Listed for sale here on craigslist in Colville, Washington, this 1987 Dodge Shelby Charger is offered at $2,300 or best offer as a nearly-finished turbo project with a long list of new parts. While it isn’t quite road-ready, the seller provides a clear rundown of what’s been completed and what still needs attention. For a buyer with some wrenching skills and a love for rare 1980s Mopar performance, this could be a solid opportunity to bring a neat piece of Shelby history back to life. Thanks for the tip Curvette!
The 1987 Shelby Charger marked the final year of Carroll Shelby’s direct involvement with the Dodge-branded hot hatches. Built off the Dodge Charger platform, these cars featured a host of factory upgrades over the standard models, including a sport-tuned suspension, unique graphics, and Shelby-specific interior trim. Many came with the Turbo I 2.2L four-cylinder engine, and while this car started out that way, the seller has taken things a step further.
The engine now features a freshly installed 782 swirlport cylinder head—a common upgrade for improved combustion efficiency and power delivery. The Garrett turbocharger is new and reportedly has zero shaft play, a good sign of quality. The ignition system has been refreshed with spark plugs in the correct heat range, and compression is said to be even across all four cylinders. A Performance Turbo One ECU from Forward Motion (part number P459871) has also been installed, which should help optimize the fuel and ignition maps for the upgraded components.
On the suspension side, new KYB struts and shocks have been installed on all four corners. The 525 manual transmission now uses a heim joint linkage kit, which typically provides tighter, more precise shifting. The brakes still have good pad life, and the oil was recently changed.
That said, it’s not all plug-and-play. The wiring harness needs to be sorted or replaced, and the seller notes that this is the main reason the project was never completed. “Always thought we would be able to finish it… plans changed,” they write, so this one will require a motivated buyer to wrap things up.
Project cars always come with a degree of risk, but when the heavy lifting is already done and the parts list is this promising, it can also be a shortcut to a rewarding build. Would you take on this Shelby turbo project, or do you prefer your ‘80s Mopars turn-key?
Some knowledgeable opinions on fwd turbo Mopars on here. Looking fwd to their thoughts. Is that mileage correct ?
Not a chance. It had to have rolled over once.
If the chassis is solid the asking price certainly makes this a good deal. Our ’86 was fun to drive and a great cruiser.
These cars always looked fun to drive. Those of you who have owned one of these 80’s turbo cars, how much torque steer do they have? I owned an 07 Mazdaspeed 3 and it liked to arm wrestle me when I got on it but it was quick! Nice write up Elizabeth.
Bought an ’86 Shelby Daytona Z new with 5 speed. It did have torque steer but you can adjust where and when you push the pedal down hard. Hadn’t paid much attention to it until we ran our first autocross with it and straightened out a 90 degree turn when the turbo kicked in.
Beauty bobhess. 😎 👍
Had a 1985 version of this car, garnet red. Torque steer is not significant. It’s there but doesn’t hinder the driveability. Now understeer on fast curves is something else. These don’t really have any body roll, it’s go-cart like but when you get to boogie-ing on the winding mountain roads at warp speed you notice this. All of that said, this example is super nice and the price sounds right.
Having owned an ’86 GLH-T when new, my answer to the torque steer question is “Yes”.
My Chrysler had torque steering, but the power steering enabled me to get on it without arm wrestling. I just enjoyed it. The big problem I had was the front engine mount breaking loose from the frame. Finally found a mechanic that knew what he was doing, and no further trouble.
I like these, I think I’ve mostly seen them in blue, and a few in black, never white. That turbo 2.2l was quite cool in its day; I wonder what a turbo K24 swap would be like, in one of these little monsters?
I’ve also never seen one of these in white before, and a Google image search doesn’t turn up any others, so this must be a custom paint job. Reckon they musta used the silver side stripe kit for a blue or burgundy one, then painted the rocker skirts, airdam, and central topside section to match. Pretty sharp, shoulda been a stock color option.