My new yard ornament

[Tropicalcats]

Its gnome.

looked good to me.

[RusTy/SE]

  Sell immediately, then look for what you really want...unless this is it - then Eureka!!!  :beer:

[Rough 71 RT]

I have you beat, i bought a 72 challenger with a 71 grill and not a clean panel on it, i paid 4,500 for the car and knew it needed work but didn't realize how much till I got it home. it needed 2 doors, 2 full rear quarters, a back window filler panel, a front and rear valance, 1 fender and 3 frame rails( 2 front, 1 rear), and a complete trunk floor. But I swallowed my pride and started the work myself, i bought the OEM full quarters, the filler panel, the complete trunk floor with extensions a trunk lid, a fender, 2 valance panels and a pair of rust free dent free doors, cost me about 2 grand for everything. But you know what?, I do it because i love to work on old muscle cars and there's nothing like the satifaction of knowing that you did it yourself, when this car is done i will have a challenger thats as straight as an arrow and I'll know whats under the paint, incidently if any of you guys out there ever have to replace a frame rail in the front on an E-body , its not that bad, The frame rails from a 71-72 B-body are absolutly identical in every measurement, and i had one side in and out in a day. and that was drilling out all the spot welds and welding in the new one. I am living proof that there's no project that can't be completed if you love the car enough to do it. im doing this on a college students budget!!!and selling junk yard parts on e-bay in my spare time to pay for it, i guess you could say that's recycling. Anyway, I have seen much worst than what you bought for more money, and I can picture that car when its done, it's going to be a beauty, do the car up, you'll kick yourself in the ass 3 yaers from now when 74 cuda's can't be touched either.  Good luck,  Dave  (Rough 71 RT)

[Winston]

Hey!   
MEK,  I wish I had seen pics of it before I bought it.  It doesn't run, but the motor does turn over.  I'm afraid to sit in the car in fear I might fall through the floors.     These pics are taken in my driveway the day I brought her home.  I stumbled upon the car when I called a guy who owns a car dealership about a Challenger.  He was asking $4500 for that, and I was thinking that was a decent deal.  Then I asked him if he had any 'Cuda parts, and he said "No, but I have a full one in my warehouse I'll sell to you for $5000, not a dime less."  I asked him how it compared to the Challenger, and he said pretty comparable...maybe a little more work.  I went to the warehouse, and it was in the back corner where you really couldn't see much more than the roof and the top of the fenders.  I figured since I had an extra rally hood, I wasn't concerned about that part.  Well, the roof and fender tops were half-way presentable looking, so I was hoping that the rest of the car looked about the same.  I paid up front, thinking my only gamble was if it was matching numbers or not.  A couple months later and after moving a bunch of cars to get it out of the warehouse, I ended up with it.  It was too late to say "no, thanks anyway."  That's about all I can say about it...it's #'s matching, but that's about all it has going for it. 

I might end up tearing into it like some of you suggested..it definitely offers me a chance to learn about any kind body work I'm interested to learn.  Money, time, knowledge and priorities are all integral factors, so we'll see how it plays out.  I still have to complete the green one.  I'm also about ready to take my '70 B'cuda GC 383 4-speed to the restoration shop to get the body work completed on that one as well.  So, most of my priorities and money are tied up in the 70 cars right now.  I guess it doesn't hurt to have this 74 in my hands...it's just way out of the realm of knowledge I have on working with these things.  But yeah, I guess it is better than a garden gnome!  I'd still trade it for a gnome and $4975!!  :laughing:

[Winston]

Wow, Dave...I feel your pain!  It sure would be nice to have the knowledge to tear into this one like you did.  Did you have prior experience working on these things?  I know I'd be on top of the world if I could bring this beast back to life.

[Rough 71 RT]

yeah, i did, i'm actually turning 40 this year, i went back to school at 36 for my degree in aviation crash investigation, and i have been living on school loans for a while. but building these things for me is in the blood. my dad started me off about 18 years ago and, he had the tools and the garage, so i guess i was luckier than most, but he got out of it early on and I basically learned from taking it apart to see what makes it tick and then putting it back together. my last basket case was the 70 challenger in the E-body Pics on this website. The One that says "My 70 Challenger (sorry look Again).  That car was a wreck and in the pictures I was almost completed with it. It was as bad as yours. i do ALL my own work, everything from the drive trsin to the paint work and interior, I just learned on my own and got better with every car i did. I don't think they turn out bad, the guys I sell them to always seem happy , maybe one of these days I will listen to everybody and keep one for a while.   dave

[Wrencher]

I also feel your pain.  I have finally learned never to buy a car sight unseen.  It's worth the trip. 

[Street_Challenged73]

Ouch, that does look pretty darn bad, but I'd have to say there's always room to restore it as long as you have the space the the energy to put into it.  Sure that poor thing will need quite a bit of metal work done, but when completed, you couldn't be anymore happy knowing that you took something near the lines of a rust bucket and turned it into something everyone can admire.  Good luck with your GC, green 'Cuda, and the '74 when you start tearing into it. :thumbs: