y latest project, as of March 2005, is a 1974 Dodge Charger. I am not exactly sure why I decided on this car. Originally I was looking at a 1970 Coronet with a 318, a 1968 Dart with a 340 and a 1970 Plymouth Duster with a slant six. I really like the Coronet but I could not get over the headlight/grill configuration on the front. The dart was a consideration but I always felt they were a box with little styling and were also a bottom end model. This being said, about a Dart, if you got the combination of paint and rims correct they looked just as good as any Mopar. The 1970 Duster was in extremely good shape. Its paint was great and there was not a mark in the black interior. The price was a little high for a car with a six.

I started to look around a little. I decided that my choice of a project would definitely be a Dodge/Plymouth. My first car was a 1975 Plymouth Duster and for this reason I knew I would not buy a Duster. I loved that car but I also wanted to buy something different. The biggest problem with the cars that I wanted was that they were priced very high since the demand for Mopar products were at an all time high and supply was very low. Most of the old cars have long rusted away. I spent a lot of time looking at cars on ebay. There seemed to be a lot of cars from the USA but I really did not want to travel far or have to cross a border.

I decided that I would be patient and wait for somebody that was selling a car for reason such as "needed to move", "expanding the family" or "invested the money but lost interest". In time I found a car that was a two hour drive from my home. It was listed on ebay. I decided that I would bid since I could always travel to view the condition of the car if need be. I have seen some people that have been taken from buying cars sight unseen over the Internet. Anyhow, I put a bid in on the car. I actually won the bid but my bid was under the minimum the seller was willing to accept.

I contacted the seller and found out a few things. First the car belonged to a person that got posted from Greenwood to a base in British Columbia. He owned the car for ten years. The person handling the sale was a friend. He had the transmission rebuilt and the heads rebuilt. I decided to pass at that time since I thought the price was just a little to close to what I felt a car in this shape should sell. The friend contacted me and said that they would include new body mounts and delivery. This was like taking another $300 off the price of the car.

The car is in pretty good shape for the year. The colour is not what I want but that can always be changed. Here is the information I have on the car:
  • The heads had been done (replaced with better flowing heads)
  • new rad
  • 727 tranny rebuilt with shift kit installed in 2003
  • 4bbl carb rebuilt, ACCEL coil, HP electronic ignition, etc.
  • The wheels on the car are the police ones (these will end up on my truck)
  • Runs and responds great.
  • Solid dual exhaust 2 1/4" with the factory round vented chrome tips, No H pipe.
  • All seats are vinyl, no fabric. No center armrest.
  • Yes, a 8 3/4
  • The trunk floor is solid, some scale, looks like a small patch on pass. WW approx.3"sq. see pictures
  • No swaybar (rear)
  • Spedo is in MPH and reads to 150. The odometer reads 11773 miles. Not original unit.
  • No clouding around glass and all windows work
  • VIN# WH23P4A13XXXX
  • The rear qtr.windows roll down (something I liked and my children did as well)


    To break down the Vin # WH23P4A13XXXX
    1.Car Line: W= Charger / Coronet B-body
    2.Price Class: H= High
    3&4. Body Style: 23= 2 door hardtop
    5.Engine: P= 400 1-4bbl 8cyl "B" engine
    (high performance - approx. 250hp)
    6.Year: 4= 1974
    7. Assembly Plant: A= Lynch Rd., Michigan
    8-13. Sequence# 13XXXX

    Here is a picture of my car as it sits. While there are a few negatives I believe there are just as many positives.


    PostivesNegatives
    • The motor starts, runs great and does not smoke. The car sounds great as well.
    • The motor is a performance version of the 400 which means an extra 90hp over base. All numbers match.
    • The car has Rally Gauges.
    • The floor needs to be cleaned up a little but it is in good shape and solid.
    • The trunk has a very small hole but is very solid.
    • The factory exhaust tips are worth about 1/4 of the price of the car.
    • It has a rear roll pan that has factory cut outs for the exhaust.
    • The car needs little for inspection to get it on the road.
    • All glass, lenses, tail lights are in good shape.
    • There is some rust and fill in the quarter panels. They may need to be replaced.
    • The front fenders are fiberglass. I am looking for metal ones.
    • The interior is useable as is but it should be upgraded/replaced.
    • The bumper are in good shape but need to be re-chromed
    • The car is green.
    • There are holes around the back window where trim use to go for a vinyl roof. The trim is long gone but the holes remain. These will need to be welded (there are about 70 holes the diameter of a pencil)
    • Parts are hard but not impossible to find (things can get expensive if one does not shop around)



    The factory buildsheet is located in BC but is on its way. I will post a copy when I get it. The inner fender tag is missing as well. I have a name of the person that should me able to get me the tag back.

    Introduction

    Stage 1: As-is information and the search for parts.

    Stage 2: Parts Purchased and Work Started.

    Here is a site with a number of old chargers with various colours.

    http://www.dodgecharger.com (the new site)
    http://www.moparstyle.net A replacement for the above link

    Here is a site that will bring a little tear to anyone that loves old cars.

    Barn Finds


    e-mail me



    Last updated March 22, 2005
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