Help finding my dads old challenger.

[skep419]

Found the VIN JH23H3B417860. It was a 1973 dark green (F8 I think) with a white vinyl top. Green interior, automatic. Thought it would be cool to see what happened to his first brand new car that he got to check the options boxes for. Purchased in Appleton MN. Rallye package, column shift, center console delete.

Thanks

[anlauto]

It would be neat to find it and have it restored.
The center console was an extra cost option. Most sales people failed to mention that to customers at the time, so a lot of times it just did not get ordered. It's not that your Father's was deleted, it was just not ordered, whether on purpose or by accident, only your Father would know.

If he says it was "deleted" maybe he told the salesman he didn't want it, so it wasn't ordered.

[skep419]

I have my grandma looking for pictures of the car.  Also called some local shops in the town it was sold to hopefully stir up some leads.

[roadman5312]

I belong to several Mopar groups on facebook. A new one just started up called " Mopar lost and found"  Its purpose is getting original motors and trans back to original cars. I can see it being used to find cars to. I'm not a big fan of FB, but I find lots of Mopar stuff, info on there. 

[skep419]

Got it on Facebook now too.   Thanks

[skep419]

Talked to the city of Benson (utilities office).  The first gal wasn't old enough but the other lady thinks her husband might know who worked at the dealership. The owner of the Pontiac dealership that he traded it at is no longer among the living.  His name was Mel nitzen (not 100% sure the last name is spelled correctly)

[skep419]

talked to a dealership in benson.  They told me to call the napa because they have been family owned for over 30 years.  Got 2 mechanics names.  One even came with a phone number.  The other I traced down through white pages.  no number but I called the post office in grove city and left my phone number. 

[69hurstsc]

I placed your query on the Lost Muscle Cars board. Way more people to put the car in front of.
https://www.facebook.com/lostmusclecars?ref=bookmarks

[skep419]

thanks!

[skep419]

Talked to the old owner today. He lives in  ND.  The car was crashed in 1978  with 53,000 miles and is in a salvage yard in Nebraska.  We'll see if it's stil there.  Thanks for all the help.

[69hurstsc]

Cool. Did the info I passed along help?

Talked to the old owner today. He lives in  ND.  The car was crashed in 1978  with 53,000 miles and is in a salvage yard in Nebraska.  We'll see if it's stil there.  Thanks for all the help.

[skep419]

You betcha! (MN talk hahaha)   He was the only other owner.  My dad traded it in with 50,000 miles.  The car has been crushed but he still has the keys.  I'm going to see if he will send the keys so I can put them in a picture frame with a picture of the car.  Thanks again for all the help.   Feels good to have closure.

[cwestra]

It would be neat to find it and have it restored.
The center console was an extra cost option. Most sales people failed to mention that to customers at the time, so a lot of times it just did not get ordered. It's not that your Father's was deleted, it was just not ordered, whether on purpose or by accident, only your Father would know.

If he says it was "deleted" maybe he told the salesman he didn't want it, so it wasn't ordered.

I would have thought with a column shift, you could not get a center console.  Did they make a console without a shifter sticking out of it?

[anlauto]

I would have thought with a column shift, you could not get a center console.  Did they make a console without a shifter sticking out of it?

No you're right....If you ordered the center console you got a floor shifter. If you forgot to order the center console you got a column shifter.

[skep419]

 Sounds like it got scrapped. Here's the only pic of the car.