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My dads challenger story.

i_taz

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On a darker note... I was 14 yrs old didn't know a muscle car from Herbie. My Bro-in-law shows up one day with the car his parents bought him when he graduated from college. '70 'Cuda in F8 green, white int. 340 shaker, auto, 3:91 rear, hood pins. At that time, around '78, it had 23k on it.
Well, I just went almost spastic and when we went for a ride I was just about ecliptic. It was a Hot Wheels car in real life...! Now I know what I'll be driving one day...no such luck. He always was sorta of a prick and sold to a buddy of his with the 'promise' he would give him first crack at buying it back...ya right.
10yrs later I get word it's at a used car dealership and called to see what that status was and was told a girl from the next state over, NJ, (listening 340Challconvert?) bought it and was picking it up the following weekend but you never know how these things work out. I drove 2 hrs to see it anyway but all I could see was the roof since it was parked in the garage. She bought it and that was that...all that was left was the 8-track tape from the am/fm radio combo...use to remember the songs on it but forgot except for maybe Grand Funk and Sly...
It's the 80's and the darkest period for the cars no one wants anymore.
When I did buy a 318 Barracuda beater and wanted to change it from a 3sp to a 4 Mopar didn't even sell shifters anymore. Someone made an aftermarket but the writing was on the wall...
Restoration parts were a generation away and Ma Mopar was struggling as usual so gave up any thought of having a car like that...
Took me another 25 yrs to say F'it, I'll take it and that's where I am today with a beautiful but still stop gap step toward my F8 'Cuda of which I could have owned 10 of by now... (On a side note concerning F8, I used that an excuse not to buy a new Challenger until they came out with that color and wouldn't you know they did and guess what...?)
BTW...after 35 yrs she leaving the prick as we speak and he told me once he still has the window sticker. I wouldn't bet money on it but maybe it worth one more shot... If a '74 Challenger somehow survived then there's no doubt it's out there...
 
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Bobby Sixkiller

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06C04E8A-9A4E-49BC-88CC-B12B6790DC20.jpeg
This is the old gas station I worked at in high school. Wish it still had the pumps out front
 

Bobby Sixkiller

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Keep lookin I taz. You never know. I sure thought this challenger was gone to the crusher. I’m very blessed to have found it. Let alone to have gotten it. Fate. I’m sure.
 

340challconvert

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I taz; never give up hope on the car turning up somewhere.
New Jersey Motor vehicles is like many other states; not real cooperative on disseminating information about auto registrations on file. There are many places you can turn to for help. I would start putting the word out here and on other e body enthusiast sites. Facebook has a number of Mopar sites where you can also post a search for the car. Have you tried putting the serial number on Google to see what comes up? If it is on the market somewhere, the number sometimes comes up. If you have a police officer friend, you may be able to have him/her run a serial number check. You can also post a wanted ad in Hemmings that can help get the word out. An F-8 Cuda with a shaker was always a special car and I would be surprised if it was just junked somewhere. Keep the faith and continue efforts to find her.
 

i_taz

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I'm sure unless it was totalled, it's out there. Peeps knew cars like that were special from the beginning. So much so the speedometer cable was routinely disconnected when his buddy drove it but even then it wasn't a driver so probably only accounted for few thousand miles. The problem is getting that VIN #...
 
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