Lets hear about that sweet deal you passed up on a Charger

[xx29440charger]

.

[rp23g7]

You Seattle guys may remember this, if you lived around Bellevue in the late 70's early 80's.

All us Eastside car guys remember that the Bellevue KMart had a side parking that everybody put the car they wanted to sell.


It must have been 81 or 82, as i was in 10th or 11th grade.  A black 68 Charger showed up there, kinda beat up, ladder bars and big tires.
Called the owners up, it had a 383 in it, they only wanted $800 for it.

[W4ATL]

I almost passed up buying my dream car, a '68 Dodge Charger R/T, but my wife talked me into buying it.

She wanted to paint the '68 Road Runner that I have owned since '87 gold since we are big Georgia Tech fans. I didn't feel right completely changing the color of the car from Burgundy to Gold so I joked about it being cheaper to just sell the Road Runner and buy the Charger I have always wanted already gold and restored. She thought that was a great idea and to start searching. I would do some half-hearted checks on the Internet and low and behold I found this gorgeous '68 Dodge Charger R/T in Texas.  The price was high compared to what people on this board tolerate but I still wouldn't be able to convert the Road Runner to look as good as this for the price.  So my wife says fly to Texas and check it out.  I did and tried to be as objective as possible and looked at every problem since the price was high and my expectations were high. The car did require some mechanical help - more than I would have thought for the price. My wife told me the problems seemed minor to her and just get it. So I strike a deal to have the car shipped back to Georgia and hop back on the plane to Atlanta.

As soon as the Charger is delivered I start getting the Road Runner ready to sell. Then, my wife starts asking me if I really wanted to sell the Road Runner. Well I said yes since I just paid too much money for my dream car and we don't have the room or the time to maintain two muscle cars. We take it to the local Mopar car show car corral and I take a walk around the show. I come back to the Road Runner to see my wife talking to some prospective buyers. But instead of trying to sell the car she is talking them out of it!

"You don't want this car - it's  old."

"There are some scratches on it"

I'm like Hey, what are you doing.  She told me she wanted to keep it since I have owned it longer than we have been married and it seems like family. Plus, she fell in love driving it when she took it out on the track at Atlanta Motor Speedway when they opened up the track to show participants. But I somehow have the feeling that she always had it in her mind to keep the Road Runner.

Now she has these plans for a cool custom paint job for the Road Runner that includes a big Road Runner picture. Not sure how that will look but it is her car now. And she is talking about a 4 car garage.

How many others have such great support for a husband's irrational hobby?

[moparstuart]

I almost passed up buying my dream car, a '68 Dodge Charger R/T, but my wife talked me into buying it.

She wanted to paint the '68 Road Runner that I have owned since '87 gold since we are big Georgia Tech fans. I didn't feel right completely changing the color of the car from Burgundy to Gold so I joked about it being cheaper to just sell the Road Runner and buy the Charger I have always wanted already gold and restored. She thought that was a great idea and to start searching. I would do some half-hearted checks on the Internet and low and behold I found this gorgeous '68 Dodge Charger R/T in Texas.  The price was high compared to what people on this board tolerate but I still wouldn't be able to convert the Road Runner to look as good as this for the price.  So my wife says fly to Texas and check it out.  I did and tried to be as objective as possible and looked at every problem since the price was high and my expectations were high. The car did require some mechanical help - more than I would have thought for the price. My wife told me the problems seemed minor to her and just get it. So I strike a deal to have the car shipped back to Georgia and hop back on the plane to Atlanta.

As soon as the Charger is delivered I start getting the Road Runner ready to sell. Then, my wife starts asking me if I really wanted to sell the Road Runner. Well I said yes since I just paid too much money for my dream car and we don't have the room or the time to maintain two muscle cars. We take it to the local Mopar car show car corral and I take a walk around the show. I come back to the Road Runner to see my wife talking to some prospective buyers. But instead of trying to sell the car she is talking them out of it!

"You don't want this car - it's  old."

