How likely is it to find a 69 Hemi Charger for up to 100k?

Michael_ · Mar 16, 2020

The more i know the more i want a Hemi Car instead of a 440.
But im not a Millionaire. -.-

According to Hagerty #4 Driver Condition Cars (with Automatic) start at about 80000$ USD.
But only 225 Automatic Cars have been ever built.
Some of them are junked/wrecked and some have been restored to way out of my budget Condition.

I would have to find one that does not need a full restoration (because i cant afford it)
and that is also not already restored to a level or better preserved than i can afford.

A Car that simply is in Driver Condition or something that does need work but is not
so far gone that it needs a full high $$$ restoration.
Of course im not Expecting a Condition 1-2 Vehicle for that budget.

Well does it make sense to sell my good condition 560 SEC and save up some extra cash
or will i simply not be able to find a real 69 Hemi Charger for 80-100k?

Looking at some recent sells (mecum for example) i think it might be possible.
There was a pretty nice blue/blue 4 speed one sold for only 120k$ last year.
So it should be possible to find a not so nice Automatic car for 80-100k?

1 Wild R/T · Mar 16, 2020

With whats happening right now due to Coronavirus if your serious keep your cash on hand & in the next few months there may well be a few great buys out there....

Lionized · Mar 17, 2020

1 Wild R/T said:
With whats happening right now due to Coronavirus if your serious keep your cash on hand & in the next few months there may well be a few great buys out there....

Came here to post this.

1 Wild R/T · Mar 17, 2020

Yup, not saying anyone likes the situation but it's reality... Two things going on, the economy is virtually guaranteed to tank & most owners of Hemi Chargers are old enough to be in a vulnerable health category...

66 Sat · Mar 17, 2020

I think they are out there, but it will more likely be a private sale so might take a bit of looking. The dealers are asking $80k+ for 440 cars, so you'd think $100k should secure a hemi car from deceased estate sale or someone who's just too old to drive anymore.

Chargerjase · Mar 17, 2020

Or maybe consider a driver 318 or whatever and put a modern 392 Hemi in it. You would get your speed no problem with that. Modern drive train would be just the thing on the autobahn. Not every bodies cup of tea, but worth the thought.

BB BELLA · Mar 17, 2020

what year is the 560 sec? I let one go to a good friend who still has it! my favourite thing was the valet that hands you the seatbelt! It likely won't get you a down payment on the charger unless it's an amg wide body!

Andew Sury · Mar 17, 2020

Just watch the Mecums and Barret auctions later this year. There will be fire sales.

BB BELLA · Mar 17, 2020

I doubt there will be fire sales on hemi cars unless there convertibles,might be free!

Fran Blacker · Mar 17, 2020

No convertible fire sale here.

Michael_ · Mar 17, 2020

Im not sure if there really will be fire sales on 69 hemi chargers.
How much cars are still around. Maybe 100? 1 out of these 100 owners would need to be in desperate need of money due to the corona virus...
I dont think thats very likely but of course not impossible.

what year is the 560 sec? I let one go to a good friend who still has it! my favourite thing was the valet that hands you the seatbelt!

Its a 1989.
And yeah that feature is pretty nice to have.
Everybody i take for a ride goes nuts about it. They dont expect that coming.

I think the new S Class still has it?

It likely won't get you a down payment on the charger unless it's an amg wide body!

I already have a Budget and just consider selling the benz to increase it.

I think they are out there, but it will more likely be a private sale so might take a bit of looking.
The dealers are asking $80k+ for 440 cars, so you'd think $100k should secure a hemi car from deceased
estate sale or someone who's just too old to drive anymore.

Thats what i think/hope.
Well these stealers really piss me off.

There would be a pretty nice RT 440 not to far away from me:
https://pttmgarage.com/cars/4098/Dodge/Charger_440_RT_

But im not going to pay 90k USD for it.
For a fair price i would have already bought it. But hey maybe i can already get a hemi car for that (or not much more).
Which would be 10 times nicer at the end of the day.

Edit:
If you look at the car closer you notice its NOT rotisserie restored and this guys are talking lots of bullshit too.

Michael_ · Mar 17, 2020

Lots of other threads burried this one
-> Push

BeatersRus · Mar 17, 2020

seriously,stop looking at hemi chargers..stop looking at restored to original cars.
buy a restomod and be happy and drive the snoz out of it.
theres your dilemma solved.

seriously,why even think about driving a hemi charger daily at sustained speeds?
what if it blows up? aint worth half what it was.
plus you have to go thru the car anyways to make it stable so again,why even bother?

Restomod.

