B body interchange question.

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Pascamp

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I know a lot of you guys are B body experts. I recently discovered a 69 charger (a customer's neighbor's). It's nothing special, but it is none the less a 69 charger. It's a F8 318 auto vinyl top car. Been sitting since '82, and fairly clean. Got parked next to garage by dead junky kid and left for 37 years. Nose is crusty, but the unibody is clean(quarters, floor, trunk, roof, ect, everything else is there too(trim, lights, everything, keys in ignition). He literally parked it, OD'd, and time went on.

I know B bodies are stupid expensive, but a 69 charger doesn't float my boat. Can I convert this to a superbee or roadrunner(70 preferred)? If not is a 68 or 70 charger nose swap possible?

I know this is sacred Duke boy's ground, but I never did dig the split grill General Lee.
 
I know a barn find 69 charger is gonna get some interest on here...and I will pass along info if things don't work out. I'm just absolutely retarded on B bodies. I know it's worth some money, but I don't want a 69 charger. I hope I can make it a 70 roadrunner, but I doubt it.
 
Not without a lot of metal surgery. The share the same frame rails but that's about it.

But for the price of a '69 Charger you could buy a '70 Satellite, buy all the bolt on stuff to clone a RoadRunner, and have a pocket full of cash left over.
 
72bluNblu said:
Not without a lot of metal surgery. The share the same frame rails but that's about it.

But for the price of a '69 Charger you could buy a '70 Satellite, buy all the bolt on stuff to clone a RoadRunner, and have a pocket full of cash left over.
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That's what I'm looking for. The *** end looks way bigger on the dodges. I know it's worthless without pics, but I'm figuring this thing has gotta be worth at least $5k parted out. It's a complete clean car. Maybe $10k, I honestly don't know. Right now we're both sleeping on it. I offered $3k cash (because I saw that's what the grill/headlight assemblies go for). The guy has a clean title too. This is uncharted territory for me. It looks like an easy restore. What's a basic blah charger worth?
 
Pascamp said:
That's what I'm looking for. The *** end looks way bigger on the dodges. I know it's worthless without pics, but I'm figuring this thing has gotta be worth at least $5k parted out. It's a complete clean car. Maybe $10k, I honestly don't know. Right now we're both sleeping on it. I offered $3k cash (because I saw that's what the grill/headlight assemblies go for). The guy has a clean title too. This is uncharted territory for me. It looks like an easy restore. What's a basic blah charger worth?
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I don't know about PA, but here in California if you've got a "basic blah Charger" that has 4 frame rails and much more than 50% of it's sheet metal it's worth $10k. Those things get stupid money. I mean absolutely stupid.

I mean, this thing sold for $9,500
s-l1600 (1).jpg


1969 Dodge Charger | eBay

You can search "sold" listings on eBay. I mean, eBay is usually high and not all the cars that will show up as sold actually did sell, but it gives you a ballpark.
1969 Charger | eBay

A $3k '69 Charger isn't much more than a VIN tag and some body stampings.
 
72bluNblu said:
I don't know about PA, but here in California if you've got a "basic blah Charger" that has 4 frame rails and much more than 50% of it's sheet metal it's worth $10k. Those things get stupid money. I mean absolutely stupid.

I mean, this thing sold for $9,500
View attachment 1715344617

1969 Dodge Charger | eBay

You can search "sold" listings on eBay. I mean, eBay is usually high and not all the cars that will show up as sold actually did sell, but it gives you a ballpark.
1969 Charger | eBay

A $3k '69 Charger isn't much more than a VIN tag and some body stampings.
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This car is fresh gas and a once over from being an ugly driver. I already decided that $10k is my limit if it was a possible swap canidate. Since it's not...$5k is my limit.
 
From the limited research I've done....a lot of people like these things. I personally think that the Dodge's are ugly. They seem to get crazy money compare to the plymouths. Is it a production numbers thing?
 
Pascamp said:
This car is fresh gas and a once over from being an ugly driver. I already decided that $10k is my limit if it was a possible swap canidate. Since it's not...$5k is my limit.
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If I could buy a '68-70 Charger for $10k that's "fresh gas and a once over" from being an ugly driver I'd own one. Take a look at that eBay list. The only '69 Chargers that went under $10k need full restorations, and not easy ones either.

Pascamp said:
From the limited research I've done....a lot of people like these things. I personally think that the Dodge's are ugly. They seem to get crazy money compare to the plymouths. Is it a production numbers thing?
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You're one of the few then. It's not a production numbers thing. It's an image thing- Bullit, Dukes of Hazzard, even Fast & Furious. All Chargers. They're the "cool car" from the movies and TV that everyone wants.
 
72bluNblu said:
If I could buy a '68-70 Charger for $10k that's "fresh gas and a once over" from being an ugly driver I'd own one. Take a look at that eBay list. The only '69 Chargers that went under $10k need full restorations, and not easy ones either.



