UPDATED with a few pics... was another whats it worth

[Tilar]

I went to look at a 73 today.  WH23P3A188040

Here is the bad..... I knew it had a broken torsion bar and he had emailed me a couple pictures of the rust so I knew it was by no means perfect before I went to look at it.  The trunk floor is thin around a few places but it can be patched up easily and made a driver. The one rear frame rail should probably be replaced too. Both fenders have holes and will probably need replaced or patched and the quarters need some work. Drivers fender looks like it has a whiskey dent in it.

Now for the good. The floorboards are actually pretty nice, Carpet, console, rear seat and headliner are all pretty good shape. Car has 47,000 actual miles on it. I asked the guy if he felt pretty sure that it was original miles and he said he could guarantee it was original because he bought the car new back in 1973. He is the original owner. The right rear tire is supposedly the original spare that came with the car. They put it on to move the car over to his friends shop to get it out of the yard. He was asking $3000 for it.

The last time it was licensed was in 92 when the tortion bar broke and had been in storage a number of year until he lost his storage. (whatever that means)  He said that it had very little rust on it until he started leaving it outside.

There is a bar over top of the fender tag, that's why I have a couple different pics of the one. It has 2 tags but I cant make out what is on the one. Another thing that seemed odd was the screws holding on the fender tags. They don't really look original but they might be.  Anyway, here it is in all it's glory.

[Tilar]

I can't read the pics enough to try to decode that fender tag.

[twinscrew698]

I would really check out the k frame bushings as if the torsion bar broke and from sitting out like that i would almost say that there is more going on under that car than what u can see!
Price seems steep to me for a project! Now if it runs seems kinda of a fair price if you do the work! Now if ya have to pay to have it done that's another matter!

[carolina charger]

 Offer him $2500 cash and bring it home. 

[74Rallye]

One owner would be a big positive to me. It looks like a great start for a project. Get it!

[Mopar2Ya]

Is that a bugle hood? If so, I'd say it should be worth ~$2000 because of the hood & interior.

[Tilar]

I would really check out the k frame bushings as if the torsion bar broke and from sitting out like that i would almost say that there is more going on under that car than what u can see!

A couple weeks ago the guy that owns the shop where it is sitting pushed it up on the rack and got some pics. The k-frame bushings are definitely in need of replacing and from the looks of the one picture, I'm not so sure the k-frame itself doesn't need some work or maybe even replacing.

He also stuck a battery in it and poured a little gas down the carb. He said it fired right up and ran a few seconds till it ran out of gas.

Is that a bugle hood? If so, I'd say it should be worth ~$2000 because of the hood & interior.

Bulge hood, yes it does have one. Pretty nice one too.  

I offered the guy that owns it $1800. He told me that if I promised to never bring it back for him to see that I could have it for $1900. He said he knows that he's going to regret selling it but he signed the title over and it's now mine.  

[FLG]

Sweet deal!!

IMO, make sure that the dash vin matches the fender tag vin. Also make sure the dash vin has the correct rivets.

Might just be a case of loosing the screws, but those are not the original screws to the fender tag.

[Tilar]

The dash vin does match the last 6 on the fender tag and it has the correct rivots. I checked that out before the cash changed hands.

[twinscrew698]

Good luck with your Purchase!! Keep us updated on the progress or plans!
I found out about those K Frame bushings the hard way! Went to put new ones in mine and they just fell right thru the holes..K Frame was rotted under the bushings!

[69rtse4spd]

Good deal, 

[teamroth]

The shape of that interior and the bulge hood alone make it one hell of a project.
Good luck!

[Akron_Charger]

nice project is that car in Ohio? looks like it has old Ohio plates on it. Good luck!

[FLG]

Cool!

I had the same problems with the K-Frame bushings. I have another K-Frame but not ready to do the swap yet. I welded some reinforcment plates to the bottom and its been holding up really well so far.

[Tilar]

nice project is that car in Ohio? looks like it has old Ohio plates on it. Good luck!

Yes It is an Ohio car. Bought it in Toledo.  I was going to wait till I went to Texas here in another month or so and just pick one up down there, but I started getting anxious and happened across this one.

I doubt these K-frames are that easy to find are they? I imagine that if this one is rotted out I'll do like you did and just weld some plates to it. I really just plan on this being a daily driver while I'm building the 68 so I really don't want to put a ton of money into this one. I just wish it had A/C to keep my fatass cool in the summer. 

[Akron_Charger]

My 74 isnt that bad in the summer heat wise! sure takes forever to warm up in the winter though

[FLG]

nice project is that car in Ohio? looks like it has old Ohio plates on it. Good luck!

Yes It is an Ohio car. Bought it in Toledo.  I was going to wait till I went to Texas here in another month or so and just pick one up down there, but I started getting anxious and happened across this one.

I doubt these K-frames are that easy to find are they? I imagine that if this one is rotted out I'll do like you did and just weld some plates to it. I really just plan on this being a daily driver while I'm building the 68 so I really don't want to put a ton of money into this one. I just wish it had A/C to keep my fatass cool in the summer. 

They are findable, but BB k-frames seem to be a bit harder to find.

Basically what i did with the plate is have a rectangular piece run from the beginning of the k-frame to a bit up from where it bends going upward, cut a hole in it for the bolt to pass through and welded that on. I then notched it and bent the side upward and welded them. Its been almost a year now with one side, and a few months with the other. No issues at all. 

[Tilar]

Well, I finally took it on its first drive since it was parked back in 1991.

I rebuilt the carb (had to put another base plate on it), New plugs, wires, cap and rotor, New belts and hoses... changed all fluids and filters.  All new brake lines, master cylinder, rear brake shoes and wheel cylinders, rebuilt the front calipers. Replaced the tortion bars and bought k-frame bushings but they are still on the bench.

Replaced both front fenders, rear bumper and tail light housings and lenses, replaced the front bumper and grille with a 72 hideaway setup. Painted the roof and installed a new vinyl top. Replaced front seat upholstery (actually just the drivers side, I still have to do the passenger seat).

I have an appointment to get a new exhaust system this thursday. I still need to put a new fuel tank in it but for now the one that's on it will be fine as long as I don't put more than 3/4 of a tank in it. Leaks around the new sending unit. I also still need to put the rallye stripes on the front fenders.

I still have some work around the rear quarters and cowl, but that can wait for another time.


When I first got it











After driving it the first 3 miles it's been driven in 19 years.

[69charger2002]

great looking car! thanks for the update on it, it's cool to see progress made on cars after people get their dream cars.

[69bronzeT5]

Love it!

[451-74Charger]

I'm Jealous !!!

[KWS]

Awesome! Great job! 

[tan top]

great stuff 

[stuga]

 It's strange to see a rallye car with a vinyl top on it. you got the hood and the strip. but you also have the automatic and the vinyl top. nice combination.Did you ever find out if its a true rallye. Great job fixing it up and saving it.Gotta love the look of hide-away light

[Tilar]

Did you ever find out if its a true rallye.

How would I find that out? I have the build sheet and fender tags, what do I need to look for? I'm pretty sure the car was all original when I bought it.