Most car trades try to come out ahead. This one started with a man giving up a running, rust-free 1971 Dodge Charger R/T for a 1968 Charger R/T that has no engine, no transmission and has not run since about 1987.
Chris Birdsong, a second-generation Charger fan who posts as @junkerup, set up the deal with his friend Steve Dulcich, who had kept the 1968 car on his farm for decades.
“I am trading my 71RT Survivor for a car that doesn’t even run and drive.”
Getting The 1971 Charger Ready
Birdsong did not want to hand over a car with flaws, even in a trade. The 1971 has a 440 and the original exhaust, but it had a loud leak. So he fired it up, felt around the manifold for puffs of air and traced the leak to a donut gasket. Luckily, he had a spare in his box of gaskets.
Next, he welded a broken door handle back together and tightened a floppy mirror. After that, he chased a brake warning light by tapping a sticky valve and adding more rear brake bias. Once the car was quiet, he says the tire noise became the loudest thing in it.
Then he loaded the green car on a trailer for the drive to Bakersfield, California. On the way, his tow vehicle’s alternator stopped charging, which made the last few miles tense.
The Deal On The Farm
Dulcich says he first saw a 1971 Charger as a 17-year-old and thought it looked like a shark. Even so, he admits the trade made no sense to him at first.
“the 68’s worth double what the 71’s worth.”
Eventually his nephew changed his mind with a simple line about a Charger on the road being worth more than one sitting in the shop.
“my 68’s been sitting around for 35 years and I’ve never touched it.”
He described the car honestly. It is a roller with no motor, no transmission and no windshield. On top of that, a dog chewed the dash pad, and two windows need glass.
What The 1968 Charger R/T Turned Out To Be
The walkaround was kinder than the description. For instance, the sheet metal is straight, the cowl and firewall are solid, and the stainless trim has no dings. It also has factory air, a light package and a new-old-stock console kit still in its packaging.
Dulcich added a set of original seats to the deal. However, the gauge cluster he had restored for it stayed hidden somewhere in his storage, despite a long search.
As for how he got it, Dulcich says he spotted the car under an old oak tree in Visalia because of the R/T badge. The owner told him to give him 300 bucks and take it away. Meanwhile, the last registration sticker still reads January 1987.
What To Know Before Trading A Runner For A Project
- A running car you can enjoy now has real value, even if a project is worth more on paper.
- List what a roller is missing, from glass to gauges, before you agree to a swap.
- Solid metal and complete trim save more money than almost anything else.
- Agree up front which spare parts come with the car.
- Plan how you will move a car with no drivetrain.
Where Things Stand
The 1968 Charger R/T is now Birdsong’s. Next, he plans a build series to get it running and driving, and the two friends joked about a drag race between the cars.
“I’m flabbergasted with my new 68.”
More from Fast Lane Only
