FOUND - Unknown Charger 500 Hemi 4 Speed car in Riverside, CA

[tallzag]

Got a lead on this car last month, it's a real 1969 Dodge Charger 500 Hemi 4 speed car that has been off the road since 1974.  This is one of the coolest finds I've ever found.  Car was out of my price range so it just sold to a new owner who is going to restore it.  Unfortunately the motor was blown up early in life but it did have a 69 Hemi in it.  Car is originally from Texas and is a pretty early car.

[billssuperbird]

They are still out there 

[Highwaystar]

Put it in the Registry, if you could. To my understanding there was only about 44 hemi 4 speeds and 44- 440 4 speeds built. I am sure someone has more exact numbers on that, but low production all the same in a very hi demand model. Is it in rough shape? what kind of coin was spent on this jewel?

[tallzag]

I believe it is 1 of 27.

[73rallye440magnum]

Wow. Any more photos? Looks like a survivor!

[tallzag]

Here is an underhood shot.  Sorry the light wasn't very good.  It was repainted once in 1978.

[Mopar Nut]

Very cool, good find!

[seaweed]

Why does the car have the vacuum canister and hose when it doesent have any hidden lights?

[white]

The hoses were cut off when new grill was installed at creative industries. Most of the 500's I see are like this. I am no expert just going off of what I have seen and been told by owner's.

[tan top]

  wow     , thanks for sharing the pictures & stuff   

[seaweed]

Ok. didn't know that, I have never seen one in real life.
I'm not sure if anyone owns a 500 here in Sweden.

[moparstuart]

The hoses were cut off when new grill was installed at creative industries. Most of the 500's I see are like this. I am no expert just going off of what I have seen and been told by owner's.

yup some differ but most they just hacked the hoses and left them , left the cannister too

[69_500]

Vacuum hoses from what I have seen over the years were not cut at all by Creative. They were just left hanging. Every one I have ran across that is cut, I have been able to talk to previous owners and find one of them that is the culprit on cutting the hoses.

[ws23rt]

That's what I suspected from my limited experience with these cars.
It makes sense to get the cars out of the shop asap by doing only what was needed for the aero change.
My car had the vacuum can but not the hoses. (I'm the third owner)
If the hoses were present when I bought the car (in 1982) I likely would have cut them off myself.

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

That's awesome!  How'd you hear about the car?  Why had it been sitting since... well forever?

[tallzag]

Hey Ryan, met you at MCACN very briefly, Tom from Rocket Restorations.

At the Fall Fling show in Van Nuys, CA a guy pulled up with a U-Haul full of NOS and rare parts.  My buddy ended up buying most of the stuff and they said they had a few cars for sale too.  After the show did a little follow up and they mentioned the 500 as well as this 1969 Dodge Dart I ended up buying (picture below).  Was going down to LA last week anyways so went to look at it.  Had a friend who was a wing car guy who was interested so he came out and bought it.

All of this was part of an estate sale.  A Mopar gentleman passed last year and he had this huge collection of stuff.  Think he considered the 500 his retirement.  It sold for a very reasonable amount in my opinion but it isn't my car so don't want to talk $$$.

[white]

C500 is the man who has great knowledge of these cars. Love this site

[Davtona]

That's awesome!  How'd you hear about the car?  Why had it been sitting since... well forever?

I know of the collection that this car originally came out of. Several people on here have heard of him I am sure. Very big into Mopars and Hemis from way back in the day.    

[Beep Beep Dave]

Thanks for sharing, that is a nice find. Looks good enough to drive with a cleanup and mechanicals. More pics please

Dave

[RallyeMike]

Does the title "Unknown 500" means that the VIN is definitely not on the registry list? If so, can it be added?

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,115251.0.html

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

Hey Ryan, met you at MCACN very briefly, Tom from Rocket Restorations.

At the Fall Fling show in Van Nuys, CA a guy pulled up with a U-Haul full of NOS and rare parts.  My buddy ended up buying most of the stuff and they said they had a few cars for sale too.  After the show did a little follow up and they mentioned the 500 as well as this 1969 Dodge Dart I ended up buying (picture below).  Was going down to LA last week anyways so went to look at it.  Had a friend who was a wing car guy who was interested so he came out and bought it.

All of this was part of an estate sale.  A Mopar gentleman passed last year and he had this huge collection of stuff.  Think he considered the 500 his retirement.  It sold for a very reasonable amount in my opinion but it isn't my car so don't want to talk $$$.

Cool man, good to talk to ya then!  Sorry I didn't put 2 and 2 together.  I hope you liked the show!

That's awesome.  The whole thing sounds familiar, like others had said.  But I hear alot of stories.  It's great to see that the cars have been rescued from being neglected for so long!  Congratulation!

Ryan

[tallzag]

MCACN was awesome, loved the barn find display.  You looked very distracted when I introduced myself 

It's funny where you hear about this stuff, gotten some good leads from car shows.  Also at the Fling a lady showed up who's Dad had just passed and they had a 1960 300F, a 1957 300C convertible, a 1964 Fury 426 Wedge 4 speed car, a 1958 Imperial Convertible, a 1958 Sweptside pickup, 57 New Yorker, and many more.  Went over the day after and found a ton of parts too.  Ended up buying a bunch of the parts but all the cars went to Sweden.

[tallzag]

Interior shot of the 500.