You're one of the few then. It's not a production numbers thing. It's an image thing- Bullit, Dukes of Hazzard, even Fast & Furious. All Chargers. They're the "cool car" from the movies and TV that everyone wants.
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Oh, I get it...I am not normal. I have fully understood that for several decades. That's why I don't know **** about this car, and didn't deserve to find it. This stupid green car found me. It's like an ugly Titanic that crashed into me.
 
Pascamp said:
Oh, I get it...I am not normal. I have fully understood that for several decades. That's why I don't know **** about this car, and didn't deserve to find it. This stupid green car found me. It's like an ugly Titanic that crashed into me.
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Like I said, if you can get if for anywhere near the numbers you're talking about, buy it. Then sell it, and buy yourself a nice '70 Satellite or heck even a RoadRunner. Because you probably could with the profits.
 
I honestly peered through barbed wire for 2 weeks trying to figure out what it was. I secretly hoped it was a Plymouth. When I got a closer look and saw it was a charger... I was disappointed. I had to navigate goats and donkeys to finally see it up close. My anticipation was so high I must have looked like a lunatic when I saw it was a charger. I was basically kicked in the nuts.
 
Wow...you are surely in the minority!
I am buying a 1970 XH Charger project for $5000. It was in a minor front end collision but I'm getting a clean front clip in the deal. 383, 727, 8 1/4" axle....
The XH Chargers were a 1970 only model. Very basic...Bench seat, column shift, 383 2 barrel was the biggest engine available.
70 XH 1.jpg
70 XH 2.jpg
70 XH 3.jpg
70 XH 4.jpg
 
Yeah, I know I'm weird. The chargers never got me excited though. There's a few with the perfect stance, wheels, ect that I like...but in general I don't like them. Roadrunners on the other hand I love. I really felt like a dick when I found it. I literally was like a spoiled kid that got his dream squashed. Had it been a 70 roadrunner I would've dropped 10k right there. It really was a rare find. I was actually looking to take a leak. I had to hide behind a brush pile, and saw a square inch of F8 paint through barbed wire and poison ivy. I then drove around the area looking for higher vantage points and blowing up cell phone pics.
 
these cars are stupid money, because of the truly low numbers of them that remain. Survivors are hard to come by, relative to something like a challenger or dart. The tv/movie industry gobbled them up in large numbers, many others were lost to time, neglect, drag racing, etc.
I recently considered a barn 68 charger. rotted floors & trunk. hadnt turned over in some 25yrs. needed complete resto but was about 90% there. price was $18k
It sold before I could even get an offer in.
If you can score it, it would be a near instant flip for good money, then use that $$ to buy what you really want. cut it up however to clone something that it isnt, is beyond my ability to understand..kinda like taking an original 426 hemi and chopping off 2 cylinders to make a turbo V6..lol
 
I was at that muscle car hoard auction in Aberdeen, SD last summer. Two 69 Chargers sold there. One was a 318 car, basic grove/ pasture type roller. Had most of the drivetrain yet. Rusty needed EVERYTHING. Other was supposed to be an R/T. Belly dragger. No drivetrain, no interior/not much anyway, RUSTY, flat *** on the ground. Needed EVERYTHING. Both cars brought a cool 10k apiece. So, like everyone is telling you, buy that thing dirt cheap and flip it for what you really want. You won't own it long, guarenteed.
 
The front end can be changed to a 68 or 70, but I'd leave it as the 69 that it is as to not ruin the value. I've had 68, 69 and 70's and can't even afford a basket case around here anymore cheapest thing I've seen in my area is parts car stuff with no vin or title and there asking $3500.00 for that stuff.
 
Convert a Charger to a Roadrunner?
That's like trading a $1000 dollar bill for a $100 cuz you dont like the color....
 
4spdragtop said:
Convert a Charger to a Roadrunner?
That's like trading a $1000 dollar bill for a $100 cuz you dont like the color....
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Well I was hoping that it could be a clean basis for a roadrunner cloning, but obviously not. I was hoping that there would be more interchangeablity like with A bodies. There's some pretty obvious differences, but it's hard to tell for sure until you get your hands on it.

Not being a Charger fan removes emotion from the decision making process. It'll be based on pure ability to flip the car. If the numbers don't make sense to me I'll pass it along to you guys. Of course it could still go sideways. The guy may decide he's going to restore it after tripping over it for 4 decades.
 
68 to 69 noses are the same just the different grill. 70 not sure since it's a full wrap around bumper, but should be able to swap it to it. Tail lights will be a dead give away if you swap to a 68 grill due to the 68 having the round tails, course if you want to you can buy the rear panel and convert it too
 
I would sell the Charger and take that and buy the RR or Bee you want for less $ and have $$ for parts/work. They sell somewhat cheaper. All B bodies from that era rusted out in rear, all of it, and the chargers are harder to do as the rear metal is 5 layers spot welded together! Prices for their parts are also stupid.
I admit I have owned 6-7 2nd gen chargers, but people have gone stupid over them. Pretty cars but...
 
diymirage said:
well, how much did you end up paying for it?
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I'm going to let him digest for a while. I have a service contract on the neighboring property and I'm there every 2 weeks. I've been working less than 100' from that car for almost 20 years, and never knew it was there. It's not going anywhere any time soon.
 
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