Michael_ · Mar 17, 2020

BeatersRus said:
seriously,stop looking at hemi chargers..stop looking at restored to original cars.
buy a restomod and be happy and drive the snoz out of it.
theres your dilemma solved.

seriously,why even think about driving a hemi charger daily at sustained speeds?
what if it blows up? aint worth half what it was.
plus you have to go thru the car anyways to make it stable so again,why even bother?

Restomod.

When i started looking for a 69 Charger i considered building a Restomod.
Of course technically this is as good as it gets because you can build it to the specs of your dream.

BUT buying a 318/383 Car and all the Parts needed for the Conversion would run me
already as much as buying a nice RT 440 or a Driver Hemi Car. (Because i would want way superior than Factory Specs)
And at the end of the day its a Restomod and will never be worth as much as a real Hemi Car.

Also I cant do all the Work myself due to not having the Space and all tools (Like a Lift for example) i would need.
I can turn a wrench, my dad even works in the Automobile Industry and knows lots of people but
anyway thats a HUGE Project and i do not really want to get into this.
And i cant afford getting it built by someone else.

Also im a huge fan of the oldschool technology.
I would never ever install a modern day drivetrain with all that computer crap.
So what i would basically build is a car not to far of a real Hemi car. ^^
Just more Power, Improved Handling and Brakes.

Also dont get me wrong, im not buying this car as an "Investment".
But im not rich so i cant afford to spend thousands on getting a car restored or restomodded by someone else
that i will never ever be able to get back.

Well if the engine on a real hemi car blows that would of course not be nice.
But thats a risk i would be willing to take. Its not like you spend 100 grand on wages you will never ever see again and already know it while spending.

I mean is there anything cooler than driving 130mph with an original Hemi Charger? I cant imagine anything that comes even close.
Hemi Cars have almost Heavy Duty everything. I dont expect much changes to be needed if at all. (Except modern Brakes, maybe Suspension Upgrades)

Im also not to worried that a correctly maintained hemi will blow up.
I mean they can take 12000 HP (at least has been mentioned in another thread) and drive 200mph.
I think they're not to stressed driving down the autobahn with 130mph in stock form.

BeatersRus · Mar 17, 2020

Also dont get me wrong, im not buying this car as an "Investment".
But im not rich so i cant afford to spend thousands on getting a car restored or restomodded by someone else
that i will never ever be able to get back.
Well if the engine on a real hemi car blows that would of course not be nice.

prediction: you are going to waste a lot of money.
forecast: 2 or 3 good banzai runs before problems start showing up.
ending: futility..broken car,wasted dreams and a car thats now worth far less than it was period.

just get a restomod charger or build your own.
you are trying to depend on a car that Wasnt intended to be driven at 130mph plus for extended periods of time.
and you looking at them cop cars,all them high speed pursuits n all.
what they dont tell you is they had to then sit on the side of the road and let the exhaust cool off because theyd be Glowing hot.

the nascars you mention,those are Specially prepared cars,and is the closest thing to what you want to do.
run 200 and for awhile....
go study Those cars and see how much went into making them safe at 170-200.

im just trying to save you from yourself....its your money and your dream.
i wish you the best whichever way you go.

Michael_ · Mar 17, 2020

But why do you think that these Problems will show up?
Its a Hemi engine with Heavy Duty Cooling.

Im not sure about the 440 car but with the hemi

Budnicks · Mar 17, 2020

IMO & if you want that 426cid Gen. 2 Hemi to last
better do something other than stock hardware/parts
a better balance, also better rod bolts, studs nuts washers etc.
or even lighter H-beam rods &/or lighter pistons than the heavy OE slugs
good/better bearings etc.
better valves (materials) & springs that will hold up
if you plan on running it at 130 mph+ for any real extended periods
(completely different animal/parts , then running good at stoplight to stoplight,
with factory spec. parts, ignition, hardware etc., then running hard for longer periods of time)
Even with higher gears (lower numerically) at less RPM
probably something with the drivetrain, trans, suspension, shocks etc. too

NASCAR or Drag-race Hemi Engines
don't kid your self they weren't really like the production engines
not the ones that lasted, any period of time or that won "weren't"

$100,000 for a nice 68-70 426cid Hemi Charger
isn't high priced in todays market, not for a quality build
(may find one for fare less, that needs a bunch of $$$ to get it
to a great level, be capable of doing what you said & actually survive)
with quality parts, especially for what you seem to want to do with it...

coloradodave · Mar 17, 2020

Michael_ said:
When i started looking for a 69 Charger i considered building a Restomod.
Of course technically this is as good as it gets because you can build it to the specs of your dream.

