Ever want to see what a barn find looks cleaned up? That’s what we have here with the 1972 Dodge Charger SE that’s being sold here on eBay. It’s located in Bakersfield, California and has a pretty steep buy it now price with bidding that hasn’t met the reserve yet going on at the same time. And that eye-searing yellow? Top Banana Yellow, of course!
Here’s some pictures of the car as it exists post-cleanup. The current seller actually lived 3 blocks from where this car was stored (along with its stablemate 1967 Barracuda, not for sale) for 17 years without knowing it was there. The seller gives a lot of details how they ended up with the car in their ad listing – it’s worth a read – and how the previous owner purchased the car to supplement the Barracuda and then fussed over it to make things right.
I’ll let the seller describe the exterior condition to you: “The Charger was repainted in 1992. Paint is nice, shines great and looks wonderful. NO RUST and no signs of any major body repair. The driver’s fender and front valence were replaced at some time but there is no indication of major accidents or bodywork. The paint is driver quality well suited for local car shows or Saturday coffee. It is not Barrett-Jackson ready but sure will get attention around town! There are light chips that have been touched up and a couple areas that appear to have been spot painted but the overall presentation of the car is great! All the chrome is nice and straight! Body is arrow straight! I can only find a couple of tiny dings –. All the glass is good with very minor pits or chipping. The drivers rear quarter window does have some scratches.”
Naturally, being a California car, the underside looks pretty nice as well.
Thoughtfully, the seller also included a couple of pictures of the car in it’s as-found state.
I’m not sure how ergonomic those buckets are, but that interior sure looks great! The seller goes into great detail as to the interior’s shortcomings, but apart from two cracks in the dash I could certainly live with the rest for a long time.
I was surprised to find the engine isn’t numbers matching, but it was rebuilt during the previous owner’s tenure and certainly at least looks the part. The seller mentions one leak from the transmission when the car sits for a long time but apart from that the car sounds like it’s ready to drive. What do you think — is this one of your favorite bananas from the bunch or is it overripe?
Nice car. Finally a seller washes and details their dusty “find” before listing it for sale. Last time it was listed on eBay it was bid to $18,900, that is probably about right, though it might pull slightly higher.
Steve R
Oh H#LL Naw! 23k for a banana looking charger with a non S/N matching smog 400 engine?! I don’t think so……LOL!
Yep, I agree, it looks like a banana. 23K is a lot of money for a banana.
23k is way too much I guess he thought his ramblings will sell it.
Don’t knock that 400, Keith. I had the same setup in a ’72 Sebring Plus and it ran like a scalded dog!
Absolutely agree! What’s with these clowns asking top $ for a non matching #s car. Goughing mirons.
Hey, wait a minute here. The car had a white plate when it was parked from about 1992 and then it is shown with a 1987 blue and yellow plate that is just not possible for it to have.
I wonder what is going on with that.
According to the smog history page, 1SIX114 belongs to a 1986 Integra.
Looks like they just had the regular plate on it when it was parked in 1992–the white plate–but the new owner has put the vintage plate on. The blue and yellow plates in CA ran from 1969 to 1982 so it’s the plate that would have been used when the car was new. You can choose to register a vintage vehicle (through 1980) with a year of manufacture license plate. I don’t think you can actually register a vintage plate here in NC, but you can display your car at shows with a vintage plate, including the drive there, as long as your real plate is in the vehicle.
That is not even close. There is no vintage blue plate and even if there was the plate is a 7 digit plate from 1987.
The blue plates ran from 1970 to 1987.
I am not sure where you are getting your information, but it is not correct.
As the other poster posted above, the 7 digit blue plate belongs to another car.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_California
Toni, what was that link supposed to show me?
I really don’t need Wikipedia, I lived it.
Were you trying to show me that the blue plates started in 1969? They didn’t.
1969 cars has black and yellow plates mostly with the Z on them.
Miguel, the blue plates did start in 1969, each office switched to blue when they depleted their supply of black plates. Some 1970 cars, mainly in rural areas, and many trucks had black plates, but the blue plates were definitely installed on some 1969 cars when they were new.
