Trade my NSX for a '70 Challenger Convertible?

Joined
1 March 2001
Messages
390
Location
Nashville, Tennessee USA
I have a friend who has a car I've wanted for a long time - a Plum Crazy Purple 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Convertible with a pistol grip 4 speed. Well, after all this time, he's finally priced it to me, and I'd love to buy it.

Problem is, my wife wants me to sell one of my toys before buying the Challenger. In this economy, that's probably a good idea. One toy is my '91 NSX that I originally bought in 1996 that now has 35,500 miles, has never been in the rain, and is honestly a 9.9 out of 10 car. I'm so anal about the cat that I put it on jack stands twice a year to detail the chassis.

The three others are my Pearl White '95 Supra, my fully restored '70 Chevelle and my '99 M3 Convertible.

I would love to just sell the Chevelle or the M3 Convertible to buy the Challenger, but I've only got a week to do something with him before he puts it on Ebay and possibly sells it to someone else. The Challenger honestly should bring at least $5000 more than he's priced it to me at.

He called me this morning and surprisingly to me (since he's a muscle car freak) wanted to know if I'd be willing to trade him my NSX towards the Challenger. The #s he put on both cars are quite fair to be honest.

Am I crazy to trade a pristine, low mileage NSX for this car?

Here's a rather crappy picture I took of the Challenger.

IMG_0435.jpg
 
I love NSXs and yours sounds pristine...that being said, trade it!!!

That Challenger is beyond rare! If you don't want it, PM me before he lists it on EBAY!
 
That is a very tough decision. I would honestly hate to be you right now.

I have a question... Are you the 1st owner on the NSX? Do you have all the purchase docs like Build Sheet, etc...? What is your color combo (read: is it a desirable package?)
 
That is a very tough decision. I would honestly hate to be you right now.

I have a question... Are you the 1st owner on the NSX? Do you have all the purchase docs like Build Sheet, etc...? What is your color combo (read: is it a desirable package?)

I bought it in '96 with 14,055 miles. It now has 35,500 miles. It is red with black interior and as Barnman will attest, it is one of the nicest NSX's he works on. I have paperwork and service records all the way back to when it was sold new.
 
I should have clarified in my original post.

The car is a real Plum Crazy Purple 1970 Challenger Convertible that has been cloned into an R/T 440 car. The car has never been rusty and has all its original body panels, and is a real Plum Crazy car. It came from the factory as a 6 cylinder 3 speed on the floor, and has been professionally and correctly converted to replicate an R/T 440 Convertible and has a built 1968 440 Magnum engine.

Still rare to find a killer nice Plum Crazy Purple Challenger Convertible that's never been rusty or had any bodywork done, but it's not a real 440 car from the factory. Doesn't cost as much as a real one either. :)
 
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I'm shooting from the hip here but i'll venture to say the collectability (sp?) of both cars are about the same (NSX vs. Mopar). However, I only see an upside on the NSX and only a flat or even a short term downside on the Mopar in terms of market appreciation. To me a clone or even original muscle is like a blue chip stock but the NSX could be that oil well that hasn't blown yet.

A more simple emotional question to ask yourself is which do you want to have more to augment your collection? If you were to trade the 70 Chevelle for the Challenger then that would be a much easier solution even if some actual $ are involved in the trade.

To appease your wife.. just sell the M3. :)
 
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He called me this morning and surprisingly to me (since he's a muscle car freak) wanted to know if I'd be willing to trade him my NSX towards the Challenger. The #s he put on both cars are quite fair to be honest.

Maybe your friend knows something you don't know ;)

I say sell one of the other cars.

Good Luck! Tough choice...
 
I own a 94 nsx and I wouldn't consider a NA1 nsx as much of a keeper as a NA2 coupe or 2002+ model in nice colors. The newer NSX's are just nice to keep around. That being said I would probably trade for that Challenger. It is a bad ass car. Old Muscle has more overall appeal to collectors than the Japanese Exotic. If someone offered me a nice Twin Turbo 996 I would make a trade for my car too. Good luck with the offer
 
I'm a Mopar guy from birth (Dad worked for Chrysler). Owned a Cuda convertible for 20 years. Had a blast with it and other Mopars, but a modern pickup handles better than any of them. I'd stick with the NSX, but that's me. What are you looking for?

