WIW, 1969 HEMI CHARGER

[Speedfreak]

Seems this is the best forum to ask this question.

Guy is selling this, no price, just BEST OFFER.

Entire car is in pieces, guy started it, had bad health problems, cannot complete

1969 Charger RT J code, all numbers matching,1 of 207

original hemi, just rebuilt stock  cost 5K
original 4 spd, just rebuilt 1K
original Dana 3.54

car need entire back half all sheetmetal, was repaired in 90's, but not right
front half needs to be stripped to bare metal and redone. Checked with a shop they want 15K for labor, I supply parts, looks like about 10K for all parts, including new full exhaust.

Interior is fine, maybe needs front door panels, all other stuff was done years ago and in good shape

Gold exterior/black interior with console

has power windows, am 8 track, PDB, manual steering, rear defogger

What would you pay for this? What do you think it will be worth when done, maybe #3 condition at least.

IS IT WORTH DOING RIGHT? Though don't have the cash now and could take years and would probably cost more than its worth.  Could always do a quickie, smooth things over, repaint ( shop asked about 6K for this) , assemble and drive, could cost max 10K. Have some fun.

GOT SOME PICS BUT THEY DO NOT REALLY INDICATE WHAT IS NEEDED, YOU HAVE TO SEE IT IN PERSON, WHICH IS WHAT I DID

[hemi68charger]

Any Hemi Charger is worth fixing.. I personally would put the back half on, refurbish the front and put her back together. You don't need to do some super-duper paint job with all the markings, NOS everything, etc...... I would think the car the way you describe is about a $25-$35K car. Having the original motor is a major plus.......

Just my two cents.... 

[Tilar]

Would be worth more if it were a 68 but a 69 hemi is still worth at least the 25-35K as mentioned above, if maybe you throw in a loaf of bread to boot.        

[charge69]

I think Troy has it ballparked at 25 to 35k in its' present condition. That figure of "one of 207 built" is for 4-speed cars. That number does not include auto models. Remember, a shop estimate is just that, an estimate. Figure what it would cost you to restore the car to the condition you want and then double it! You will still be short but closer to the real cost of a resto. Also, take the time you think it would take and triple it!

Also, if you put new door panels on it, the rest of the interior will look like hell. Not trying to scare you away from bidding on the Ckarger, just preparing you for what is ahead if you get it. I hope you do and put up some pictures when it happens. Good color combination on the car but make sure it originally came that way by checking out the fender tag. There is a fender tag, isn't there?

[Speedfreak]

Any Hemi Charger is worth fixing.. I personally would put the back half on, refurbish the front and put her back together. You don't need to do some super-duper paint job with all the markings, NOS everything, etc...... I would think the car the way you describe is about a $25-$35K car. Having the original motor is a major plus.......

Just my two cents.... 

Thanks for the response.  I can get the money for the purchase, but the extra would take a long time to save the way things are.  It would end up sitting for years before I can bring it to the shop with the panels.   Guess I was hoping to do the fast job, I could get the cash together by taking an advance on my credit card, but not 25K for the full job.   Let the next guy decide if he want to go all the way, in the mean while I can drive it and enjoy.  I don't know, maybe I am wrong.

[Speedfreak]

I think Troy has it ballparked at 25 to 35k in its' present condition. That figure of "one of 207 built" is for 4-speed cars. That number does not include auto models. Remember, a shop estimate is just that, an estimate. Figure what it would cost you to restore the car to the condition you want and then double it! You will still be short but closer to the real cost of a resto. Also, take the time you think it would take and triple it!

Also, if you put new door panels on it, the rest of the interior will look like hell. Not trying to scare you away from bidding on the Ckarger, just preparing you for what is ahead if you get it. I hope you do and put up some pictures when it happens. Good color combination on the car but make sure it originally came that way by checking out the fender tag. There is a fender tag, isn't there?

Yeah, there is a fender tag.  Check all numbers too, all match, it is the real thing.  That kind of money I could not afford to spend, have a family.  Interior is in good shape, car was only driven a year or two after last resto and has been sitting since the 90's.  REgistration sticker on the windshield is from 1995.

[JB400]

As often as the opportunity comes to get a dream car like a Hemi Charger,  I would highly suggest that you don't max out your credit cards to fund this car.  If you have the opportunity to buy the car and have the funds, by all means go ahead.  But, with today's world economy, going deep in debt would not be very wise.  I've had my car for over a decade now, and have yet to do anything major on it.  It's not because of a lack of ambition, but funds.  I'm being patient, and I think you should consider it as well.  There will be greener pastures.

[1974dodgecharger]

what stroker said.

though the description you just gave us we all salivate over the specs. thats for damn sure, but in reality its gonna cost alot of dough to get together.  The hemi engine if complete is a nice chump change.

[Speedfreak]

As often as the opportunity comes to get a dream car like a Hemi Charger,  I would highly suggest that you don't max out your credit cards to fund this car.  If you have the opportunity to buy the car and have the funds, by all means go ahead.  But, with today's world economy, going deep in debt would not be very wise.  I've had my car for over a decade now, and have yet to do anything major on it.  It's not because of a lack of ambition, but funds.  I'm being patient, and I think you should consider it as well.  There will be greener pastures.

The money for the purchase, I have saved already.   The extra for the 25K resto, I do not.  I have some extra money to put toward the quickie fix up, maybe 5K, can get another 5K off credit card and pay off within one year, not too bad.  But the 25K that way, I would never do, have to be nuts.

