New owner of '73 Challenger

[Tim.g.howard]

Hi all,

So, I went to Mecum down here in Houston and... I won my bid on a '73 Challenger.

I could use some advice...

Now yes, I really should have looked the car over more carefully before bidding on it and there were plenty of other very nice Challengers there that would have better matched what I wanted (which was to purchase someone elses restoration really). However this is the one I got. It looks very nice from the top of the Engine bay and from walking around the vehicle but... upon closer inspection it's clearly rough.

First when I tried to get it home, there was a hole in the gas tank. The car did drive... ok... Also though at the shop it's clear that the floors were rusted through and patched with fiberglass and not particularly well. The trunk floor was also clearly patched. The dash has an obvious plastic dash cover instead of having been restored. What other surprises await?

Now, if you can log into Mecum, you can see what I paid for the car. Did I get massively "taken" here? I could look at the car as a "Blank Canvas" in that it's a base model and I could basically make a nice restomod out of it (for significantly more investment). OR I could, I suppose try to get it serviceable and sell it and go try to find more what I want.

So what's the advice? Was this a massive mistake or a great opportunity or both? Given this is a base model is the car worth really restoring?

Thanks,

Tim

 

[Chryco Psycho]

Welcome to the site Tim !
As is often the case Auctioned cars are not what they appear to be , I have worked on many of these over the years .

 

[Tim.g.howard]

Welcome to the site Tim !
As is often the case Auctioned cars are not what they appear to be , I have worked on many of these over the years .

So, other than not bid on it... in my shoes, what would you do? I accept I'm going to have to pay for my mistake to some extent.

 

[Lunchbox]

Looks sharp! Unfortunately these stories from the auctions seem to be more and more frequent. Not sure what you paid for it or your skill level, but a lot of the items you say are wrong can cost some $$ to fix. Maybe need to get a list of what you think needs to be done, determine some prices, and see if thats where you want to be at for what you paid the what the are is/will be.

 

[Tim.g.howard]

Looks sharp! Unfortunately these stories from the auctions seem to be more and more frequent. Not sure what you paid for it or your skill level, but a lot of the items you say are wrong can cost some $$ to fix. Maybe need to get a list of what you think needs to be done, determine some prices, and see if thats where you want to be at for what you paid the what the are is/will be.

Yeah, I paid won the bid for $34k plus fees... Spoke to some restoration folks here and gotten some quotes. The question is do I want a '73 318 base model numbers matching? Do I want a '73 Restomod Hellcat for $100k plus? Still debating what to do but I have noticed they aren't making more '73 Challengers.. even base models.

 

[moparleo]

aboard. This a hobby not an investment. You just need to decide what you will be happy with and how much it will cost.
Your car, money and decision. Good luck whatever your choice.
\If you decide to "fix it" make sure to find a quality, reputable restorer.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

Wow what would I do , body work is the worst takes forever & costs a lot . I would probably fix a few things & sell it for what you can get & buy what you wanted .
Stripping it & getting the body repaired could run 20k easy & take 2-3 years even if you do the work even longer if you wait on others & the cost is much higher .
You wanted to buy someone else resto so it sounds like you would rather buy it done than take on the work .
I assume you have zero recourse with the seller .

 

[terrywalker]

You do have a some things to sort out. I'm currently working on a 72 Challenger that I got a great deal on as a rolling shell. None of the floors were rusted. I was able to repair a couple of holes (less than the size of a nickel) in the driver side rear quarter. I did have to replace metal in the hood hinge area as your car needs but I welded in new metal in those areas about 4" by 5". As stated, body work is a slow process. I always look at the rust prone areas of a Challenger before buying so I know what I'm getting in to. That said, you can drive it as is and enjoy or spend $20k to fix doing all the work yourself, pay a shop $50K or more to repair or sell it and get what you really want. It's a tough call.
Terry W.

 

[Rapidfire]

Welcome to FEBO! If you are not happy with it, then no sense in keeping it.

 

[Tim.g.howard]

Welcome to FEBO! If you are not happy with it, then no sense in keeping it.

I want an E Body for sure…. I guess I’m still struggling. I guess I think for $100k+ I could get a higher end ‘70 or ‘Cuda. But I can see feeling freer to make this what I want as its not super high value “numbers matching” I suppose. Meanwhile, I’m fixing the fuel system, upgrading to MSD, put a bigger intake manifold and carb, servicing brakes, transmission, rear. Then see where I want to go from there.

 

[Chryco Psycho]

Personally I would pass on the MSD , they fail constantly & no parts available at local parts stores
Factory is just as good

 

[Mopar Nut]

 

[MoparCarGuy]

Consider replacing the bare minimum to keep it safe and just drive it to shows for awhile. You can always sell it later as they only seem to go up in value, at least for now.

 

[DetMatt1]

Welcome to the site from the Motor City!
were you not able to more closely inspect it before throwing your hand up?

 

[Tim.g.howard]

Welcome to the site from the Motor City!
were you not able to more closely inspect it before throwing your hand up?

Of course you can walk the floor at Mecum and "inspect" the cars... You can open hoods and doors but I see very few people getting into the cars or crawling under them. Having said that, yeah, it's quite a show and everything is SO SHINEY! I have to say that for this car, someone did a really good job of polishing everything up (in the engine bay as well) so that it looked very good to the casual observer (myself). Then the auction starts ... and moves very quickly. Very exciting. Lots of fun. ;-)

I guess I got caught up in the excitement and wasn't bold enough inspecting what I might bid on.

I don't blame Mecum or the seller. Any "buyers remorse" is on me. I do like the car and accept that I chose this path instead of buying a "Last Call Hellcat" even if a '93 318 isn't the coolest sample of an E-Body.

I'm leaning on enjoying the car and adding value to it and then letting someone else take over and trade up if I don't fall in love with it as a RestoMod.

 

[moparlee]

Welcome to the site from Michigan!
Fix what needs to be done for a safe driver, make some upgrades like what you have said, and enjoy your ride.

 

[terrywalker]

Tim G. Don't beat yourself up over your purchase. Enjoy it. Trust me. I think most of us have bought a car we regret buying or sold one we wish we hadn't. Enjoy what you have and learn from the experience of fixing things.
Terry W.

 

[340challconvert]

to FEBO from New Jersey
I would just enjoy the car for now and fix things as you go along.
Make it safe and drive it!

 

[fasjac]

Welcome to the site from Arkansas!
It’s a nice looking Challenger but, sounds like you would rather have something more resto mod.
If that’s how you feel, list it for a little more and see what happens. I don’t think you’ll lose much if any. It’s a cool car.
Be prepared to have some issues with the higher end stuff as well.
JMO

 

[Challenger RTA]

If do or don't have the ability to do the work yourself. list of what you think needs to be done. Nuts and bolt no big deal. Busted knuckles. Gas tank and dash pad. With a few hand tools and know how one can remove and replace trunk floor. While gas tank is out. As for the floor pan full or partial replacement that is a little more involved. Removing interior (dash pad out would be good.) and cutting old one out in the right place then trimming up. You may know someone that can weld and help you out. Like you said there not made any more! Your in for a penny and in for a pound. Bottom line run the numbers while run the car. I would base my decision on the numbers. personal preference is what cost. Maybe cost doesn't matter sometimes. It has A/C enjoy it!

But any how Welcome to FEBO.