1969 Dodge Charger

Coupe

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

XP29F9B121703

Gasoline

1969 Dodge Charger All Original except repaint in factory correct color Owned by same family since 1985 (25 years) Background: The year was 1985, and I was 15 years old, looking for the typical 1969 Camaro that it seemed every teenager wanted at that time. After looking at dozens of them and passing on them for a variety of reasons, I went to the Carlisle car coral show in Carlisle, PA. Across the field, I saw a red 1969 Charger on the back of a rollback coming in. I got to that truck before the car was even unloaded, and after hearing it run, it was loaded right back on the truck and taken to my house. The only thing my father and I did to the car was fix some rust in the lower quarters and below the rear bumper, and resprayed it in the factory color. When I turned 16, I drove the car everyday, to school, to work, everywhere. But before I turned 17, I found another 1969 Charger project car that had AC, and I sold this car to my father to fund the restoration of the second car. I still have the second car, and when my father passed away in early 2001, I got this Charger back as well. Since then, I have probably only put about 800 miles on the car, which is a shame. It drives so nice, and looks great. But I have two kids, a wife, a house, responsibilities, and am tight on garage space. I need to let something go, and after years of deciding to sell and then changing my mind, it is time for this car to find a new home with someone who can enjoy it and drive it more often. Paint and Body: We bought the car in 1985 still wearing it’s original paint from the factory. We repainted it after patching the lower rear quarters, and pretty much having to rebuild the back up light panel below the bumper (it was not available in 1985). I drove the car daily for about a year, then my father drove it weather permitting (no snow or rain), until about 1997. We then stripped the car, and welded in new patches in those lower quarters (more professional job this time. They are holding up excellent and have been there now for 13 years), and replaced the now available back up light panel below the bumper along with the two corner pieces. The car was repainted in the original color again, this time in polyurethane base/clear coat. The body is straight and clean. The bodywork is holding up great with no evidence of any rust remaining. The paint is glossy and shines very well. There are a few nicks from stones here and there, and a slight scratch on the passenger front fender, as would be expected on a 13 year old paint job that has been driven. The car has been garage kept since 1985, and only driven on sunny days since 1986 or so. Floors and truck floor: Passenger compartment floors are original and seem solid. I do not see any holes from underneath. This car does not have as much undercoating as I have seen on other cars from this era, so there is surface rust, but it is minimal. The trunk floor is also original, and as one would expect on an original 1969 Charger, it has rust. It has some moderate scaling, and a few pinholes. It was like this when we bought it, and has not gotten any worse. The trunk mat covers it, so I never bothered to address it. It functions fine (holds weight), but is not the prettiest to look at. Chrome and trim: Rear bumper is original, front has been rechromed. Door handles, fuel cap and all trim are original and in good shape. Wheels are reproductions that we bought back in mid ‘90’s (14”), and they do have some minor rust starting on them that you can notice if you get real close. It is so minor, it will not even show up in the pictures, but I want to disclose it anyway. Chrome work is very nice quality, but not show quality perfect. Interior: Pretty much all original in here too. Front seats had the lower cushion recovered on the driver side (maybe passenger side too, I don’t remember any more) back in 1985-1986 or so. Back seat, door panels, dash pad, headliner are all original and untouched. NO cracks in dash pad. Carpet was replaced back in the late ‘80’s, and is showing a little fading. Original headliner has a few holes over driver seat where a small rodent decided to have some lunch back in the early ‘90’s. He was eradicated, but the damage was done. The interior rear window trim was extremely brittle and breaking apart, so I bought a new reproduction of it. It is included, but has not been installed yet. All gauges work, as do lights, and the warning buzzer for leaving your headlights on. Original AM radio is in car and did work, but hasn’t been on in 20 years at least. Don’t know if it works anymore. You may notice the front seat belts are green in the pictures. The original black belts were misplaced during the repaint, and I installed an extra set I had from a green car. The belts ARE from a 1969 Charger, just the wrong color. They can be dyed to match if you have the motivation. The front shoulder belts are missing. I only used the lap belts anyway (the shoulder belts are too high and rub against my neck when driving). Engine / Trans / Rear / Exhaust: Although I never ran numbers (it is a 318, does it really matter?), I believe the original 318 sits under the hood hooked to the original 727 trans. The trans shifts strong with no slippage. The engine does not smoke, and runs quiet and strong. Engine maintains around 40 psi oil pressure at idle (at full operating temp). We bought the car with 71k miles on it, and