'70 Charger question: 2012 R/T vs 70 SE which one would you rather have?

[Kern Dog]

Uhhh, ONLY car? But I have 9 cars already. I'm not willing to give up 8 of them for only ONE!
Pretty hard to nail this one down. I like all the single components of owning a fast late model car. 40 years of development add up to a superior driving experience with far less fatigue. The problem is, nothing compares to history. The classic will carry with it a constant reminder of the good old days, girls we knew, parties we had, laws we broke....HOW can a new car compete with history?

[jaak]

Depends....

1970 Charger 318 car, plain vs. 2012 SRT8 Charger...... I'll take the 2012.

1970 Charger 440-6 or HEMI, high impact color, cool options vs. 2012 Charger V6....... I'll take the '70, hands down.

Jason

[skip68]

Well since I look at the "new" Charger the same as any other new car I would much rather drive a classic Charger.   The new car feeling goes away, the feeling of driving the classic doesn't.    You enjoy looking at it every time you see it.   Now, tell me you will still get excited looking at a new car a year or 2 down the road let alone 30 or 40 years later.    Come on guys, you have to think long term when answering this question.    

[69bronzeT5]

My daily is an SRT8 Magnum and while I love it and it does everything great, it just doesn't excite me anymore.

You gotta mod it Mike....these LX's are pretty easy and cheap to mod. Trust me, I know

[skip68]

That new car in 5-10 years won't be worth much and be more expense to keep it going than it's worth.   You guys know what I mean, 10 years or 100k miles and things just start to get worn out.   

[Paul G]

That new car in 5-10 years won't be worth much and be more expense to keep it going than it's worth.   

But it has dual zone climate control, and turns the headlights off if you forget, or keeps them on till you get in the house. Probably dual power seats with azz warmers too!

[skip68]

Dammit Paul, quit trying to tempt us.   

[daveco]

Hypotheticals are always truly un-answerable, but a like-new '70 SE, would be a really nice car.

[Ants]

....Besides I would still have my 68.

Nope. Not part of the narrative.

...Remember, this would be a daily driver, regardless of weather, job AND it would be your ONLY car.

Now what do you say? 

Dan

Oops I guess I didn't read the "only car" part.

Since there are 3 different R/T packages and non have the options the SRT dose, the only way I would take the 2012 over a 70 is if it was a loaded SRT.

[skip68]

Okay Mikey,    so where are you going with this?   
Like I said before ........... it's just another car.   NOW! If the new Charger was a limited production (1-2-3 years only) and had stand out styling that might be a different story.    I said this years ago and still stand by it today
"If the whopper was the flagship for Burger king and they stopped making them for awhile and then brought it back, it better still have the flavor of a whopper and NOT a fish sandwich.    The 2012 is better far as the overall look but still falling short from it's roots that Dodge is so trying to cash in on. 
Hell, the new Challenger looks more like a Charger than the Charger does.   It's just another new car.   There is no comparison between the ground braking styling of the 68-70 body and the new Charger although it's sloooooowly going in the right direction.       

[Indygenerallee]

If its your only car and a daily driver you have to go with the 2012, The wife has had a 06 Charger we bought in 2008 and it has been nothing but reliable of course it has a 2.7 V6 so it's a goat but I really like the 2012's they have a lot of 2nd gen styling cues. and the 6.1 Hemi is a monster!!

[Ghoste]

Depends on what you want from the car.  For me, the 70 does absolutely everything the 12 does and has that intangible that makes it a classic.  For my needs, the intangible becomes the deal maker.

[J-440]

 Definitly the 70 but you guys forgot one little detail.  If you drove the 70 everywhere, and everywhere includes errands like the grocery store, movie theatre, and God forbid the mall...that 70 if left in a crowded parking lot would be jacked in less than 5 minutes.  Ya'll know how easy it is to steal one of these old cars.  Of course the value goes up every year so maybe the insurance claim will save you.  But hey...I'm willing to risk it.

[mauve66]

when you say "your only car" do you mean for ME or for the WHOLE FAMILY??  i have my car and the wife has hers, hers is the family car, always has been, if it my car for a daily driver it would be the 70 hands done, i don't have to worry about winter driving (even in Missouri winters the 66 was mine for a whole year) and i've spent most of my life driving back and forth to work in the heat of the summer with no air conditioning.  of course if it had to be the FAMILY car then ....................... hell with that she can make the payment on what she wants................ gimme the 70 STILL

[Sean]

1970, they arent making anymore.

