Have a chance to buy a '73 Charger SE

[nitrometal]

For the first time ever since I've moved here, a Charger has showed up in our local classifieds.

The guy bought it a year ago and has lost interest in it already.  It was a driver car with a couple of spun main bearings. I just dropped by and looked it over and here's the details...

It's a basket case, he stripped it all the way down to refinish everything, but all the parts are there, except for the back seat and the floor pan directly under that seat.
The body is in really good shape with only a few small rust holes and very few dings in it that should be easy to repair. It had a vinyl top that was peeling off so he removed all of it.  All the chrome trim looks really good with most of it only needing a good polishing.
The engine is a 400 c.i. that is still at the machine shop that is just a few weeks from being rebuilt with a few horsepower goodies in it. That will bolt up to a 727 with a floor slap shifter. Then that goes back to a 2:73 open differential.

I'm sure that most of the numbers don't match but that is no concern of mine.

There are a few Gen 1 and a bunch of Gen 2 Chargers running around here but I can't remember ever seeing a Gen 3. Even at local car shows!

He wants $3,200 but will take $3,000.  I know that it's a ton of work but it has a really good baseline to start with.

I'm thinking that's a pretty good deal.  What do you guys think?

Phil

[RallyeMike]

Probably the things that more info is needed on to determine value:

1. Cars that are apart and seller says "everything is there". Right-o. Start going through the boxes. How orderly was he when he disassembled? Are parts bagged and tagged?

2. How much money has been put into the engine, and how much is left to go into it. "Weeks away" to me means nothing has been done to it yet!

Lastly, the question outside value is: Is it a car you want, or a car of opportunity? Will your interest be sustained? Personally, I won't touch basket cases unless the car is rare, desired, and a helluva good deal.

[MRHWS]

$3000 is high for the condition you described. '73 SE's were probably the highest produced Charger and there are many nice drivers out there to choose from in the $4000 - $7000 range. Depending on what work you can do yourself, you are looking at another $5000 plus to get on the road and probably a year or more before you can enjoy it. I'm 99.9% sure that's the reason it's for sale now after a year of ownership  I would look elsewhere. Don't jump on the first thing that catches your eye.  

[nitrometal]

Very good points there guys.  The parts were scattered everywhere and I didn't see any labels, that would be a nightmare.
Just like I said, I've never seen one around before and it would be an opportunity purchase.

The motor is being rebuilt by a great machine shop for a little over 2 grand.  They are just a very slow small shop.

I just liked it because it was sitting across town and I didn't have to travel hundred's of miles to see that it wasn't as described in the ad.  If its that common I'll just wait for another one or wait until he gets real desperate.

Thanks for the input.