The ravages of time - 1971 Charger R/T

[Magnumcharger]

Way back when:
Back in the late seventies, I met a young Charger enthusiast named Geordie McAllistar. When he was eighteen, he bought a brand new 1971 Charger R/T in plum crazy purple.
He enjoyed that car so much that he bought several more, just for kicks. By the time I met him in 1978, he had three: the purple one, a red one and a butterscotch one.
He restored all three, eventually selling the butterscotch one (now painted lemon twist) to my good friend Barry Illsley in around 1981.
I enjoyed spending lots of cruising time in the Charger with Barry, before he sold it in around 1984.

That was the last we saw of it....until it popped up on Kijiji recently.

Barry saw it first. He emailed me the link. We discussed the possibility that it might be his old car. He contacted the seller and asked for the VIN. Sure enough, it was the car. It was plenty distinctive: 440/automatic, butterscotch exterior, tan interior, black vinyl top. Barry still had the build sheet, which he mailed to the seller. I had dozens of pictures of the car, some of which I scanned and sent to the seller.

The now:
The Charger is on it's last legs. It probably needs every panel either fixed or replaced. The original drivetrain is gone too.
Quite the shame what can happen to an unappreciated Charger in a quarter of a century of neglect!

The first picture is my shot, back in 1982. Then the ad, then the present day pictures.

[SG1022]

Sweet and sour story.

Can't wait for the pictures.

[Magnumcharger]

One more pic.

[Ghoste]

That's really sad.  I had a chance to buy my old 69 back a few years ago and it was a similar thing.  I wish I had taken pictures but I was too shocked to do it and looking back it seems fitting.  That way the only way I can show the car is by pics that show her as she was, not the clapped out rusty parts car that greeted me that day.

[chargerboy69]

So when are picking the car up?  I just went through this last month, being able to purchase one of my old cars back.  It is hard to see your old car if they have been neglected.  The memories come flooding back, but then you look at it and think "That piece of s#!t can not be my old car".  It is hard I know, but at least in my situation, it will be well worth it in the end.  Go get her. 

[Magnumcharger]

Yeah...when am I picking it up.
I'd like to say "RIGHT NOW".....but I have to be realistic.

All my car money is dedicated to several other projects. I can only save so many.
And $4500 is too much in my opinion.

I'm trying to talk the owner into keeping it.
Seems a shame to sell, given the quantity and quality of reproduction parts being produced right now.

[RD]

yummmmm elastomeric bumpers!!!! I wish I could get it.. but I have too many projects right now.

[69bronzeT5]

I think someone needs to tell the owner it's not road worthy!

[tan top]

 sad sight how the car has ended up now 

[Back N Black]

Yeah...when am I picking it up.
I'd like to say "RIGHT NOW".....but I have to be realistic.

All my car money is dedicated to several other projects. I can only save so many.
And $4500 is too much in my opinion.

I'm trying to talk the owner into keeping it.
Seems a shame to sell, given the quantity and quality of reproduction parts being produced right now.

Robin, Knock the seller down on the price and i will buy it.

[PocketThunder]

Do all the stop signs in the Great White North say "Stop, Arrest"?  Is Arrest Canadian for Stop?   

[Magnumcharger]

Do all the stop signs in the Great White North say "Stop, Arrest"?  Is Arrest Canadian for Stop?   

Not quite! Arret is French for Stop.
In New Brunswick there is a bilingual sign policy, even though only 10% of the population is considered bilingual/French speaking.
It's probably due to the proximity of Quebec, which is considerably larger and more influential.
Personally, I don't even notice it anymore!

[Magnumcharger]

Yeah...when am I picking it up.
I'd like to say "RIGHT NOW".....but I have to be realistic.

All my car money is dedicated to several other projects. I can only save so many.
And $4500 is too much in my opinion.

I'm trying to talk the owner into keeping it.
Seems a shame to sell, given the quantity and quality of reproduction parts being produced right now.

Robin, Knock the seller down on the price and i will buy it.

Eldon, the phone number is right there...ask for Rita. Why don't you and Barry go for a drive to Moncton, and do the "good cop/bad cop" routine on her!

[Magnumcharger]

Just a few more shots, from "back in the day"!

[hemi68charger]

Man,, she was sure purty.... Hope you get her back on the road again soon........

[Back N Black]

Just a few more shots, from "back in the day"!

Is that Barry rippin up the streets?

[ACUDANUT]

 Ask for a "Test Ride" first.    Play diry and complain about junk in the streets. 

[Magnumcharger]

Just a few more shots, from "back in the day"!

Is that Barry rippin up the streets?

Yes indeed!

[FastbackJon]

Reminds me of Brigitte Nielsen, what time can do to a blonde that doesn't take care of herself from 1982 to today...

Hard to believe it's the same car though. Makes me wonder what happened, was it just left outside or what. Can't imagine my chargers looking like that 25 years from now.

