and just go anywhere.

[c00nhunterjoe]

If you are patient, i have seen quality "drivers" in the 25-30k range. They usually have some bondo and patches, but overall decent cars with avg paint jobs. Most "fully restored" cars are advertised in the 50-60k range. The sheetmetal is a huge factor in cost. 20k in panels is not hard to spend.

[Bad B-rad]

I also bought my car on E-Bay,so it was an auction and it was a California car, I paid another grand to have it shipped to New York. I feel I paid "FAIR" price,def not a home run,but that's what you get for $16k now a days, a complete rust free solid body.

[crj1968]

you could buy mine, good running driving car for under $25K

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Not a Charger, but 25 large will buy you something with virtually zero aggravation, like this.......


http://www.ebay.com/itm/2010-Dodge-Challenger-SRT8-Coupe-2-Door-/291998678910?forcerrptr=true&hash=item43fc7a3f7e:g:a3IAAOSw5cNYWUcg&item=291998678910

[Bad B-rad]

Wow, your 70 looks very good from that photo. What engine trans is in it? How much you asking?

[Bad B-rad]

Not a Charger, but 25 large will buy you something with virtually zero aggravation, like this.......


http://www.ebay.com/itm/2010-Dodge-Challenger-SRT8-Coupe-2-Door-/291998678910?forcerrptr=true&hash=item43fc7a3f7e:g:a3IAAOSw5cNYWUcg&item=291998678910

Well I have two boys, so I just dropped $26K on 2016 Charger R/T.,The new ones are very sweet rides Hard to beat 370HP and 19.5 mpg.

[crj1968]

yeah it's a very solid car..... 383 / 727 / buckets/ console, TTI exhaust..etc...etc... needs minor body work and paint of course....

more pics here when it was white....  www.mopars.com/1970charger.html  

PM me if interested. It was "sold" a while back and then the buyers wife got involved....    

I'm torn about selling it, but putting my kids through college isn't cheap.  

[Bad B-rad]

I never liked the 70 bumper, but your car with the semi gloss black and rallye wheels, its a very nice looking 70!
Sounds like its a nice deal.
I could never find that kind of deal for $25k LOL!!!!

[crj1968]

I never liked the 70 bumper, but your car with the semi gloss black and rallye wheels, its a very nice looking 70!
Sounds like its a nice deal.
I could never find that kind of deal for $25k LOL!!!!

Seems the bumper is a love it or hate it thing with the 70's.  Personally, any 2nd gen charger works for me, even the ones with the weird piece in the middle of the grill.    

[Chad L. Magee]

I also bought my car on E-Bay,so it was an auction and it was a California car, I paid another grand to have it shipped to New York. I feel I paid "FAIR" price,def not a home run,but that's what you get for $16k now a days, a complete rust free solid body.

Sorry, I posted before I saw it was triple green.  I have a T5 twin to your car in my collection of projects.  A 69 WHS with the 383-4bbl. is rare to find...

[Bad B-rad]

I thought the White Hat Special was a very common on early/mid(spring built) 69's?
and I think they built something like 13,000 383 4bbl autos.

[Reezee]

Yeah, your replies are kind of what i guessed. Part luck, part patience and you wil find decent running projects, they just seem so hard to find.

I think it's fairly interesting to see how the market has gone through such a growth in price. Makes it very hard for young enthusiasts to get in range of a dream car. Over here it is especially crazy.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OtV5KcmM1w
I was negotiating about this car last year, but it was slightly out of budget for me, back then. German shop bought it, for aprox. $25K and they are now asking €50K ($53K). Luckily asking and getting are two completly different things. True and solid XS car.

@Mytur Binsdirti: 25K doesnt buy me that in The Netherlands. Better bring another 10-15K depending on the edition.

[Chad L. Magee]

I thought the White Hat Special was a very common on early/mid(spring built) 69's?
and I think they built something like 13,000 383 4bbl autos.

When I registered mine with TDC ten+ years ago, Wayne Wooten commented that it was a rare combo and that he had only 104 of them listed in the registry.  More 318 and 383-2bbl. WHS were made than the 383-4bbl. versions, which makes sense because the WHS was a sales promotion to get people in the dealerships, many of them looking for a cheap Charger to drive.  So those buyers tended to settle for the more mundane ones because they cost less.  It is the combination of the 383-4bbl. engine and the WHS option that makes it a rare find...  