[r4daytona]

I know you said it was repainted once.  Was the car originally blue?  I ask because of the blue on the underside of the hood???   OR was the hood replaced?  It wouldn't seem to make sense to paint the hole car and leave the underside of the hood.   Very cool find though!!

[tallzag]

The underside of the hood was blue, best guess is that it was replaced???  It was originally a green car.  Looks like it had a dent in one of the 1/4's too that was fixed.

[Davtona]

It's great to see that the cars have been rescued from being neglected for so long!

Neglected? Hardly more like carefully preserved for a long time. This car was not part of your typical junkyard "barn find" as is so common lately. It was rather part of a at one time very extensive Mopar collection by what I would consider a pioneer of the hobby. Not "neglected" per say more like he never got around to doing this one. What we tend to forget is that with out guys like this gentleman a lot of cars of today would not exist. These type guys who back when nobody else wanted the cars loved them enough to save a lot of them. To many of these owners are judged by people who don't know the whole story but think they do.

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

MCACN was awesome, loved the barn find display.  You looked very distracted when I introduced myself 

Yeah sorry about that.  I wish we could have sat around and chatted longer.  Things just get a bit crazy sometimes.

I'll be out in California this year at some point.  Drop me a line so we can meet up.

[tallzag]

No worries Ryan.  I always tell the joke to my customers that if I'm selling at a swap I won't be able to talk for more than 30 seconds before I have to help another customer, just the way it goes.  I live up in Shelton, WA, let me know if you ever make it up to the Great Northwest.  In California several times a year however.  If you can make the Spring Fling car show in April in Van Nuys, CA I'd highly recommend it.

These stickers were on the windshield, anyone know where this high school is?  I'm assuming Texas.

[500Jon]

Wow, them there Shield stickers are SUPER COOL!!!

Green on Green Hemi C500, perfect for Dirti-bin...

Come on guys, spill the beans on the price, its killing me not knowing???

5J

[GOTWING]

I hope those stickers are left on in the future they are cool. and more pics please 

[moparchris]

The C500 was purchased by Charlie Cheslier (SP?)  It was a Texas car.  Charlie bought the car with a replacement motor and sold it to the owner who moved to Ca. and recently passed.  I have a photo of the fender tag for this car.  Some people were talking to my friend saying they heard about this Charger and were saying it was in Arizona and that the owner just died.  My friend dropped his jaw thinking they were referring to ME just passing away !!  Once he called and knew I hadn't suddenly died he gave me some pic's including the fender tag.  I called the guys who were brokering the car for the widow.  Nice guys, I'm glad they got it sold for her. F5, F5, A34 car.

[Ghoste]

So it is in the registry then?

[nascarxx29]

Maybe same school 500 was at.     http://www.tjclassof1972.myevent.com/3/myblog.htm

[fc7_plumcrazy]

Ok. didn't know that, I have never seen one in real life.
I'm not sure if anyone owns a 500 here in Sweden.

I know quiete a few collectors in sweden, there is huge bunch of birds, some Daytonas but no C500 AFAIK

Carsten

[moparchris]

If it is not in the registry I'll get it registered in the next few days.

[Ghoste]

 

[moparchris]

More info on the car

[moparchris]

I just posted a link with a picture of the fender tag and the cars history.  I then went to the registry to try and update the sparse info for this car and could not update it.  It IS in the registry but it is listed as F8 with Black guts.  As you can see from the fender tag, that is not accurate.  If one of the moderators of the registry want to update the file, use the above posted link.

[HELLCAT]

I spoke with Charles Cheshire about this car. He remembers buying it somewhere around North Dallas. He purchased the car around 1974-1976 I believe. It was dark green (F8) when he purchased it.

[nascarxx29]

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,60507.0.html

http://moparadsandoddities.blogspot.com/2014/04/lovelady-grier-dodge-69-charger-500.html

[hemigeno]

Just posting the .pdf's that moparchris uploaded earlier, now in .jpg format so that they show up on the screen...

[daveco]

$500 for strip and repaint , wow, those were the good ol' days.

[Beep Beep Dave]

More info on the car

Wow thanks for posting that up....cool history.

Dave

[nascarxx29]

Oldest club record for 142558 dark green black interior no console 4 speed . No owner name but location Chicago Illinios

http://www.classmates.com/places/school/Jefferson-High-School/9673 If you had owners name He might be in high school year book

[Homerr]

I just posted a link with a picture of the fender tag and the cars history.  I then went to the registry to try and update the sparse info for this car and could not update it.  It IS in the registry but it is listed as F8 with Black guts.  As you can see from the fender tag, that is not accurate.  If one of the moderators of the registry want to update the file, use the above posted link.

Done!

[wingcarenvy]

Wow that thing is right under my nose!

[gts95]

No worries Ryan.  I always tell the joke to my customers that if I'm selling at a swap I won't be able to talk for more than 30 seconds before I have to help another customer, just the way it goes.  I live up in Shelton, WA, let me know if you ever make it up to the Great Northwest.  In California several times a year however.  If you can make the Spring Fling car show in April in Van Nuys, CA I'd highly recommend it.

These stickers were on the windshield, anyone know where this high school is?  I'm assuming Texas.

that High School is indeed in the Northwest Dallas area, and is still a functioning High School. It's on Walnut Hill Ln.....I drive by it often. Cool to see that car may have originated in the Dallas area.