1983 Dodge Charger for sale $21,900

The early 80s could quite possibly be considered the dawn of compact performance. The good ole days of fire-breathing muscle cars were long gone but enthusiasts still thrived. And a new generation of gearheads latched onto small easy to own hatchbacks like this all-original Shelby Charger. The L-Body Charger American style with a touch of international power was a pretty rare car; and it made no qualms about catering directly to enthusiasts. Because of that most of these global featherweights were whipped to an early grave by three or four different owners. And as any 80s car fan will tell you finding a Shelby Charger thats in good condition is becoming extremely difficult. Well until now... This 7970 actual mile coupe is an exceptional example of just that. This Dodge is an impressive time capsule thatll transport you right back to the days when performance was more than just horsepower!

By 1983 this Belvedere-built coupe had become an established player in Americas re-invigorated compact car market. Eccentric gearheads knew if you wanted to look cool you bought an L-Body. And if you wanted to look cool and go fast you bought a Shelby L-Body. Averaging just over 240 miles per year this pint-size MoPar appears to have rarely seen anything other than sunshine and warm summer days. In fact the first 7900 miles of its life was under the meticulous care of its original owner in their first 3 years of ownership. In 1986 the Shelby Charger was stowed away in a barn for long-term storage. 2005 is when this Mopar would see sunlight again when the original owner decided to put it up for sale. The second owner was quick to make a deal after spotting it online and towed the car home where he got it back to the mechanical condition it was in 19 years prior. And with the help of some NOS parts sourcing by the second owner this spry sports coupe is still a true head turner everywhere it goes!

BODYWORK/TRIM

With its low window sills a 2.5-box proportions and still wrapped in 100% original paint this Shelby is a model of early 80s cool. At the front of the car an aggressive Shelby-designed air dam centers a black pentastar and clean DODGE script between clear parking lamps and bright halogen headlights. At the top of that dam a sloped hood leads the eye to tinted and SHELBY branded glass thats flanked by small mirrors and aerodynamic C-pillar trim. At the base of that glass a planar profile hangs black door handles and a body-matched fuel filler above straight Shelby stripes and pentastar-branded rocker extensions. And at the back of that profile a dramatic Shelby spoiler frames clean tail lights a full array of decklid emblems and an original dealer decal.

ENGINE

In their effort to improve the Charger Shelby and Chrysler did not overlook the cars mechanicals. They tweaked the engine milling the block 0.030 inches to raise compression to 9.6 to 1. They changed the camshaft timing by advancing the cam a few degrees. They also made modifications to the 2.2 liters electronic controls to extract optimum performance. Consequently the Shelby powerplant develops 13 more horsepower and 10 more lb./ft. of torque than the standard Omni mill. These enhancements plus a lower final drive ratio make the car a tick quicker than the standard Charger and its early 80s competition. Specifically the Shelby has a 0 to 60 time of 10 seconds flat and a 117MPH top speed. The engine compartment in this L-Body is mostly original and in great condition. And decked in black and blue its as serious looking as the rest of the car with just a hint of color here and there to add both texture and contrast.

DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION

Shelby Chargers came standard with an A525 5-speed