1973 Dodge Charger buying help!

[Axels73Charger]

OK So i'm trying to buy a 1973 Dodge charger. I want a Rallye... But as most people know its a pain to find one that doesnt cost a dump truck load! SO I said screw it and looked at other versions of the 73 Charger. Well the standard is hard to find??? I mean I found more SE's then Standards. (When i say standard I mean the basic model) Now they ALL might not be SE's but they have the vinyl roof. Most of the time the standard and the se's are the same in number but at other times... It just seems that theres more SE's?!?!? So here comes my questions. If i get the chance to get a SE for a good price, it will most likely have a 318 in it but that doesnt affect me at all, any way Is it cheap and easy to take of the vinyl roof and the opera windows? If its not cheap then ok but still... Next is there a big difference between the SE and the Rallye? I know the Rallye is the "preformance car". So how big of a diffrence is there? Can I easily make a SE or standard into a better preformance car? Now I'm only 15 so I get to do the whole infamous Summer Job (wahoo) So with state laws and minimum wadge being $7.25 It'll take me all 12 weeks of summer to get about $2500. This is not factoring in small jobs and other things that may come my way in the summer. SO What would be a good price range i should be looking for to get a SE or standard or Rallye? More so on the SE and Standard but Rallye would be cool too! I've seen some 318's in SE's and standards sell for around $1,500 do you think this is a good price? If I can get any good advise please give it to me! Thanks

[jesterCT]

HI Axel.

My first question: What do you wanna have?  A car for driving or a car for restoration??
I think this questions is more or less important, cause you mentioned how difficult it is to earn money for a student.

In your price range you are looking for all car need more or less work. In most cases a lot of body work, and a rebuilt of the engine, transmission and the axles.
This also costs a lot of money, especially if the floor pans are rusty and must be replaced. Your will have to spend a lot of money in parts for the car.

I think nobody can tell you if your 1500 bugs car is a great deal without taking a look on it.
Did you see the car?

If you know where to look, what to listen for (engine running) than it can be a great deal.

Last week I bought my charger and  I saw some charger before in the mentioned price range and I know that it would be very expensive for my to buy these "cheap" cars.

I believe all cars in this price range are only for restoration.

greetz

[Axels73Charger]

I am looking for Both a driveable car and a restore. I figure get a restore (engine wise i dont care about). Body Is the one thing I would like to by pass because Thats a lot for me to do, plus i havent taken a metals class yet... Engines are the things i really care about in the care! If I need to take the thing apart and fix it then I'm all for it! I really like engine work. I just want a general price range that gives me an idea for what im looking at. So if 1500 is going to be alot of work then im ok with that. Seeing 2500 is the most i can get in a summer minus small jobs. Now the big thing about getting a Restore project car is that I will be spending a good amout of time on the car and less time doing stupid things that might get me into trouble. If the price range I said is more for restores then thats a lot of help to me! Thanks for the info and hopefully i've made my self a little more clear on what I was saying.

[71383bee]

man I just don't get it why do all of the kids on here wanna go out and cut these cars up...it just baffles me.  Over and over I see more bastardized 1/4 windows that just makes more work for us to put back together after you guys run out of money and/or lose interest. 

Both the 73/74 chargers had almost the exact same engine lineup between rallye and SE with one exception...340 was ONLY offered on the rallye. 

Now to say one is more performance oriented versus the other then you are after the wrong years because even the 440 4 speed cars were complete dogs compared to the early years.  Dodge CLEARLY made the point that from 73 on they were almost completely out of the performance business by offering every massively detuned engine with the rallye package and the rubber isolated k frames.  Thats right rallye was an option package where you could have a 318 2 Bbl or a 400 2 bbl...and a great many were made this way.  Sure it had bigger brakes/suspension  and a bulge hood, but other than that not much else.  IF the engines are the same, buying an SE vs a rallye is basically meaning less other than the exterior features.  The SE's had all of the same stuff on them minus the bulge hood.  Basically if you want a "performance" 73/74 charger than you need to find a 340, 400 4 bbl, or 440 car preferably with a 4 speed as those would have been the highest performing of the class AND most bpeople who have them know what they have and want more for them. 