"There are some scratches on it"

I'm like Hey, what are you doing.  She told me she wanted to keep it since I have owned it longer than we have been married and it seems like family. Plus, she fell in love driving it when she took it out on the track at Atlanta Motor Speedway when they opened up the track to show participants. But I somehow have the feeling that she always had it in her mind to keep the Road Runner.

Now she has these plans for a cool custom paint job for the Road Runner that includes a big Road Runner picture. Not sure how that will look but it is her car now. And she is talking about a 4 car garage.

How many others have such great support for a husband's irrational hobby?

dude thats one is a keeper 

[tan top]

 forget how much now   , but would of been about  1000 dollars  in 1986  ,  & it was only  5 minutes up the road from me ,  a  T5 or T7  , tan interior black top !   69 charger R/T  440  4speed !  track pack ! ,  ran strong !  real good body , but a riped up interior !  

[Jake]

Passed on a 69 Charger 500, mint survivor for $8k in 1999.

[bull]

How many others have such great support for a husband's irrational hobby?

Wow, that's a supercool Mopar wife. My wife is a cool Mopar wife but not a supercool Mopar wife like yours. Mine tolerates it cheerfully but doesn't celebrate it.

Anyway, not only did I pass on a smoking Charger deal but I passed on it twice. I had my 70 Charger when I was younger so figured I didn't need another one but I used to always see this 68 R/T with no engine/trans in a small wrecking yard owned by these guys who did work for my dad. A few years later I started dating this girl who lived just across the street from the place and by chance her brother was looking for his first car so I talked him into buying it. He got it for $500. Pass one. He fiddly-farted around with it and eventually his mom moved and he had to store it at a friend's house. Those people got sick of this Charger sitting in their driveway so he asked me if I would buy it and move it, so I did... for $50. I moved it about two blocks where a friend of mine has a storage unit and there it sat for about four months. During that time I chased down the lost title and eventually the kid wanted it back so I sold it back. Pass two. He finally put a 400/727 in it and drove it for a short time before wrecking it. I still kick myself for not hanging onto it. It probably would have been cheaper to pay my other friend a storage fee for seven years or so than it cost me to buy the one I have now. Probably would have been a much easier restoration too.

[HeavyFuel]

Years ago, before I bought the Charger I have now, I looked at a '70 that a guy had for sale.  New Plum Crazy paint, white guts, white top, refinished chrome.  The outside was all finished, I would need to restore the interior and the engine compartment, which really weren't bad.  The car was a nice runner, and I think he wanted like $5,000.  I didn't get it because it was "only" a 383.  I still think about that car once in a while.

[Hemidoug]

A complete, numbers matching, original but rusty 69 Daytona for 7K........back in 86 or so. Red and black 440 auto. 

[TylerCharger69]

a 1972 Charger 318 car for 100 bucks....about 6 years ago.....didnt have the cash

[WHITE AND RED 69]

I had a chance to buy a black 68 r/t back in 1997 for $1000. The car was pretty solid, it was running, no rust california car but the owner was going to keep the taillights, console, and grille. I was only 15 without the money to fix it up, so I had to pass  but I always wonder what happened to it.

[jb666]

Back in 1992 I was at the World Of Wheels show close to me... There was a General Lee there.. I was drooling over it...  It was gorgeous, and priced right at $10k... 

Anyways, "back then" I thought that was a lot of $$, so I wouldn't commit to the asking price.. I told him I'd think about it and would be back.. I FLEW out of there and quickly made a deal to sell the Blazer I had... I went back there with a check ready to give a deposit... And it had sold 10 minutes before for $8500  oh how my life would have been different.. I could have put my two kids through college 

[1969chargerrtse]

I almost passed up buying my dream car, a '68 Dodge Charger R/T, but my wife talked me into buying it.

