Looking to buy an old charger any tips welcome

[Wacawaca]

Hey

I'm looking to buy an old charger for my first car (i'm 17). I was looking around and found Hlpag but after reading some reviews on here i saw that they were scams. Does anyone know where i should look around to find a 68-74 charger in decent shape that i can use as a daily driver? Or am I looking for something that wont be out there for under 10k.

Thanks
Stephen

[Ghoste]

Although not impossible, the days of finding a decent daily driver Charger for under 10k are mostly behind us.  That said, patience and persistence are your best tools ( a healthy dose of realism about what 10k will buy won't hurt either).  As for where to look, the for sale ads right here are an excellent place to start.

[suntech]

Under 10 K, even nowadays, seems optimistic to me.
You need to have something solid enaugh to be road safe, and run when you want it to, and stop when you want it to!!
Look aroud for a while, and dont jump on the first deal. I think 15K will bring you much closer to a reliable daily driver.

[Ghoste]

And you can expect a great deal of price differences comparing things like 69's to 74's.

[KillerBee1972]

Im 19 now when i was 17 i got my charger!!! I was searching forever and everywhere!!! Went to the nationals and found ones that either running but falling apart, or not running and not falling apart!!!! All over 8 grand   But i was patient and finally found one on ebay, wasnt too sure on buying one off ebay, but it it was too good to pass up in my opinion. Body work done, paint job done, and ran and drove fine!! Paid $4400 drove it home from Michigan!!! LOVE the car rebuilt and modified motor last winter. So if i were you look on ebay! Make sure though you get alot of pics of the car though before bidding!!!   GOOD LUCK to you and good job for picking MOPAR, not some gay ricer!!

[Big Lebowski]

  You gotta drive around and get lucky spotting a Charger in a garage under all the boxes & crap. Then you gotta talk the crazy old man into selling the Charger for $$$. I've done it, and some times the old geezer/lady sells the car real cheap because they've never seen a computer or E-bay, etc...   It helps to have Mopar friends in the tow biz, because those vultures cruise around & get the first pickin's. Know what I mean?

[MoparSam]

Hang in there Stephen, it took me 5 years to find mine and I never knew in the 15 years I lived there a 68 R/T was 12 min from the house.  I can't count how many old cars I've spotted by just riding down 2 lane roads and just scanning (watch out for garages out back and old sheds cause ya never know).  I'd use my own judgment as far as approaching houses, if you had a worry about the owner getting irate just ask if you can just look at the car, all they can do is say sure or cuss you out and if its "sure" then ask "would you want to sell it?".  Sometimes all it takes is a young persons intrest for a sale.  Also I think it helps to have people on the look out for you (power, telephone company workers). As for 10k for a 68-70 its highly unlikely, but not impossible, for a 71-74 the odds are better.  The main thing is whatever you buy make sure its what you want, don't settle for less or you'll never be happy with it.

[TheGhost]

Dude.  Get a more reliable car for your daily.  Any Charger you could afford right now will need work, and won't be cheap to fix.  Keep you eyes open, drive a fuel efficient car, graduate high school, go to college, get a career, and then start seriously looking for a Charger.

Trust me.

[CB]

Dude.  Get a more reliable car for your daily.  Any Charger you could afford right now will need work, and won't be cheap to fix.  Keep you eyes open, drive a fuel efficient car, graduate high school, go to college, get a career, and then start seriously looking for a Charger.

Trust me.

you sound bitter... but realistic. 

Old cars like our Chargers are money pits. And you are never done with it.
Craighlist and other online ads sites can give you an idea what's on the market.
Maybe now it's the right time to buy though...
CB

[mopar0166]

The Cheaper you go, the longer it will take to get it on the road correctly!  I searched for over ten years (started at 16) and have learned its better to just buy a better car when you get the money.  It sux to wait some times but you can save yourself a whole lot aggravation and time if you invest more at the start.  Plus not many people really have a decent garage to give a fixer upper what it really needs to be safe on the road.   

If you don't have at least 10k for a 2nd gen charger and a decent garage, id highly advise to keep saving.

Because if you get a big project car and your always working on it, the thrill will disappear and just become something you will get frustrated will and cut corners with to get it on the road.   

Good luck to you, id suggest craigslist( where I found Mine) , ebay(If relatively local), and surpisingly google.

good luck! 

[terrible one]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks___1970-Dodge-Charger-Buy-It-Now-Great-investment_W0QQitemZ140286600202QQddnZCarsQ20Q26Q20TrucksQQddiZ2282QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item140286600202&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65%3A-1|39%3A1|240%3A1318

How about that one?

[BB1]

I would have a body man go with you, beware of repainted cars. 

Where do you live? Maybe we have someone there to help you out.

[Wacawaca]

live in charleston SC

[Blown70]

So you know I did pay $15,000 for this.... reason decent body local and mostly original..... Worth it... well I am sure now could be bought cheaper but I wanted a running driving car.....Can show you pics of the one I sold for $5,000 if you want me to.