So what say you, do the quickie and enjoy it.  Not every Hemi has to be done first class.  The  guys who bought these new, just wanted to run them and enjoy, little did they care about the correctness and perfect panels like us.   I am sure they had more fun with them then we will ever do.

[charge69]

If you can get it and afford to make it a driver for now, I don't see why not. I know it is a crapshoot guessing future prices for these cars but, I really doubt they are going to be cheaper down the road. Especially if you do not put too much money in it now to get it into running and driving condition.

If you can get it to driver condition and take care of it, just not too many of these around.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Fix it up & drive it like you stole it

PS---register the car! 

[Scaregrabber]

Matching #'s, 4 speed, Hemi Charger? $25k would be a steal, $35k would be fine too. They don't come up often, buy it if you can and sit on it until you have money to restore it or sell it for a profit. Don't Mickey Mouse anything on the car to get it going though.

Sheldon

[Back N Black]

If you not hell bent on owning a Hemi charger, i would take my money and buy a nice 440 car and drive it now.

[six-tee-nine]

Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way, but if I had the money on closing a deal on a 69 4-speed Hemi Charger I'd buy it today.
The money for driving or restoring it would be an issue for tomorrow...

[1974dodgecharger]

Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way, but if I had the money on closing a deal on a 69 4-speed Hemi Charger I'd buy it today.
The money for driving or restoring it would be an issue for tomorrow...

sometimes our eyeballs are bigger than our pockets.

[F8-4life]

If you dont buy it someday you will be the guy saying "oh man I had a chance on a hemi charger that one time but..."
Just buy the darn thing, 25k barely gets you a nice 440 RT.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

If you not hell bent on owning a Hemi charger, i would take my money and buy a nice 440 car and drive it now.

There's a lot to be said about that.

Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way, but if I had the money on closing a deal on a 69 4-speed Hemi Charger I'd buy it today.
The money for driving or restoring it would be an issue for tomorrow...

And there's a lot to be said about that too.

[Homerr]

If you not hell bent on owning a Hemi charger, i would take my money and buy a nice 440 car and drive it now.

There's a lot to be said about that.

Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way, but if I had the money on closing a deal on a 69 4-speed Hemi Charger I'd buy it today.
The money for driving or restoring it would be an issue for tomorrow...

And there's a lot to be said about that too.

So say it...give us your take.  At least for the question to restore, cobble together, or pass.  You're the guy restoring the recently bought Hemi Charger.  Can you throw out some possible costs the OP might consider.

[tan top]

 sounds like a tempting project/ charger  
my thinking , if you can buy it with in your budget go get it  ,  even if you dont do any work on it , till either you get enough spare money or to buy missing parts etc or both to do a complete resto  ,  you got the car & thats the main thing  !! & prices are not going to come down , & not as if there was 80 thousand  made & still hundreds to chose from coming up for sale  every few weeks  

four months after i got mine  , a 69 charger R/T J code four speed needing complete restoration came up for sale think it would of worked out to about $8000 back in late 89 , if only it was for sale earlier  , & the planets aligned ducks in a row etc granted it was not Y2  but  T7 ,  tan interior & black top  , still awesome though ,
good luck with what ever you decide   , would love to see pictures if you get it  

[Mytur Binsdirti]

So say it...give us your take.  At least for the question to restore, cobble together, or pass.  You're the guy restoring the recently bought Hemi Charger.  Can you throw out some possible costs the OP might consider.

Keep in mind that my body was done when I bought it, the interior is pretty much original (except for headliner & rugs), and except for having the engine rebuilt and the grille painted by others, I'm doing everything myself. While the whole disassembled car was all jumblized in boxes, bins and cans, in the end, I was missing very little & there is not a whole lot of aftermarket restoration parts put into this car. In regards to cost, when it's all said & done, I will have put in about 33K into it over & above the purchse of the car. I was figuring that I'd spend 20-25K to restore it & I've exceeded that guess by over 30%. Some of you may think that it doesn't seem possible, but it is.

A Hemi car should not be cobbled together; it deserves to be done right. With the brief description that's been provided, and knowing what I spent to do the Daytona body over (that retained all of its original sheetmetal), it wouldn't surprise me if that '69 Hemi Charger needed another 20-30K on top of what I've just spent on mine.  

[69 OUR/TEA]

I agree 100 %!!!!

[six-tee-nine]

Agreed, but except for the engine it's just a 69 Charger and at that point they are all just as expensive to restore if you want it done right.
I guess if you want a #'s matching Hemi charger then you know before you buy it that there will be some specific parts that will cost you alot of cion like for instance a power brake booster.....

[Mytur Binsdirti]

I'll agree with you to a certian point.  If you don't have one, the intital cost of a Hemi is much more expensive than a 440. But, if you've already got a complete engine, the internal replacemnt parts really don't cost that much more. My engine was pretty much all there when I bought it, but when you add up all the machine work, pistons, bearings, rings, cam, lifters, valves, springs, retainers, timing chain & gears, water pump, oil pump, gaskets, etc plus balancing, assembly & dyno time, I spent about $7,500.00. Add to that, a bunch of pieces that I bought beforehand (fuel lines, carbs rebuilt, plug wires, cap, rotor points, bolts, balancer, carb linkage, oil pan, paint and other miscelaneous little bits) which all adds up to another $2,500.00.

Sounds expensive, but is it?