For this round of the Rough Start cheap-car project hunt, I’m suspending one rule: the cars that you will be purchasing for $5,000…yes, the entire budget…will not run and drive. Neither one. Both are fairly rough in their own ways. But if you understand how the market for Chrysler E-bodies works, you’ll understand why I’ve suspended the rule. I’ve spent years hunting for a workable body and the amount of rusted, rotted, mangled shells that are selling for nearly five digit price tags will make your head spin. I’ve seen ‘Cudas that have had their rear quarter shoved in by an accident that happened in 1977 and never saw the road again going for an even ten grand. I’ve seen Challengers that are almost more hole-y than the Bible itself in similar price ranges. They might be the hot ticket, but in their day they were just an answer for the Mustang and Camaro, and a short answer it was. Four years, and the Challenger would disappear, only to return as a rebadged Mitsubishi, then as the two-door LX-platform offering.
So to the meat and potatoes of this hunt: you will be picking up two 1972 Challengers for your money. First year that big-blocks weren’t on the menu, first year of the “frown-face” grille. It’s still an E-body, big-block it if you want, whip up a hot small-block…you can’t lose either way. One car is an original 340/4-speed car that wound up with a 360 and an auto, the other is a 318/auto car. For the sake of brevity, the bronze-colored one is the car you will be saving, the pink one is just a donor. You’ll still need to be handy with a welder and will need to get floor pans and patch panels, but a secret? Just about any E-body that didn’t cost more than $15,000 will need those. You’ve got a builder and a second shell that you can either save or scrap…or maybe sell and recoup some money, who knows. 
If it was us, we’d finish putting the bronze car together as a 1970s-era street machine with a small-block and a four-speed, but in a fresh coat of that color. We’d then assess the pink car to see if there was hope or if it was time to sell it to a yard that specializes in properly parting out such cars. You’ll be in well over Rough Start money, but this is spiritually the closest to a proper Rough Start find involving a ‘Cuda or Challenger we’ve seen yet.
Hey, I am looking for a 1970 and 1969 dodge chargers they dont have to run it could just be the shell. Do you know where I could find them
I have a 1970 Challenger. It\’s an older restoration. Done in 1993. Originally a 318 car. Converted to a 440 tri carb shaker clone. Shell brought up from Arizona. Has all the best of parts to make it a 440 shaker car. Excellent condition. I\’m in Canada currently. Well over $100,000 invested. If interested I will send pics.
Buy one that is fixed up.
Spare yourself the pain of trying to fix ones like this.