to part or not to part that is the question...

I have 70 Charger 500 in my collection. its a #'s matching 383
2 barrel car straight from the sales bank. Light green metallic
green top and interior.
the standard 500 options only nothing special. original 727 and 8 1/4 axle.
fender tag, build sheet. some dents but no collisions
(IE still all its original sheet metal)

Car was complete with a bad rod bearing when I bought it for my
wife in '97 from the original owners.we disassembled and tagged all
the parts. boxed it up, bought a house, moved, and there it still sits today.

Car is rough. needs quarters, trunk, drivers floor, passenger fender,
the rear window channel reworked wheel houses...you know...the full
ride. end to end including brake/fuel lines....everything redone
refurbished repainted or replaced.
Oh yea, it also has a dime sized hole in the drivers frame rail.

That being said,

I also have a 70 coronet 500 convertible my brother left me.
It's one of the 67 383 magnum cars, and one of two of the 13
known to exist with power windows and A/C. it needs much less
work butt a rare ride...you see where I am going with this.
20 years ago I would have dropped the chargers motor and drive train
and anything else I needed right into the convertible without a thought.

Now not so much.

I really have no intention on restoring the charger unless I live
long enough to get through the cars ahead of it: #'s matching 4 speed
68 Charger R/T,
the convertible, the 69 GTX my cousin left me, the 68 charger my
bro bought in 83 at the age of 15) you see where this is going
to go as well.
oh yea there is the 68 Coronet 500 my wife now wants finished
(its an a/c car)and hers is first.

In reality I could make use of much of the 70 Charger to further
these others
and based on much of the research the car the value isn't as high
as it once was and let's face it, triple green 2 barrel single
exhaust base Charger 500's aren't that desirable to begin
with #'s matching, clear title,fender tag build sheet or not.
So selling it outright would probably end up costing me as opposed
to parting it out and selling off what I don't use.

but again...

the pictures are from 98 the motor was done in 2001 and used
in another car for a couple of years and there it sits. the rest of
the car has suffered tarped and covered outside storage and shows
it but that is still essentially how it looks today. I'd take new pictures
but it is wrapped up tightly against the winter here and I don't feel
like its necessary to dig it out and uncover it.
yet...


just looking for some people to bounce this off of before I do
something I will regret later and you guys are it

Thanks for the input and don't worry I watched the Duke as a kid so
I don't have thin skin

give me the convertible that solves your problem LOL great cars

HaHa you funny guy Stuart
Actally it would sove many problems...
except for the wife and dealing with my brother in whatever afterlife I wind up in

Ah, worry about that when your dead! lol!!

i would love to have that charger !

Your car brother, but i'd let her live to see another day, even if that means selling her "whole" to a wanting buyer or keeping 4 yourself. I definitly see your point on the transition of supply and demand on these great cars. Your car/your money..Good luck to ya whatever route you go.

as said,it's your car,do with as you see fit. there may be a few "potential" buyers out there,but,for the most part,most will just be tire-kickers wanting you to nearly "give" the car away.
i was in a similar situation an few weeks ago. i had a 73 dart sport for sale. complete H code 340 car. numbers matching,clear title,buildsheet,everything there,and the body was really pretty good,engine fresh back from the machine shop,lots of new parts,etc. nobody wanted to buy the car. oh sure,i had a few offer slant 6 dart money for the car,or had some sob story as to why i should sell it to them cheap for blah,blah,blah reasons.
so,in the end,i kept the 340,trans and 3.21 suregrip rear axle,and sold off the bare shell to a guy who is gutting it for a drag car.
the funny is,i caught alot of flack about,"seperating" a numbers matching car, and not "saving" the car in it's entirity,and a few that scolded me for not selling the car to them for dirt cheap and letting them "save" the car.
out of all those who complained,not a single one was a "buyer". all just tire-kickers with their 2 cents.
so,in the end,it's your car,do what you want.
for any that want the car,to save,restore,etc. tell them to cough up the coin and buy it,or shut up and move along...............

Wow that charger is somthing else, so is the vert,

Well if it were me I would restore the convertable first and foremost

And also save the charger, you don't want a car that rare with matching #'s end up in peices or have it end up with total D-bag that might crash it, or part himself

....sure wish I had a charger like that lol I would restore it to day 1 drive the hell out of it then restore it again LMAO,even in the condition its in it is way better than the "new" charger that's out now .IMO

The 500 Foundation said:

HaHa you funny guy Stuart
Actally it would sove many problems...
except for the wife and dealing with my brother in whatever afterlife I wind up in

Click to expand...

I know what you mean , my brother got me hooked on mopars and I inherited his 70 Road runner . I would have a very hard time parting with that project .

Sentimental value will screw you every time.
a smart man would unload the white 68 instead
but the first nekkid girl I ever saw in my life was in that car.
I begged my brother to let me take it that night. It cost me
dearly, the bastard, but he relented...oh yea

I have to agree with superbyrd as well I know the value as a
complete car and the people who have looked at it want it for
nothing nor have the means or commitment level required to
tackle the car. It would more than likely wind up parted out
anyway or sold again inevitably leaving a trail of parts as it
exchanged owners.
That is not an option to say the least.

In the end I don't need the parts off of it. A 727 seems
near impossible to find here in CO butt again there are options
and it's not like the convertible is anywhere close to have any
of its original pieces and parts. so a 70 dated 383 is nice but
not necessary and I am enjoying the 440 4 speed that is in it now
so I have time

It really needs to go to someone who is after a car like this for
personal reasons rather than resale or financial as it will cost
the restored value or more to save it.

Thanks guys this is what I was after

Hey Stuart love the roadrunner
Having inherited 4 mopars from 2 lost family members
forced me to change the direction of my collection as well
can't see parting with them...

Sounds like you have a plate full with the projects. Personally, I wouldn't part the Charger. Not just yet anyway. If you are not cramped for space and it's not in your way, I would go thru the hassle of trying to sell it, complete. Seems like the market is loosening up a little, even with the threat of high gas prices. Hmmmmm.... 383 2 bbl #matching does have its plus's. If you don't sell it by summers end, well, then you could go the parting out route.

Oh, and a nice '70 too. Can't say I have ever seen one before. Ever.

Thanks MRHWS we knew it was special when my brother found it in 93. at the time already parted out itself. most everything gone but the doors and fenders.
so the 4 speed conversion was done and it is a damn cool car to drive.
of course at the time we had no idea the rarity of it.

we've all been down that road at some point or another (me included).i've got a van that has been for sale that i raised my kids up with but it has no value other then sentimental but i also need to make space in storage for other projects.Maybe you can see if someone wants to buy it whole and use the $$ to go into your other builds or maybe use some of the parts to go into your other cars then sell it as a project,either way,i hope you are comfortable with whatever you decide and not look back and say "i wish i done this or that."