She wanted to paint the '68 Road Runner that I have owned since '87 gold since we are big Georgia Tech fans. I didn't feel right completely changing the color of the car from Burgundy to Gold so I joked about it being cheaper to just sell the Road Runner and buy the Charger I have always wanted already gold and restored. She thought that was a great idea and to start searching. I would do some half-hearted checks on the Internet and low and behold I found this gorgeous '68 Dodge Charger R/T in Texas.  The price was high compared to what people on this board tolerate but I still wouldn't be able to convert the Road Runner to look as good as this for the price.  So my wife says fly to Texas and check it out.  I did and tried to be as objective as possible and looked at every problem since the price was high and my expectations were high. The car did require some mechanical help - more than I would have thought for the price. My wife told me the problems seemed minor to her and just get it. So I strike a deal to have the car shipped back to Georgia and hop back on the plane to Atlanta.

As soon as the Charger is delivered I start getting the Road Runner ready to sell. Then, my wife starts asking me if I really wanted to sell the Road Runner. Well I said yes since I just paid too much money for my dream car and we don't have the room or the time to maintain two muscle cars. We take it to the local Mopar car show car corral and I take a walk around the show. I come back to the Road Runner to see my wife talking to some prospective buyers. But instead of trying to sell the car she is talking them out of it!

"You don't want this car - it's  old."

"There are some scratches on it"

I'm like Hey, what are you doing.  She told me she wanted to keep it since I have owned it longer than we have been married and it seems like family. Plus, she fell in love driving it when she took it out on the track at Atlanta Motor Speedway when they opened up the track to show participants. But I somehow have the feeling that she always had it in her mind to keep the Road Runner.

Now she has these plans for a cool custom paint job for the Road Runner that includes a big Road Runner picture. Not sure how that will look but it is her car now. And she is talking about a 4 car garage.

How many others have such great support for a husband's irrational hobby?

So now " The boys " sit in the garage. 

[69 OUR/TEA]

1998 Mopar nats(before I bought my B5 69 R/T)a friend looking for a 69 for me there called and told me of a real nice triple green 69 R/T SE white stripe,auto,dana for $13K.Told him to go get the deal done and I would take it,when he went back to the spot ,the car had been sold.

[stripedelete]

In 1986 I passed on 2 complete and 1 incomplete 426 Hemi engines for $600.00.  My car had an engine, so what would I do with all them???

Six hundred bucks was big dough for a college kid in 1986.

[Rolling_Thunder]

passed on a 1970 Charger RT/SE V-code Trac Pac car -  4-speed and a Dana 60...      black top, black paint, burnt orange gut and red BB stripe...    $8,000 - Parents said i would have killed myself (probably true) 

[NHCharger]

Spring 1977 my neighborhood friend's uncle was selling his Superbird, White, pistol grip, 440 6/pak I believe, already sporting the see-thru lower quarters from living in new england. Wanted either 2.5 or 3.5k. I ended up buying a 74 Chevelle Laguna S-3 for 3k. The last time I ever took advice from my Dad on buying a car.

[FJMG]

  Not sure if this in the "sweet deal" category but in 87 or so I turned down the chance to buy a restored hemi-4spd daytona, F8, blk wing. I think the asking price was around $50,000 or so and I decided I did not want a loan. I started regretting that decision around '94 and still do to this day.  

[b5blue]

In 95 the triple white 72 rallye 400 that was sitting next to mine for 700.00, matching # needed paint & upholstery work but straight and mostly stock runner, I could only save one so it was the 70. A month later I had to pass on a beautiful 68 Satellite, maroon with a black top and interior, no motor or trans but what a cherry! 600.00 (I'd just gotten the Charger ready for the 900 mile move to VA. from FL.)    (Stupid ex and her mom's idea...what a disaster that was!) 

[69_500]

 Not sure if this in the "sweet deal" category but in 87 or so I turned down the chance to buy a restored hemi-4spd daytona, F8, blk wing. I think the asking price was around $50,000 or so and I decided I did not want a loan. I started regretting that decision around '94 and still do to this day.  

Was this before or after Dave Jones had the car? Just curious.

