This 1971 Dodge Challenger hasn’t been washed in 40 years and has been sitting in a garage for quite a while. The car only has 19,000 miles on it but is in rough shape. The clip starts with the guys from WD Detailing hauling it away and then heading to their shop.
On the outside, this Challenger looks pretty good. The rear bumper is missing, but there doesn’t appear to be any significant body damage. The vinyl top is peeling and looks ready to come off, though. The tires don’t hold air anymore.
This Challenger has the 318-cubic-inch (5.2-liter) V8 under the hood. While the mill is big by modern standards, this was actually the smallest eight-cylinder powerplant available in this model. Buyers also had the choice of 383-, 440-, and 426- Hemi V8 engines.
In the shop, the guys have to put the Dodge on jack stands because the tires can’t support the car anymore. Powerwashing the body brings out the eye-catching ochre paint. However, the exterior is missing the door handles.
Things are far worse for interior. The trunk is full of miscelaneous parts and junk. Meanwhile, the seats are somehow connected to the carpet. Pulling out the driver’s chair reveals a big problem. The floor on that side is basically gone. The WD Detailing folks even have to cut out a portion, and they use stools to prop up the seat.
The team cleans under the hood but makes no effort to get the engine running. It’s not clear whether the mill is no longer turnging or needs any other maintenance.
WD Detailing does its best with what’s left of this Challenger. The exterior continues to look great, but there’s not much left beyond that. Maybe, the powertrain still works, but we can’t see that in this video.
The guys imagine this being a donor car. The body panels, seats, and door panels are still in good shape. However, a restoration appears to be prohibitively expensive given what’s here.
