Rob's ongoing slow restoration process of his 69 charger R/T SE

[Charger-Bodie]

i bought 2 new 440 long blocks ready to go out of a company in washington state.. paid $1950 each for them and i didn't have to send them a core.. 7 yr 70,000 mile warranty too. might be worth checking into anyway.. $2k is good for a good rebuilt 440
trav

  my dad also bought a 440 from that outfit.... very good runnging 440 for the money!! http://www.rebuiltautoengines.com/dodge-V8_7.2_440-engines.html  pm me if you have any other questins about it id be glad to answer.

[68charger383]

Time to make lemonade out of that lemon.

1) no fender tag
2) blown motor
3) very nice paint/body

Sounds like it would be the perfect Hemi clone with a crate motor to me!

[68chrgrwife]

I know fender tags are important to prove high class cars, but without one you could still sell it...and make pretty good money....at least as far as I know.  Our fender tag is not present, but I am sure we could get pretty good money for our car which was an original 318 now a 440 r/t clone....like someone said it would make a great hemi crate car!

[moparstuart]

   HOW ABOUT SOME MORE PICTURES OF THE CAR  ??

[1BAD68]

yeah, all numbers matching does is make these cars worth more to anal people. When your driving down the road on a Saturday afternoon do you really care if the original fender tag is missing?
The only time it matters is when there's a transaction$
I've always been amazed by guys that will pick apart a nice Mopar because of #'s.

[472 R/T SE]

The different title change should spare you any more grief. 
Congrats on the '69.  It's a nice lookin' ride.    I didn't pick up on it anywhere, but was the grenaded motor the #'s matching one?  If it is you might want to hold on to it and any pieces just for the heck of it any ways. 
What's wrong with the fender tag anyways?  Besides it being a repro.

[twenty mike mike]

I just talked to the past owner, we made an aggrement of him sending 2,000.00. 

Hey, that's better than a sharp stick in the eye. Time to take a deep breath, then move on.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

My biggest legal gripe with him was that the fender tag was a incorrect repro tag, and I did not know that until after I researched it.  That along with him not telling me it leaked a lot of oil, the brakes were to the floor, and it overheated was enough for me when the motor blew to say, hey, help me out here?   I haven't even looked into CA used car law.  But the fender tag is really a big big issue.  I have to sell it one day without one, yet there was a picture of one on the ebay site.  I'm not thrilled about all this but the 2,000.00 back helps.  I would not of paid, nor would it of sold for 30,000.00 with an illegal fake tag.   Thanks for your inout, love the pictures.

I wish you would have contacted me BEFORE hitting the buy it now 

[Chris G.]

What was I supposed to do, take off a week from work , spend lots of money to fly to CA, lose a weeks pay? 

You seem to have bought and sold many cars in your life, so you wondering what to do in this situation should have been a no brainer. There's a few things you could have done, like research the car and maybe find a site like this to ask questions, and 9 times out of 10 there would be someone close who could at least check it out for you. You also could hire a private inspection team who for the most part pride themselves on giving a potential buyer an honest review of the car. It's not even that expensive when it comes to wanting to spend 30K for a car. Would you put 30K down on a house you have never stepped foot in?

Bottom line, this car was hanging around 15K on ebay if I recall, and you IMO panicked and hit the buy it now thinking it wouldn't be around for very long. After all is said and done, it looks like that bidder at 15K was probably doing his homework. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, be thankfull you even got a return phone call from that seller. Most would have never called back or even thought of giving you money back.

Is it a cool car? YES. Could you get your money back on it? Well, if there's someone out there not doing their homework, then maybe.

[Brock Samson]

 Don't pay  Him no mind, he's the site's resident weinie err,.. meanie..

[1969chargerrtse]

My biggest legal gripe with him was that the fender tag was a incorrect repro tag, and I did not know that until after I researched it.  That along with him not telling me it leaked a lot of oil, the brakes were to the floor, and it overheated was enough for me when the motor blew to say, hey, help me out here?   I haven't even looked into CA used car law.  But the fender tag is really a big big issue.  I have to sell it one day without one, yet there was a picture of one on the ebay site.  I'm not thrilled about all this but the 2,000.00 back helps.  I would not of paid, nor would it of sold for 30,000.00 with an illegal fake tag.   Thanks for your inout, love the pictures.

