Going to check a 68 Charger

[koosh]

In the next couple weeks I’ll be traveling to check out my bucket list car, 68 charger. It needs bodywork, paint, and interior. Seller days-no rust regarding floors, frame, trunk pan, rear qrtrs. Says minimal filler on lower front fenders. When i arrive with a piece of cardboard and flashlight, besides the obvious frame pieces, floors and trunk pan, what else ?

 

[Mopar Hunter]

Take a fridge magnet, they’re not as powerful as a regular magnet, it will not stick where Bondo is present.

 

[koosh]

Take a fridge magnet, they’re not as powerful as a regular magnet, it will not stick where Bondo is present.

Understood….. but is it an issue if there’s filler discovered? I was under the impression that these cars may all have a little?

 

[Richard Cranium]

In the next couple weeks I’ll be traveling to check out my bucket list car, 68 charger. It needs bodywork, paint, and interior. Seller days-no rust regarding floors, frame, trunk pan, rear qrtrs. Says minimal filler on lower front fenders. When i arrive with a piece of cardboard and flashlight, besides the obvious frame pieces, floors and trunk pan, what else ?

Does "no rust in floors, frame & trunk pan, rear qrtrs" mean it's clean original metal, or did he replace the rotted pieces already?

If it’s the latter, I’d be concerned.

 

[koosh]

Does "no rust in floors, frame & trunk pan, rear qrtrs" mean it's clean original metal, or did he replace the rotted pieces already?

If it’s the latter, I’d be concerned.

“All replaced within the last couple years” im told
Floors, trunk pan and rear qrtrs replaced

 

[Richard Cranium]

“All replaced within the last couple years” im told
Floors, trunk pan and rear qrtrs replaced
https://tenor.com/search/careful-gifs

That’s a big red flag for me.

 

[davek]

If they replaced metal you dont know if its a flip job. Id be concerned on the quality of the work.

 

[koosh]

That’s a big red flag for me.

Why?

 

[koosh]

If they replaced metal you dont know if its a flip job. Id be concerned on the quality of the work.

He’s claims he’s had the car for 20 years

 

[davek]

My 70 charger was solid and it still needed metal work done. You wont know till you get into it.

 

[davek]

He’s claims he’s had the car for 20 years

And it could all be legit , all you can do is go look at it. Look at the work and go from there. I hope it works out for you.

 

[chargervert]

Unfortunately most second generation Chargers need metal work. Finding one that does not is a needle in a haystack. If they did a decent job installing the replacement pieces,it shouldn't really be to much of an issue,if not run away!

 

[68BabyBlue]

Does "no rust in floors, frame & trunk pan, rear qrtrs" mean it's clean original metal, or did he replace the rotted pieces already?

If it’s the latter, I’d be concerned.

The key issue is whether it was done well, or a hack job. One of my seven GTXs was a hack job. I inspected the car, and with that knowledge, bought it cheap, from a flipper who realized he was upside down. I was willing to take a bit of a hit getting it cleaned up, because of colors, options, and documentation. Lucky for me, I was able to sell it at a minor loss while it was still in body shop jail.

My current GTX is the other end of that spectrum. It was a daily driver in Pennsylvania for five years for the Plymouth dealer in my home town. It was washed daily, which kept the undercarriage in perfect condition, but with all that water, the sheet metal rusted in all the usual spots, with the exception of the Dutchman panel, car never had a vinyl top. All the rusted metal was replaced with NOS Mopar parts after the original owner took it off the road in 1973. The installation and welding were done to higher standards than factory. If I hadn't known the car back in the day, I'd swear it was a near perfect original.

Quality of body work is all over the board, try to price based on what you actually find.

 

[koosh]

Thanks everyone

 

[chargervert]

Let us know if you buy the car! It looks like a decent project as long as it hasn't been hacked up.

 

[RemCharger]

Wasn't this car brought up before?

 

[Demonic]

Always issues on the bottom of the back window on Chargers. Usually under the gasket. Corners too.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Why?

As others have stated, you don't know the quality of the seller's work. If the floor pans and quarters have been replaced, what's his definition of quarters being replaced; full quarters or skins up to the upper body line? A common place for rot is the rear window channel, which affects the Dutchman panel & the inner portions of the rear quarters. It's got trunklid rot, door rot & I imagine that it's also got to have fender rot and why is the car shown with half the trim on and half of it off? I'd certainly want to see the interior, fender tag, under the hood and underside of the car before I were to take a long trek to see it.

To me, it looks like a car that he's fixing up while still driving it. Did he send you any more pictures other than these few crappy vertical cell phone pictures? Good quality pictures showing more of the car and his repair skills are a must.

 

[chargervert]

Always issues on the bottom of the back window on Chargers. Usually under the gasket. Corners too.

Even the two Charger R/T cars I got from California had rust in that area.

 

[RTDaddy]

I would look at the issue date on the title. If it confirms he's had the car for 20 years, why sell it after having all if that work done? (Did he find something more wrong? Or money/health issues?). If the issue date on the title does not confirm the 20 year claim, I would walk away.