If you could order one brand new...

[6bblgt]

I think (I know, bad start) to get a grasp & put some perspective on the idea of ordering one brand new, multiply the $$s by 15 due to inflation and what little $1 buys today.    here's part of a "end of year" dealer sale in 1970 with adjusted pricing.  

very rounded numbers .....  so a $3000 purchase in 1970 would be a $45,000 car today, $4000 = $60,000 & $5000 = $75,000

& a simple $61.55 AM radio in 1970 is equivalent to a $923.25 OPTION today & that $648.25 HEMI engine for an already expensive '70 Charger R/T is $9,723.75 extra
..... how much money do you want/or have to spend now?

From the googles:

$100 in the year 1970 is worth $622.04 in 2017

http://www.in2013dollars.com/1970-dollars-in-2017

So the numbers become:

$25,688.70 / $20,328.27  (70 Coronet 500)

$25,543.61 / $19,588.04  (70 Coronet R/T)

$26,272.79 / $20, 166.54  (70 Coronet R/T)

$22,684.55 / $17,230.51  (70 Coronet Super Bee)

$22,768.84 / $17,983.18  (70 Charger)

$24,157.55 / $19,140.17  (70 Charger 500)


Hemi would be $4,032.40 extra on the 70 Charger R/T.

that doesn't take into account the buying power of the dollar (or lack there of) some historical VS. current prices (some market & some subsidized)

Cost of a new home:
----- $26,600.00 1970 (x 6.2 = $164,900) (x 15 = $399,000) $363,000 2016
Median Household Income:
----- $8,734.00 1970 (x 6.2 = $$54.150) (x 15 = $131,000) $55,775 2016
Cost of a first-class stamp:
----- $0.06 1970 (x 6.2 = $0.37) (x 15 = $0.90) $0.49 2016
Cost of a gallon of regular gas:
----- $0.36 1970 (x 6.2 = $2.23) (x 15 = $5.40) $2.38 2016
Cost of a dozen eggs:
----- $0.62 1970 (x 6.2 = $3.84) (x 15 = $9.30) $1.68 2016
Cost of a gallon of Milk:
----- $1.15 1970 (x 6.2 = $7.13) (x 15 = $17.25) $3.20 2016

[6bblgt]

I did go into those prices a little lot heavy, was trying to get the Coronet R/T into the price of an modern Scat Pack Charger or Challenger, my mistake was using the sale price not the MSRP

Cost of a new car:
----- $3,900.00 1970 (x 6.2 = $24,180) (x 15 = $58,500) $33,560 2016

using just the average new vehicle cost the correct price correction should be 860%, but I'm not sure that would get you into the same level/status vehicle (lots more compacts/sub-compacts today VS. 1970 * for better or worse) 

[cooldude]

I like how this thread is going, and the prices adjusted for inflation is a really helpful thing. Thnx.

This helps us be able to interpret our old cars in thier correct and proper original context. Back then, not too many people were really seriously into drag racing, other than just some kids borrowing thier big brothers cool car once in a while. The folks that actually bought these cars new just wanted, good cars.

I think the racing craze for these cars actually came in the mid to late 70s and into the 80s, as they went down in blue book value enough so that us teenage hotrodders of the time could actually afford them. That was the real high performance hey day of our old cars.

I bet that a lot of Barracuda Grand Coupes got rebadged, re-engined, retraineyed, and so on. There were probably more RT cars on the road by 1980, stripes, wings, scoops and all,... than Chrysler ever built.

[RCCDrew]

Probably not. Attrition on a 10 year old car was much higher than it is now. And there weren't any reproduction scoops and wings. If you had them you took them off another car.

[Scaregrabber]

Something else to consider is the cost of insurance back then. My brother ordered a new 67 Satellite with a 318 in it. If he had ordered even a 383-2 his insurance cost would have doubled making the car unaffordable for a 19 year old.

Sheldon

[cooldude]

Probably not. Attrition on a 10 year old car was much higher than it is now. And there weren't any reproduction scoops and wings. If you had them you took them off another car.

Yup, thats what was done. I spent a lot of time prowling junkyards in my high school days. I skipped alot of classes while going junkyarding. Our teachers called my group the "correspondence" students.

But,at least they knew where to find us if we were really needed for something. 

[Ryan.C]

.

[Dans 68]

Something else to consider is the cost of insurance back then. My brother ordered a new 67 Satellite with a 318 in it. If he had ordered even a 383-2 his insurance cost would have doubled making the car unaffordable for a 19 year old.

