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Posted: 2/26/2021 11:00:41 AM EDT
An acquaintance of mine has this vehicle and they're looking to get rid of it at some point in the future:
 Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached FileIt's either a 73 or 74 Challenger. Car has had lots of bodywork done but looks straight and doesn't have rust that I can see. A few things I noticed: 1. Looks to be a Mopar 440 big block motor, which wasn't available in the 73-74 challenger. 2. Has a nitrous system. Whoever had it before them probably put a lot of 1/4 miles pases on it at the drag strip. 3. Has a 4-speed manual transmission. 4. Has a poor paint job, and as I mentioned before lots of body work. It looks like the car was originally a blue color. 5. Has new carpet, new seats and a new dash. Interior looks pretty sharp. 6. Motor has no antifreeze/water in it. Assuming it runs and the cylinders have good compression, what do you all think this thing is worth? Seems to me it would be a cool driver but it has very little collector value other than the body/ chassis itself and the engine was probably VERY ABUSED, and there's no telling how long it will last even if it does run. I’m not really sure how you’d even come up with a fair market value for something like this due to not being in original condition/ configuration. |
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Posted: 2/26/2021 11:33:46 AM EDT
[#1]
I would have several dealers give a quote and add 10% at least.
If you are trying to buy it, I would think somewhere is the $15k - $20k range but another reason you may need a professional's opinion. Personally, I would try and take it back to as close to original as possible. I haven't followed the market lately but a few years ago original muscle cars, especially Dodge/mopar were going for $40k - $80k restored. |
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Posted: 2/26/2021 11:36:51 AM EDT
[#2]
you can look up the vin here.
http://www.stockmopar.com/mopar-vin-decoder.php see what it actually came with. You are right it is tough. Project cars seem to be under 10k with complete ones listed anywhere from 30k to 50k. The least desirable years of the challenger. It is hard to tell, depending on parts on it. I mean it is clear someone grafted that hood scoop on it and it isn't functional. But it also looks like the underside is a shaker hood someone did that too. It also depends on how much they want to move it. Depending on how bad the body work is, and how much filler is under it all, I could see it moving pretty well under 15k. Just based on it being a challenger and not being a total project car. Not saying it wouldn't have to be redone, but at least if it runs, it is ahead of the game by far. |
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Posted: 2/26/2021 11:42:43 AM EDT
[#3]
Well, the hood is all plastic. It’s definitely not a real shaker hood. I guess my thought is most of the value is in the engine, and that part of it has likely been thrashed HARD, and without taking it apart who knows if it’s rebuildable based on how much it was previously bored over, etc etc.
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Posted: 2/26/2021 12:28:45 PM EDT
[#4]
That challenger really isn’t much of a challenger anymore, at least not in the sense of what makes them worth real money. If the beat on drivetrain wasn’t really something you were interested in then I’d steer clear of it. Barring a very uniquely or desirably optioned VIN you’ll lose every dime you sink into it.
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Posted: 2/26/2021 12:52:06 PM EDT
[#5]
looks like the quality of work I did back in the late 80's-90's
slap together and beat the shit out of it. if it has a bad paint job I guarantee it has bad body work as well. as to value I'd say not much, unless there is some paperwork/proof what's been done. |
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Posted: 2/26/2021 1:28:19 PM EDT
[#6]
Pull up the mats in the trunk, areas around front and especially rear window, frame rails and wheel wells, and carpet for floors looking for rust. If the body is rust free I would put a value of $10,000-12,000 on it.
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Posted: 2/26/2021 1:37:23 PM EDT
[#7]
You can't get even close to accurate value without eyes on and hands on. If you're looking at it as an ok driver, that's one thing. If you're thinking "restored" and valuable, you want an appraisal. Even an optically straight body changes value big time if it has been made straight with filler. The use of a fuel cell decreases value (except for racing or just fun driving use) and says something about prior use.
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Posted: 2/26/2021 1:42:16 PM EDT
[#8]
$10K to $12K is my guess.