The reason your seeing so many SE's is because the 73 SE charger was one of their most popular versions of charger  EVER.  And now you want one to cut up!   

Now I know this reply may make you mad or upset, but I just have to stress i have scene this before where you guys buy a cool car, throw every penny into the motor with out thinking about anything else and for some unexplainable reason nearly all of you guys are hell bent on hacking the rear windows out of these cars.  It can be done, and it can be done to look right, but it is not a weekend in the back of the garage with a sawzall and caulk gun type of project.  It takes a bit of skill, resources,  and body know how to pull it off and make it look right.  If not its' gonna look like crap or worse...and I have scene worse.  Usually at that time the car is parked behind the barn due to a lack of interest and bye bye charger that someone else would have liked to have had.   

Now with all of that being said I would recommend you find ANY big block charger you can find for your price bracket.  The big block 73/74's had bigger brakes, cooling, suspension, and the big block K frame.  (yes you can't just drop a 440 in a 318 73/74 without alot of other things)  AND make sure it has a good body...by far the most expensive thing about restoring the old cars is the BODY, not engines, radios, carpets, etc.  If you get a car with a killer body in any color you are WAY ahead of the curve.  And if you hate the SE's so much than put the sawzall down and look for a regular or rallye charger.

[FLG]

man I just don't get it why do all of the kids on here wanna go out and cut these cars up...it just baffles me.  Over and over I see more bastardized 1/4 windows that just makes more work for us to put back together after you guys run out of money and/or lose interest. 

Both the 73/74 chargers had almost the exact same engine lineup between rallye and SE with one exception...340 was ONLY offered on the rallye. 

Now to say one is more performance oriented versus the other then you are after the wrong years because even the 440 4 speed cars were complete dogs compared to the early years.  Dodge CLEARLY made the point that from 73 on they were almost completely out of the performance business by offering every massively detuned engine with the rallye package and the rubber isolated k frames.  Thats right rallye was an option package where you could have a 318 2 Bbl or a 400 2 bbl...and a great many were made this way.  Sure it had bigger brakes/suspension  and a bulge hood, but other than that not much else.  IF the engines are the same, buying an SE vs a rallye is basically meaning less other than the exterior features.  The SE's had all of the same stuff on them minus the bulge hood.  Basically if you want a "performance" 73/74 charger than you need to find a 340, 400 4 bbl, or 440 car preferably with a 4 speed as those would have been the highest performing of the class AND most bpeople who have them know what they have and want more for them. 

The reason your seeing so many SE's is because the 73 SE charger was one of their most popular versions of charger  EVER.  And now you want one to cut up!   

Now I know this reply may make you mad or upset, but I just have to stress i have scene this before where you guys buy a cool car, throw every penny into the motor with out thinking about anything else and for some unexplainable reason nearly all of you guys are hell bent on hacking the rear windows out of these cars.  It can be done, and it can be done to look right, but it is not a weekend in the back of the garage with a sawzall and caulk gun type of project.  It takes a bit of skill, resources,  and body know how to pull it off and make it look right.  If not its' gonna look like crap or worse...and I have scene worse.  Usually at that time the car is parked behind the barn due to a lack of interest and bye bye charger that someone else would have liked to have had.   

Now with all of that being said I would recommend you find ANY big block charger you can find for your price bracket.  The big block 73/74's had bigger brakes, cooling, suspension, and the big block K frame.  (yes you can't just drop a 440 in a 318 73/74 without alot of other things)  AND make sure it has a good body...by far the most expensive thing about restoring the old cars is the BODY, not engines, radios, carpets, etc.  If you get a car with a killer body in any color you are WAY ahead of the curve.  And if you hate the SE's so much than put the sawzall down and look for a regular or rallye charger.