Pros for Mopar:
The Challenger might be the better investment, but that's real hard to predict, expecially because it's a clone.
It's a little more practical than the NSX too: back seat, trunk, etc.
Repair/maintenance is cheaper.
Mods are cheaper--the 440 Magnum only made about 300-310 net hp (ignore all gross hp ratings, they're useless), but there's lots of potential there if you want more; it's a farily mild engine as it came off the assembly line. You can get over 400hp out of one that looks bone stock.

Pros for NSX:
Outperforms a stock 440 Challenger in every way; by a little in acceleration, by a lot in all other areas.
Better mileage.
More reliable.

So take your pick, go with your heart. From what I can see, you have the old musclecar covered by owning a Chevelle. But you have the modern sports car in the Supra. It's no mid-engine exotic, though. Me, I'd sell the Supra, even though I love Toyotas and that's the best one they ever made.
 
Yikes :eek: One of the more thought-provoking posts in a bit. I had to go though the "get rid of a toy or two" process prior to justifying the purchase of my NSX so I sold a pristine concours 74 914 and a new Harley - neither of which was getting much road time. I've never looked back.

Every once in awhile I get a hankering for a restored Olds 442, or (for some strange reason) an AMC AMX. But, then I think if I did, they too would spend most of the time in the garage.

I love this NSX - it is the best of all worlds (IMHO) - and it sounds like you have one of the nicer 91's in the country. I feel like I can get in and drive this thing from East Coast to the West Coast with no problem. Can't do that with the old 914 (or a 442 or an AMX).

For what its worth, I always thought the old Chevelles were much more desirable than the Challengers (although, a strong case might be made for an original hemi Cuda.... :smile:).

Keep us posted on your decision. Like someone else said, if you really want the Challenger, I'd be tempted to sell the Supra or the M3 before I'd let go of such a nice (and increasingly rare) 91 NSX with low miles. Jay
 
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Mike O, You've been on here (Prime) for a long, long time.

I try to stay away from commenting on these type of "should I's."

However, cloned Mopars are as common as toenail fungus. Original, all provenance evidentiated NSX's? Well, you decide. If you move another of your "toys" / puzzle pieces, great, but it seems to me you know what a GEM you have in your NSX.
 
Get rid of the M3. You can pick up another one anytime you want. An NSX, on the other hand, will be more difficult to obtain later down the road if/when you choose to get another one.

The Challenger is a cool ride.
 
Get rid of the M3. You can pick up another one anytime you want. An NSX, on the other hand, will be more difficult to obtain later down the road if/when you choose to get another one.

The Challenger is a cool ride.

+1 on all points....
 
Mike O, You've been on here (Prime) for a long, long time.

I try to stay away from commenting on these type of "should I's."

However, cloned Mopars are as common as toenail fungus. Original, all provenance evidentiated NSX's? Well, you decide. If you move another of your "toys" / puzzle pieces, great, but it seems to me you know what a GEM you have in your NSX.

I see a lot more toenail fungus than I do Challenger Convertibles! Clone or not, still rarer than the NSX, IMO.
 
Update:

I offered to trade him my Chevelle + some cash for the Challenger, but I don't know if that will work as he's more of a Mopar guy than a Chevy guy (he also owns a '70 340 4 speed 'Cuda Convertible).

I also talked with the previous owner of my M3 (who happens to be my boss) since he told me that he had several other friends who wanted to buy the M3 from him when I did a few months ago, to see if he could call them to see if they still had an interest in it. If they do, I might be able to sell the M3 to one of them and buy the Challenger.
 
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Get rid of the M3. You can pick up another one anytime you want. An NSX, on the other hand, will be more difficult to obtain later down the road if/when you choose to get another one.

The Challenger is a cool ride.

Best advice for this scenario.
 
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