I wish you would have contacted me BEFORE hitting the buy it now 

This reminds me of "should of, could of, would of, after the fact stuff.  I didn't know of this site until after I bought it.  I saw the registry and was proud to register it, then this site came next.  I'm already eye balling all the under hood detailing I can now do.  My friend that sold me the rear has a 69 440 motor for 500.00.  I found out tonight I have 906 heads which he said are good heads, so I can have his block rebuilt and add my heads, or look at the rebuilt jobs.  Will see.  Thanks for your help.

[The70RT]

You did get hosed. You said it had a big oil leak when it arrived? I would have contacted him then. Now that the tag is fake I would have said you better give my money back or you would sue him. If nothing else maybe you could have got him to give half the money back. Did you mention the tag to him?

[1969chargerrtse]

What was I supposed to do, take off a week from work , spend lots of money to fly to CA, lose a weeks pay? 

You seem to have bought and sold many cars in your life, so you wondering what to do in this situation should have been a no brainer. There's a few things you could have done, like research the car and maybe find a site like this to ask questions, and 9 times out of 10 there would be someone close who could at least check it out for you. You also could hire a private inspection team who for the most part pride themselves on giving a potential buyer an honest review of the car. It's not even that expensive when it comes to wanting to spend 30K for a car. Would you put 30K down on a house you have never stepped foot in?

Bottom line, this car was hanging around 15K on ebay if I recall, and you IMO panicked and hit the buy it now thinking it wouldn't be around for very long. After all is said and done, it looks like that bidder at 15K was probably doing his homework. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, be thankfull you even got a return phone call from that seller. Most would have never called back or even thought of giving you money back.

Is it a cool car? YES. Could you get your money back on it? Well, if there's someone out there not doing their homework, then maybe.

Yes I have bought lots of cars, for 10 years I bought and sold for fun and pleasure and probably changed a car a month.  In the long run I always bought smart, and sold fair. I took a gamble with this car, and so be it.  No major regrets, just that it sucks at the moment.  I disagreed with you before, and I still do.  I never  ever procrastinate.  I had been looking and looking  and wanting and wanting, this came along and I jumped on it.  I now own a 69 Charger RT/SE.  No question about it.  All the panels are original as I checked and found the Y2 yellow color on all the panels.  It is an R/T, I checked the radiator support, BEFORE I bought it.  I pulled the headliner , it is an original SE, no drill holes for the non SE Charger emblem.  It is a rare Power window car, all the mounting holes and wiring are original.  I'm sure the A/C is original, it has power front disk (nice) and in the long run I won't hate myself.  By this weekend the motor will be out, by early spring I'll be bettering the look of my town with it's presence.  Motor blew up (not original) that sucks, but I choose the wonderful positive comments of the others over what I'm now reading.

[1969chargerrtse]

You said it had a big oil leak when it arrived? I would have contacted him then. Now that the tag is fake I would have said you better give my money back or you would sue him. If nothing else maybe you could have got him to give half the money back. Did you mention the tag to him?

When he called me today he brought other subjects, I kept bringing up the tag.  I truly believe he knew no better or like he said he would of pulled it off,  then I would not of bid so high.  That was my point to him, give me a break.  It over heated, it leaked oil, the brakes went to the floor, nowthe motor blows up?  Come on throw me a bone.  But I kept going back to fraud, and how important that incorrect plate was.  Lets see if I ever see the money?  If not I may have to get a lawyer, the fender tag bugs me the most, wether he knew it or not.  I didn't want to bid on a car with a false tag.

[The70RT]

You said it had a big oil leak when it arrived? I would have contacted him then. Now that the tag is fake I would have said you better give my money back or you would sue him. If nothing else maybe you could have got him to give half the money back. Did you mention the tag to him?

When he called me today he brought other subjects, I kept bringing up the tag.  I truly believe he knew no better or like he said he would of pulled it off,  then I would not of bid so high.  That was my point to him, give me a break.  It over heated, it leaked oil, the brakes went to the floor, nowthe motor blows up?  Come on throw me a bone.  But I kept going back to fraud, and how important that incorrect plate was.  Lets see if I ever see the money?  If not I may have to get a lawyer, the fender tag bugs me the most, wether he knew it or not.  I didn't want to bid on a car with a false tag.

It sounds like you wanna move on with the car since your motor searching. If you think you wanna keep it I would have a lawyer send him a letter that you were going to persue other actions if he didn't make some kind of deal with you. But thats my opinion. Im sure you will figure it out. If you keep it a few years you should come out ok.