[smithenhiven]

Perhaps I got the deal of the year, or maybe I just got really lucky with the Canadian exchange rate, but I paid just over $25K for my 70 Charger not even a year ago.  70 R/T numbers matching 440, the car is not perfect by any means, the old repaint job shows it's age, and the interior could use some love, but it's a quality driver and that's what I intend to do with it.

[crj1968]

Perhaps I got the deal of the year, or maybe I just got really lucky with the Canadian exchange rate, but I paid just over $25K for my 70 Charger not even a year ago.  70 R/T numbers matching 440, the car is not perfect by any means, the old repaint job shows it's age, and the interior could use some love, but it's a quality driver and that's what I intend to do with it.

Looks familiar !   

[smithenhiven]

And yours looks totally different; I'm diggin the flat black though.  You gotta keep it, you'll regret selling.  Let the kids get student loans, lol. 

[Bad B-rad]

Oh I got ya. Now I guess because of the a/c its the 330hp 383 not the 335hp one.

It sucks that the cars cost so much. In 1998 I bought a 69 Charger R/T 440-4 Speed, missing the org engine, for $1500.  A REAL R/T!!!!! Now 17 years later I paid ten times that price for car in the same shape. But its a "plain" Charger NOT an R/T. But at least its a big block, and at least its mine AH HA HA HA HA. But the things that we would have done different if we only new what the future would hold.
Are all Mopar prices on the rise or just the 2nd gen Chargers? I wonder how much The Dukes of Hazzzard has to do with the price increase ? Even if people don't do a General Lee clone, how many people got into Chargers because of that show? And there are like a million more General Lee clones now a days. There are shops that just do that, turn out "Lee" clones. In 15 years there will be shops that all they do is turn all the "Lee" clones back into regular Chargers, the market will be flooded  with tan interior parts, and Dixie horns!LOL!!!

[crj1968]

And yours looks totally different; I'm diggin the flat black though.  You gotta keep it, you'll regret selling.  Let the kids get student loans, lol. 

I hear ya man.... it's a tough one for sure.  

But I think it does help the OP out with his question , I think you can do OK for $25K if you keep hunting...

[crj1968]

Are all Mopar prices on the rise or just the 2nd gen Chargers?

All are on the rise...

[Bad B-rad]

Yeah I found a sweet org 68 for $28k, close to his $25K, But I really wanted a 69, and I wanted something that I wouldn't feel bad building how I would want it.(and now I am building mine dead on balls stock! So go figure,should have just spent the extra $10k and been driving my car already)

[alfaitalia]

Just for interest 25k would probably not buy you a driver here....U.K. If it did it would be very rough. 10k will get you a rusted out bare shell...no joking. Coincidently I was looking at a driver in London today....mat black but virtually rust free body....but with a metallic blue and quite tatty interior....yuk. Needed a fair bit of work but I was considering getting a loan on it to get a driver on the road while I build mine...just can't wait. But it was not good enough for the money imo.  It was £32,000...so about $35,000. Decided to get more patience..which is free and work faster! When i see what you can get for 35 gee's over there I get very jealous...lol!

[Chad L. Magee]

Oh I got ya. Now I guess because of the a/c its the 330hp 383 not the 335hp one.

Yep, that it is.....

Ten years ago, I purchased the shell of a T3 1969 Charger RT/SE (missing the VIN, but had the fender tag) for $800 on ebay.  The second owner took it apart to restore it and lost the rest of the parts (including the dash with the VIN attached) during a bad divorce.  People thought I was nuts to buy it.  Not so much anymore.  I traded it to a good friend so that he could potentially rebuild it as a drag car, using his tornado damaged 69 Charger as a parts car for it.  I can still get it back if I trade him my rough 69 Coronet RT body, but I do not want to.  The Coronet RT is in nicer shape, but worth less overall...

[hemi-hampton]

I just paid $16k for a rust free car,that needs a total resto. It is a numbers matching triple green 383 auto,PS,PB,A/C ,column  shift,white hat special with the buddy seat. Car was complete with a set of 1970  seats in place of the 69's. And I thought I did ok. Due to the fact that it's got no rust, even still has original brake/fuel lines. But every system needs complete resto.

I Could have gotten an all original 68,383 auto, running driving, Very nice daily driver,not a show car but all original metal with no rust for $29,000. And I thought that was very fair also,not that I wanted to pay $29K but that car you could have slapped plates on it and just go anywhere.

For the same $29k you could of gotten my all original 70 440 R/T, 100% rustfree California car, Original paint, original 24k miles, Ran & drove great & fast as hell. LEON.