BUT buying a 318/383 Car and all the Parts needed for the Conversion would run me
already as much as buying a nice RT 440 or a Driver Hemi Car. (Because i would want way superior than Factory Specs)
And at the end of the day its a Restomod and will never be worth as much as a real Hemi Car.

Also I cant do all the Work myself due to not having the Space and all tools (Like a Lift for example) i would need.
I can turn a wrench, my dad even works in the Automobile Industry and knows lots of people but
anyway thats a HUGE Project and i do not really want to get into this.
And i cant afford getting it built by someone else.

Also im a huge fan of the oldschool technology.
I would never ever install a modern day drivetrain with all that computer crap.
So what i would basically build is a car not to far of a real Hemi car. ^^
Just more Power, Improved Handling and Brakes.

Also dont get me wrong, im not buying this car as an "Investment".
But im not rich so i cant afford to spend thousands on getting a car restored or restomodded by someone else
that i will never ever be able to get back.

Well if the engine on a real hemi car blows that would of course not be nice.
But thats a risk i would be willing to take. Its not like you spend 100 grand on wages you will never ever see again and already know it while spending.

I mean is there anything cooler than driving 130mph with an original Hemi Charger? I cant imagine anything that comes even close.
Hemi Cars have almost Heavy Duty everything. I dont expect much changes to be needed if at all. (Except modern Brakes, maybe Suspension Upgrades)

Im also not to worried that a correctly maintained hemi will blow up.
I mean they can take 12000 HP (at least has been mentioned in another thread) and drive 200mph.
I think they're not to stressed driving down the autobahn with 130mph in stock form.

Those 10-12K horsepower engines in Top Fuel and Funny Car are a long ways from an iron 426 Hemi and are pretty much rebuilt after each 3-4 second WOT run. Apples and oranges, my friend...

Michael_ · Mar 17, 2020

Well now i really dont know what to do.
Building a Restmod from scratch is not an Option at the moment and getting it built by someone else is to expensive.

I could buy a 440 Car and simply see what happens (carefully monitor temperature, oil pressure and whats going on) and make improvements step by step (if/what needed).
Hopefully it does not need to much.
At least i would have a car to drive around instead of a project that might take years bevor the first run.

Or i can go all in and buy a Hemi Car.
Looking at the Specs 426 Hemi, HD Cooling, HD Suspension, HD Transmission, Reinforced Unibody and so on, i would think that this car
is able to drive 130mph for 1-2 hours nonstop. But according to the replys from some of you thats maybe not the case.

But man even those Police Cars with 440s had no trouble doing it for hours.
They where not better equipped than the Hemi Cars.
So i really cant believe the hemi cars should have trouble doing it. (Except Areodynamic/Handling Issues maybe)

440 Chargers will most likely need cooling Upgrades, maybe even some upgrades for the engine itself,
maybe a HD Transmission and so on. But the Hemi Cars should already have all of that.

Has nobody on this forum ever did what i plan on doing? (On a Track maybe?)
If somebody actually did i would love to know what happened.

and you looking at them cop cars,all them high speed pursuits n all.
what they dont tell you is they had to then sit on the side of the road and let the exhaust cool off because theyd be Glowing hot.

So they basically had to cool down after driving that fast for multiple hours?
Well that wouldnt really be a deal breaker.

BeatersRus · Mar 17, 2020

okay..look..tell us what your budget is..thats gonna help us help you.
second,if it was Me and my money and im wanting to be you on the autobahn.

id go buy a smallblock charger,as Nice as i can find.
remember,you want the Best body you can find.
swap out the Entire suspension to Quality stuff.
this means everything from brakes to torsion bars or alternatives.
get a 400 big block,build a 451 stroker/or any stroker,along with a nice 6 speed.
keep the body as stock as possible as well as the interior.
buy the lightest weight wheels/style you like and put good rubber on them.
drive,enjoy.

doing it that way,im gonna guesstimate a budget of 60-80k...
thats 20k Max for a smallblock charger and maybe you can find one for 12-15k.
hopefully some of these other guys will chime in and set me straight if im too low.

How likely is it to find a 69 Hemi Charger for up to 100k?

FBBO Gold Member

FBBO Gold Member

Well-Known Member

FBBO Gold Member

Well-Known Member

FBBO Gold Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

FBBO Gold Member

FBBO Gold Member

FBBO Gold Member

Well-Known Member

FBBO Gold Member

Well-Known Member

FBBO Gold Member

Jackstand racer #1 & proud of it, Sir Posts A Lot

FBBO Gold Member

FBBO Gold Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads