Some cars go a lifetime without ever changing their personalities or purposes, but the Dodge Charger isn’t one of them. For many enthusiasts, the most beloved era in the car’s history is probably the second-generation period, from 1968 through 1970, when muscle cars were at their peak. However, by the mid-seventies, that market was dwindling, while demand for personal luxury cars was booming. This 1977 Charger here on Facebook Marketplace is from a time when Dodge was more focused on lavishness than performance, and while this one needs some work, it might be a good project for someone who appreciates this period in Charger history. Some encouraging news is that this example has the beefiest engine available at the time. It’s located in Winneconne, Wisconsin, and is priced at $4,500.
We’d like to thank reader Lothar… of the Hill People for his excellent Mopar tip here! Before it was relocated to the Badger State, the owner says this Charger resided in California, though it’s not as rust-free as some cars that started out on the West Coast. The seller says that he began the bodywork already, which included pulling off the Landau vinyl top, exposing some hidden corrosion underneath. Although there will certainly be a few areas of sheet metal that will require correcting, this one seems more solid than not overall, and all the missing trim and parts are said to be included.
The base engine for the Charger in ’77 was the tried-and-true 318, with the 360 as the next step up. Buyers who wanted the most pep could choose the 400, which came with a 4-barrel, and thankfully, that’s what you’ll find under the hood here. Unfortunately, even the big boy was only capable of churning out 190 horsepower, but we are dealing with the malaise era in car history here. The lean-burn system has been swapped for electronic ignition, but those original components have been kept in case the future owner wants to put them back on.
With all the extra items that have found their way into the interior, it’s sort of hard to get a feel for its condition as a whole, since some sections are hidden. However, it might clean up well enough to be a suitable driver, and there are a few luxurious features that weren’t found in nearly every car back then, such as power windows, cruise control, and a tilt steering column. Though the fourth-generation isn’t necessarily a fan favorite among most Charger followers, I can certainly appreciate how it evolved and changed with the times, so I hope someone will feel the need to get this one presentable again and back on the road. Are you finding this one promising project material?
I like these cars, and this one makes me sad.
It looks like the restoration was started and the rust was discovered, causing the owner to give up on it, That is pretty much confirmed in the writeup.
Been listed for 13 weeks, the price needs to be cut in half for it to change hands.
How about free for anyone willing to take it?
Project is definitely a understatement they say it runs funny because my granddaughters Kia minivan was running and driving when we drove it onto the scale at the scrap yard it was also a project.
I like these cars; I’ve owned a few and still have my 79 300 that I bought new. In this case though, 400 or not, it just needs too much to be a $4K car. It’ s basically a ‘Dodge Cordoba’ anyway, although I will say that the interior is far more comfortable than the ‘fine Corinthian leather’ (SOMEONE had to say it!)
Back in the day, in Motor Trend (I think it was MT), I read a list of the top ten worst Mopars (in their collective opinion, of course). The two I remember most are:
The 1975 Charger – They took one of the greatest names in Dodge history and slapped it on a Cordoba? For shame! And:
The 1978 Challenger – They took one of the greatest names in Dodge history and slapped it on a Mitsubishi? Ba$tards!!