Rob's ongoing slow restoration process of his 69 charger R/T SE

[1969chargerrtse]

hey, i commend you on keeping the charger, it sounds like you are more "proactive" now.  I still stand by my statements earlier, but I am willing to concede that you are doing something now that sounds beneficial for you in the future.

keep your nose to the grindstone and get the car fixed.  All in all, even with getting a new shortblock, you still are coming out less than what many of the owners on this board have put into their restorations.

Resell value is going to be tough without the original fendertag and no buildsheet.  By him placing the false unoriginal fendertag on the car and removing it prior to shipment, that is false advertising.  I would slam him to the wall if you have the financial wherewithal to absorb the cost of litigation.   

Either way good luck with your attempts, and I apologize for being a little rough on you.  I could have said it in a more positive tone, and I am sorry about that.

Jamey

Thanks for writing back, it really bothered me to think we were clashing.  I'm glad I checked back before calling it a night.  I apologize if I got defensive, half of me is in denial, the other half wanted this car soooo bad.  I tell myself not to stress about it. Fixer up and move on.  Not every deal is a great deal.  I took a chance, and it's not huge loss, but I could of done better, and thats o.k.  Thanks for your wise input.  Robert.

[1969chargerrtse]

O.K, lets soften the mood here a little.  See that frame in front of the Charger?  The top picture is my dealer brochure from 1969 that hung in my bed room as a 13 year old kid.  That water color picture under it is a picture I painted in 1971 as a 15 year old at the kitchen table while my Mom was doing the dishes.  A friend in town owned that beautiful bronze Charger and I loved those cars so much I painted that picture and had it all these years, hope you enjoy that story.  Now here's another one.  We were middle class people.  My dad bought only one new car and it was in 1969.  In my bedroom as a 13 year old were charger pictures taped all over my walls.  Where do we go on a sunny Saturday to buy our one and only ever new car?  To the Chevy dealer next door to the Dodge dealer.  Mid way through the sale of a 6 cyl Chevelle, I begged my Mom to walk over to the Dodge dealer.  MOM Please I begged her, please just take a look.  There sat a green brand new charger facing the front window, a sign on a pole said 3,050.00.  Mom please I begged, she was sick as a dog, hunched over, she looked up and said "It's to big"  and that was that, we had that Chevelle for a long time.   Well, almost 40 years later, Dad is gone but Mom lives on and she's the car person.  My dad had no need for a car, they all looked the same to him.  Not Mom, she's hip as ever.  So I get my dream car and I wax it up, my Mom swung by when I wasn't home but later told me how beautiful it was, she saw it from the rear.  "I love the tail lights she says"  I say Mom, come see it in the garage, I waxed it up, it looks great!  She comes in, looks at it, Wow that is beautiful!   Then she says " Gee that's a big car!"   I laugh out loud, here we go again!  40 years later and your still saying it, well this time it's up to me, and it's staying.  We were cracking up in the garage, a special time I'll always remember.  Come on, I'm not really a GM guy, I just owned a few.  Forgive me my Mopar friends, Mopar or no car.  (learned that on this site)

[69charger2002]

lol nice stories.. my family got new olds cutlasses every couple years from about 75-82.. that last 82 i got in 92 for my first car.. somehow i veered off the beaten path COMPLETELY but now my whole family has dodges
trav

[The70RT]

Great Story. Glad you finally got the car of your dreams.

[hemi68charger]

O.K, lets soften the mood here a little.  See that frame in front of the Charger?  The top picture is my dealer brochure from 1969 that hung in my bed room as a 13 year old kid.

I think I know who owns that car in the brochure..    And I may be helping to restore it, if it's the Wailer '69...

[BMOTOXSTAR]

lol nice stories.. my family got new olds cutlasses every couple years from about 75-82.. that last 82 i got in 92 for my first car.. somehow i veered off the beaten path COMPLETELY but now my whole family has dodges
trav

I'm still new here, can you explain the awesome picture of all the Chargers, and about  "Charger land"?

Chargerland is a place of wonder and excitement.
I think it really does exist. 
If it does I hope to visit someday. 
If there is truly a Charger land there will be a 71' R/T there long with a few 3rd gen Rally's.

[69Charger_440]

Hi, welcome to this site.  Sorry to hear about your engine.  Looks like you have a real positive attitude, and you seem SURE that you made the right decision in hitting the "Buy It Now" button.  Bottom line is you are happy with what you got.  Although I do agree with some who say that him placing a false tag, and then removing it is total B.S. and I don't think I could let that "slide."  Anyhow, you have a beautiful car and hopefully you will get it running in the next couple of months.  To be honest you sound like a little kid with a brand new toy ( and I'm not being sarcastic or trying to belittle you.)  You just seem estatic that you got what you were wanting for a long time.  My wife said that she will never forget the look I had when I bought my first Charger back in 2005.  Good luck!!!

Fernando

[Forza]

Great Story. Glad you finally got the car of your dreams.

  Thanks, but the one in my dream didn' have motor issues.   Just kidding, I'm gonna make the best of this and detail the engine compartment, something I wouldn't of done before. (getting lazy)

You should hear 471Magnums story then

[NMike]

look at the motor blowing up as a blessing. now you have an excuse to build a 500+CI motor.

[Forza]

Awesome looking Stingray you got there too.Keep us posted on how things go!

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Wife would have KILLED me if I put the baby seat in the front....my oldest is 12 and she still rides in the back

Looks like he had a blast 

[BMOTOXSTAR]

Wife would have KILLED me if I put the baby seat in the front....my oldest is 12 and she still rides in the back

Looks like he had a blast 

That is against the law in most states.Car seat up front.

[Back N Black]

There is a law in most states for having the car seat up front ,because of the passenger side air bag.No air bags in a 69 Charger.

[The70RT]

My 57 Chevy I had was seatbelt delete. Kinda scary with the grandkids.

[68charger383]

The paint and interior in the recent pictures looks great. The motor blew up....however you bought an R/T for $30K less the $2K he gave back...rebuilding an engine for $3K-$5K...so maybe your into the car for $33K-$35K when all is said and done.....still sounds like you got a good deal.

[Charger_Fan]

Ok, so I'm coming into this thread a tad late...great lookin' Charger, that sucks the engine blew, way cool (extremely) of the previous owner to refund you $2K, cool story about wanting a Charger for so long, who cares about which seat your kid is strapped into...and DAYUMM! I don't know if I've ever actually heard of someone getting so much greif here for being a brand-X owner! Come on, you guys!
Yes there could have been better ways of handling the purchase, yes there were lessons learned & yes I'd be pissed too if my engine blew too, but dayumm.

Anyhoo, it's in the past...water under the bridge & all that crap. It's a great looking Charger that any one of us would be more than happy to have parked in out garage with a dead engine.
Sooo...since you're looking for a new engine, how about one attached to an overdrive tranny?
Shipping would be a bitch, buttt...

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=1976704&cat=103&lpid=



Oh & by the way, I currently own some from each camp...Ferds, Chebbies & Dodges. The only makes I don't care for are the ones with foreign names on the ignition keys.

[70charger_boy]

My 57 Chevy I had was seatbelt delete. Kinda scary with the grandkids.

I turned my charger into a seatbelt delete car, at least that is what I tell the cops

[Charger-Bodie]

Wife would have KILLED me if I put the baby seat in the front....my oldest is 12 and she still rides in the back

Looks like he had a blast 

  I have to look into that,  I had no choice as it also came with no rear seat belts.  Thats on my list.  We have the kids in the front in the minivan?  As long as there's no air bag,
and you guys are a tuff breed man.  The wife agrees that it's not a law and adviced if the car has an air bag not to put the kids up front.  I ran one mile down the road.   He survived.   remind me not to post anymore pictures please.   Been thinking about choices over the day.  Gonna drop a 4 spd in while I'm at it, might as well since everthing is coming out.  Hope to have it ready by spring, all depends on how much loot I can slip into it.

put a 5 speed in in you will really enjoy cruzin it then!!

[The70RT]

My 57 Chevy I had was seatbelt delete. Kinda scary with the grandkids.

I turned my charger into a seatbelt delete car, at least that is what I tell the cops

Cops? You mean you don't have a 440? You should have picked the one above up instead of that GM 

[70charger_boy]

My 57 Chevy I had was seatbelt delete. Kinda scary with the grandkids.

I turned my charger into a seatbelt delete car, at least that is what I tell the cops

Cops? You mean you don't have a 440? You should have picked the one above up instead of that GM 

[RD]

My 57 Chevy I had was seatbelt delete. Kinda scary with the grandkids.

I turned my charger into a seatbelt delete car, at least that is what I tell the cops

Cops? You mean you don't have a 440? You should have picked the one above up instead of that GM 

which button do i push, the left one or the right one? hehehehehe

[Charger_Fan]

My 57 Chevy I had was seatbelt delete. Kinda scary with the grandkids.

I turned my charger into a seatbelt delete car, at least that is what I tell the cops

Cops? You mean you don't have a 440? You should have picked the one above up instead of that GM 

which button do i push, the left one or the right one? hehehehehe

You guys push the buttons, I wanna turn the knobs!

[firefighter3931]

Nice car and welcome to the site. 

Sorry to hear about the busted motor but look at it as an opportunity to put your own signature on this car. 

Good luck and keep us posted on your engine progress. 



Ron

[70charger_boy]

Sooo...since you're looking for a new engine, how about one attached to an overdrive tranny?
Shipping would be a bitch, buttt...

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=1976704&cat=103&lpid=



Oh & by the way, I currently own some from each camp...Ferds, Chebbies & Dodges. The only makes I don't care for are the ones with foreign names on the ignition keys.

WOW!!  That is a sweet deal on that motor and tranny!!!  What's the catch?

[1969chargerrtse]

I called the guy, my wife was, "you gotta be kidding, boy you don't learn your lessons."  It is a great price, but once again, how do you know?  Utah is just to far away.  I think I'm going to buy my friends 69 440 block and 906 heads and have it rebuilt.  Thats todays thought anyway.  The motor listed is I think, he said a 74 with 902 heads.