Possibility!!!!

[Lizey]

Just Talked To My Aunt Tonight...
Said My Uncle Wants To Give Me The '76 Charger SE For CHEAP!!
I Said "How Much, $1000?" And She Said "Ha! Not Even Half That!"
Going To Talk To Him/Look At It Tmr...
Wish Me Luck!

[RamchargerMopar]

good luck...on that...

[BIRD67]

76 Charger? thats the Cordoba body stile! I love those cars, pretty uncommon these days! Good Luck and please, post some pics when you can!

[b5blue]

  GOOD LUCK!

[Purple440]

Good luck!   

[Lizey]

just talked to him today and....
HES GUARANTEEING I GET IT!
hes working on a price he thinks is fair, said he was 16 once and remembers not being able to afford what he wants 
heres the stats
ohh, its a '77 btw...

1977 Dodge Charger SE
360 c.i. V8
4 Barrel Carb.
Torqueflight (A727)? Automatic 3-Speed Transmission
Dual Exhaust
Cragar Wheels
White W/ Creme Vinyl Top
SUNROOF!!! 
All Power Options


its a California car that only saw one michigan winter... exhaust is sitting on the ground otherwise no rust... whole vinyl top is still there even!
im going to try hopefully to start it this weekend, I plan on draining gas, pullin plugs, spraying some WD40 in there, turning it by hand a bit to get everything moving, new plugs, fresh gas, change oil (it needs it), check all other fluids, new battery, and then give it a shot...
anything im missing?
pics by this time next week i promise 

[RD]

awesome Lizey!!! waiting anxiously for pics!! congratulations!!!

[Purple440]

Sweet!  When did it run last?

[Lizey]

he drove it into the barn its in right now 9 years ago..started it once every 6 months for 2 years after that im really hoping that means i can get it running... im planning a frame on restoration that i will hopefully have done by senior year 

[moparguy01]

Congrats. I've owned a few cordobas which arent the same but its the same chassis. Good cars really.

[hotrod98]

Good luck. Hope you get it. 

Last time I looked the 77's didn't have frames. So, no "frame on" resto there. 

[Steve P.]

I sold a solid 77' Cordoba a few years ago for 2 grand. Same specs. as yours, only no power top. Sweet car in my opinion. Congrats........ 

[Purple440]

he drove it into the barn its in right now 9 years ago..started it once every 6 months for 2 years after that im really hoping that means i can get it running... im planning a frame on restoration that i will hopefully have done by senior year 

I plan on draining gas, pullin plugs, spraying some WD40 in there, turning it by hand a bit to get everything moving, new plugs, fresh gas, change oil (it needs it), check all other fluids, new battery, and then give it a shot...
anything im missing?

Check for fuel leaks in the lines and at the carb when you start it, and check for anything dripping on the ground while it's running.  You might want to replace the fuel filter before you even run it.

Congrats Lizey, nothing like that first muscle car (assuming)...I remember that feeling and it's great!   

- Doug

[Lizey]

yeah its (hopefully) the first
theres allways that big "convince the parnents" aspect of it we'll see where that goes...
wheres a fuel filter going to be on one of these?

[1969chargerrtse]

That is so cool.  The guy has style.  It has Cragars!

[Lizey]

does anyone know if "Chilton" of "Hayes" makes one of those repair books for this model car?
lots of work going to be done to it (i want it running before i park it for the winter) and id like to know what im looking at
i have one for my Jetta now im just hoping they make one for the hopefully-soon-to-be-mine '77 Charger

[Purple440]

wheres a fuel filter going to be on one of these?

Well it's somewhere in the line between the tank and the pump, assuming it's still using the mechanical pump.  Just stick your head under there (passenger side) and you should see it.  Don't worry too much if you just want to start it and run it.  But when you start driving it, you'll probably want to do that.

[Lizey]

the goal is to drive it out to our farm that way i dont have to worry about it bottoming out getting on our trailer (a 75 LTD did im sure this would) so for i guess new filter is in the books

[69charger2002]

congrats on yor future purchase! keep us updated on it!   
trav

[Lizey]

congrats on yor future purchase! keep us updated on it!   
trav

haha thanks but its not a "purchase" yet
still have to get the folks to like the idea

[elacruze]

1977 Dodge Charger SE
360 c.i. V8
4 Barrel Carb.
Torqueflight (A727)? Automatic 3-Speed Transmission
Dual Exhaust
Cragar Wheels
White W/ Creme Vinyl Top
SUNROOF!!! 
All Power Options

All you need is some 3.55:1 gears and it's a sleeper!

[Lizey]

haha im just lookin for a posi that i can get decent milage with

[moparguy01]

stay with the 2.76 gears it most likely has in it if you want fuel economy. It won't accelerate real fast, but it'll have a high top end and you can usually get decent fuel economy keeping it around 60-65. I got 22mpg out of my 74 charger when it was a 318/904 with a 2.76 peg leg. well that was on the highway but its pretty good still i thought.