[bill440rt]

The 2nd gen Charger is, hands down, my all-time favorite car. Ever.

However... this is a TOUGH call here Mike.
For my only means of transportation, I'd have to go with the '12, at least in this point in my life.

Now I have to go out tomorrow & drive my Charger just to shake myself back to reality!     

[Rolling_Thunder]

Would the fuel economy, lack of modern safety equipment and or lack of creature comforts impact this decision at all?

I dont think the older cars got that bad of mileage...         

Modern safety?    Hell - the other car is my crumple zone   

Creature comforts?  I like the simplicity - news cars do everything for you except talk dirty to you while driving - I love the experience of actually driving...   to me a car is more than a point A to point B thing

If i had to pick I would pick the 1970 for the above reason.

[bill440rt]

news cars do everything for you except talk dirty to you while driving

You don't have Sirius satellite radio then, do you? 

[1974dodgecharger]

Well since I look at the "new" Charger the same as any other new car I would much rather drive a classic Charger.   The new car feeling goes away, the feeling of driving the classic doesn't.    You enjoy looking at it every time you see it.   Now, tell me you will still get excited looking at a new car a year or 2 down the road let alone 30 or 40 years later.    Come on guys, you have to think long term when answering this question.    

good excellent points.....I dont think the new chargers will ever be 'classics' at all.

[bull]

The question is, if you could have only one for a daily driver, and both were in perfect working order, and it would be your last car,  which would it be. The 2012 or 1970?

Seriously? Did you think you were posting this question somewhere else?

Anyway, the only thing that would prevent me from daily driving a classic now is that it's classic and special. Someday I might get past that and buy a Charger to drive every day but I'm not there yet. To me they deserve to be treated as royalty.

Soon though I will probably be buying something like a Satellite or Coronet to use as a driver. I need to buy something that can be supported by the aftermarket parts stores though so I'm going to try getting something that is close to a collector muscle car but isn't quite.

[Rolling_Thunder]

news cars do everything for you except talk dirty to you while driving

You don't have Sirius satellite radio then, do you? 

Nope     

[resq302]

Hmmm... well, as others have said, the new 2012 will only go down with value and in my opinion, are built far cheaper made than the 1970.  Also, if I was worried about miles per gallon, I could always do upgrades to the 1970 like adding a fuel injection conversion and such.  I also feel safer driving my 69 than I do driving my 2007 F150.  Maybe because the steel from back then was so much better than it is today or what,  I don't know.  Another factor for me is the ease of repairs.  My 69 I can practically stand inside the engine compartment where as newer cars, you have absolutely no room to even stick your hand in.  Also, the lack of computers in the 70 would make it a no brainer for me as well.  Granted, the computer control makes the car run more efficient however, with computers come sensors, with sensors come relays, with relays come headaches along with all of the other electronic stuff.

[daveco]

I prefer camping over a trip to a spa.
I'd rather grill a steak myself than sit for a gourmet dinner.
I'll take a bad ass '70 over a cushy '12 any day.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Hmmm... well, as others have said, the new 2012 will only go down with value and in my opinion, are built far cheaper made than the 1970.  Also, if I was worried about miles per gallon, I could always do upgrades to the 1970 like adding a fuel injection conversion and such.  I also feel safer driving my 69 than I do driving my 2007 F150.  Maybe because the steel from back then was so much better than it is today or what,  I don't know.  Another factor for me is the ease of repairs.  My 69 I can practically stand inside the engine compartment where as newer cars, you have absolutely no room to even stick your hand in.  Also, the lack of computers in the 70 would make it a no brainer for me as well.  Granted, the computer control makes the car run more efficient however, with computers come sensors, with sensors come relays, with relays come headaches along with all of the other electronic stuff.

Brian, seriously?   You think a '70 is "safer" than a '12 because of the steel thats used?   So I guess 40+ years of crash protection technology (air bags, crumple zones, seat belts, traction control, ABS ETC.....)is meaningless to you?
Adding "fuel injection & such"m is NOT even gonna get you close to the mileage that a new car would get.

I get everyone's allegiance to the classics but for a daily driver give me a NEW car every time!

Again my

[daveco]

I would have a different attitude if the " '70 " was a four door Coronet

Safety-wise, there really is no comparison. I would feel irresponsible carting my grandkids around in an old musclecar if modern was an option.