Personally I haven't passed on too many great deals that I've come across but my dad sure did. He passed on 4 HEMI Daytona's from 1979-1984 all for under $10K a piece. Most expensive asking price was $10K 1 of the other ones was $6K but in each he found a reason to keep passing. Whoever did buy his Daytona's though should chime in on what sweet deals they got. The most he sold any of his 5 Daytona's for was $7,500. Heck he sold the HEMI 500 for $9K and thought he was doing great by that deal.

[FLG]

Im wondering,

Who wants to kick themselves the most?

The guys that sold the tonas, or the guys that didnt buy em??

[69_500]

I don't kick my dad for selling them, but I do wish he had held on to at least one of them. I know he sometimes gets down about what all he sold but he did it for a reason and he is really glad that he made the decision to give up the cars to do mission work overseas.

[68RT440]

My dad and I bought our 68 R/T back in 1998, I was 15...a few months later a guy that works for my dad inherited a 69 Charger R/T from his uncle... it was red, red interior, black top, stripe delete (with quarter emblems)..it was restored with the matching numbers 440/727...he was selling it for $8,000, and gave my dad first dibs at buying it....he didnt cause "we just bought the 68, plus where would we keep it?"..needless to say we still talk about what fools we were to let that deal go...

[jaak]

Back around '97 I looked at a '70 RT/SE Charger. Had numbers matching 440 (rebuilt w/all receipts) and 727 auto. Fresh EV2 paint job, interior was complete, but needed re-doing. Also needed wheels, had plain black steel wheels on it. Guy was asking 4K but told me he'd take $3500. I told him I'd think on it (I really wanted a 68 or 69) Well I checked back with him a couple of weeks later and he sold it for $2200. Man I still kick myself in the ass about that now.
Another on was in 2000, I found a complete '69 RT (had a 383 in it instead of its original 440) in an old chicken house. It was a project, but complete car for $850, passed on it because I already had my project and a parts car, but wished I bought it non-the-less.

Jason

[Magnumcharger]

I've passed on too many.
Three notables...

A 10K Daytona at the '83 Mopar Nationals in Milan.

A '68 Charger R/T painted to look like the GL, 440 4 speed for $1300, 1981.

A '69 Charger R/T R4 red, 440/auto wanted to trade for my Challenger R/T straight across. Should have done it.

[69bronzeT5]

Me and my dad spotted a '68 sitting in a guy's backyard around 1999. At the time we were told it was a '69 R/T with a '68 front clip. The guy said his friend owned it but moved to Poland and pretty much forgotten about the car. It could of been bought for $4,000. Complete car with a bit less rust than my '69. However we had just gotten my '69 a 1/2 year earlier so we passed on it. To this day it still sits in the same yard under the same tarp however a few years ago they moved it to the side yard behind the fence. CHARGERPUNK went over and checked it out a few years ago and he said it's actually a '68 with a 383 and a bondoed in '69 tail light panel. However, I haven't seen that with my own eyes to confirm it. I was about 7 or 8 at the time me and my dad checked it out. The sad thing is the guy probally wants more money for it now and it's even more rotten. I just drove by it today in my Duster and now the front fender is exposed along with a bit of the rocker and the side of the front bumper. A '68 marker light is clearly shown. Me and my dad were just talking about it tonight and someday it will be ours.

[Moeggenpar]

Back in 1984 I had a chance to buy a nice 70' 500 SE. It was Vitamin C orange with a black top and black leather interior,woodgrain console,dash,etc.It had a 383 4V,pistol grip,and factory AC.The paint was in great shape and the body was straight with 44K original miles.The car was stored for 10 years and had 1974 plates on it.It had a cracked block so I passed on it.The price was $900.00! I was also getting married a few months down the road and needed money for other things.To this day,I've never seen another Charger 500 optioned like that one.In fact,it was a dead ringer for the 70' used in the "Elliott Magnum" commercial.

[RD]

2005: 71 Dodge Charger SE, Gold, 383/727 combo, console car, ran, little rough, hardly any rust... $800.. wanted it.. decided to let my friend have it.

2004: 73 Dodge Challenger, drag car, rolling shell (solid), $500.. wife said no.. went to a drag race 3 weeks later, saw someone else's 73 challenger running and she asked me "why dont you have one like that? I think that car is good looking."  I walked away from her.

