California Mopar: 1974 Dodge Charger 360

Although the second-generation Dodge Chargers (1968 through 1970 models) are some of the most sought-after Muscle Cars of their era, the demand for the third generation Charger is also pretty high as well.  Produced from 1971-1974, the Charger still featured a modified B-Body platform but had a much sleeker body design than its predecessor.  If you’ve been in the market for a third-generation example that’s complete and unmolested but could use some love, this 1974 Dodge Charger just might fit the bill ideally.  Located in El Cerrito, California, it can be seen here on eBay with the current bid sitting at $12,000.  More than a week remains on the auction at the time of this writing, so there’s still plenty of time to get in on the action.

While this Charger is mostly all there, it’s not without some flaws that will need addressing if the next owner is looking to make it into a top-notch Mopar.  The car does have an interesting history, as the seller acquired it from a man whose Aunt purchased the car brand new.  The nephew was a local service station owner who took over the Charger more than 20 years ago.  The story goes that he commissioned a new paint job, put on a new set of tires, took it home, and never drove it again.  Even though it has already had one respray, the paint is showing considerable flaking, and while there are a few areas with surface rust to contend with the seller says that the body itself is in very good shape with no bad rust anywhere.  The underside of the car looks really solid as well.

The dashboard has its fair share of cracks, and there’s no telling what those green and purple seat covers are hiding, but we’ve seen numerous Chargers on Barn Finds that look far worse inside than this one.  The car does have the console with that cool Slap-Stik shifter, and thankfully the seller also included the information from the VIN Tag, which shows some options including power windows, 3-speed windshield wipers, cruise control, A/C, and a few other goodies.

By 1974, the Hemi and the 340 were gone, but the Charger could be had with a 4-barrel 360 V8 which is what’s under the hood here.  The only thing the seller says about the engine is that it runs but will need more to be a runner.  The motor is attached to an automatic transmission, and the car is said to come with extensive documentation, including a letter to the original owner from a high up at Chrysler apologizing for the transmission failing to work properly in reverse when the car was just a couple of years old.  Apparently, it cost her $156 to have it repaired, and she fought to get her money back and won!  What are your thoughts on this 1974 Dodge Charger?