How many Classic Chargers are left out there?

[hatersaurusrex]

You guys have probably covered this before before, but a forum search doesn't show much, nor is Google very helpful.  Anyone have any estimates on really how many 1st 2nd and 3rd gens are still out there in at least driveable condition?

Allpar has a chart showing the sales figures... but if you were to put a number on it, would you say 10 or 20% of these cars have survived, or is that being optimistic?

[skip68]

30%-35%   

[1BAD68]

30%-35%  

I agree.
No matter what the old timer's say these cars weren't just "another car" they had great styling, power, performance, etc. Even back then, they were looked at in a different way.
Coronet's, Imperial's, Newport's and Dart's on the other hand were probably driven to the junk yards.

[rebby]

30%-35%   

I agree.
No matter what the old timer's say these cars weren't just "another car" they had great styling, power, performance, etc. Even back then, they were looked at in a different way.
Coronet's, Imperial's, Newport's and Dart's on the other hand were probably driven to the junk yards.

+1

Also, like it or not but the boost in the Charger's popularity in the early 80's at a critical time in a car's normal life span, at that time 10-15 years, also saved a lot of our beloved B-bodies from the bone yard. All of a sudden the "old clunker car" out back could fetch some real money from somebody dreaming to duplicate an icon.

[69CoronetRT]

You guys have probably covered this before before, but a forum search doesn't show much, nor is Google very helpful.  Anyone have any estimates on really how many 1st 2nd and 3rd gens are still out there in at least driveable condition?

Allpar has a chart showing the sales figures... but if you were to put a number on it, would you say 10 or 20% of these cars have survived, or is that being optimistic?

There is no way to know as there is no way to account for all of the cars. There is no way to know how many, if any, are still hidden away in any condition.

[Mike DC]

It GREATLY depends on what we are counting. 


Drivable is one figure. 

Restorable is a much bigger figure. 


What is restorable?  Maybe any car good enough (or just desirable enough) that it could be restored and nobody will ever buy it with the intention of parting it out.

[F8-4life]

That is quite a question to tackle. I know of one 69 in my garage, thats about all I can say...

[Daytona R/T SE]

I know where seven of 'em are

[ACUDANUT]

 I am guessing 15-20 percent

[tan top]

You guys have probably covered this before before, but a forum search doesn't show much, nor is Google very helpful.  Anyone have any estimates on really how many 1st 2nd and 3rd gens are still out there in at least driveable condition?

Allpar has a chart showing the sales figures... but if you were to put a number on it, would you say 10 or 20% of these cars have survived, or is that being optimistic?

There is no way to know as there is no way to account for all of the cars. There is no way to know how many, if any, are still hidden away in any condition.

thats true

[Ghoste]

The generally accepted figure for most musclecars is 20% but keep in mind that they overwhelming majority of Chargers were 318 powered so its hard to say if the 318 cars also fell into that saved number or just the high performance ones.   As for the early 80's boost, I don't about where you live of course but where Im from no such thing happened.  Mopars were very much still the outcast car and the DOH did not change that.  Make it more popular among Mopar guys and more recognized in general possibly but there were no Camaro lovers dumping their rides for a 2nd gen Charger.  They were just cheap used cars until the late 80's in my opinion and even then the price rise was slow.  I didn't see any Mopar mania personally until about the late 90's.

[Cooter]

Obviously, there must be some sort of abundance of Chargers out there, as folks still seem to think they all should be priced in the $1K-$6K range. Restored or not. 

[XS29LA47V21]

I know where seven of 'em are

At some point they say it is hoarding.  I do not what I'm impling or what you are talking about... one more would be cool in a particular color or option combo..

[stripedelete]

I think 30-35% is a high.  I'd say 15-20%.  I do believe the DoH had a positve effect. 

[skip68]

I'd like to change my original estimate to 15%   
Last night I got thinking ......say roughly 300,000 68 to 70 charger's were built, 15% would be 45,000 cars.   I think that's a more realistic number instead of almost 100,000 cars.   

[69charger2002]

There were about 221,000 chargers made between 68-70, give or take. My guess is closer to 20% survived after this long, which puts the total at 40,000 or so. Of course 10,000 of those 40,000 seem to have gone overseas now.   

[hatersaurusrex]

You guys figure it's drastically different for the first and 3rd gens, percentage wise?   I see more 3rd gens in person and for sale than either of the other two, but it could just be that people aren't so worried about hiding them away in dry dock as they are with the 1st and 2nd gens.