[Magnumcharger]

Reminds me of Brigitte Nielsen, what time can do to a blonde that doesn't take care of herself from 1982 to today...

Yeah, I can see the similarity...big, yellow, rotted out....

[Magnumcharger]

Price reduced to $3500....

[Black Charger]

It's not often that fate extends you a hand like this (usually, fate is good about extending its middle finger, especially when it comes to cars you remember from your youth). I second chargerboy69's suggestion....go get her!

[aussiemuscle]

sad sight how the car has ended up now 

yes, but then all junkers and parts cars were new once.

$3500 sounds expensive 

[Magnumcharger]

I'd love to grab that Charger, especially considering my good friend used to own it...after buying it from another one of my friends. I still remember when it was painted by Ron Murray, the owner/operator of the town's only gas station and general store. Ron taped off the factory stripes and sprayed the car right there in the lube bay of his Fina station. No exhaust fan, no mask, no nothing. I watched him paint it, by cupping my hands around my face and peering in a side window.

Yeah, Ron is gone now, but I believe he made it to around eighty years of age, despite his lack of safety procedures!

If I had a place to put the car, just to let it sit and wait it's turn for my attentions, I'd buy it. But I've got a three car garage....with five cars stuffed into it.

And the maritime climate is brutal to cars left outside to weather.

[1969chargerrtse]

Beautiful car back in the day.  Somewhere it grew trim rings as it aged.

[Magnumcharger]

Actually, the wheels on the Charger in the "before" shots came off of a beautiful 1968 Charger from Pennsylvania. The '68 owner wanted to put aluminum slots on his car, and sold the magnums to Barry for a fire-sale price!
The current rims on the '71 are obviously '69-up road wheels.

[Magnumcharger]

So, as a follow up, I've been informed that this car has been bought by a member here on DodgeCharger.com.
And no, it isn't me!

This is/was a great car, with oodles of potential! The owner tells me that he has the underside restored already!

Here is a link to my Flickr.com site, with more than a couple of vintage shots of this car:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dodgedeora/sets/72157623985546430/

[71charger]

Hell I paid that much for my car and drove it home with no problems!!! I really love them rt doors wouldnt mind picking me up some of those...

[Finn]

Who bought it? I'd like to keep following this story with a resto thread if the new owner doesn't mind.

[71_Charger_R/T]

Who bought it? I'd like to keep following this story with a resto thread if the new owner doesn't mind.

It looks like Tim Wilson is his name. Here's what I could find.....
http://www.71chargerrtregistry.com/
Well... that didn't work!
I don't know how to link that specific page to this but if you go down on the left lower side in that link, you'll see "Charger R/T rides" index, then scroll down to "Tim Wilson" and click on his name, then you'll get to see what I tried to link. Sorry for the monkey business.

[Magnumcharger]

Tim Wilson, Riverview New Brunswick, Canada.
I'm excited to see this car finally being done after all these years!

[ACUDANUT]

Holy Cow, the rear quarter looks like it is 6-8 foot in the air. 

[XS29L9Bxxxxxx]

Holy Cow, the rear quarter looks like it is 6-8 foot in the air. 

Yeah, that's one heck of a shadetree "lift" 

[440]

Holy Cow, the rear quarter looks like it is 6-8 foot in the air. 

Yeah, that's one heck of a shadetree "lift" 

  no kidding, wooden boxes with jack stands on top...

[ACUDANUT]

 I guess it works..However it's so tall, how do you do bodywork ? 

[XS29L]

Maybe the bodyman is 8 feet tall.  Glad to see the car is being repaired .

[sixpack71]

Was it Banana yellow..and he's doing it Curious yellow?

[Magnumcharger]

Originally Butterscotch...then Lemon Yellow...now Curious yellow!

[Ghoste]

So now it will get finished, correct?

[Pat1973charger]

I actually inquired about this car a few years ago but jut didnt jump on it in time. Beautiful car but glad I got the 69! Hope to see more progress pics on this one!

[Dreamcar]

Do all the stop signs in the Great White North say "Stop, Arrest"?  Is Arrest Canadian for Stop?   

Not quite! Arret is French for Stop.
In New Brunswick tsthere is a bilingual sign policy, even though only 10% of the population is considered bilingual/French speaking.
It's probably due to the proximity of Quebec, which is considerably larger and more influential.
Personally, I don't even notice it anymore!

The province is 32% french speaking, not 10%. The largest city, Moncton, is 46% bilingual and the proximity to Quebec has nothing to do with it, the local population does. Moncton is actually the farthest city from the Quebec border and is closer to the state of Maine and the province of Nova Scotia.

[AKcharger]

I like the idea of the boxes for a lift!!!!

[rt green]

growing up in se minnesota, a neighbor had a red one like that.  always thought it was cool as hell.  don't know what ever happened to it. probably sold it in college. I'm glad this car gets to stay in the community so to speak.