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73 Charger SE big block im thinking about buying(but idk if $2900 is a good deal for it)

TheMoparPowersl

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I found this 73 Charger SE with big block for sale(which I'm thinking about buying). It's one of my dream cars and it's $2900. Do you think it's worth $2900? It has rust, missing rear bumper(and taillights), and doesn't run.

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Always depends on where you wanna start from. That is a large undertaking to bring it back. However, these days, a complete BB Charger for $2900 is at least cheap admission to get you in the door.
 
"Ran when parked" I bet. Man that is rough, it would be best used if you could find a nice, bare shell and swap the great options into it. Nice when it was new anyway. I don't think all the parts are worth $2900 to be honest.
 
Carefully check for cowl rust.

...then check again.
 
Factory sunroof?
 
Sunroof is neat, but lots of downsides, particularly if it leaked, which would mean floor and understructure problems. The drains on those can rot things out in the door jamb areas and then there's the already mentioned cowl rust. Any of these problems are difficult and expensive to repair right.

The price seems attractive but there may be a good reason it's priced so cheap. I learned years ago I was much better off spending more up front than trying to get in on the cheap and trying to fix everything. I would find myself happier with the car when it was done and was always money ahead in the long run.
 
It can be restored. Does the cost matter to you? I would estimate the mechanical and interior restoration will cost around $20,000 not including any labor. That is doing it on the cheap using used parts and rebuilding/restoring what you have when you can. Sunroof parts are going to be almost impossible to find. Repairing the rust wont be too expensive as long as you do not have to buy body parts and complete panels, making your own patch panels, etc. A full paint job of good quality starts at $10,000 if you have it done.

Add it all up, then go look at the prices for a finished car, compare the time and cost between the two. You might find that you can buy a finished car for what you will have in this one, labor not included.

It used to be, we would say everything cost $100. Now, everything cost $500. Just a dash wiring harness for this car is now $700. Cluster restoration is $1000 if you have to send it off to be done.

In the end, restoring it yourself is a wonderful accomplishment, if the cost and time are not a factor.
 
It's hard to tell from the small and mostly poor angle pics.

If the cowl is solid and the frame is solid and no or very little weld on body work is needed...

5K will get the interior looking WAY better and maybe cheaper than that. The dash pad actually looks OK from here.
I did 90% of the work myself, and only farmed out the backs of the bucket seats.

A running 400 can be found fairly cheap. There is on on CL near me right now for under 5K, with receipts.
(I paid $300 for one with a trans I heard run about 5 years ago)

Paint and body work is where the big expense is right now.
I got quotes for $4500 to $6500 for using my own $300 paint and virtually zero body work.
It took 2 years to find someone that would do it for $2000.
Driver quality but I'm happy and so is my bank account.
 
I've thought about this one since I commented yesterday. I think I would offer $2500 but with low expectations. My plan would be to keep it intact with all those nice parts and look for a decent 318 shell. Shells do come up once in awhile but the catch 22 always is they need too many parts to upgrade to PW, 400, rallye dash etc.
If the car turns out to be restorable with a reasonable amount of work that would be a bonus.
It's the little stuff that gets you as well as the big stuff. Things like hunting for a big block K-member, correct kickdown linkage, rallye cluster, driveshaft etc.
These photos have us only guessing as to the condition of the doors, fenders, cowl and floor. For sure the trunklid, quarters and dropoffs are pooched which leads us to assume the other metal is shot.
 
Hard to really judge by the pics but a big block tx9 sunroof car is cool. Rust is the big factor. With all that crap on the cowl look close under there. Is the sunroof assembly all there? All I can see is the hole. Big $$ to get that one in drivers shape but worth a look at the price.
 
I bought a 74 Sebring Plus years ago to restore. The interior was decent, 400, all power accessories. Body rust and rust in the cowl ended that. I parted it out and was lucky to break even.
 
Do a will it run YT video and recoup some of your money. Then do videos on fixing it and it could pay for itself and then some. A lot of folks are doing it!
 
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