[69charger2002]

66-67's are relatively rare. Production numbers just aren't that high, especially 67's. They are very cool cars just never had the folowing/desirablility of 68-70's. Once 68-70's spiked, everyone that was hiding in the woods or a garage forgotten aboit was drug out by people to sell(myself included). 66-67's are probably still sitting around untouched. Look up production for 1973 chargers alone. It almost equals 69 and 70 charger production combined!! so That is a main reason 71-74's seem to be everywhere.. and the fact they were made 4 years while the other generations were made for 2..

[lloyd3]

If you go with the 221,000 figure for the 68 to 70 cars, 15% is 33,150 surviving examples.  That seems like a high number to me.  Many of those are largely stored-but-abandoned hulks or are high-miles rolling heaps.  Restored and healthy examples are far fewer, like maybe 5%.  That gets the number down to 11,050.  Of that number, I'm guessing the majority are either R/Ts or R/T clones. So actual surviving R/Ts in good condition?  If you told me 5,000 to 7,000, I'd believe you.  

[Dino]

We will speculate until we drop, but we will never know.

Plenty for all of us is as close as I can get.

[hatersaurusrex]

Interesting feedback... considering Chevy built like a million first gen Camaros and Ford built like 3 million Mustangs before they ruined the body in '71... I'd say the 2nd Gen Charger is well worth the extra premium since that means assuming there are 20% of all makes left, then for every Charger you're going to see 15 of Brand X (and I'm not even counting all the Buicks and Mercurys).    Since they don't cost 15 times more to build (though some days I think it's pretty close) then I'd say you get the best muscle car bang for the buck from the Charger

[tan top]

I'd like to change my original estimate to 15%   
Last night I got thinking ......say roughly 300,000 68 to 70 charger's were built, 15% would be 45,000 cars.   I think that's a more realistic number instead of almost 100,000 cars.   

been thinking about this too , when you actually put the percentage in to actual car numbers , then  visualise them all ligned up  in a parking lot ,  i doubt there is anything like 45 thousand left    

[71 SE3834V]

There is no way to know as there is no way to account for all of the cars. There is no way to know how many, if any, are still hidden away in any condition.

I've always said "I wonder how many classics are out there, hiding in someone's garage/barn waiting to be discovered." Then I found one last year (seen above), that had been store away for a couple of decades 2 miles from my home and brought it home!  

[stripedelete]

Given a 200K production number, I'm revising my guess to 5%.

[greenpigs]

My guess is about 25%

2nd gen Chargers are not THAT rare(see 5%) above.

[stripedelete]

My guess is about 25%

2nd gen Chargers are not THAT rare(see 5%) above.

I hear what you're saying.  I had a stochastics prof in college who used to ask us if our answer to the problem passed the "smell test".  So Let's give it a shot. 

2k (5%) breaks down to 40/state.  Of course, distribution would skewed on population.  You're right that estimate is a bit low.  On the other hand,  25% would be 1k/state.  In Ohio, that would be an average of about 11/per county.  Which, in my opinion, is  a little high.  Especially, when you take into consideration it is a state that would probably have more rather than less in the per state distribution. 

With that said, maybe 15% was a little closer.       

[Ghoste]

Thats an interesting way of looking at it when you break it down that way.

[Cooter]

Plenty left. Pop up on Evil Bay and CL all the time. Happy hunting.

[lloyd3]

Balance the number left with actual condition and that number goes down fairly fast.  The eBay cars range from the occasional very-nice examples, to the far-more common project cars, to the absolute basket cases.  The last two examples are argueably circling the drain and will not be viable in many more years.  So the range we've stated is between 5% to 25%.  I could be convinced that 10% remain in good condition, but not much more than that.

[Ghoste]

I understand what you`re saying but I don`t know that I`d use e-bay as an indicator personally.  More of the circle the drain cars are on there because its the easiest and cheapest way to get rid of them.  It makes it look like there aren`t a lot of good cars left when imo, those cars are going to rarely be offered by the typical e-bay seller.  You bring up an excellent point on a big pool of cars appearing there that are about to exit the scene.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

There were about 221,000 chargers made between 68-70, give or take. My guess is closer to 20% survived after this long, which puts the total at 40,000 or so. Of course 10,000 of those 40,000 seem to have gone overseas now.    

Keep in mind that the Dukes wrecked 17,533 Chargers, but unfortunately, another 10,000 or so have been resurected from the grave to become zombie GL clones. Check out the reaction of one zombie GL clone builder here after firing it up for the first time.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xos2MnVxe-c

[Troy]

My guess is about 25%

2nd gen Chargers are not THAT rare(see 5%) above.

I hear what you're saying.  I had a stochastics prof in college who used to ask us if our answer to the problem passed the "smell test".  So Let's give it a shot. 

2k (5%) breaks down to 40/state.  Of course, distribution would skewed on population.  You're right that estimate is a bit low.  On the other hand,  25% would be 1k/state.  In Ohio, that would be an average of about 11/per county.  Which, in my opinion, is  a little high.  Especially, when you take into consideration it is a state that would probably have more rather than less in the per state distribution. 

With that said, maybe 15% was a little closer.       

I'm going to throw a wrench into your calculations...

A few years back when I first got involved in this site I was (seemingly) on a mission to "save" the Chargers. I eventually owned five 68 Chargers so, by your calculation, I owned nearly half of the allotment for my county (also Ohio). Now, I looked at over 300 cars during that time. Most of these were known cars that were available for sale but a few were ones that I *found* while cruising back roads. Some were in northern Kentucky and eastern Indiana but most were in Ohio (but none of the ones I bought were Ohio cars). Having said that, there do seem to be more of these musclecars per capita floating around in the midwest (near the production facilities).

I know of at least 14 drivable, semi-show worthy to "restored" cars in the Cincinnati area. I know of probably 25-30 more projects and "beaters" (counting my two).

Troy

[skip68]

My figure is cars total.  All cars restored and ones that can be saved and haven't been found yet and anything in between.  

[Lennard]

Keep in mind that the Dukes wrecked 17,533 Chargers, but unfortunately, another 10,000 or so have been resurected from the grave to become zombie GL clones. Check out the reaction of one zombie GL clone builder here after firing it up for the first time.......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xos2MnVxe-c

[lloyd3]

Staying with the 220,100 figure for 1968-70 cars, 10% would be roughly 22K restored or original decent, driveable cars. That is still a large number of cars spread out over the landscape, compared to how many say-Delorians were built.  I still see them here too (Denver Metroplex), but with nowhere the frequency I was seeing them even 10-years ago.  The midwest may have a larger cluster (due to proximity to original production? and perhaps demographics?). 

[Dino]

Funny you mention the Delorean.  I saw one the other day which makes number 3 in my immediate area and there's a club in Detroit that has quite a few, yet they only build something like 6500 total.  I don't think many of the 'new' cars have sold so far. 

There's apparently more Deloreans here than Chargers...that's weird.

[ACUDANUT]

Quote: "The midwest may have a larger cluster (due to proximity to original production? and perhaps demographics".
Might be true, after all there are alot of barns out here. 

[lloyd3]

My point exactly.  I'm seeing equal numbers of 2nd Gen cars to Deloriens here these days.  Denver might not be as good a model as say Indy or Chicago, but I think it's representative.  The DOH situation did bring more cars back from the grave and may act to keep more borderline cars alive, but for how long?  That fan base is thinning and our current economic malaise won't help things.  Unless a car is already fairly healthy, it's long term prognosis isn't good. IMHO, in a very few short years, 10% will seem like a high number of surviving examples.

[AKcharger]

There are exactly 23,237  Chargers (68-70) left in existance.

[Ghoste]

Finally, a definitive answer. 

[Dino]

There are exactly 23,237  Chargers (68-70) left in existance.

And all this time you keep us guessing, tsss...   

[ACUDANUT]

 Hmmm After contacting all the DVM's, they only have 11,318 on file.

[Dino]

Hmmm After contacting all the DVM's, they only have 11,318 on file.

At least, thanks to you, they now know to find and register the other 11,919.  If that doesn't get you a discount on road tax, I don't know what will!

[jar1292]

I have 1....

[Ghoste]

One of the 11 or one of the 23?

[JB400]

I can definitely, positively, prove there is at least one left.   I look at it regularly.

[Dino]

I can definitely, positively, prove there is at least one left.   I look at it regularly.

Got any pics of that thing?  I don't recall seeing any.

[JB400]

I can definitely, positively, prove there is at least one left.   I look at it regularly.

Got any pics of that thing?  I don't recall seeing any.

I'll dig them out and resize them.

[Ghoste]

Yeah, now that you mention it I don't recall it either.  Have you posted any Stroker?

[skip68]

No kidding.  Show some pictures stroker....

[Dino]

It's not orange is it?




















Oh come on, you know I had to.   

[JB400]

I'll take some fresh pics tonight.

[lloyd3]

Stroker: I'd hate to rain on your parade, but the young lady washing the car in your vodeo clip doesn't quite look like that anymore.  From the barrage of information I tend to wade through on the internet, I gather that she gained a substantial amount of weight in her first pregnancy that she hasn't been able to shed, and she is now pregnant with baby number two.

Time and tides wait for no man.

[Ghoste]

Or woman.