[Lizey]

so its more than likely got 2.76 in it?
(my uncle said hes had it to 100 and with a 360 i figured that was pretty fast haha)

[moparguy01]

every small block 'doba I've ever owned had a 2.76. I did have a big block 'doba with 3.23 gears once though.

[Lizey]

never thought the 360 was a smallblock (ive allways used 350 as the border)
ya learn something new everyday
the 2.76 isnt a posi is it?

[elacruze]

With any taller gears than 3.55 that 360 won't need posi anyway. Spend the money on gas if you stay with gas mileage gears.

Like most people, I'm projecting what I would have wanted at your age onto you now. Choose your own path, it's much healthier for your driver's licence, cash flow and love life to stay with the hiway gears.

[Lizey]

yeah im just looking for something i can afford to drive, looks/runs beautifully, and can leave a cloud of smoke whenever i feel the urge 

[moparguy01]

With any taller gears than 3.55 that 360 won't need posi anyway. Spend the money on gas if you stay with gas mileage gears.

Like most people, I'm projecting what I would have wanted at your age onto you now. Choose your own path, it's much healthier for your driver's licence, cash flow and love life to stay with the hiway gears.

You see I must disagree with this last statement. I had highway gears in a 64 polara I had back in high school. and well needless to say the state of North Dakota somewhat frowns upon doubling the speed limit. This act kills cash flow in its entirety for some time, and the state then determines they should cancel said drivers license. All of these are not good for someone in High school.

Just I guess all i can say is wether you go with highway gears or the drag gears, just don't be a dumbass and you won't get in trouble.

[Lizey]

haha noted
and im not to much of an idiot driving (with a 2.2 Plymouth Acclaim how can i? the bloody thing wont even do the speed limit let alone excede it) so thats not too much of a concern

id like to know what it would take so i could get this running long enough to get it home though.. i mentioned earlier what my uncle said to do but what would you guys do?

[Purple440]

yeah im just looking for something i can afford to drive, looks/runs beautifully, and can leave a cloud of smoke whenever i feel the urge 

That cloud of smoke is going to cost you some $$.  A 360 in that big Charger isn't going to be very quick.  Should still be fun to drive once you tune it up.

[Lizey]

i hope to mildly rebuild it.. new intake/carb w/ headers... maybe a slightly more agressive cam idk enough to give it some punch

[moparguy01]

how far of a drive does it need to make?

[Lizey]

how far of a drive does it need to make?

less than ten miles... just to our farm then ill really begin to work on it

[elacruze]

Well if it's been sitting for six years without being started or properly pickled, you're going to have gas problems. Whatever was in the tank isn't gasoline anymore, it may not even be liquid enough to recognize. At worst you'll have to pull the tank and clean it or replace it if rusty. Next, you'll probably have to rebuild the carburetor because all the gaskets and rubber have dried up. That goes for fuel lines and possibly the fuel pump too, if it's a CA car it probably had ethanol in the gas which eats rubber. If you're lucky, whatever is in there will still burn well enough to move the car.
So, Check underhood for Raccoon nests, get the Rat kibble out of the air filter housing, check the coolant and trans fluid, change the oil, put in a new battery and hit the key!

Oh yeah have a fire extinguisher at hand. No kidding.

[Lizey]

allright so a lot of work just to get that hulk moving eh?
now the big question..
whats all that gonna cost me? haha

[elacruze]

Fortunately time is on your side.
If you're lucky, you may get away with some fuel line and a carb rebuild. Over the long haul, you'll certainly fine-tune it, new tires and brake pads (yes they deteriorate while standing still) shocks, etc. In the near term, you're looking at probably $500 worth of exhaust, carb, brakes etc. Tires...well they may look ok but I'm no fan of ten year old rubber. Pay as you go, and welcome to the wonderful world of Universal Entropy.

[moparguy01]

well if its been out on a farm you could have some other potential issues. Rodents love mopar wiring. It's like crack to them. so there is a chance it might need some wiring repairs. Honestly how I would go about it would be to bring a gas can with fresh gas, and about 10 feet worth of new fuel line. hook it straight up to the carb making sure to keep the tubing out of any harms way there, and run it off that. I've brought quite a few cars home that way. Next, and imo the most important thing about a car, make sure the brakes work. Check to see if there are any brake system leaks. getting going is pointless unless you can stop. Not stopping is why cars get wrecked. haha. also, dont be afraid of mice, if you get a field car or one stored on a farm there is a good chance you will wake something up while driving and it will run out and around the car like its on fire. if you do drive it then make sure your followed closely by a tow vehicle with some extra tools.

