My 70 Charger acquisition thread (Cross country road trip ahead).

[smithenhiven]

So I wake up this morning and do a little more route planning, I check my original planned route, and just like that, it's now clear.  Looks like my route is gonna come down to what's clear on the "day-of".  I wish I could set it in stone, so that I can actually plan to meet a few of you guys, rather than just winging it and hoping it works out. 

[charger chris]

Nice charger. Hope you have a good trip and safe one.

[nvrbdn]

That's the best way to handle it. This will be an awesome trip. I just want to warn you of one thing........ you will not sleep much the first night in the hotel after leaving with the car. I know.  And get a place where your car will be right outside your room window. When I got my first charger, I would keep looking out the window and saying,  "yep, its real, and its mine".   Such an exciting moment. You will be too pumped to sleep much.

[smithenhiven]

That's the best way to handle it. This will be an awesome trip. I just want to warn you of one thing........ you will not sleep much the first night in the hotel after leaving with the car. I know.  And get a place where your car will be right outside your room window. When I got my first charger, I would keep looking out the window and saying,  "yep, its real, and its mine".   Such an exciting moment. You will be too pumped to sleep much.

Haha, I'm sure you'll be correct.  I won't be able to sleep, so I'll probably just go sit in the car, LOL.



Today I bought some spare parts to have just in case: fuel pump and filter, water pump, mopar orange ignition box, ballast resistor, voltage regulator, fusible link, fan and power steering belts, various fuses, few lengths of various gauge wire.  I'm gonna buy all the extra fluids and tools when I get out there.

Does anybody have a PDF copy of a 2nd Gen Charger shop manual they could email to me by chance?  I'd like to have that on my computer just in case I experience a problem I can't fix without referencing the manual. 

[Dino]

10th link down

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=109

[smithenhiven]

Thanks Dino, downloaded and saved 

[smithenhiven]

Sometimes it's amazing what you come across, especially when you're not even looking for it.

This doesn't really have anything to do with my Charger acquisition, but it is Charger related.

So my wife really loves Chevelle's.  Her dad had a 69 SS396 back in the day, and she's always had it in the back of her mind that she'd like to get one.  She found one advertised on Craigslist, and we mad arrangements with the seller to go see it.  Well, we get to the guys town and he texts us saying he's running late, and won't be able to show us the car for another 1/2 hour.

Now having some time to kill, we decide to drive around.  And what do we find?  A 69 Charger 500.  I couldn't believe my eyes.  I had never seen one of these in the flesh before.  As luck would have it, the place where this car was sitting had a worker inside who let us in to check it out.

Here's a couple pics. 

[nvrbdn]

where is this one at?

[crj1968]

I zoomed in on the front plate.  "Galleria"  and found this:

http://www.jkgalleria.com/web/inventory/All_years/Dodge/All_models/All_body_types/All_vehicles/

[stripedelete]

It sounds like you're coming back I-80.   You picked right year, but, in the case of a spring blizzard, what are the "salt" states on your route?  Or more simply stated, are Wyoming, Nebraska, or Iowa, salt states? 

I think Colorado is salt.  But, Montana used to be cinders(sp?).

[nvrbdn]

I zoomed in on the front plate.  "Galleria"  and found this:

http://www.jkgalleria.com/web/inventory/All_years/Dodge/All_models/All_body_types/All_vehicles/

wow, pretty good work.

[charger chris]

That is a really nice car.

[qwick68]

That 500 has been for sale on eBay.........

[white]

That c500 has been for sale for awhile

[smithenhiven]

It sounds like you're coming back I-80.   You picked right year, but, in the case of a spring blizzard, what are the "salt" states on your route?  Or more simply stated, are Wyoming, Nebraska, or Iowa, salt states? 

I think Colorado is salt.  But, Montana used to be cinders(sp?).

Yes, for now I have my sights set on I-80.  I hadn't really thought about what states do or don't use salt on their roads.  I just figured I'd give the car a good spray off once a day at a self-serve car wash to get rid of the bugs and road grime, hopefully that will rid it of any salt.


As for the C500, it was in Salem OH, at John Kufleitner's Galleria of Vintage, Classic & Pristine Cars as CRJ linked.  I do see that it's on ebay too, it was just kinda neat to run into it by pure luck. 

[smithenhiven]

Here's my proposed route if all goes as planned.

[chargerman69]

Its out of the way but there's a great plane museum in dayton ohio that takes a weekend to really see everything

[TexasStroker]

Sounds like a great time!

It is a fairly mundane addition to the toolbox, but given the 40 hour trip I would pick up a spare set of sealed beams and some nice LED flashlights.  I'd also reiterate the fire extinguisher.

I'm not sure what your current stable of vehicles is like, but any night time driving and you'll get a real sense of nostalgia with the headlights, lol.  Things always seem to go when they are least likely, so it would only be fitting to be prepared for a fuel line splitting, or ignition box issue and then shuffle cross country, in unknown territory, with one very dim headlight.

If, for some crazy reason, you drop all the way down to I40 and pass thru Texas let me know...we can get some cars out for you.

Enjoy it!

[smithenhiven]

Well, tomorrow is my big day, I will finally get to call myself a Charger owner.  Thanks again to all who have given their thoughts and advice on the trip, and to those who offered their help along the way if need be.  I'll try to meet a few of you who've PM'd me with invitations to stop for a chat.

My next post will hopefully be from a hotel somewhere on the Western part of the USA.

[crj1968]

 

[charger chris]

  have a safe trip.

[keepat]

Good luck and enjoy!
Pat

[nvrbdn]

  This will be a day to remember.  Have fun, and lots of pics.

[Dodge Don]

Let the good times roll

[ACUDANUT]

Bring lots of cash. Those Canadian socialist will kill you at the pump and they de-value our American dollar.