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Posted: 2/26/2021 1:51:42 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted: You can't get even close to accurate value without eyes on and hands on. If you're looking at it as an ok driver, that's one thing. If you're thinking "restored" and valuable, you want an appraisal. Even an optically straight body changes value big time if it has been made straight with filler. The use of a fuel cell decreases value (except for racing or just fun driving use) and says something about prior use. If would see this as just a fun driver. Definitely doesn’t have any real collector appeal at this point. I’d buy it for dirt cheap if the opportunity is presented but I also want to be honest and let them know what I think it’s really worth. |
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Posted: 2/26/2021 2:08:05 PM EDT
[#10]
What is under the car? Any suspension mods or stock?
Is there a build sheet for the engine? It could have between $5K and $10K inside. |
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Posted: 2/26/2021 2:17:33 PM EDT
[#11]
Don’t know about the suspension since I didn’t have much time. There’s no documentation on the engine, or anything else on the car at all; I could just tell it had an Edelbrock intake manifold/ heads.
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Posted: 2/26/2021 2:30:48 PM EDT
[#12]
solid 10k car
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Posted: 2/26/2021 2:32:32 PM EDT
[#13]
10-12K if it doesn't have any rust holes.
If you think you're gonna "restore" it and make money, you'd be wrong. At least by my definition of a restoration. But you could clean it up reasonably well and make a nice driver out of it. |
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Posted: 2/26/2021 2:37:23 PM EDT
[#14]
I would say that 8-10k....... if they got it running and driving 12-15k
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Posted: 2/26/2021 2:52:43 PM EDT
[#15]
Looks like it will be a fun driver, OP.
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Posted: 2/26/2021 3:01:24 PM EDT
[#16]
You should probably tell him his nitrous bottle will work a lot better mounted properly - not sideways.
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Posted: 2/26/2021 7:34:13 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: That challenger really isn’t much of a challenger anymore, at least not in the sense of what makes them worth real money. If the beat on drivetrain wasn’t really something you were interested in then I’d steer clear of it. Barring a very uniquely or desirably optioned VIN you’ll lose every dime you sink into it. Thats an E body same as 1970,71,72,73,74.Still a cool car and worth some $$. Same car underneath. Plus 440 and a stick is a fun ass car ti drive. Get it op |
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Posted: 2/27/2021 1:36:05 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Well, the hood is all plastic. It’s definitely not a real shaker hood. I guess my thought is most of the value is in the engine, and that part of it has likely been thrashed HARD, and without taking it apart who knows if it’s rebuildable based on how much it was previously bored over, etc etc. It's not a Shaker hood, it's a replica 70 Challenger T/A hood. The E-Body cars are hot right now, but that car looks like a lot of work - what happened to the gas tank that there's a fuel cell in the trunk? There were no big block Challengers in 73/74 as far as I can tell, so you don't have anything numbers matching. Here's Hagerty values on the 73 cars;  Attached File |
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Posted: 2/27/2021 9:01:47 AM EDT
[#19]
Roadkill cars are kind of hot. This one clearly was converted to a drag car. Check the rear diff to see if it’s welded into a poor mans posi-traction.
Does it have a roll cage? |
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Posted: 2/27/2021 9:10:59 AM EDT
[#20]
If it has a poor paint job then I bet it has just as poor if not worse body job underneath.
If it was a purpose built drag car then they probably didn't give a shit about the rusty body. I'd go over it with a fine tooth comb.. |
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Posted: 2/27/2021 9:28:29 AM EDT
[#21]
Really big, really heavy.
It’s been ridden hard and put away wet. I’d pass. But I’m not really a Mopar guy, so there is that |
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Posted: 2/27/2021 12:15:38 PM EDT
[#22]
The 8-14K prices are pretty accurate IMO. The amount of bondo used will dictate a lot of that.
Engine could be new or trashed. Who knows. |
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Posted: 2/27/2021 12:34:37 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Roadkill cars are kind of hot. This one clearly was converted to a drag car. Check the rear diff to see if it’s welded into a poor mans posi-traction. Does it have a roll cage? No roll cage. It was registered as NAS Fort Worth at one time according to the windshield sticker so That tells me it’s at least able to be street driven. |
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Posted: 2/27/2021 12:36:57 PM EDT
[#24]
10-12k like others have said. Didnt like them until a few years ago, now I'd grab it and drive it. That's a car I wouldn't even think of restoring or dropping 60k into....just drive it. The older I get the more I like beat up old cars, the restored ones bore the fuck out of me.
