Out of all of the 1960s and 1970s B-bodied Chryslers, the Dodge Charger has to be the most collectible. Except perhaps for anything else with a 426 Hemi engine. Here’s a 1969 Dodge Charger that was probably a rather ordinary model with a 318 cubic inch V8. Having been idle (and maybe outdoors) for some time, it’s waiting for someone to buy and restore it. Located with a dealer in Celeste, Texas, this needy Mopar is available here on eBay. The seller’s reserve is higher than the current bid of $15,100.
When it was launched in 1966, the Dodge Charger was only modestly successful, and then sales declined in 1967. Chrysler stepped up and redesigned all of its mid-size cars in 1968. The new look was so popular that demand for the Charger quickly exploded. After peddling 92,000 Chargers in 1968, Dodge sold another 85,000 copies in 1969, making it one of the hottest cars at the end of the decade. Most were probably built with the 318 V8 like this one, but performance-minded buyers could go for several big blocks, including 383s, 440s, and the Hemi.
We don’t know the history of this Dodge, but we assume it hasn’t seen a highway in many years. Sheet metal rust is ample, and replacement panels are out there. The seller says the frame is good, but some photos from under the car would be nice. Overall, this may be a largely complete second-generation Charger the seller says could be a good candidate for a restomod.
The VIN tag is intact, but the seller makes no mention of the cowl tag or broadcast sheet. The interior, not surprisingly, is a mess, but the machine looks like it could have potential. If you pulled the trigger, would you restore it as base 318, go for a General Lee tribute, or do something else that would make it stand out in a crowd?
I’m shocked that the upper radiator support doesn’t have a ding in it! Maybe its mill was never yanked…
The reserve is probably $19,500, that’s what it is listed on the dealers website. They overprice everything, based on their other cars which have been featured on this site, which suggests it’s really rough, regardless of what they say in the description.
Steve R
Yeah, I feel bad for the buyer, this has so much rust, looks like every panel has rust through.
agreed, everything is overpriced. Meaning, this car is so badly decomposed that even they don’t think they can turn a profit on it.
In my opinion, it doesn’t matter what the reserve is if it is over about $5,000. I’m sure there will be those that disagree with me, but the money that some folks are trying to get out of these old rusty Mopar’s is insane.
By the early 80s, you would have a hard time giving this away. Might be taken off your hands for free if scrape metal prices were up that month. Times, they have changed.
Based on the release button, that front bench seat came out of a ’73 – ’74.
Better take the$ 15,100 bid,That is more than it is worth .TIMO.
In 1982 I bought a 69 charger with 69k miles for $750. It had a 318 Moter. It ran great. The color was an off green. The girl that sold it me said it was not a car for her. Unfortunately, the car got totaled but I am thankful to live to talk about it. I cannot believe the prices for these cars especially the rust buckets chargers. thank you, Barn Finds, K.K.
Seriously can’t believe anyone would pay anything for this. Looks like the stuff of nightmares. 318 charger rust pile. Have fun.
Ummm did they take the buckets and console out and put in a bench seat? And why if they did. Less weight maybe? Then again it’s a 318 so once again why? Odd! And once again crazy money! Peace!
$15.1k and the reserve is unmet? That’s about $14.6k more than it’s worth, LOL! At $500 it’s worth it, at $5k, it’s a ripoff, but at over $15k, we’re talking Grand Larceny here! The missing fender tag is a big red flag, and if it had bucket seats and a console that have been ditched in favor of a bench seat, that’s a crime against humanity! Anyone who needs a loss to offset a major gain on their income taxes will like it, everyone else should run, not walk to the exit! If you want to lose money, restore it, paint it black, and make a clone of the car the hit men used to hunt down Steve McQueen in “Bullitt” (1968)!
$500. That’s about what I was thinking.
Mark Woman, of Graveyard Cars fame, might be able to bring it back from the dead, but at what cost? $50k? $100k? For a perfectly ordinary Charger, maybe not a “stripper”, but hardly optioned lavishly, if it were in better shape, it might be worth it, but as it stands, no, it’s not worth it. The juice just isn’t worth the squeeze. Time to move on.
This is barely a parts car!!