[jaak]

I thought of another (pair of cars) I could have bought....it was in '99-'00. There was a small battery shop near were my wife lived when we dated, there was always some Mopars around. Well anyways there was a Purple '69 out front, I stopped to look at it, it was a decent car, had a decent paint job, running 383 auto. all the interior was was the dash and later model buckets, nothing else. There was also a nice '72 Challenger, very nice driver, black/black interior, 318/Auto.... the guy wanted to sell them as a pair...6K for both!!! All I wanted was the charger, so I passed.
Yep, Im officially a dumb-ass

Jason

[paironines]

Maybe 6 yrs ago a local guy was parting out a 70 V-code orange 70 Charger and I could've bought the body, seats, dash for about $2000. I passed cause it was terribly rusty.  I sometimes wonder if I could have saved it....

[1970Moparmann]

I had my 69 RT that needed to be restored, and was at a Chicagoland Mopar event.  I had a couple people come up to me asking if I would sell it, I said no.  A couple hours later, In the car corral there was a 70 V-code for sale for $11k.  I looked like hell to find the two people that came up to me earlier, an no dice.   This was around 1998. 

Love the stories.

I purchased my 72 Chally from a kid that was going to Iraq for his 3rd tour.  I tried to convince him to keep it, since he got married with that car, had his two kids with the car, but he wouldn't say no.  He didn't want his wife to deal with the car in case something happened.  Even though I got it for a steal, I told him that I will keep it and when he wants it back whatever I have in it, he can buy it back. 

[jeryst]

About 5 years ago, I saw an ad in the local car rag for a 69 Charger for $2500. I called from work, but got no answer. I used reverse phone lookup to see if I could find the address, and discovered that it was only about 10 minutes from where I worked. So after work, I headed out to look for the address. It was in a posh housing development with huge, high-dollar homes. When I got to the address, there was a beautiful 69 dark green 440 Charger R/T sitting there. It was immaculate. I went up to the door and a lady answered. She said that it was her husbands car, and that it had been sitting in the garage for over 30 years, and he got tired of moving around it. Some guy came out the night before, and bought it.

Guy must have been a lawyer, or doctor, or something, and didnt keep up with the car scene. Sold it for $2500 as advertised.

Interesting note: The car rag only came out that morning, so the car had to be bought by someone that had access to it before it hit the shelves.
Probably someone that worked for the rag, or someone that delivered it.

[Black Charger]

Back in 1991 I saw a 1973 Charger sitting in front of a flower shop with a for sale sign on it. The car had definitely seen better days, but it was complete, running and actually driveable. It had a 318 with auto, and it was metallic brown with a tan vinyl top and brown interior. I went inside the shop to ask how much, and the price was $300. It was driven for years by the owner's son, and I actually remembered seeing it around town when it was in better condition. I had the money to buy the car and was ready to fork over the cash, but my Dad went back with me to look at the car, and he told me it was a pile of junk and to forget it. Since I was still living at home at the time (just out of high school the year before), I had to respect his wishes. I still think about that car sometimes, as it was one that came without the opera windows that seem to be so common with '73 Chargers.

Two years later, a 1973 Challenger wound up at a local Buick dealership as a trade-in. It was definitely in need of a total restoration but it was also driveable. It had an amateur-looking lemon twist yellow paint job on it and it had a 318 with auto. The dealer wanted $1000, so I sold off some music gear I had to raise the funds (namely a vintage Marshall amp). By the time I got back to the dealer a few weeks later, the car was gone. After learning a little more about vintage Mopars, I discovered it was a Challenger Rallye (it had the twin scooped hood and louvers on the front fenders). I found out that the dealer sold it for $500 just to get rid of it. I never did find out who got it or where it went.

[scatpack69]

I could have traded a 70 R/T lime green Charger I had almost finished redoing, for an original General Lee. I passed because the Lee was as used and not in best shape. My R/T was a really crappy resto. this was back in 95