While discussing the strange appeal of “as found” cars, my good buddy Sid once exclaimed, “people want to see the sarcophagus!”. We all love to to see the dusty resting place of a good barn find before it gets pulled out, so it’s always appreciated when sellers include such photos in their listings. The morbid fascination generated by them may not help much with the sale, but I for one am always excited to take a look. This 1966 Dodge Charger had been in the same family since 1966 and was supposedly parked in 1978. The seller has since pulled the car out and cleaned it up a bit before listing it here on eBay with no reserve andand starting bid of $2,300.

The excitement of digging out a discovery can quickly dissipate once you get it home. Rat’s nests, rust, and missing parts can all hurt the enthusiasm once the thrill of the hunt is over. I have seen many cars listed back for sale because the new owner realizes that their newfound project might be a little bigger than they can handle. Looking at this seller’s other listings though, I think it is safe to assume that he bought this Dodge with the intention of reselling it. The fact that he has listed it with no reserve makes that a little easier to swallow though.

The good thing about dust is that it covers up rust. Now you can see why some sellers prefer to leave the grim when they list a car. We appreciate this seller’s integrity here though. After cleaning the the exterior, it is a lot easier to see the extent of the corrosion and unfortunately, it looks like the tin worm has had its way with this Charger. Those rear quarter panels will need replaced, but we have seen a lot worse saved. Just don’t assume that this restoration is going to be cheap. Unless you are good with the welder and spray gun, you will need to pay a pro to make this one right and they don’t come cheap.

The feasibility of restoring a car like this normally comes down to which engine is under the hood. In 1966, customers could choose from a handful of options. The 426 Hemi was even available! Unfortunately, this one has the base model 318 V8 though. It wasn’t a bad engine, but one of the more powerful powerplants would have really helped the value here. I think this one might be too far gone to just clean up and drive, but it also might not be worth enough to justify a full restoration either. Do your research and let all of us know what you think should be done here!