Agree with ya.

I honestly think the top and opera windows make the car! I like it much more than any other 3rd gen style! Plus when your inside it kinda feels like your looking through the gills of a fish   

[Axels73Charger]

OK OK I havent been in a 3rd generation charger so I really didnt know it looked like gulls or gills or whatever! I just like the way it looks! Any way I was just asking because I am trying to get a restore car and IF I get a SE and IF its vinyl is Crap I want to know if taking it apart and what not is easy! Thats really what i wanted to know. ooh and the other stuff.

[FLG]

OK OK I havent been in a 3rd generation charger so I really didnt know it looked like gulls or gills or whatever! I just like the way it looks! Any way I was just asking because I am trying to get a restore car and IF I get a SE and IF its vinyl is Crap I want to know if taking it apart and what not is easy! Thats really what i wanted to know. ooh and the other stuff.

If you mean removing the windows and converting them to roll down. Its not a simple task, and its not for the novice. You need some metal working skills as you will need to elongate the drip rail and change over some other parts. Your better off just finding a non SE charger. There are plenty out there.

[71383bee]

no problem there man.  Believe me we really are trying to help.  I hope you see that.  Hell if you were my neighbor I would be letting you borrow tools and help you out and such. 

I guess I just hate to see them cut up and most times they're done its just done poorly.  the window opening is fitted with a plug that is welded in.  Changes need to be made to the body contour, the drip rail, and the trim.  Its just not an easy deal unless you know how to weld and have done body work before.  Add to this the fact that the window is fixed with no retractors so you need to get those as well.  It's not impossible, just more involved of a project than what your capable of as indicated from your posts. 

Most guys want the car to look stockish and perform very well.  On a personal note I love the opera windows, but to each their own. 

I read you are looking for a good body which is a great first step.  Don't worry about colors...there's ALOT of green on green cars out there and they usually are a lot cheaper because the green is not a sought after color.  Interior and paint can always be changed.  Like I said get a big block car if you can...even the 400 2 bbl cars are good.  The good thing about the SE's is they all had the rallye dash, upgraded interiors, and usually a lot of cool light options and interior features vs the regular chargers.  The most sought after of all of these features is the rallye dash which was standard on SE's so that is a big plus.  Good rallye dashes go for around $200 to $300+ especially if they have a clock or way more if it has a tach. 

So don't be shy keep asking questions...I am kind of an abrupt guy which can throw people off sometimes!     But i won't bullshit ya and I tell it how it is...(getting more and more rare this day in age)

[Nacho-RT74]

welll some details on this.

340 was only on the Rallye for 72/73. To 74 the 340 was gone. 360 was the substitute and not only available to Rallyes

440 4 speeds weren't available anymore on 73/74s

SEs were half of the total 73/74 production

you can get a regular Hardtop model and convert it onto a rally easilly but the bulged hood... thats the hardest part on the clone process

Rallyes weren't all hardtops, you could get a rallye coupe.

[Axels73Charger]

OK i am really happy im getting up front answers and im not getting bullshited! I try to look at all my options and i also try to make a plan on how im gunna do something. So i ask questions and i try to be upfront and respectful about it too! So if getting and or making a rallye is easy to a point i'll do it... but its the rallye dash i was thinking about plus big blocks can cost some cash! I knew the 340 was rallye only in 73 but i was told the 440 was still around with a 4 speed!

[Nacho-RT74]

rallye cluster is easily found and not necesarilly expensive.

