Under the piles of junk and a thick layer of dust in this barn is a Mopar that has been asleep longer than Rip Van Winkle! You might not be able to tell what exactly it is from this photo, so we will tell you what was found under all that stuff. It’s a 1973 Dodge Challenger and is said to have been stashed away in 1991. Now seeing the sunlight again, it’s for sale in Los Angeles, California and here on Craigslist with an asking price of $7,600.
In the early ’90’s, gearheads generally frowned on post-71 E-body Mopars due to the limited selection of smog-choked engines and styling alterations that occurred later in the model’s run. Indeed, only 2 powerplants were offered in 1973; the grocery getter 318 and the soon-to-be-discontinued 340. The large, federally-mandated bumper guards were also unfortunate. But today, any E-body commands respectable prices, and perhaps this is the reason for this one now appearing out of hibernation. On the outside, the exterior photos do not reveal any obvious rust, but no mention is made of the condition of the body in general. I see some areas that look like they’ve been subjected to some quick Bondo-style fixes, but no major swiss cheese is obvious.
This is a “G” code car, meaning it was born with a 318 small-block. Given the state of the engine bay, with a/c and smog accessories intact, it’s likely this is the original motor. Even the master cylinder appears original. Not that this means a lot in terms of value, being a 318 car and all, but it’s reassuring the car hasn’t been subjected to decades of hacky “boy racer” mods that have been the death of many a 70’s American pony car. The seller refers to the car as “rolling”, so it’s almost certainly not running, but no other description of the car’s mechanical state is given.
The gritty cockpit reinforces the ‘barn find’ claim – and although rotted, dried out and tattered, most of it appears complete. Again, good to see the original Slapstick shifter is still intact. Most interior parts are now reproduced, a testament to the strong demand of the E-body lineup.
The seller states that there is no title, the car is being sold with “DMV Bill of sale only with old records”. Being out of the California DMV system likely means no back fees (these can be very expensive in CA), but also means lots of fun times dealing with your friendly local DMV office in getting the car titled. But beyond that hurdle, this appears to be a legit everyday driver that was put away decades ago. 1991 was the year that “Terminator 2” was released; Madonna’s “Justify My Love” topped the charts, and Operation Desert Storm was launched. Besides all of that making me feel really old, it puts in perspective how long is car has been stored. Would you be up to the challenge of putting this Challenger back on the road?
Whats up with the Barracuda(?) in the top pic?
You didn’t know? All early Cudas go to sleep and wake up as Challengers. Hate to live that nightmare! Restore them before its too late!
What Barracuda?
Cold 340… I was wondering the same thing. Is the Challenger on the right side of the Baracuda in the top pic? Definitely not the Challenger in top pic on the left.
For that asking price and the cars condition I’d expect the seller to have the paperwork in order. Unless that were to happen it would be a hard pass.
Steve R
Can’t decide between:
Yeah, and disguised as a Barracuda. or
So ’91 was it’s “Vanishing Point”?
And so I was wondering the same thing myself. Like a Romulan cloaking device?
Wow…my brother and his wife had a similar Challenger… all white, white vinyl top and black / white interior. Fully loaded, power windows and everything. What a pretty car. Had problems with one of the front brakes and used that as an excuse to trade on something else. What a nice car though.
Love the idea of getting that 318 running good with a few tweaks to increase the horsepower, clean it real good and run it while still leaving it a little crusty looking. So fun. But wrestling with the DMV? Don’t need that potential nightmare.
No need to wrestle with the Department from hell, aka CA DMV.
Vermont will be the solution.
Very.nice 73s can be had for mid 20’s. The ask on this one is highly optimistic.
Good old days! Just some used car on the back lot in 1982-84. Yesterdays Challenger V6 base model..
audifan,
How does Vermont work for an out of state situation?
Thanks!
Vermont is (or was) very easy to register a car in. I had a Sterling kit car That I bought and was registered in Vermont. The seller told me not to even try registering the car in Connecticut. They tried several times and were continually shot down, mainly because they said the head lights were too low. Drove to Vermont with the bill of sale and old registration and was out the MVD within 10 minutes ! Had it registered there for the 5 years I owned it. And by the way, the headlights on our family driver, a 80’s Camaro, were lower than the ones on the kit car !
How does a car deteriorate that much if it’s been sitting in a barn since 1991. It looks like the windows must have been left down for the majority of that time. Awful…
It’s nothing but a pile of junk for the money that you would take to fix it you can get a new one
Get a real Muscle car, piss on mopars, rusty old tin cans, only thing good about them is running gear! Put it in a rat rod or old rod. Get a 69 Mach 1 or Z28, mopars sucked then & still do!!! I have a nice 78 motor home 23′ with a low mileage 440, AT, Holley carb, clean inside & out, seems like I can’t even give it away 4 $2000, I would think the motor & tranny worth that, if it was a ford or chevy it would b gone. Any thoughts out there u computer typeist mopar junkies
K. That wasn’t weird…
Yer spare parts bud, sort yourself out.
I sure miss my 73 Dodge Challenger. It had the 318 slap stick auto. and cold A.C. It was tan but I repainted it a metallic blue in Emron paint. Bruce.
Cold 340, I was thinking the same thing. Is the Challenger on the right side of the Baracuda on the top pic? Definitely not the Challenger on the top pic. Looks like a 68 Baracuda to me.
That’s $7600 California money. You get the desert sand FREE! C’mon seller, there are barn finds and then there are people who take the car out and wash it for the photo shoot. The dirt on this car does nothing to improve its cache value.
Well at least they parked it under the carport and then stacked crap around and on it…as opposed to the 69 Camaro many months back on BF seen rotting into the ground just outside a carport full of junk. I know, I know, to each his own.