Alright, so it isn’t exactly a survivor, but this 33k mile Challenger is a real deal R-Code Hemi equipped Mopar that has been with the current owner since 1979. It was purchased new by a solider stationed at Fort Bragg North Carolina who put about 30k miles on it before parking it in 1974. It started having engine issues, so it ended up in a friends shed. It wasn’t running when the current owner purchased it and it wasn’t until 2012 that they were finally able to get it restored. They’ve only put about 3,500 miles on it since the restoration was finished, but they’ve decided after owning it for 38 years, it’s time to let someone else care for and enjoy this rare Mopar. You can now find it here on eBay in Fayetteville, North Carolina with a current bid of $84k.
When this car was built, it received just about every option a speed demon could want. The 426 Hemi engine was rated at 425 horsepower, but dyno testing has shown that it actually produced closer to 435 horsepower and a tire shredding 472 foot pounds of torque. It’s no wonder these have always been popular with street and drag racers! This one was fully refreshed during the restoration and runs as it should. Sadly, it’s not the original engine, but at least it’s a date code correct warranty replacement.
While it has been restored, the owner tried to make sure they reused as many of the original parts as possible. They went to great lengths to insure this car looked and performed exactly the same as the day it left the factory. It’s in great shape inside and out. Now if only it had been equipped with a 4 speed from the factory, it would be the ultimate Mopar!
This really would be an incredible car to own, but it’s well out of our budget. We will just have to enjoy it from a distance and keep dreaming of one day finding a Hemi in a barn!
It will be interesting to see what this sells for, the market value these seems to have dropped considerably. Nice restoration, they never looked this good even when new.
Jay, all cars have dropped in value. Any resoration of ANY car from this Era will look better than new. Many cars looked fantastic when new from this era also it just depends what plant they came from what paint options ETC. My buddy had a 71 Charger RT that was black with original paint and it was an awesome paint job with no orange peel.
If it had no orange peel, it was likely cut and buffed. Spraying single stage enamels as they did back then meant there was orange peel. It was to varying degrees, of course, but the only way for there to have been none is a color sand and buff. Along those same lines… many cars from the area even had runs in the paint. There’s an unrestored 40K mile 1969 Roadrunner owned by a local Dodge dealer. It was outside for many years so there’s some ‘patina’ on the top surfaces. The area between the left rear tail light and the fender lip displays a huge run. Different times when cars were more or less hand painted.
While the prices for most everything have taken a hit lately, Hemi cars have largely been insulated from this. A few years ago, the price of admission to this particular dance would have been over a quarter million dollars. If this car had been more original it would have nudged a half million. It will still be in the rarified air today. Even restored, the low documented miles really help it. If it meets reserve, I bet it brings $200K plus.
Man would I love that beast, or that later Top Banana Rallye in back of it, probably packing a 340 4 barrel. Not as fast as today’s musclecars, but so much more raw and visceral. Dream dream dream….
WOW, this flips almost all my switches and I don’t like green, autoboxes and have never been a Mopar fan. I think I missed out, this may have been a better car than a Mustang or Camaro. In the ‘day’ I thought they were big and heavy, but now I am too.
They were better engineered cars and had torsion bar suspensions which out handled the competition. I still love all older Amercan cars as each were unique and had their own character.
Probably lots and lots of tune ups before something broke at 30,000. With a 4 speed those “engine troubles” may have happened even sooner, hey, let’s face it, this engine was all about racing and the boys over at Dodge/Plymouth would have never offered it on street cars if it hadn’t been for NASCAR rules. Still, this is a very nice example of a car that very few people wanted(needed) back then.
That’s what happens when you have an engine that has no electronic controls and or Rev limiter and someone behind the wheel was not watching the tachometer. The rotating mass can be spun just so far. Rev limiters are critical on non computerized engines.
Had the opportunity to drive my son’s ’13 Challenger-Hemi-6 sd. Don’t know how it compares to the “old” Hemi’s, but it sure was fun. Quite a bit cheaper too than this one.
A by far better thing to buy at half the price and quadruple the value. If it is an “investment”, then it really can’t be enjoyed, can it? Surely not like intended anyway. A new Dodge gives better performance and handling, better running, far better gas mileage, more comfortable, good reliability, and loads of creature comforts. What would you rather travel cross country in? As far as the investment, I have my doubts about the long term success of that as well.. When us Boomers start kicking off, who will lust over these anymore? Sure, they will be a few, but the great numbers of “wanters” will be pushing up daisies, and that means a lesser value. Tri Chevys, and pre- war cars have fallen on hard times, will these be next? My advice, invest in the market, or land, or gummy bears if you must, but cars are a foolish way to go, with a few exceptions of course. Many of my generation seem to think this is a cool way to enjoy your 401K, I think that is just plain foolish. Kind’a like building a MCMansion to live in now and plan on selling to retire, just pie in the sky dreaming. The kids of today have lesser economic opportunities then we did, where do you think they will cough up the cash for toys and huge dwellings? Do yourself a favor, buy the modern sports car, enjoy it, now.
I got to drive my doctors 08 SRT Challenger, but I was kinda nervous to stomp on it, I had a 427 Chevelle SS at the time, but still didn’t hammer it. It really impressed me, huge power and real brakes !
I’ve only seen one of these in the flesh, and it stole my heart. Alas, I will have to satisfy my Challenger lust by watching Vanishing Point and Johnny Depp aftershave adverts on television.
Are the new Hemis based on the original 426 engine?
They didn’t sell many of these new, and for good reason. The option cost about $7,800 in today’s dollars and shortened your powertrain warranty to 6 months. The engine was known to drink oil and got about 7 MPG, which didn’t sit well in the anti-consumerism and “Earth Day” climate of the times. They required constant tuning and many dealers couldn’t or wouldn’t do that.
And it was a hard sell to even the most ardent performance lover. You could buy a 440 Magnum or 440 6-pack for substantially less money and have greater reliability from a more “standard” engine and about the same performance level. So as a result, most R/Ts were equipped with those, or the 383 or even 340.
Of course, some super rich person is going to pay more for this than many Americans’ houses are worth as it’s a huge status/ego symbol. Any schmoke can buy a 440, but they’ll have a HEMI, LOL! But as a wise choice for even a performance car there were much better options, and sales reflected that.
I would love to have that car with the elephant engine under the hood, and I am Chevy guy. I am still moaning about the dual quad 426 engine that I missed, because I didn’t follow the guy home and close the deal on the spot.
I thought the early small Dodges and Plymouths were pretty cars.
Bob
US $101,103.00
Reserve not met
[ 66 bids ] Ended.
Reserve not met. No kidding! This is the finest I’ve seen in a long time. Makes me sad (and sick) when I think we sold our 70 Challenger convertible with a 383. Restored…….Lord almighty, how could we have been so stoooopid!
This one will fetch $125,000 or better at a real auction.