Author Topic: Mopar newbie needs guidance  (Read 6378 times)

Offline hotrodbear

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Mopar newbie needs guidance
« on: August 30, 2015 - 12:58:06 AM »
I hope I'm posting this in the right spot.

I'm totally new to the mopar scene and am considering buying my first. I've found a 1970 Challenger RT in need of complete restoration. The owner thinks the car is fairly rare, and I'd just like to confirm/disprove his suspicions before I jump into this thing and make a deal.

The engine has been swapped at some point for a small block so I know it's not #'s matching, but I would like to know if any of the options are rare and/or desirable at least in respects to the value of the car.

The fender tag is as follows:

V5x   Y05.  26.  En1
J54.  M21.  N41.  N42.  N85.  R22
V1x.  A62.  C16.  C55.  G36.  H51
Fc7.  H6x9.  000.  220.  147151
E63.  D32.  Js23.  N0b.  257962

Any help would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks





Offline AARTA340

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Re: Mopar newbie needs guidance
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2015 - 01:20:15 AM »
Sounds like a great project! It is an RT with the typical options. They really made quite a few of them. Some rare options would be a shaker hood assembly, Power windows, six way seat, cruise control just to name a few. There are some here who like to decode the tags and I will leave that to them. Pictures are always helpful in getting third party opinions on cars. You need to factor in the amount of panels that will need work or replaced. The color code FC7 is Plumb Crazy and was the most popular color for the 70 Challengers.  It rolled off the line with a black vinyl top. The V5X is kinda rare, but most guys seem to weld up the holes of the protective molding. It is usually dinged and bent and no one re-pops it. Maybe that is why the body holes get filled in on a restoration. Keep us informed on how the purchase progresses.  :cheers:

And welcome to the board!!! :woo:
« Last Edit: August 30, 2015 - 01:35:07 AM by AARTA340 »

Offline anlauto

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Re: Mopar newbie needs guidance
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2015 - 08:15:51 AM »
ALL Challengers are rare and desirable if you're comparing them to Camaros or Mustangs, but if you're comparing this Challenger to other Challengers......There's nothing rare about it....It has a 383 auto which is the most common engine combo in a R/T and it's purple and black which is the most common colour combo.... :2cents:
I've taught you everything you know.....but I haven't taught you everything I know !
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Offline hotrodbear

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Re: Mopar newbie needs guidance
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2015 - 08:47:38 AM »
Thanks for the replies! That kinda confirms my suspicions. The guy thinks he's got something really rare.

That's good to know about the moulding. Is the factory air rare at all?

As far as the condition of the car, it's pretty rough. It needs a left quarter, door, and fender. On the right side it needs a fender and a quarter patch panel. I know it will need rear frame rails too b/c I was able to poke my finger through one in front of the axle. I'm sure it will need all the floor pans too. The interior is all there although the guy thinks the console is busted. I couldn't get either of the doors open on my preliminary inspection.

The guy wants $6500

I know I prob wouldn't pay that for a Camaro or a Mustang in the same condition, but like I said earlier this Mopar thing is new to me.

Offline dfrazz

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Re: Mopar newbie needs guidance
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2015 - 10:58:01 AM »
Sounds like your are in for a major project, just be sure you are up for it physically, mentally and financially.  Mopars are 3x the cost of cheby and ferd parts.  All parts.

Most of us have completed a restoration or two, some of us own our own shops and do restorations for a living, so this is a great forum to ask any and all questions before you dive in.  The advice of many here is "buy the best car you can afford".  The reason is it will cost you way more to restore a Mopar than it will ever be worth in the end.

And post pics (top, bottom, inside and out) to help us evaluate the car for you.  The more the better.

Offline anlauto

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Re: Mopar newbie needs guidance
« Reply #5 on: August 30, 2015 - 12:07:54 PM »
The sheet metal repairs alone can cost you well over $10K............
I've taught you everything you know.....but I haven't taught you everything I know !
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Offline hotrodbear

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Re: Mopar newbie needs guidance
« Reply #6 on: August 30, 2015 - 04:48:33 PM »
The work involved doesn't scare me too much. We've restored several cars before and do all our own work including sheet metal and body work.

Amcouple of ya'll have mentioned cost of restoration vs the other "big two". In terms that I'm familiar with then you're saying it's like restoring a corvette vs any other Chevy? We've done a few Vettes including a '62 and '68 that we have now, and purchasing the car and parts for them tend to be about double the price of a similar vintage "normal car".