3 diff rallye clsuter setups were available, but basically 2 where the base.

speedo, big double meter gauge ( oil/gas ) at a side and 2 small single meters on small locations ( temp and amm ). Average price $150-200

speedo, Clock and two small douible meeter setup on small locations. Average price $250

Same as above but tach instead clock. Cluster itself is the same just changes the clock for the tach. Average price $350 with tach in unknown conditions. Tach in working order maybe can raise the cluster up to $500 or more depending on conditions

Some other diff comes to clusters like 120 or 150 speedo depending on year or some small diff on bezel to 74s

Then an advice is get the Harness instead convert the standart harness to rallye. Some diff comes to this, year relative
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=5829138&an=&page=0&vc=1

average price for good used Rallye harness... $100-150

Unbuilt BB can get not more than $700-1000 depending on conditions. Maybe less... then rebuilt will cost you aprox the same as any engine around and you can built it at your wish. BUT then the SB to BB conversion comes into more parts... sway bar, T bars, engine mounts or adaptor or the right K member, Radiator, TRANNY, driveshaft... all depends how correctly you want because if you want the RIGHT BB CLONE the passenger inner fender is diff too

you could get a cheap BB car without engine and start from that to suit your wishes. Some 400 2 bbls Coupe version will be a good and cheap start for a Clone.

just droping some ideas. Of course a correct Rallye BB will be "the best" as far price is rightly set up.

aaand, no, 400 4 speed was an option, but not 440s. Remember they were cast cranks since 72s ( but manuals cars ) on 73 forged cranks weren't anymore on line, so THEORICALLY risky for a 440. Thats what cames into my logic when search for the reason to remove the 440 4 speeds from the options.

[71383bee]

Good points nacho.

Yep the 340 was gone after 73...really too bad because the 340 was flat out outstanding for a small block. 

So to be clear the options for 74 were 318 2 Bbl, 360 4 Bbl, 400 2 Bbl, 400 4 bbl, and 440 4 Bbl.  Is that it?  Was there a 360 2 bbl?  Not sure on that.

To be clear for the coupes the rear windows did not have regulators, they were fixed.  Other than that there was no other major differences between them and the hardtops.   

Good catch on the 4 speed 440's.  All the more reason to make it clear that 73/74 charger was not geared to performance.  Those days were dead and gone by then.  The rallye package was more of an exterior decor package by then.  It was not like the earlier R/T options.  The end of an era really.  What i am saying is that its more than a cam change or adding a 4 bbl that will wake these motors up.  It'll help, but they really need to be cracked open and get a serious bump in compression which means different pistons and head work. 

I would not stress too much on motor.  The thing about BB car's is that they had better trans, rearend, brakes and suspension than a base 318 car.  If your gonna build a 318 to put out say 350 hp then I would not put a lot of faith into the existing suspension and rear end.  The BB cars are better equipped for this so all you would really need to focus on would be the motor.

nacho...was the 8 3/4 rear end still avail in 73?  I thought it was?  If not the BB's most likely got the 9 1/4 rear which is still decent.  Not as adaptable as an 8 3/4 but still able to handle more HP.

the reason I bring this up is i have run into quite a few guys who tend to forget about the details when upgrading the motor.  Basically they forget about things like suspension, cooling, brakes, tranny, and most importantly whether or not there supped up 360 or 440 will destroy the pathetic 7 1/4 rearend and worn out springs in the car. 

If it is a 318 car do not sweat it.  There is power in that motor and with a good build you could be pushing close to 350 hp very easily and much more if you stroked it.  The only worrisome area with an upgraded 318 is the aforementioned rear end.  The 904 is also a good tranny and can be made to run with more power so that is not an issue. 

So now on to the important stuff....where are the pictures of these cars your looking at!   

[FLG]

Bee,

The 8 1/4 and 8 3/4 were available 

I believe all BB cars 73/4 still came standard 8 3/4 and 8 1/4 for the SB's 

[71383bee]

cool,

So for me at least I would lean towards the 73's.  Nothing like swapping a pumpkin on an 8 3/4 versus taking EVERYTHING apart on the other rears! 

Stick with what you know...right! 

No offense against 9 1/4 users, but the versatility of the 8 3/4 is SOOOO nice!  Why did mopar drop it?   

