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Running 383: 1966 Dodge Charger

When the Dodge Charger broke cover in 1966, it certainly managed to grab its share of attention. Its sleek fastback body and stylish interior marked it as something special. If buyers ticked the right boxes on the options list, they could find themselves with a car that possessed the muscle to back those great looks. Barn Finder local_sheriff spotted this 1966 Charger for us, so I have to say thank you so much for that. The Charger is located in Citrus Heights, California, and has been listed for sale here on Craigslist.  If you would like to park this classic in your workshop, it is as simple as handing the owner $6,000 and it’s all yours. It also seems that the owner might be open to reasonable offers, so that is an option that could be worth considering.

The photos that the owner supplies aren’t of the greatest quality, and nor does he supply a lot of them. However, what they seem to show is a car that possesses a lot of promise. The body wears a couple of minor dings and marks, but nothing that would necessitate panel replacement. What I can’t see is any significant rust. The owner makes no mention of any problems in this area, and if the vehicle has spent a reasonable percentage of its life in California, then that will have helped its cause enormously. There is some surface corrosion present, but this also isn’t particularly severe. The glass all looks like it is in good condition, and while the majority of the exterior trim and chrome appears to be present, there are a couple of small pieces that are either missing or damaged. The tail-light lens is also damaged, and will require replacement.

While the exterior styling of the ’66 Charger was sleek and aerodynamic, the interior just ramped things up a notch. Dodge managed to create something quite special, and it is pleasing to see that the interior of this Charger has survived largely intact. It isn’t perfect, but if the next owner comes from the school of instant gratification and wants to return the Dodge to active service ASAP, then the interior could easily be used as it currently stands. Giving the whole thing a good clean would be a pretty reasonable starting point because then the next owner will know exactly what they have to work with. There are some obvious problems that will need to be addressed, and these impact some of the plastic, along with the dash pad and door trims. The seats look like they might be free of any significant flaws, and new covers might not be required. The jury is out on the rest of the interior trim without a good clean, but the promise is definitely there. When I look inside a ’66 Charger I find it hard to decide which feature I like the most. The styling of the dash itself is quite sleek, while the fact that the car features a full-length console and folding rear bucket seats is also pretty cool. However, I would probably follow many people in believing that the electroluminescent lighting for the gauges, radio, and the shifter indicator in the console marks the high point. Those look amazing when lit, and allow the interior to stand well clear of most other offerings of the era.

The owner supplies no engine photos, but he does supply some limited information. A buyer in 1966 faced a reasonable range of choices as to what they wanted to slot under the hood of their Charger, and the most desirable, and most expensive, was the Hemi V8. This vehicle doesn’t feature one of those brutes, but it does come equipped with a 383ci V8 and a 3-speed TorqueFlite transmission. Apart from knowing what is under the hood, we know that the 383 does run. Beyond that, your guess on how well the car runs or whether it drives is as good as mine. Still, with the car in mechanically good health, it won’t be lacking in performance. The 383 should quite comfortably produce 325hp, which should be enough to propel the vehicle through the ¼ mile in around 15.3 seconds.

From a classic car perspective, the ’66 Charger remains surprisingly affordable. It is possible to locate some very nice 383-equipped examples for around the $30,000 mark, although pristine vehicles can achieve prices of $50,000 or more. What I will say is that if this vehicle is as solid and complete as the photos would seem to indicate, then it could represent a straightforward restoration prospect. That makes it a classic that might be worth serious consideration.

Comments

  1. Avatar Gord Laxson

    got to love spell check… only serious injuries need apply!
    btw… does anyone know the dimension from dash to inside of trunk at back (trying to figure out how long a thing could fit inside with trunk lid shut, pass buckets down and rear panel down)
    ty
    hope everyone is being safe… here is the new handshake !

    Like 4
    • Avatar Dave

      with the trunk divider and the rear seats down you can fit a 4×8 sheet of plywood in there
      way better deal than the rusted to death ’70

      Like 3
  2. Avatar alphasud Member

    I think 6 grand is a good buy given the lack of rust and a straight body. Would make a nice driver. If I was in the market to buy my next project I would seriously consider.

    Like 5
    • Avatar jerry z

      I agree, but at least add a few more photos! For the price, it’s even worth shipping back to the other coast!

      Like 3
      • Avatar Husky

        Or Sweden ;-)

        Like 5
  3. Avatar sir mike

    Best looking body to wear the Charger nameplate.

    Like 16
  4. Avatar George Louis

    New years day 1996 our neighbor comes home from a Florida Vacation and parks a Brand new 1966 Dodge Charger white with Red interior 318 V 8 automatic Charger in his driveway, He was driving a 1958 Buick Roadmaster in blue. The prettyist Dodge Chargers had to be the 1969 Model Chargers. I went to college with a guy who’s brother had a Dark Green Charger R/T with 440 automatic Green bucket seats , console and Green Vinyl Top. A pretty car indeed.!!!

    Like 2
  5. Avatar ken tillyUK Member

    Hi Adam. Your write up is ten times better than the sellers photographs of what looks like a great, restorable, classic Charger. Thumbs up to you, thumbs way down to the seller.

    Like 5
  6. Avatar DonC

    This was what my Dad drove. His was a 318. My Mom had the Challenger with the 383. I loved Dad’s Charger and as a kid would lie down in the back with my feet in the trunk looking out that picture window of a rear at all the stars in the sky. Car was awesome, easy to work on, I’d be really tempted to buy this if we could get some undercarriage photos and some history at all?

    Like 2
  7. Avatar Johnmloghry

    Next to the Nissan Cube these are the ugliest cars ever built.
    God bless America

    Like 0
    • Avatar PRA4SNW

      LOL! My daughter drives a Cube and I would LOVE to park one of these next to it. These are one of my favorites.

      Like 4
    • Avatar ken tillyUK Member

      Looks like you are in the minority John. I also would love it in my garage.

      Like 7
  8. Avatar George Louis

    As they say “Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder”!!!!!!!

    Like 3
  9. Avatar stillrunners

    Looks like a bargain west coast car from what I can see….prefer the 67 for the subtle changes…..

    Like 1
  10. Avatar PRA4SNW

    Man, I love these cars, but this is one of the laziest CL ads ever.

    It’s a,most as if someone walked into the garage, snapped a few photos really quickly, and threw up an ad on CL.

    Like 2
  11. Avatar Ward William

    I really need this car. I love these early chargers more than the later ones.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Dalton Jones

    something not mentioned. The 1966 and 67 charger had something no other car ever had. Electroluminecense in the dashlights. The 110 converter was behind the glove box.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar jay

    This looks like are family charger that was broken down sitting in garage in late 70’s. As a kid I put a burn in rear middle console with cigarette lighter which looks like this has. We lived in Baltimore and somebody bought it.

    Like 0

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