I guess what I'm getting at is that would I view it like a Vette, in that I would never consider buying any other car at this price in this condition, but it's kinda par for the course in reality?

Hopefully that makes some sense to somebody else, and hopefully ya'll don't try to kick me off of here for comparing mopars with Vettes.

I'm gonna try to figure out how to compress the pics on my iPad enough to post em

Offline hotrodbear

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Re: Mopar newbie needs guidance
« Reply #7 on: August 30, 2015 - 05:20:44 PM »
Ok, so I can't figure out how to get these pics small enough to post   :clueless:

Offline Beekeeper

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Re: Mopar newbie needs guidance
« Reply #8 on: August 30, 2015 - 09:17:34 PM »
6500 is a reasonable price for most any challenger, even better for an RT. the JS part of the VIN confirms that. All others start with JH. It's the four speed that makes it really desirable for many people. I wouldn't be scared of the rust. Most cars this age will have it unless it's already been fixed.

One thing worth considering...many people pay extra for the JS cars even when the original engine is gone. I always wonder if it's really worth it. Essentially your paying extra for the S in the VIN. Of course the RT has a different hood, exhaust panel, and gauges but many people switch these things out on the non RT cars too. There are tons of the JH cars with RT cosmetics and might be a little less money. Then you have more to choose from and might get one with zero rust.

Some folks in here will likely disagree but I think it's a mistake to buy an RT that is not numbers matching and fix it up believing it is worth more because of the S in the VIN.

Offline hotrodbear

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Re: Mopar newbie needs guidance
« Reply #9 on: August 30, 2015 - 11:03:07 PM »
those are also some good things to consider, thanks.

For me the fact that it is the JS vin isn't what makes me want the car, it just kinda sweetens the pot. These cars are kinda hard to come by around here at a somewhat "affordable" price no matter the condition, that's what got me interested in this one, just the fact that I came across it.

I appreciate all the feedback, ya'll are giving me some great stuff to think about!

Just out of curiosity, is factory air somewhat rare?

Offline Beekeeper

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Re: Mopar newbie needs guidance
« Reply #10 on: August 30, 2015 - 11:07:40 PM »
Not really. In fact, if you try to buy heater boxes on eBay, you find the A/C versions all the time but the non A/C boxes are tough to find and expensive.

Offline hotrodbear

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Re: Mopar newbie needs guidance
« Reply #11 on: August 30, 2015 - 11:21:06 PM »
Ahh, ok.

I'm going to look at the car a little closer tomorrow evening to get a little better idea of what I'll be dealing with. When I looked at it yesterday I just kinda did a quick once-over and got the fender tag numbers.

Offline Beekeeper

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Re: Mopar newbie needs guidance
« Reply #12 on: August 30, 2015 - 11:44:20 PM »
Hard to go wrong at $6500. I would wear trashed clothes and take some time crawling around underneath. He should be willing to jack it up a little for you. Bring a good flashlight too. You want to really examine the frame rails, cross members, rocker panels as well as the floor and trunk. You will always find a little rust but what you're looking to avoid is where it is so heavy that the metal swells out with scaly rust and crumbles when you poke at it with a screwdriver.

The first thing I check on any car...I examine the inner fender panels, radiator support, and front frame rails by the bumper brackets for wrinkles and warps as well as the gaps between the door and front fender. Those are dead give aways for big front end collisions. Even a car that was pulled will have warpage in these areas that you can see. That's not to say you shouldn't buy it but you need to know what you're in for.

Most of these cars have rust at the bottom of the front and rear windows in all four corners. Some guys put sealer in there which doesn't work but clues you in that water leaks there. If you will be storing the car outside, not a bad idea to pull the front and rear glass, have a good shop weld up the holes, and properly seal the glass back in to avoid future water getting in and creating more issues for you later.

Good luck!

Offline hotrodbear

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Re: Mopar newbie needs guidance
« Reply #13 on: August 30, 2015 - 11:54:29 PM »
Thanks for the tips!

I know it needs rear frame rails, but I couldn't see much else b/c of how close to the ground it was sitting. I'll be taking my jack and doing exactly what you're saying.

A lot of great advice here!

Offline AARTA340

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Re: Mopar newbie needs guidance
« Reply #14 on: August 31, 2015 - 03:49:03 AM »
Pictures for hotrodbear and possibly his next project.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2015 - 03:51:35 AM by AARTA340 »