Charger Inspection

[dmhj99]

I've been "lurking" on this site for quite some time.   Like many others, I've always wanted a charger and right now I actually have some time and money to make it happen.   I'm going later today to check out a 1969 Dodge Charger for sale in my area.   It is ~80% restored, with recent paint and new interior (both a year old?).   The car has a 440 (supposedly a crate motor) and 727 trans, but it is not numbers matching (i.e. not a real R/T).   I was told that the gauges do not work because they are not hooked up and the head light doors do not work because they are also not hooked up.   Don't have any more details than this...plan to learn more when I go see the car.

The car looks pretty nice from the few pictures I was sent.   I think my biggest apprehension about potentially buying a car like this is not knowing all the details about the condition of the car prior to body/paint restoration (rust) and the quality of the body work.   The current owner bought the car as it sits today a year ago, with the intent of finishing it but has lost time/interest.   The last thing I want is to buy a car that is blistering all over in no time.   I've never owned a charger, so I can't say I'm intimately familiar with the car, but with all the research of done (lots of good info on this site!) I've gathered a lot of information on what to look for.  

So if anyone has any tips/advice they want to share on what to look for when buying one of these cars (on anything, not just paint & body), please let me know!   I'll let you all know what happens, and I may be back with more questions after seeing the car.

Thanks!

[NHCharger]

Does the car run? Best thing to do is take some pics, copy the fender tag and post some pics here of the car. Some people can hide rust problems better than others, just take your time to inspect every square inch of the car, don't be afraid to pull the rugs back and remove the back seat to check the floors.