Steve R
Miguel, is it possible that you are mistaken? It has been almost 50 years ago. It is proven that people frequently remember things incorrectly.
Cheers
Steve, as it turns out, a few blue plates did get out in 1969 as the black plates ran out.
This is from 15q.net
“Most of these plates were issued with 1970 as their first expiration, but a handful got out with 1969 stickers. In fact, some plates issued in late 1969 received their 1969 and 1970 stickers at the same time due to the late-year registration.”
The blue plates must have started to be issued very late in 1969, which means that some 1970 models would have had blue plates but not many 1969 models would have.
Freddy, I already posted below the clarification.
Yes and the photog conveniently did not take a clear shot of the trunk head on to verify the factory tire/jacking instructions sticker could be seen…Nor did he get a pic of pass rear glass to verify the NHRA sticker was there. Might be 2 diff vehicles?
lots of unanswered questions here. any buyer needs to have all their questions answered.
Had a ’72 ‘Bolt back in high school. Paid $1,800 for it. Mine was the Topper X with the alligator half vinyl roof, concealed headlights like this, plaid interior, and 318 2-bbl. It was a fun and fairly quick car, though it was horrible on ice and snow. And that was how it met its ultimate demise after my brother spun out on an ice patch and got rear ended by a Ford Tempo in the oncoming lane. May it RIP.
Anyway, $23k is a bit steep for a luxury model Mopar with a low compression motor, Charger or not. But the market is plum crazy (also a Mopar color of the era FYI) now, so I don’t know. It’s over 10k with 3 days to go. I can see it hitting the mid-teens, but I’ve my doubts it’ll approach 20k.
Last time the seller had it listed for sale the high bid was $18,900, which didn’t meet reserve.
Steve R
Good looking car, not $23K worth of good looking but good looking none the less.
Too many seller memory lane of him growing up mixed in to the ad. Just the facts ma’am.
Anyone else remember when they used to talk about smoking bananas? Well, I don’t think this is no “smokin’ banana!
I amazed – what a quintessential find – what I am seeing is a beautifully preserved specimen
Probably just another guy who spotted it, waited patiently for the purchase, and is trying to make a retirement off it.
I had a 73 SE with the opera windows on the C pillar. 440. Ran like a scalded dog. would do 130 with no issue. But you HAD to weigh down the back end for winter or you could end up maimed or dead.
Funny I wanted to comment on the Blue Nova in Eads TN but couldn’t. There are two guys I know flipping cars out there. One is the father in law and they sort of take turns listing them. Dunno if it is the same guys or not. But they are less than truthful on their descriptions. FYI
Same here, the Reply button was nowhere to be seen.
Strange.
I had one of these back in the day. I always got a kick out of how they went low-buck and kept the same big back side window and just brought the roof up to the back side of the door glass to cover it up. 3/4 rear view out sucked but it did look cool.
What Steve said…..this is not a NEW find….it’s been listed before and the story gets better and better or worse ? The Cuda was shown as well in earl pics.
Americans and their stupid colored plates
Get a grip hillbillies
Wondefull car. Deserves Big Bucks
Yes indeed. Nice clean charger, not a total rust bucket that u can only save a # tag & 1 piece of sheet metal off a 69-70 & rebuild it just 2 say it’s a 69-70. All those rebuilds don’t have matching #s, they put in a hopped up Hemi/440 any ways. Fix the motor then & drive it instead of wrenching on it 4 years & most of the time never gets finished. As far as blue plate goes I have a 65 ford with a blue 1, brought it in from out of state SMART Guys
The dusting of dirt looks staged in the photo. And how does one know of the Barracuda’s existence for years but know nothing of this car sitting 4 feet away? That garage is super tiny (Cali style!).
Plates ? We dont need no plates.
Rare colour. Never mind if numbers do not match.
That rare color is worth 20 grand.
Where is photo of build tag ? Always show build tag when selling a Mopar