When we tuck our beloved classic away snug and warm in its garage, we typically assume that this is the safest place it can be. However, Mother Nature sometimes has other ideas, as is the case with this 1969 Dodge Charger. It was a stunning custom build featuring a potent 440 Six-Pack under the hood. Accumulated snow caused a garage roof to collapse while this gem was in residence. It didn’t escape unscathed, but it appears that the damage is superficial. Therefore, returning this mechanically and structurally healthy beast to its former glory shouldn’t be a major undertaking. The seller has listed the Charger here on eBay in El Dorado Hills, California. Bidding sits below the reserve at $15,200 with a BIN option of $65,000 for those who find this Dodge irresistible.
The seller supplies plenty of relevant information about this Charger, with the Fender Tag confirming that it started life wearing Code Y4 Light Gold paint. It underwent a change to its current Plum Crazy during the build that left it rust-free. It remained protected from the elements until the garage collapse which resulted in the visible panel damage. The worst problem is the trunk because the impact jammed the lid closed. Since the build included relocating the battery to the trunk, the seller has removed the back seat to coax this classic back to life. There are small dents in the front fender and roof, but neither are severe. Beyond those problems, the paint shines beautifully, the unaffected panels are straight, and the trim and glass are in good order. The Bumblebee stripes and American Racing Torq Thrust wheels confirm that this Charger is more than a pretty face.
The word “brutal” springs to mind when assessing this Charger’s mechanical specifications. Decoding the VIN confirms that this beauty rolled off the line powered by a 383ci V8. Lifting the hood reveals Chrysler’s mighty 440 Six-Pack, which generated 390hp and 490 ft/lbs of torque. Shifting duties fall to a three-speed TorqueFlite transmission, and although the Hemi was more potent, this car’s ability to cover the ¼-mile in 14.2 seconds on its way to 132mph proves that this baby can really move with only slight provocation. The seller flushed the tank and lines as part of its revival, replacing the fuel pump, and battery, and addressing a slight issue with the front carburetor. The car runs and drives extremely well, and the embedded video in their listing confirms that the 440 sounds as strong as an ox.
The paint shade and drivetrain upgrades weren’t the only changes made to this Charger during the build. The seats now sport cloth covers, the factory wheel has made way for a chunky Grant unit, and the dash features a custom aluminum fascia housing a selection of Auto Meter gauges. The overall impact is positive, with no wear or other issues. The console is a nice factory luxury touch, and with no radio or air conditioning, it is the only such feature in an interior focused on performance. Adding in-car entertainment would be tempting, but most hardened enthusiasts will be happy to bask in the bass tune provided by the beast under the hood.
Fifteen bids have pushed the price of this 1969 Charger to its current level, while forty-nine people have added it to their Watch List. However, the listing view tally of 800 confirms that people like what they see. Whether anyone is willing to hand over the BIN price is debatable, although the unpredictable nature of the classic market means it is possible. Do you think that will happen, or do you consider a lower figure to be more realistic?
Fix the body damage, swap in a better looking steering wheel, and do lots of burnouts
With those tires, that’ll be easy.
We can all breathe a sigh of relief that the President just signed an executive order to immediately imprison anyone who, from this point forward, paints an engine block yellow.
Caterpillar?
Caterpillars are green.
Melton, if the carpet doesn’t match the drapes..run for your life!!
“As long as the collar matches the cuffs.”
Bond. James Bond.
Has anyone noticed that there are no seat belts?
They weren’t requires until 72.
Manual steering and brakes? About all you will want to do is burnouts, regular driving will be a bear. I am a little confused as to why this has not been fixed – I have to think it was insured. Why sell it as a project when as a complete car it should be worth more than the residual value plus the insurance payoff? Its a beautiful car, but I would not be interested for the money others are likely to bid.
If the car had been parked for winter the owner might have removed it’s insurance. Not everyone reads their policies or asks enough questions of the agent, they don’t protect their interests. Another possibility is the owner settled with the insurance, used the money for something else and sold the car.
You are right about the power steering and manual brakes, but someone added discs to all 4 corners, often times when that happens they don’t make them power.
Steve R
Shouldn’t that vin plate behind the windshield have rivets in it?
Another case of bad taste driven by high motivation. Here’s an example on how to make one of the best looking muscle cars with one of the most desirable engine combinations look terrible.
There’s no accounting for ones taste!
A took a lot of imagination to make this look so bad
EDH does not get that kind of snow. Must have been stored somewhere else…….
That ‘68 Charger R/T 440, in “ Bullitt”, was menacing! Looked evil, just standing still.
At one point, this same car was for sale in TX, undamaged, for the same 65K that this seller is looking for.
https://www.2040-cars.com/Dodge/Charger/1969-dodge-charger-350725/
Trying to cut their losses by breaking even – nice move that probably will not work.
Love the 440 Charger, although not the color or automatic. My favorites Dodge, the Dart GTS is very, very close! In school, I drove by a Dodge dealer with a 68 Red one for sale. I went back with my roommate and couldn’t afford it. That did not stop my roommate who called his day and two or three days later it was sitting in the parking garage. A stylish, bad ass looking ride and it was all of that. Unfortunately, I little over a month later the 440 was scattered over several hundred yards when my roommate missed a shift while racing. Dad was not a happy camper. As to “menacing” comment, the Charger reminded me of an F4 Phantom. I flew in the Navy and that sucker looked like it was going to kill just sitting on the flight deck.
Thanks for bringing back great memories.
My 83 mustang was in a barn collapse and took a lot more damage than that. But a replacement hood and fenders and a be are metal redo mafe it like new.
Everything that needs to be said has been covered. But I would add that the tailpipes that have installed, besides not being correct, look awful, not chrome or polished.
65K BIN seems pretty optimistic for something that you can’t open the trunk…if the seller lowered it to, say 25K OBO, it might actually be worth pursuing. Right now, I’m not gonna go nuts scraping up the cash. A YELLOW 440? Seriously?!??