The seller of this 1973 Dodge Charger SE describes this car as one heck of a barn find, and for ’73 standards, I have to agree that this is just about as fine as B-Bodies could be had for the period. Any time there are two fender tags under the hood of a Mopar, buyers could expect plenty of options, and this one doesn’t disappoint with the selection of accessories it left the St. Louis assembly plant with. This 1973 Charger SE is a project located in Chino Valley, Arizona, and can be found here on eBay, where the opening bid of $7,500 has yet to be placed. Barn Finds reader Mitchell G. spotted this one and sent in the tip, and we’d like to thank him for sharing it with us!
Other than the owner telling us this Charger has been sitting since 1985, few additional details are given about its past. However, a good selection of photos shows what appears to be a relatively solid body, but with lots of patina on top. There are a few panel imperfections, such as a dent up front on the passenger side fender, but overall, this one seems to have some decent bones to work with. It’s also a high-trim-level example, plus there’s a rare factory sunroof on top, so this one’s got some desirable options. The white vinyl top is long gone, which is probably good, as this may have prevented additional rust from developing on the roof area.
Fortunately, the accessories chosen by the original buyer go beyond appearance, as the left fender tag has code E86, indicating a 440 V8 engine with a 4-barrel carburetor. This was the best you could get under the hood in ’73, and 280 net horsepower was sounding pretty good for the time. This one’s stated to still have the factory motor, which has recently gotten a new thermostat, fan belts, and some other items, with the seller claiming it’s now running well. 55,000 miles is low for any car of this age, but that’s said to be actual, and with the four decades this one was inoperative, that certainly sounds plausible.
While the Arizona climate is typically kind to sheet metal, it tends to wreak havoc on interiors, and most of the inside components are charred. All of the seats will need new upholstery, and a fresh dash pad is a must, but it’s good to find buckets plus a console, with the Slap Stik always a welcome shifter for Chryslers from this era with an automatic transmission. Plenty of inside and other work will be needed here, but I hope this one will end up in the hands of someone who’ll return this car to its former glory. Is this 1973 Dodge Charger SE one you’d be interested in taking on as a project?
If it’s a longtime Arizona car..the sub’s with be solid and if you can get in for 10k or less this is finally a good buy Mopar.if anything just for the 440.
Had one of these as a kid back in ’78. It was a rust bucket and rusted in all the places this one is. But this has more problems than that. The pricing is “optimistic” to say the least.
in 4 years….? I had one in CT. in 79 -81 and it was rusty, but it was a 14 year old car in New England
Let it sit another 40 years!!
It still won’t be worth $7500!
Certainly like to see it restored back to its former glory…having that 440 is a big plus…but it will take some deep funds along the way. Looking over a nice ’73 SE myself…for really like those Gen 3 lines…but good luck on the sale.
Had this same car $7500 would be a fair price nice solid old Mopar the interior is an easy fix a little love would go a long way with this one
Either take a breath or use punctuation. Otherwise, I agree with what you’re saying.
In the early 80’s I had a 74 with a 400. It has a 2 barrel carb I believe. It was a dog but I loved it. It was very reliable. I wish I had the funds to buy and restore this 73.
It will take a lot but it would be a beauty when it done.
I bought a brand new ’73 Charger SE with a slap shift from my friendly
Dodge dealer back in the day. It was black on black with a black leather interior. It had a red pen stripe down the side, a red line in the grille, red louver inserts in the exhaust tips and red line Kelly-Springfield tires. I scared the you-know-what out of everybody that rode with me when it rained!! I would stomp on the gas and turn 90 degrees, hit the slap shift and be going down the cross-street, all under the speed limit. I raced everybody, even motorcycles to the next intersection. My wife made me sell it!! Needless to say, I’m 85 and still miss that car!!
I don’t know if anybody noticed but those tags look like they being. stuck with a gob of gum and do not even line up.all the rives are gone.I would have to say that they just stuck them there for an easier sale.
Chrysler used screws, not rivets, and they are sitting on a counter to show a potential buyer what the car had for options. its a big plus to have them when selling a car
Sold on 5/19/2025, with one bid for $7,500.
Steve R
I bought a 73 in 74 with 40 miles on it . The engine was the 340 ci , mine was lime Green with the White top cloth and leather interior fully loaded, The original owner bought the car, then realized it had to much power so he parked the car In the Garage and traded a years later while the car wasn’t a beast it ran with some of the best at the time ( After the 72 emission left cars with low power ) I was in the military at the time, it got totaled (,rear ended ) but the person’s insurance paid me closed to $ 2000 more than I paid for it ( I bought a 69 gto Judge with the cash lol