[68charger383]

I like this car for the $6K price-looks like a set of AMD fenders 1/4s etc. etc. and your looking good.
http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/ctd/924389352.html

Here is a CA original Black plate car being sold by the original owner for $10K. I've seen this car driving on the road.
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/cto/942377475.html

I agree with the prior posters...save another $5K and the stage/condition of car you can buy almost doubles. Just look at the difference between the first one to the second one. Then look at the second one and compare it to Blown 70's car right above. Each one is about a $5K difference in price but big difference in what you get. 

[quentin]

Hey man, as the owner of a '73, I do watch ebay a lot just to see what they're going for.  If you want a super nice 73 or 74, that's nearly perfect... they seem to be asking 15k-ish.  Very few sell at that price.  That said, I see many that I'd call "drivers" go for as low as $6000 to $7000.  These are cars that are advertised as mechanically trouble-free, and look good.  But usually they leave a few things to be desired cosmetically.  Not horrible, but just a typical older used car.  The midwest seems to have the best deals.

So if you want a 3rd generation that runs and looks ok, you can probably afford it.  You should save the other $3000 or $4000 of your budget for the things that will go wrong in the future with this 35 year old car - as they surely will.

As for my own car, I found it in Arkansas for $2500 3 years ago.  It ran, but needed a carb rebuild, had several dents, and some rust - but not bad rust.  Panel stuff, and not serious.  Small cutouts.  I pulled the carb but took so long getting it rebuilt that I had to recondition the gas tank and replace the fuel line completely.  Now I have leaks on my automatic transmission that sat too long.  It may need to be opened up, and that will cost me.  I also have minor oil leaks, an a/c clutch that whines, and a fuel pump that drips and will be replaced this weekend.  But it's all pesky stuff like that.  Most of the fixes have been inexpensive parts and home labor.  I have a friend who is doing budget body work for me, and I'm going to prep and paint it myself this spring.  I'll have to pay for some interior work.  Put some wheels and tires on it recently, because my old ones were unsafe.  But I think I'll have about 5000 to 6000 in a car that looks tough and drives daily.  It won't be a show car, nor do I plan to try to make it one at this point.  I bought it to build a driver, and lucked out to find a pretty good candidate for just that.  But I don't think I lucked out that much.  Start scanning ebay for 3rd gen chargers, and you'll probably see similar candidates.

You should probably consider getting a Triple-A membership.

[Finn]

You can still find 2nd gens in decent enough shape to drive on the street for 14-15,000. To use them as a daily without putting more $ into them though?? That may be another story...

Another example: Last year I bought my 68 for 8 grand and I was 17 then. It drove but was far from street legal let alone safe. Ive had a blast building it though and I'm glad I have it to dump money into. 

Good luck

[mopar0166]

i moved to NJ from Charleston, SC 1 yr ago and 90% of the cars i saw down there in my price range were junk.  take the time and really look over a car before you commit

[jaak]

I hear people say (and whine) all the time you cant find a decent car for under 10K. Thats bullshit. You just gotta look around, and word of mouth is the best way to find them. Now realistically you need to expect a 6 banger or 318 car, and probably will need some work, but I see them, often. I looked at a nice, super solid 1973 Charger with a 6 cylinder, had nice original paint (could look great with a little touch-up and some buffing) had new tires mounted on vector wheels, disc brakes, Interior needed work (cracked dash pad, and ripped seats) Ran good. This car was the whopping sum of 2500, cheep enough to sink another 2500 and have a super nice driver. Now all of them aren't like this or this cheep, just proves they are out there. If you want a 2nd gen you will probably have to pay more, but like everyone says Buy the most complete car you can afford to start with. Also unless its just gotta be a Charger, don't limit your selections they are other nice B-bodies out there too that can be found reasonably, and if you go the A-body route, you can find nice later model Dusters and Darts for very little money and them cars are still very plentiful in junk yards for parts. In fact I want an A-body for my next mopar. Just be patient and listen to they guys on here tips and you'll have one, took me 3 years to find mine, a project in my price range.

Good Luck on your search,
Jason

[Hemidoug]

LEARN...then buy.....and take someone with you who KNOWS old cars and Mopars in particular.....educate yourself in the common issues (ie rust areas, data tags, and decoding vins). Too many crooks looking to turn a buck on uneducated people...

[jaak]

LEARN...then buy.....and take someone with you who KNOWS old cars and Mopars in particular.....educate yourself in the common issues (ie rust areas, data tags, and decoding vins). Too many crooks looking to turn a buck on uneducated people...

Wise Advise!

[Joshua]

Where do you live Stephen? If you're willing to work on one to get up and running, I know where 3 '68's are in WA. @ $2800 will buy all 3.

[jaak]

check this out....... http://atlanta.craigslist.org/cto/944800313.html

Jason

[TheGhost]

Dude.  Get a more reliable car for your daily.  Any Charger you could afford right now will need work, and won't be cheap to fix.  Keep you eyes open, drive a fuel efficient car, graduate high school, go to college, get a career, and then start seriously looking for a Charger.

Trust me.

you sound bitter... but realistic. 

I am bitter.  I had to sell my Barracuda because I bought it before I could afford it.  Call it a leason learned.  Just trying to keep him from making the same mistake.

[Blown70]

Found pics of what I sold for $5,000.  This car, needed motor and tranny, and had some rust issues around the rear window, trunk, neeed partial 1/4 and needed repair by the battery tray.  Needed doors as well.

FYI...