Sheldon

Great point. A quick internet search revealed the cost of insuring one of our muscle cars ranged from $1,000 to $1,500/year back in the day. About 1/4 of the cost of the new vehicle. 

Dan

[green69rt]

I don't remember the real numbers so I'm going to make some up.   My first Charger was a 69 RT 440 auto.  I was 23 when I bought it.  Insurance was about $600 (made up number.)  I got married and turned 25 within two months of each other.  Insurance dropped to about $200!!  What I do remember is the insurance was a third of the old amount.  My yearly income at the time was about $5000, maybe a hair less.

[Draco]

    If I could order one new it would be a 68 R/T Charger, Black on Black with red Bumble stripe. 440 with Trac-pac, 4sp, 3.23 gears and 15" Magnum wheels. Tinted windows, AM/FM radio, rear window defogger,  oh yeah and A/C.

[Dans 68]

    If I could order one new it would be a 68 R/T Charger, Black on Black with red Bumble stripe. 440 with Trac-pac, 4sp, 3.23 gears and 15" Magnum wheels. Tinted windows, AM/FM radio, rear window defogger,  oh yeah and after market A/C.

I fixed it for you.    (No factory A/C available on R/T 4-Speeds    )

Dan

[Draco]

    Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Never had A/C in any hot rod just thought it would be nice.

[Kern Dog]

The 440-4 speed cars were limited to a Dana 60. The ratios were 3.54 and 4.10.

[Homerr]

I don't remember the real numbers so I'm going to make some up.   My first Charger was a 69 RT 440 auto.  I was 23 when I bought it.  Insurance was about $600 (made up number.)  I got married and turned 25 within two months of each other.  Insurance dropped to about $200!!  What I do remember is the insurance was a third of the old amount.  My yearly income at the time was about $5000, maybe a hair less.

What year are you talking about?

[6bblgt]

68 R/T Charger  
Black on Black with red Bumble stripe - OK
440 with Track-Pak, 4sp - OK
3.23 gears and 15" Magnum wheels - neither existed in '68 - the above "TRACK PAK" was 3.54s (the ONLY available ratio with 440 4-spd)
Tinted windows - OK
AM/FM radio - not a factory available OPTION on a '68 b-body
rear window defogger - OK
oh yeah and A/C - covered above



substitute: AM w/stereo 8-track, 14" chrome ROAD wheels *** total: $3,973.25

no console, tach, power steering or brakes?

[green69rt]

I don't remember the real numbers so I'm going to make some up.   My first Charger was a 69 RT 440 auto.  I was 23 when I bought it.  Insurance was about $600 (made up number.)  I got married and turned 25 within two months of each other.  Insurance dropped to about $200!!  What I do remember is the insurance was a third of the old amount.  My yearly income at the time was about $5000, maybe a hair less.

What year are you talking about?

Bought my first Charger new, so 69.

[Draco]

   Dam you guys are tough, I guess I should have checked my red book first.

[Dans 68]

   Dam you guys are tough, I guess I should have checked my red book first.

Well, perhaps a little anal, but in a good way.    As the quote goes in that famous Faber College movie, "Knowledge is good".

Dan

[VegasCharger]

68 R/T Charger  
Black on Black with red Bumble stripe - OK
440 with Track-Pak, 4sp - OK
3.23 gears and 15" Magnum wheels - neither existed in '68 - the above "TRACK PAK" was 3.54s (the ONLY available ratio with 440 4-spd)
Tinted windows - OK
AM/FM radio - not a factory available OPTION on a '68 b-body
rear window defogger - OK
oh yeah and A/C - covered above



substitute: AM w/stereo 8-track, 14" chrome ROAD wheels *** total: $3,973.25

no console, tach, power steering or brakes?

No AM/FM radio on a '68 B Body?? Never knew that. 

[Cncguy]

Not saying I could afford it but, a 1970 Charger R/T SE Hemi 4 speed High impact color, V21 hood treatment, hood pins, and go wing.

[Draco]

    My 68 came factory with AM/FM, rear spreaker with a fader switch on the dash.

[Dans 68]

   My 68 came factory with AM/FM, rear spreaker with a fader switch on the dash.

You could have the dealer install the optional accessory AM/FM solid state radio but from the factory only an AM radio was available to order.

Dan

[Draco]

    Copy that, That clears things up.

[41husk]

69 Daytona and spring the extra few hundred bucks for the hemi