The 1971 model year was the last of the uber-powerful Mopars. The 426 Hemi and the 440 6-Pack were discontinued, victims of rising insurance premiums and engine detuning. In the Charger camp, the Charger R/T was replaced by the Charger Rallye, which traded a 440 cubic inch 4-barrel for a 318 V8 as standard fare. The seller has a ’72 Rallye for sale, but the photos are confusing in terms of what the current condition of the car is (one looks like a Barn Find, the other a show car). Located in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, this somewhat deflowered muscle car is available here on craigslist for $18,000.
In 1972, when you specified the A57 option, you got the Rallye package instead of an R/T. The goodies it included were fake door louvers, a “power bulge” hood, blacked-out trim, and sway bar fore and aft. The 318 was included, but you could go for a 340, 400, or 440 powerplant for more scratch. The seller’s car has its original 318, but we’re told it sounds beefier thanks to an upgraded exhaust. But a 340-badged air cleaner sits atop the engine. Confusing.
The seller says this is an unrestored auto, yet the photos chosen show both extremes. The car’s prior owner bought it in Germany while in the service and had it shipped back to the U.S. Its taillights were borrowed from a 1971 Charger R/T (same body style), and the Charger has a wing in the back and a spoiler in the front (they appear in “fresher” photos but not when the car was rougher in appearance).
We’re told the interior needs restoring, and some of the materials needed are provided. There are photos that show a solid body, while another reflects a hole from corrosion. We assume the show photos are how the car appears now, though the seller could have been clearer in his description of the car’s condition. Some extra parts will be included with the 125,000-mile machine. Thanks for the tip, “Curvette”.
The paint polished well for the pictures in the ad, but there are a lot of issues shown and not shown. The idea if buying the car with the purpose of performing an engine swap means you are paying $18,000 or close to it for a roller. Unless this YMM is your dream car there are better deals to be had by someone willing to put in the work.
Steve R