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Posted: 2/27/2021 1:17:56 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Really big, really heavy. It’s been ridden hard and put away wet. I’d pass. But I’m not really a Mopar guy, so there is that This is where I'm at on this one, as well. To me, if it doesn't run i treat it as though it needs an engine, and price it accordingly. Bring a magnet when you look it over, and not one of those strong neodymium ones. You want one that's kinda weak to determine how thick they piled on the filler. |
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Posted: 2/27/2021 1:55:36 PM EDT
[#26]
Exactly. This is something to drive the snot out of and keep rebuilding whatever you need to do to keep it on the road, and not worry about how many miles you put on it or how far out you park it when you go somewhere.
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Posted: 2/27/2021 2:25:41 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Exactly. This is something to drive the snot out of and keep rebuilding whatever you need to do to keep it on the road, and not worry about how many miles you put on it or how far out you park it when you go somewhere. These days you won’t find many guys looking for a Challenger to beat on, it’s likely that any prospective buyers will be interested in a restoration of some sort |
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Posted: 2/27/2021 2:33:02 PM EDT
[#28]
Really, really depends on the body condition. Besides the grill, the body is the same from 70 to 74. You have to go over it top to bottom. Where is the car registered? Rust belt? CA?
Shitty paint can mean shitty body work. Rails, rockers, trunk, doors, quarters, everything needs to be inspected for filler. Crawl under and poke around on the rails. No 440 after 71. Are those Trick Flow heads? Nitrous could have had negative effects on the pistons. Is it an original 4 speed or is it a swapped auto car? Rust free, original 4 speed car could be as high as $20k. Rusty, 318 auto car could be around $5-7k |
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Posted: 2/27/2021 3:22:54 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Really big, really heavy. It’s been ridden hard and put away wet. I’d pass. But I’m not really a Mopar guy, so there is that They're not that heavy - my big block Charger only weighed slightly over 3,500 lbs. Challengers are a little smaller/lighter. |
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Posted: 2/27/2021 8:45:25 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted: These days you won’t find many guys looking for a Challenger to beat on, it’s likely that any prospective buyers will be interested in a restoration of some sort Well, that’s what *I* would want it for. Not necessarily to beat on it, just to drive it. Have no intention of doing a full restoration; just keeping it running well and road worthy. |
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Posted: 2/27/2021 11:15:17 PM EDT
[#31]
I not rusty underneath I could see $10-12k tops. Bad paint means crap body work that will crack/fail at some point. Wonder if it runs, but wouldn't try to start it until AFTER I purchased it. Been bitten like that when I was 16. Was going to buy a neighbors '68 442. Spent the week getting it running to make sure it started, even put a new Die Hard battery in it. As soon as I got it running they sold it to a their son's friend for more money. Refusing to pay me for parts. Bastards, I should have just pushed it home.
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Posted: 2/27/2021 11:40:26 PM EDT
[#32]
Sounds like pretty good advice!!! I like the way you think.
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Posted: 2/28/2021 8:22:48 AM EDT
[#33]
Is the fender tag present? The 5th digit in the VIN will tell you the original engine.
Like stated earlier, E bodies are hot and Mopar in general is hot. People are asking sky high prices for everything Mopar right now. Some are getting it but mostly the 68-70 Charger crowd. 72-74s are less desirable than the 70/71 but can be fun cars and built just the same. The car in question here looks like someone's toy built to suit their taste. The drivetrain is worth a bit if money especially if the engine is a HP440. Any four speed stuff is expensive in the Mopar world. What rear diff is in it? Things to check are the trunk pan since it's had a fuel cell added. Rear frame rails. Torsion bar crossmember, around the windshield and rear window. Make sure the car isn't hacked together by matching the dash VIN to the radiator support VIN and cowl VIN as well as the mylar sticker on the drivers door. I can't really give a figure but I hope that anything I posted is of use to you. Good luck moving forward. |
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Posted: 2/28/2021 8:29:03 AM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: These days you won’t find many guys looking for a Challenger to beat on, it’s likely that any prospective buyers will be interested in a restoration of some sort If they don't beat on them they're missing out. |
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