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1970 Challenger 318 Coupe

NMexChallenger

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Hello all!

Finally uploaded all my pics to the old PC so its about time I shared!

Found this car listed as a "parts car for sale" in Denver CO for $7,500 bucks. Owner let me look at it and he had been picking it away for years but doing my research beforehand proved frutiful as I looked at the body VINs and engine and they matched. He assumed it was not numbers matching as the dash VIN was for a B body and the fender tag and door tag were gone. (Still trying to get the VIN and title worked out here in NM but that's for another post)

Handshake and bank transfer later she was mine, had a local shop do the paint and body (kept it the original red) including removing the engine and painting that as well. Did most of the engine and interior work myself. 2 year project and she's 90% done. Still working out the final stuff such as a new drivers window and regulator, getting the horns working, some small dash electrical issues and of course the VIN and title problem (title matches dashboard which is not correct). The only non standard parts I have found is this car was originally a 3 speed and now its a 4, and the hood was trash to the point you could put your hand through it so I replaced with an R/T hood. Car was already mismatched when I got it so I didn't mind. Also put the R/T valance and exhaust tips for fun.

Has a full cam, 360 heads (not my choice came that way, will probably down size later to increase compression), Electric Ignition, Edlebrock Torker Intake (RPM Air Gap on the way), Edlebrock Performer 650, full hooker headers with straight pipes all the way back. This baby is FUNNNN.

Total investment was $7,500 for the car, $10,000 for paint and body, and about $5,000 in parts with my own blood sweat and tears.

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NMexChallenger

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Continued
 

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ted s

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crazy to spend money on car with no vin
 

NMexChallenger

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crazy to spend money on car with no vin
Not really, its rather easy to prove VIN with what I have. I already have a complete VIN tag ordered for the dash and in NM that is enough to generate a new title since it all matches. If this was a rare model or something I would agree but it was already a weird model to begin with so I am not too picky on lineage. Plus I don't have 50k - 80k to spend on a restored historically documented car, a new title is fine for me as I plan on keeping this car for life.
 

ted s

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a car with a state issued is worth at least 1/3 less
 

Glas86

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Maybe that way is an option if you want to get a title with the correct VIN. I do not know if it actually works just saw this lately.
 

NMexChallenger

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Maybe that way is an option if you want to get a title with the correct VIN. I do not know if it actually works just saw this lately.

Awesome thank you for the help! Ill check it out. So far I have 3 matching partial VINS on the body of the car (radiator, cowl, trunk), Engine, and Transmission all match. The dealership I bought the car from is paying for a legal team to represent us in court in Arkansas (where the car came from) once I have both the VIN plate and Door Jam in place. He seems to think we can obtain a copy of the original title by showing proof of ownership and VIN evidence of what the car really is. The original owner who sold it to the dealer has the old dashpad and is looking for the VIN plate, and he seems to have made a simple mistake while restoring a few different vehicles back in the late 80s but he's also providing testimony as well.

Worst case scenario I just title it all in NM with a new one and move on, but I am going to give it at least a shot in AR to retain the vintage title.
 

1972 AAR Cuda

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Not really, its rather easy to prove VIN with what I have. I already have a complete VIN tag ordered for the dash and in NM that is enough to generate a new title since it all matches. If this was a rare model or something I would agree but it was already a weird model to begin with so I am not too picky on lineage. Plus I don't have 50k - 80k to spend on a restored historically documented car, a new title is fine for me as I plan on keeping this car for life.
I am with you there, lineage is nice, but sometimes overrated (who doesnt want a factory hemi Challenger or AAR Cuda?), youve done great job saving a car that otherwise may have been sent to the rust heap or parts for someone elses project. Kind of like you, I have a 1974 318 Challenger that would never have been a $100,000 car, but its a car I did almost all of the work on, and I am proud of it is now. It's not about what I can sell it for or even what others think its worth thats important to me.
 

NMexChallenger

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I am with you there, lineage is nice, but sometimes overrated (who doesnt want a factory hemi Challenger or AAR Cuda?), youve done great job saving a car that otherwise may have been sent to the rust heap or parts for someone elses project. Kind of like you, I have a 1974 318 Challenger that would never have been a $100,000 car, but its a car I did almost all of the work on, and I am proud of it is now. It's not about what I can sell it for or even what others think its worth thats important to me.
Yup I agree! If this was a T/A or Hemi car it would be a very different story but I just wanted a Challenger to drive. This paint wont be perfect for long as its my daily I really got this car to tinker and enjoy its been my dream for about 20 years. If I can win in court and keep the linage that would be super cool but if not I wont lose sleep over it. This car means a lot to me I could care less what other people think, just want to be legal on the road.

Appreciate the kind words, I agree the previous dealership planned to use it as a a parts car until it was totally stripped then probably scrap the body or make it a resto-mod, I saved it from being 100% destroyed and lost. I was able to give this car a true second life with its original motor and I couldn't be happier.
 

heminut

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The car looks great, but like some others I wouldn't have put all that time & effort & money into it until I had a good title in hand. I was a cop for 23 years here in New Mexico and have dealt with the New Mexico MVD on several issues and I have to say, you have more faith in them than I do! I wish you nothing but good luck with them, because things can easily go sideways with those people. Please keep us posted with how it all works out, I would definitely like to know how it goes.
 

NMexChallenger

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One question did you do your own Dash or did you have it done?
The Pad?
It was done in the 90s by a previous owner, this is when I think the VIN tag was switched, then done again during my restoration with a new pad but VIN plate was saved.
 

NMexChallenger

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The car looks great, but like some others I wouldn't have put all that time & effort & money into it until I had a good title in hand. I was a cop for 23 years here in New Mexico and have dealt with the New Mexico MVD on several issues and I have to say, you have more faith in them than I do! I wish you nothing but good luck with them, because things can easily go sideways with those people. Please keep us posted with how it all works out, I would definitely like to know how it goes.
Thanks for the well wishes! I just spent over a year but I got my 1930 Model A Ford legal and registered here which was a total blast...

I had a clean title from TX (It was my grandfathers) but the car obviously had no VIN. In TX the titling was done with the Engine code stamped by Ford but NM didn't recognize this as a VIN and they wanted two spots for a modern VIN despite the car being from 1930.

Had to lawyer up and explain VIN wasn't a standard in 1930, had a great mediator which granted me an exemption, long process however.
 
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