New Charger Owner

[R71CUDA]

Hello Mopar Colleges,

I am a recent new user to your wonderful web site.  I have been on the CC.com web site for some time and have found the Mopar brotherhood is alive and well here also.  I have been bidding on 68 – 70 charges for some time and have not gotten to the finish line until this last Saturday.  With that said, allow me the time to share a lesson on "Cause and Effect".

Cause: 32" tube TV dies.  Product no longer manufactured.
Effect: Wife authorizes Modification to existing built in entertainment center to accommodate the purchase of new 50" plasma TV.  Way to go sweetheart!

Cause: Best Buy did not have inventory of desired product to meet consumer's specifications.
Effect: Road trip across town to purchase desired product from another Best Buy store, therefore driving by 66 Charger sitting on frontage road for sale.

Cause: Return trip with Best Buy Product in van, mandatory inspection of Charger required
Effect: It now resides in my garage.

Cause: Wife in DC until tomorrow.
Effect: When disclosing unauthorized purchase via last phone conversation this morning....there was silence.

Hopefully previously stated endearment to wife will buy bonus points to be redeemed at time of choosing by holder.

But hey, it's a 66 with PS, PB, PW, AC, an auto on the floor, lots of spare parts, and the body work is basically done and may be ready for paint.  You take a look and see if you can blame me.  By the way, I did drive away the first time.  Then I realized what a fool I would be if I missed this opportunity.  I just took 2-blocks for reality to set in.

So tell me...what do you think...is that a good sales pitch for the wife when she gets home tomorrow?

The title is good, though I have not found the fender tag or build sheet yet.  There are a lot of boxes to go through.  The previous owner may also have it somewhere.  I have not picked up the motor and transmission, so I will know more on whether it's a numbers car or not.

I have never bought a car that is disassembled before.  Are there good manuals out there for the 66?

[Ghoste]

Yes the factory shop manual and 66 Charger supplement are must haves for the car.  Welcome to the site and congrats on the purchase, always great to have another fastback owner around. 

[Belgium R/T -68]

Welcome and hope you will be happy with your car Always nice to have people around who can tell a story in between all
breakdowns and rustfindings we often are confronted with.

[69bronzeT5]

Welcome to the website! Great looking project

[moparheater]

Nice find! Got any interior pics? 
I would tell your wife that you are doing your part to revitalize the economy and that you're a modern day patriot. 

[skip68]

    Nice job !   Welcome to the best charger site on the web.   

[WingCharger]

Sweet '66 man!

[ChgrSteve67]

Welcome.

Reminds me of my Charger not that long ago.


Looks like you have a nice roomy garage to work on your cars.

Whats the story on the Cuda?

[R71CUDA]

Steve,
Nice!  Your pic in the primer stage looks so much like mine does now I thought "Hey, where did he get a pic of my car".

Regarding the Cuda, I got it 1-1/2 years ago after about a 9-month search on different websites.  I was the first one to view the listing as it had just posted an hour before I called the guy.  It's numbers matching car out of Northern California.  It's a B5 Blue BS Cuda with 75K miles on a 383 HP and a slap stick.  It has AC and a factory leather interior.  Since it was in CA all its life, it has almost no rust.  It had been sitting in a barn since the early 90's, so there is a lot of dry rot in the wiring.  I wish I could take credit for the "find" part of it, I'm just benefiting from someone else's euphoria of opening a barn door and seeing it sitting there, and knowing what it really is.

Oh, by the way, great first name!

Steve

[Charger_Fan]

I would tell your wife that you are doing your part to revitalize the economy and that you're a modern day patriot. 

Plus you're doing your part to keep the planet green, by recycling an old car to driveable condition again.

Congrats, it sounds like a great project.

[69*F5*SE]

Welcome to the site. Looks like you have a pretty nice car to start with. Good luck   

[Tilar]

Explain to her that it was either that or a 2 day drunk at the bar while she was gone. 

Looks like a great project. 

[68charger383]

You got a new TV and a car in the same day........

That is to much fun and life for a man in one day and totally against the secret women's code. 

you'd better just face reality and give the car back now while you still can 

I guess the next best thing would be to tell her you got it to fix it up for her! 

Love the 71 c'uda

[BLUE68RT4ME]

Hey Steve, now your not just a member, you're an owner!  Nice job man.  That body always reminds me of my 66 Coronet.  There's a couple guys here in town that have Chargers of that year.  They belong to this site and many of the Charger owners get together for a picnic in the summer.  It's just around the corner.  I'll have them look you up.  Maybe you and I can rent a charger for the day considering we're both under construction at the moment! 

Look forward to seeing it sometime.  Thanks for showing me around the other day.  The new building is awesome.  Good job!   

Mark

[FlatbackFanatic]

Welcome!!! Yea another 1st Gen!! Looks like you got yourself a great project. And a little bigger project selling your wife on it. Just bring her to our picnic this summer so she can see a bunch of other Chargers and she'll be OK that you bought this one.

[tan top]

hello & welcome     looks a good first generation project 

[R71CUDA]

Thanks for the accolades everyone.  That picnic sounds great.  Let me know when it is.  You have my phone number Mark, give me a call.  Maybe we can track down that Charger at Hertz.

Here are some interior pics.

[R71CUDA]

And here is the interior

[mopar_nut_440_6]

Welcome to the site. Looks like  a great project. I would like to watch the progress on the Cuda as well.

[PocketThunder]

Ya buddy!     

Paul
in Minnetonka..

[R71CUDA]

Thanks Paul!

Steve in Andover

[General_01]

Looks like a great find. 

Dean

[451-74Charger]

So what did the wifey say when she got home?
Assuming your still alive to report 

[R71CUDA]

All she said is "Its gota go"

Then for some reason, the house was quiet the rest of the day.  She hung out in the bedroom and watched TV the rest of the night.

Seriously though, she did say she was more upset that I spent the money without talking to her more than anything else.  Which I acknowledged.  I can see her point.  Additionally, our oldest graduated and we will be having a graduation party in two Saturdays and she wants it out of the garage for the party.  Minimally, I told her we could roll it into the driveway.  Alternately, I am meeting a body guy at my house at 2:00 (CST) today to have him look at what it would take to paint the Charger, and since he has done some Cuda's, I will have him look at the 71 also.  If the price is good, it will be out of the garage by then getting some new paint.

When I "told" her I was buying the Cuda, her reply was "I don't agree, though I know you want it, so go ahead and get it".

All I can say is she is a great woman and I respect her alot as she puts up with a lot of you know what form me and my job.

So we will see where it goes.

[Arkgl01]

jewlrey always makes my wife forget everything I did wrong!!