Hagerty has a knack for finding diamonds in the rough, and this third-generation Charger is a runner that comes with two V8 engines.
If you’ve ever driven through west Texas, you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s not much out there except straight highway and scrub brush. We’ve made the trip from Austin to El Paso several times and know how empty it can seem out there. Tom Cotter from the Hagerty series Barn Find Hunter managed to find more than buttes and cactus when he went to Midland, Texas. He discovered old-school cars for sale, including a 1972 Dodge Charger.
The above video on the official Hagerty YouTube Channel starts with Cotter pulling up to a property with a Ford Torino shell in the front yard. As incomplete as the car looks, Cotter will soon learn that all of its missing parts, such as its 302, doors, and interior, are nearby, waiting to be installed.
Once Cotter goes further onto Ron McEntire’s property, he sees a more complete vehicle: a cream and tan Dodge Charger. McEntire’s wife saw it in Oklahoma during a road trip to her mother’s house and made sure to telephone her husband about it. It has a bit of patina, but the body is solid, the interior is surprisingly tidy, and the engine runs – after a little effort.
McEntire cranks the 318-cid V8 into life. Despite being nearly 50 years old, it has less than 60,000 miles on it. Even better, the Charger has power steering, power brakes, and air conditioning, which is an essential in Texas.
Whoever ends up buying the Charger from McEntire will be able to get it with a spare engine. McEntire is halfway through building up a 360 and is willing to include it with the B-body for a total price of $8,000 to $10,000.
Remind us to pull over and look for cool cars like this Charger the next time we go through west Texas. Apparently, they’re out there.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
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