More than 50 years after it was built, the 1969 Dodge Charger is perhaps best-known for its role in The Dukes of Hazzard TV show. While the number that was used over the series’ seven-year run varies between 255 and 325, only 17 are known to survive today. This ’69 Charger looks like it could have been used in the show and then left out in a field. While it has some rust, the seller believes it has good bones and its drivetrain is still present. Located in Lenexa, Kansas, this project is available here on eBay where the bidding has gotten to $15,200.
The Dodge Charger would debut in mid-1966 and – along with all of Chrysler’s B-bodied intermediates – would get a redesign for 1968-70. Production would continue to rise annually and in 1969 Dodge built 85,680 Chargers. Of that number, 18,344 came with the 440 cubic inch V8 (which is what this car’s VIN says it had), with 14.739 having a TorqueFlite automatic to do the shifting. We’re told the engine turns and is period correct, but not numbers-matching. The 727 transmission may be original, but the seller hasn’t verified.
“Perfect” is a word the seller uses twice to describe the car. First, as a project, and second as regards the frame. I wouldn’t go that far as things are crusty underneath, but a good sandblasting would tell the tale. The seller says the floors will need patching, but they’re not bad enough to need new pans. The Charger will require new rear quarter panels as well as the lower rear valance. The trunk floor should probably be replaced at the same time. The R/T was originally painted teal, but there were several color variations available then that might be described that way. Orange paint or primer seems to be everywhere now (a General Lee wannabe?).
The interior is a train wreck, but the buyer will receive a full set of correct Charger seats fore and aft plus the buckets that are in there currently. A plus is that the car sports a brand-new set of aftermarket wheels and tires which make loading it onto a trailer oh so much easier. The front bumper and brackets will be included, just aren’t currently installed.
Last year, J.D. Powers estimated a pristine 1969 Charger R/T with a 440 and automatic to be worth as much as $57,000. If this car were to sell today at the current bid, that leaves $42,000 to pull off an extreme makeover. Considering that the engine and transmission may not have to be replaced, that would divert more dollars to the body and interior.
What does it take to rust a license plate like that? I know if 1 is as old as 1981 & the car has always been outside – not a spec of rust.
Well, those wheels no doubt dictate this charger’s fate, i would think.
Not sure what is the cutoff pt to buy a dynacorn body instead – tho there is none for a charger – yet.
License plate rust??? Depends on what year that state went from steel to aluminum.
Wow! $15k for this rusty heap? I’d rather see anybody take that money and put it towards a more complete car. $15k is crazy for a car with no glass that’s been sitting in a field. Makes that 1969 Firebird 400 4spd convertible clone driver seem like a bargain.
Mopar weed for sure!
So maybe they should try to smoke it?
I do understand why many on this site continue to downgrade many of the barn finds located on this site, due to condition etc., and I hate rust like any other car guy does. However, In this day and age to acquire or be in the presences of a 50 year old car that is still standing after all the races of the past 50 years and abuse, and locate what is a very small percentage of these cars left, yea you will have to deal with the rust etc., and be lucky one is still available! Once again, economics dictates the market place and your looking for the few remaining cars left from this time frame! If you don’t like it or the price, put your money towards a battery operated car, that should really make you happy, good luck with those!
You have to be clear as to *why* you’re buying a particular vehicle. Investment? Memories? Always wanted one? Family project? Whatever.
Don’t forget that with rust, it’s what you can’t see that kills a project. Now…you can buy a popular car for which parts are readily available and spend a boatload of money. Or, you can buy a car that’s *almost* road ready but needs Unobtainium parts.
No matter what, do your research, be honest about your ability to do the work, be honest about the time it’s going to take (I had to sell a project at a loss when my work suddenly required living out of town for months at a time), and buy the best vehicle you can afford. Why spend big bucks on this and more big bucks to do it right when you can write one check and enjoy driving it now?
Q. “Why buy it and do so much work”.
A. Because those of us that have the skills to do the work take great pride in doing the work.
Nice if you can do that and life doesn’t get in the way. In my case I had a partly disassembled 1983 GTI in my garage when my employer told me to report to a jobsite near Chicago. Three months later I came home. A month later they told me to report to Lakeland, Florida. A month later I told my wife to sell the car and get the garage ready for winter. Two months later I started seeking employment elsewhere after my oldest son was falsely implicated in a bomb threat at the high school and my return home to straighten things out were met with threats of termination. At the end of the year I quit without notice and took all of their remaining customers. That was 22 years ago.
God bless you if you want to spend the time and money on restoring a car “just because you can”.
Not only did the Dukes of Hazard bring attention back to the 69 Charger, it also thinned out the herd of cars to pick from. Estimates are that around 300 Chargers were destroyed due to the filming of this series. That would not include the nuts that thought they could do the same with their Chargers just because they saw it on TV!
I wonder if they still have the Gas Cap….
No way a patch fixes the driver side front floor! And if someone fixes it that way, they’ll only be tearing it apart down the road. I’d be suspect of the entire under carriage knowing the car has sat outside on Mother Earth for an extended time. It’s a high dollar resto which would not be a problem if it were a matching numbers. The term “Period Correct” is really a slang term for NOM!
Why does anyone put faith in anything J.D. Powers approves?
OOOOOOOHHH!!! This car has been re-bodied! That fender tag and hood are from a Q5 Turquoise car but, the rest of the car is, quite obviously, Bronze! The dash panel has been grafted on or, possibly, new rosette rivets were used some time ago as they are weathered now (probably from sitting outside so long). Someone is gonna get a BIG surprise. This car is a lawsuit waiting to happen, lol.
This is the stuff that Roadkill dreams are made of ! 👍