A better option imo would be to flat tow it back with whatever vehicles you or your folks have. That way you wouldnt have to worry about it, as long as it has brakes. and if it doesnt have brakes then get 3 or 4 used tires for next to nothing, and lash them between the tow vehicle and your car and just keep it tied tight so the vehicles stay connected that way. it'll work for short distances.

when i was in HS i would have put that fuel can in like i said and drove the thing home. but I have since gotten smarter.

[Purple440]

i hope to mildly rebuild it.. new intake/carb w/ headers... maybe a slightly more agressive cam idk enough to give it some punch

Or start a 440 bank savings account and put your money there.  When I got my Charger with a 318, I put a new Eddy intake and carb on it and the only thing that changed was the weight of my wallet.  If you change the cam, you will have to change other things, so it's not just a cam change...other things must match.  Don't worry about headers at this point.

I feel your enthusiasm and remember my own at your age.  Tune it up and have fun till you get a decent income.  Then build a big block and drop it in. 

- Doug

[FLG]

Congrats!!

About the gas thing. When i bought my first car it was sitting for 10 years!! Yes, 10 years.

Put it on the trailer, bought it to my friends yard. Changed the wires (or rather put them on since there was none!), put a battery in it, changed the fuel filter and started cranking.

Yes it did start and run on 10 year old gas.

Since it was sitting so long the valve seals were dry and it smoked like hell. After a week of adding new gas and oil additives it stopped smoking and ran just fine.

Wound up getting rid of the thing anyways for a mopar 

[Charger440RDN]

My aunt had a royal blue/white top 1976 Chrysler Cordoba, same body as the charger. That car had some long heavy doors and I remember that it always sat low to the ground in the back.  Good luck on the purchase.  

[Lizey]

Congrats!!

About the gas thing. When i bought my first car it was sitting for 10 years!! Yes, 10 years.

Put it on the trailer, bought it to my friends yard. Changed the wires (or rather put them on since there was none!), put a battery in it, changed the fuel filter and started cranking.

Yes it did start and run on 10 year old gas.

Since it was sitting so long the valve seals were dry and it smoked like hell. After a week of adding new gas and oil additives it stopped smoking and ran just fine.

Wound up getting rid of the thing anyways for a mopar 

what wires would i be looking at replacing?
just the ones from the sparkplugs to the destributor or all of it??

[rt green]

i.d tow it. get it home safely. get the paperwork and lic plates figured out. then get it running.  i would price out a tow truck or something like that, that way nothing bad will happen.

[b5blue]

I think he means spark plug wires. Remember brakes are important...towing it to where you can work on it is a great idea.

[Lizey]

yeah thinking about it today towing it made way more sense and we have a car dolly so im set
if i hook up jumpers and nothing happens when i turn the key am i screwed?

[moparguy01]

no, it just means there is a electrical issue somewhere. it could be as simple as a bad battery cable. so many places to start with that question....

[Lizey]

i talked to a close family friend whos a mechanic and he said hed go over everything with me
hes looked over it before and he said as of last winter everything electrical was working (engine wise) so hes coming over when i bring it home and he said we'll have it street legal in a weekend 

im finally one of you guys haha! 

[moparguy01]

im finally one of you guys haha! 

i wouldnt go saying that too loud. someone will probably get you committed.

[Lizey]

hahaha
whats it cost to get one of these professionally painted?
and i want to save the vinyl top... but i want a black one.. whats that gonna set me back?

[69bronzeT5]

if i hook up jumpers and nothing happens when i turn the key am i screwed?

I run into that a lot with my Duster. I'm thinking there is a loose ground or something somewhere. The original problem was the starter and starter relay were both hooped!

[Arthu®]

hahaha
whats it cost to get one of these professionally painted?
and i want to save the vinyl top... but i want a black one.. whats that gonna set me back?

Congrats on getting the Charger. It is a cool car to start with. However before you really get it professionally painted, I am not sure if you would want to spend that much money on the car. These cars don't have a very good resale value and if you had the money for pro paint job (being probably anywhere from 2 to 4k minimum) you could easily buy a running and driving 3rd gen project that has a little better resale value.

Arthur

[jaak]

hahaha
whats it cost to get one of these professionally painted?
and i want to save the vinyl top... but i want a black one.. whats that gonna set me back?

With you being a young guy, getting into the hobby, I think this would be a perfect car to learn to do it yourself on  There is a body/paint section on here that you can get good advice, but there are also some great bodywork forums on the net that you can learn alot from.
http://autobodystore.com/forum/index.php
http://autobody101.com/forums/
http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/
Check out all these sites... great info and reading material.

Good luck,
Jason

[Lizey]

well my uncles a bit slow on figuring a price so i havent heard from him yet but i am now realizing im going to have to sell one of my other toys to pay for this 
haha looks like the VW is gettin a new home