[Axels73Charger]

Wow that was alot of info! Thanks I'm starting to understand some of this! Ok as for pictures MOST of these will be gone by the time I have the cash BUT (God willing) the owners might take them off and try to sell them again in the summer.(hopefully you guys will see a picture other wise... I need some schooling on how to put up a picture for you guys) Its a Rallye and in my price range. $2500. it has a 400 possible carb and no headers...

[FLG]

Would need more pics to tell if its a decent buy..

Is it just me or with that stance does it look like is has no motor?? 

[greatwn73]

 Sorry too be negative but that is just a very expensive lawn ornament. From what you have written You'll have $2500. total to spend on the car and nothing left for basic maintenance and gas. That car would need $10000. just to put it on the road.

I suggest that if your set on a Charger do a reality check, talk to people that have done a "restoration", join a car club and save a little more before before buying so you'll be able to enjoy it before being buried in expense.

Here's the Charger I bought for $2100. and it was driveable (not road worthy) 318 hardtop column shift base car. The second pic is what it ended up as 400-4bbl,rally dash, console shift, factory style dual exh. and a lot more.I was able to do a lot of bartering and horse trading but was still spent well over $12,000.00 just to make it a dependable cruiser not show.

Budgets will almost always double so its best to when starting do what it needs first and what you want second.

Just my  but I'm way over 15 and still making lots of mistakes.

[41husk]

I have at least 12k in to restoration of my 73.  I would not really call it restoration.  I changed it into the WannaBee.  It started life as a 73 Rallye U code came with a 440/727.  If you can get the car for for $2500 you will likely need 10K to make it right.  You can get a 73-74 SE turn key car in the 4-$6,000 range if you look around.

[Axels73Charger]

First off the engine is out of the car. Second this is the only pic on craigslist and its the cosest to where i live. Third... That really really sucks that you think it'll cost so much! I am still trying to get a 318 or 360 for around $1500 to $2000 because i've seen some of them sell for that much AND they looked pretty good and ran! But that was the only BB rallye i found that didnt cost alot! So I guess i'll look at some more but alot of the ones on craigslist right now are either deleted or expired... And it really pisses me off! So i'll keep on looking and i'll put pics up and see what you guys think ok?

[Axels73Charger]

I have gone over EVERY 1973 Dodge Charger on craigslist and Ebay... ok so there wasnt any on ebay but still! I looked at other car sites too and well bottom line is... I'm not looking at any chargers right now! I'll keep on looking but right now I think i'll focus on asking questions and trying to get the money! If i find a good on i'll post it up!

[bordin34]

You're probably going to spend at least $2500 for a 73/74 SE 318 that runs but needs mechanical work and maybe a floor pan. Most 2bbl 73/74 will have an 8-1/4" rearend even big blocks.
I sold this 74 318 SE about 2 years ago for $2200 it needed one floor pan, both rears, a huge patch in the roof, and the trans slipped. It was driveable but would need at least $1000-$1500 to be safe. The quarters also had some surface rust.

[Axels73Charger]

Beautiful Charger SE! One thing i need to make clearer is that i want a workable 73 Charger restore project. I can get around $2500. Then work on it and get the money for parts later. Thats to help people know that i ment so i dont look insane!         

[Axels73Charger]

HOLY SHIT!  I finally figured out what made me think the se and its opera windows look weird! It was the metal silver looking piece that went around the back end of the roof! So i think i'll stay away from cutting it apart if i get an se! So how easy is it too take that piece off? The guy that posted the picture of the se he sold is the way i'd want mine to look like! If look at his picture of so black se it has thde silver piece.

[71383bee]

This is a great starter car.

He's down to 5k now I think which is not too bad for what you get. 

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,63443.0.html

[bordin34]

That trim piece at the end of the black part of the roof of the SE actually hides the edge of the vinyl roof. The black you see is actually vinyl and without the trim, the vinyl will probably peel off and fray and look bad. What I did was remove my vinyl to see how much rust I had, then I just painted it flat black to protect it until I could work on it.