[1969chargerrtse]

You did get hosed. You said it had a big oil leak when it arrived? I would have contacted him then. Now that the tag is fake I would have said you better give my money back or you would sue him. If nothing else maybe you could have got him to give half the money back. Did you mention the tag to him?

Yes today, several times.  Thats why he settled, I believe.  It leaked oil like a car that needs a new rear main, not like it was pouring out, I don't think most people would do anything about that anyway.  Thanks.

[1969chargerrtse]

The different title change should spare you any more grief. 
Congrats on the '69.  It's a nice lookin' ride.    I didn't pick up on it anywhere, but was the grenaded motor the #'s matching one?  If it is you might want to hold on to it and any pieces just for the heck of it any ways. 
What's wrong with the fender tag anyways?  Besides it being a repro.

  Naw the motor was a truck block, but had nice heads!  The tag is not 100% correct,  its dated Jan 7 when the car was made Nov.  Some options on it are not on the car, some options on the car are not on the tag.

[1969chargerrtse]

I just talked to the past owner, we made an aggrement of him sending 2,000.00. 

Hey, that's better than a sharp stick in the eye. Time to take a deep breath, then move on.

As long as the family is healthy and sometimes happy, I'm cool.  Thanks for the support, welcome to the site.  I was a newbie , until I started this thread.  Wanna move up?  Call yourself a GM guy, kidding, don't do it, they'll eat you alive.  Been there done that.

[Chris G.]

Don't pay  Him no mind, he's the site's resident weinie err,.. meanie..

  Yes, I see.  I work with some of them. Sad, very sad

What's truly sad is that you just plunked down 30K on a car you never even layed eyes on, and it blew up...that's the definition of sad my friend. You can rant about what options are on the car, but if a buyer who did their homework comes along, you are in trouble.

Now go spend another 5K on a lawyer who can't do a thing about it. 

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Don't pay  Him no mind, he's the site's resident weinie err,.. meanie..

i dont see where he was being mean or wean for that matter    Stating his opinion which isnt sugarcoated like most....deal with it..

[Red Ram]

Regardless of the engine, you have a beautiful car...probably worth the money you paid. Put a new engine in and call it good. Crap happens and you just have to move on.

[1969chargerrtse]

Don't pay  Him no mind, he's the site's resident weinie err,.. meanie..

  Yes, I see.  I work with some of them. Sad, very sad

What's truly sad is that you just plunked down 30K on a car you never even layed eyes on, and it blew up...that's the definition of sad my friend. You can rant about what options are on the car, but if a buyer who did their homework comes along, you are in trouble.

Now go spend another 5K on a lawyer who can't do a thing about it. 

Know one will have to do home work.  One, it's not for sale,  Two, if it ever is, it's a nice optioned car without the fender tag, and I would be honest with it as I always am, Lets move on.  The blowining up part is sad, I agree with that.  I think the false description and fender tag would be an issue, but whatever.

[1969chargerrtse]

Don't pay  Him no mind, he's the site's resident weinie err,.. meanie..

i dont see where he was being mean or wean for that matter    Stating his opinion which isnt sugarcoated like most....deal with it..

I don't like or agree with his opinion, and I don't have to deal with it.  So, nope.

[RD]

hey, i commend you on keeping the charger, it sounds like you are more "proactive" now.  I still stand by my statements earlier, but I am willing to concede that you are doing something now that sounds beneficial for you in the future.

keep your nose to the grindstone and get the car fixed.  All in all, even with getting a new shortblock, you still are coming out less than what many of the owners on this board have put into their restorations.

Resell value is going to be tough without the original fendertag and no buildsheet.  By him placing the false unoriginal fendertag on the car and removing it prior to shipment, that is false advertising.  I would slam him to the wall if you have the financial wherewithal to absorb the cost of litigation.   

Either way good luck with your attempts, and I apologize for being a little rough on you.  I could have said it in a more positive tone, and I am sorry about that.

Jamey

[RD]

Don't pay  Him no mind, he's the site's resident weinie err,.. meanie..

i dont see where he was being mean or wean for that matter    Stating his opinion which isnt sugarcoated like most....deal with it..

I don't like or agree with his opinion, and I don't have to deal with it.  So, nope.

he was referring to brock samson, not you, btw.