Hiding in this garage is a muscle car that will appeal to enthusiasts with a leaning towards Mopar products. This 1966 Dodge Charger spent decades in hiding, but the seller recently revived it and began the process of returning it to its former glory. There is a long road ahead for the person who takes it on, with only some of its rust issues eliminated. However, the engine runs, and the interior looks excellent. The seller has listed the Charger here on eBay in Fenton, Michigan. Bidding currently sits below the reserve at $3,250, and there is a BIN option of $8,500 that some may find irresistible.

Dodge released the First Generation Charger for the 1966 model year, with the Rambler Marlin firmly in the company’s sights. Both cars share a few styling cues, although contemporary reports by motoring journalists tended to indicate that the Charger enjoyed an edge when appearance was taken into account. The seller purchased this 1966 model from the original owner, stating that it had sat in storage since 1995. Once it found its way into their garage, work commenced on its restoration. This included replacing the front and repairing the rear floors. However, the winning bidder faces more grinding and welding, with the trunk pan and rails all rusty. There is also exterior steel penetration requiring attention, while the Dark Blue paint is well beyond its best. The headlamps and their doors are inoperative, but the remaining trim, the glass, and the wheels are all acceptable for a driver-grade restoration.

Dodge sold 37,344 Chargers in 1966, with 11,735 buyers teaming the 318ci V8 with a three-speed TorqueFlite transmission. This is one of those cars, also featuring power assistance for the steering and brakes. The 318 should produce 230hp and 340 ft/lbs of torque, according to the company’s Dealer Spec Sheet, providing fairly respectable performance. The first slice of good news for purists is that this Charger is numbers-matching. The seller coaxed the engine to life after its extended hibernation, confirming that it starts easily and runs well. The transmission selects ratios okay, but there is more work required before it returns to its rightful place on our roads. Those tasks include a fuel tank flush and reconditioning, and work on the brakes.

The public was quite taken by the interior when Dodge released the Charger in 1966. This was no ordinary muscle car, featuring four seats, a full-length console, and one of the most attractive gauge clusters in automotive history that utilized electroluminescence instead of regular globes. Many of these items would disappear with the release of the Second Generation as Dodge sought to lower the sticker price and increase sales. This interior is a work in progress, needing a dashpad and a radio. However, the seller has already splashed some cash to give the winning bidder firm foundations from which to work. The front buckets sport new covers in the correct shade of Dark Blue, and the carpet is also new. The back seats are free from rips and other issues, and the console is excellent. The wheel has cracked, but with it and the other two items previously mentioned replaced, this interior would look pretty sweet.

There is really no way to sugarcoat the situation, because the buyer faces a fair amount of cutting and welding to return this 1966 Dodge Charger to a rust-free state. Its needs extend to paint and mechanical work, meaning that it will take more than a few days of tinkering in a home workshop before the Charger will be genuinely roadworthy. Its relative worth as a project candidate probably hinges on the buyer’s ability to be as hands-on as possible if it is to remain financially viable. However, the listing statistics and the sixteen submitted bids suggest that there are people willing to give it a red-hot go. Are you one of them?