it now has 103k on it (that’s 32k miles in last 25 years, and most of that was first 2 years we owned it!). The engine has never been apart during our ownership, nor has the transmission (probably never in this car’s lifetime either). We have done typical maintenance issues over the years (like water pump, alternator, belts, etc). The original radiator was replaced a few years ago with a 26” AC version from YearOne. Oil was changed every year (changed it because of time, since it only had maybe a 100 miles on each oil change). Exhaust is probably original from muffler forward. Always meant to put dual exhaust on it but never did, so still has single exhaust with original style muffler. The rear (never ran numbers, but I believe it to be original) is an 8.75 open. I think the gear ratio is 3.08 (original). The drivetrain is strong and quiet, and performs as you would expect it to. The picture of the rad support clearly shows the VIN stamped in it. The fender tag is also still in place. Overall: This is a car you can get in today and drive it all summer without any concerns. Go to cruise nights or weekend car shows and have fun. This car was not restored, and in fact, is mostly original with the primary exception being the repaint. When was the last time you saw an original, unmolested 318 Charger being sold by the guy / family who owned it for the last 25 years? Drive it like it is for years, or drop a 383, 440 or Hemi in it yourself. I just pulled the car out of heated winter storage, and drove it about 50 miles. I didn’t have a single issue or concern. Brakes worked perfect, started right up, no smoke, and as smooth as it has always been for last 25 years. The headlights work as they should. The car drives straight and true. The brake pedal is high and firm (manual brakes, but it stops great). The BF Goodrich tires have plenty of tread. The glass is all great, although there is some minor fogging in the bottom corners of the windshield (very minor, does not affect vision at all). The original vinyl top is original and very in very good condition due to the car being garage kept over its lifetime (which also saved the dash pad from the ravages of the sun). These 68-69 Chargers are getting more desirable every day, and much harder to find in unmolested condition. Why pay thousands upon thousands of dollars for a basket case project car that will take years of work and tens of thousands of dollars before you can drive it? I sold a 68 Charger a while back needing a full restoration for over $8000. For what you get, this car is a bargain compared to that. NADA Value: (as of 4/8/2010) Low retail: $9,680 Average Retail: $17,600 High Retail: $28,710 In reading the description of what is a low retail and average retail car on the NADA site and by looking at the car, I would consider this car an "average retail". My reserve is quite a bit lower than the average retail number. Terms This car is 41 years old. The car is not new nor is it without flaws. I have done my best to accurately represent the car through text and photos. In some pictures, the paint appears "faded" or off color. That is not the case, but rather glare from the sunlight and probably a little over exposure on my new camera. The paint looks great and is extremely presentable. If you aren’t comfortable with my description and pictures, ask questions. Or come see it for yourself. But if you win the auction and reserve is met, I expect you to buy the car and meet the terms of the auction. Have your money ready before you bid. You are not bidding to come look at it. You are bidding to buy it, and entering a binding contract when you bid per eBay policies. Obviously, I am selling it AS IS. I guarantee clear PA title. A $500 deposit is due within 24 hours of auction ending via paypal. The remainder of the price must be paid within 10 days. I will NOT accept Paypal to pay the balance. I will only accept wire transfers, cashier’s checks, or personal checks drawn on US banks. I will also accept cash in person. ALL monies must CLEAR MY BANK before I will release the title or the car. NO EXCEPTIONS. This includes wire transfers. I hate to be hard nosed about this, but I have seen too many people get burned by dishonest bidders and seen too many scams. No overseas bidders, please. It never works out. Once the funds clear my bank, I can work with you on pickup. I do have a place to store the car indoors for a while, so you can arrange shipping. I will do my best to accommodate your shippers schedule if possible. Please note that I will be out of town on Saturday, April 24th. Shipping or pickup is solely the responsibility of the buyer. Undoubtedly, some one will ask if they can fly in and drive this car home to (insert location here). The answer is I don’t know. It is 41 years old, and hasn’t been driven more than 50 miles at a time in the last 10+ years. Do I trust the car? Absolutely. Will I guarantee it can go on a 250 mile trip without trouble? No. My other Charger just broke a valve stem last year while on a drive (12 miles from my house) and I had to call my buddy to bring me a spare with air in it and a floor jack. Things happen, especially on old cars. I will not disclose my reserve price. It is fair for the condition of the car, and I expect it will be met during this auction. Bid what you are comfortable bidding, and my reserve shouldn’t matter. If the reserve is not met, I might do a second chance offer to the high bidder. It will come through ebay so you will know it is legit.