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Parked 25 Years: 1992 Dodge Stealth R/T

There’s a point wherein a more modern car emerges as a barn find and it begs the question as to whether it has become rare enough to demand a strong price. The Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo is an icon of the early 90s performance scene, and is an increasingly hard model to find these days in good condition and/or with low miles. This Stealth has under 60,000 original miles and apparently sat in storage for 25 years after the owner passed away. Find it here on Facebook Marketplace for $15,000 in Camino, California.

The asking price is a touch strong in this instance, because while the Stealth R/T (and its corporate twin, the Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR4) are both enjoying a resurgence in popularity, it hasn’t climbed to the place yet where someone is willing to plunk down real money for a car with unknown mechanical integrity. While the barn find appearance is certainly catnip for car enthusiasts, I think the seller would be well-advised in this instance to blow the dust off and see in engine turns over.

According to the listing, the widow of the original owner continued to pay storage fees on the Stealth in the years after her husband’s death, which could have been done out of nostalgia or perhaps she thought it would be helpful to have a second vehicle nearby. Regardless, sitting for that amount of time without a periodic start-up doesn’t help matters, and the market for these cars isn’t quite hot enough to see the overall investment – which may push up and over $20,000 before you have a runner – make sense to someone who could potentially buy it as a flip car.

But if you know anything about these cars, you likely know that finding one of them in top-spec condition, with all-wheel drive and the turbocharged powerplant, is a rare discovery, especially in stock form with relatively low miles. If the seller can change the fluids and offer a proof of life video, along with an indication of how clean and blemish-free the paint still is, he may very well have a $15K car on his hands.

Comments

  1. Avatar Dominic

    That car is stylish! For a automatic, i like the cars areodynamics!.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Joe

      It’s a turbo so manual only! Rejoice!

      Like 4
      • Avatar Racecarguy1968

        Is it realky a twin turbo or just the R/T model they both came in manual but the turbos had a Gatrag 6spd vs the RT 5spd

        Like 0
    • Avatar Curveball

      It’s not an automatic. Get some glasses.

      Like 2
  2. Avatar PaulG

    A really good friend purchased the Mitsubishi version brand new, driven sparingly and runs well. He’d likely be thrilled to get 15k for it…
    This in its current state is a 5k car.
    Way too complex for the average guy or gal to diagnose when something (it will) goes wrong

    Like 18
  3. Avatar JPatton

    He be well advised not to try to turn over the interference engine until the 25 year old timing belt has been replaced. I’d wash the exterior though.

    Like 17
  4. Avatar Uncle Buck

    My brother bought one of these a couple years ago. He got to drive it a few times. His daughter has it now. I drive him around in it a few times it was a blast to drive. Handled great and went pretty fast for what it is. And pretty comfortable to drive. Twin turbo all wheel drive and manual transmission. Red w a dark grey interior. Cool ride

    Like 10
  5. Avatar Matt

    Crazy to think this car is as old now as a 1961 Starliner was when this was built.

    Like 15
  6. Avatar George Ann Watson

    I have 3 Stealths now, the one was my daily driver until about two years ago when I stopped driving. I also have a parts Stealth and a “project car” Stealth. My driver is a ’91 RT, like this. 5-speed. I loved that car, but just have no reason to drive anymore. I had a ’93 ES before I got this one. Had a heart attack and drove head-on into a new Peterbilt in 2005. Walked away and recycled the rest of the car. These were/are awesome cars. I have given all of mine to my cousin now. He knows how to work on them and is going to do a wrap on the daily driver.

    Like 11
    • Avatar Big C

      Yikes! Glad to hear you’re still with us.

      Like 13
    • Avatar Pat P.

      Really hope you don’t stop driving. Driving is the reason to drive.

      Like 5
  7. Avatar George Ann Watson

    Thank you. I still drive when I have to, but the joy isn’t there anymore. I sew. I have 5 top of the line sewing machines. They are a passion, like my Stealth was. I drive all of them on a daily basis. I am going on 70, and my health isn’t what it was. And I finally stopped getting speeding tickets!!! Yay!!

    Like 8
    • Avatar Pat P.

      I guess that time will come for us all. But it sounds like you had some fun! Keep that sewing machine under a hundred.

      Like 6
  8. Avatar Howie

    No hurry to sell, yes we can tell that.

    Like 6
  9. Avatar PRA4SNW

    At least we got the story behind the long term storage.

    Nice cars, but as someone else has already mentioned, very complex machines and would be a gamble to get into this one.

    Other than the timing belt (I owned an Eclipse that dropped a timing belt at 50K, destroying the engine), my biggest concern is the hole in the seat. That is not created by wear, my guess is mouse damage. My daughter’s car has a hole in a similar place. I discovered that the mice were living in the HVAC, and were using seat foam as a nest.

    Like 7
  10. Avatar Rico

    Seriously, is washing a car really that difficult?

    Like 3
    • Avatar PRA4SNW

      He’s probably afraid to move it and figures that it will just get moved when it gets sold. But, not washing it is leaving money on the table. I’m sure it looks really nice under all that grime.

      Like 1
  11. Avatar mikeytee

    Just at a minium servicingbthe fuel system on a car sitting this long will cost you 3-4000$ if you do the work yourself and thete are severL parts thatbold fuel may gave damaged that are not available. As it sits with what is said, its a 5-7000$ car. Spend 5-6000 more and hopefully no major issues and you would have a 15-18000$ car looking for a buyer to pay that much.

    Like 4
    • Avatar George Ann Watson

      That was the main reason I bought a parts car. The older these get, the harder the parts are to find. The main reason I have been able to keep mine running is that I have plenty of parts. (From several Stealths.) And if you don’t go out and keep starting and running it, the fluids get icky. These are fabulous cars, but just like Cher, got to keep working on them. We all get old. I have sure loved mine. But you can’t let anything just sit.

      Like 1
  12. Avatar Al

    Parts are hard to find and waaaay to expensive..

    Like 5

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