72 Challenger with Super Blue and white interior....

[Challenga]

My dad just bought a 72 Super Blue Challenger with white vinyl top and white interior.  It has a 318 and column shifter.  He is talking about chopping the thing up and putting a 440 it and changing the colors, because in his eyes it is "just a 318 Challenger".  I am trying to talk him out of it, because I haven't seen many with that combo.  Am I wasting my breath?  Should I just let him deface this be numbers matching beauty.  What do you guys think?  Buy the way he is planning on fixing it up and selling it.  That is the only way his wife will let him buy another car to work on.  hahah.  Right now the car is red and the back end of the car needs to be completely reworked.  What do you guys think?

[Super Blue 72]

I dunno... you are right by saying there aren't many out there with that combo of Super Blue w/white top and interior/318/column shift....

...but will you and your Dad be happy with it the way it is (or was) from the factory like that.? 

Just curious, is it a Rallye car, with "JS" as the first 2 digits in the VIN?

So he's just going to fix it up then sell it?  What do you mean by fixing it up?  A full out resto or just get it presentable? 

[Challenga]

I'm not in the picture at all. I have my own 70 A66.  He just wants to have some fun rebuilding the Challenger.  He won't be doing a frame off resto or anything, but he wil be stipping it down to bare bones attacking the rust and putting it back together.  He has heard me talk about my car so much he went and bought one.  I actually sent him a picture of your car and told him how nice that color was.  Your car looks great! I attached a picture of the fender tag.  What do you think?

[72rtchallenger]

let him do what he wants to enjoy the car,,after he puts it on the road,his wife will not be able to make him get rid of it,,unless he finds another project,,numbers matching or not its his ride, and as we all get older its more fun to drive the car you make it for yourself 

[Challenga]

Your probably right.  Personally I hope he never sells it.  I am going to keep pushing him though, to keep it blue and white.  I think that is an awesome combo. 

On the driving comment.  My dad and I are the same.  We both like the build more than the drive.  Granted the drive is great, but making something look that good with your own two hands it the best part.  Everytime I look at my car, I pick at the POR15 under my fingernails and rub my knee from where I walked into the bumper brackets repeatedly.  I don't just see a car.  I see the work.....my work.  It is an amazing high.

[ShelbyDogg]

I agree with him. It's just a 318 car. Restore it to make it solid then put a new 5.7 hemi and trans in it. It will be a "hemi" and have so much more power and fun driving it.

[72rtchallenger]

Your probably right.  Personally I hope he never sells it.  I am going to keep pushing him though, to keep it blue and white.  I think that is an awesome combo. 

On the driving comment.  My dad and I are the same.  We both like the build more than the drive.  Granted the drive is great, but making something look that good with your own two hands it the best part.  Everytime I look at my car, I pick at the POR15 under my fingernails and rub my knee from where I walked into the bumper brackets repeatedly.  I don't just see a car.  I see the work.....my work.  It is an amazing high.

the build is one of the greatest highs.you mold it to what you want,,then you get to drive it,, even more of a high,,if i sell the one i have,i will have to have another to replace it,,i hope he keeps the color combo but then put the rest in a the power you crave,,hell i bleed por-15,,you cant wash it off lol

[Challenga]

ShelbyDogg - you are not too far off with that.  My dad has a 67 fastback Mustang with a 5.0 V8 and transmission in it.  Don't even mention the Hemi idea....his gears will start turning. 

[ShelbyDogg]

ShelbyDogg - you are not too far off with that.  My dad has a 67 fastback Mustang with a 5.0 V8 and transmission in it.  Don't even mention the Hemi idea....his gears will start turning.

I have a friend with an old 68 FB mustang too and he also has a fuel injected 5.0 and overdrive in it.
Those 5.7s have been showing up in junkyards for quite a  while now. I think that you should run it past him. It would be cheaper than rebuilding the 318.

[Super Blue 72]

Thanks for the compliments, Challenga. 

You know, tell your dad to put aside the fender tag, and just start with a blank piece of paper and imagine what he could do with a '72 Challenger and go from there.  It'll serve as more inpsiration to make it like he wants instead of being limited by a fender tag.

My car is very original and sometimes I wish it weren't as it would give me more freedom to change this and that.  I have some bolt ons that'll give my car more "flavor" but it might make me feel a little guilty if I change the original color, etc....   


Soooo....tell him to make it as he pleases.  It'll give more smiles per mile that way.    Just keep the fendertag for old times sake.