Charger restoration shop in Denver, CO or anywhere close.

[68charger440]

I concur. If it were me, I'd get it fixed. No doubt in my mind. Only from a reputable shop though...get it done right. 

Dan

I agree with Dan. I'm currently repairing/restoring a wrecked '69 Charger, and in pulling it apart piece by piece, it's not that bad. Looks like you'll need a LF fender, grille (center and passenger side sections may be salvageable), headlamp/grille support, bumper, bumper brackets, valence, radiator support (maybe), inner fender, battery tray and hood. If the LF tire/wheel took a hit than you'll probably need new suspension links too. The main question/concern is the LF frame rail. It's very likely that due to the angle of the hit, this may have moved inboard slightly. Tough to tell until you get it apart, visually inspect it and take measurements.

Given that this was a gift/inheritance and that the car has been in the family for a long time, repairing it is the only option IMO. A reputable shop could probably do it well and bring it back to the same or better condition as before the wreck (depending on what you want). And for a lot less money than $35k too!

Well he is fighting to get the buyback lower.  They  want $12,000 for him to buy it back so that will bring that 35k down to 23k.  Do you think he can get it brought back to life for that.  They think the frame rail might be tweaked a little, but not much if any.

[mariusjh03]

Well he is fighting to get the buyback lower.  They  want $12,000 for him to buy it back so that will bring that 35k down to 23k.  Do you think he can get it brought back to life for that.  They think the frame rail might be tweaked a little, but not much if any.

I am not an expert, but in my opinion, yes it can be brought to life for that. However, it might take a little ingenuity and a bit of prep-work yourself. If the insurance company had agreed to repair it, either of the restoration shops recommended would have had "free-reign" to repair it. Meaning they could have sourced all new or NOS sheetmetal, parts, etc. and invested the time and resources to do a superb job. With the buy-back option, you are effectively left with the car and a $23k budget to repair it. This could mean getting creative with repairs. A nice used LF fender, hood and valence for example. A restored driver-side grill/door from eBay. Rechrome a straight, used bumper. The list goes on. Use the resto shop for the "heavy-lifting," e.g. straightening the frame rail, welding in a new inner fender and rad support and rebuilding the LF suspension. Finally, when you're ready for paint, doing as much prep-work as you can will save you money. Remove the trim, paint and mask, etc. I'm literally doing all of these same things myself on my '69.

In the end, with a little ingenuity and patience, you'll have her back to life, driving well, and you might even have some $$ left over. I know, this all sounds like a lot of work, but in the end you'll still have the car and all the sentimental value that goes along with it!