Finding a rare Mopar just isn't as easy as it used to be. Cars that were once abandoned and sitting in plain view have long been snatched up by enthusiasts and collectors, forcing those of us seeking a car to restore or race to search harder than was once necessary. Scrap yards used to be a place where we could find a potential project as well, but very few scrap yards have any cars worth building these days. Televised auctions haven't helped the average enthusiast much either, as they can convince potential sellers that their Slant-Six-powered four-door Belvedere is worth the hundreds of thousands that the Hemi model sold for. With all this working against us, how are we to find old Mopars we can restore at a reasonable cost? The answer for many of us, including Dewey Jones, is to enlist the help of our family and friends.
If you're like us, you look for Mopars wherever you go. It's just fun to find hidden treasure, and road trips certainly go by quicker if you're occupied looking in the woods, carports, and barns along the way. But even if you drive hundreds of miles, the odds are you'll miss something unless you have some help. This is why Dewey Jones of Hamilton, Ohio, appreciates his family helping him search for cool cars, and family help is exactly how he landed a deal on the '71 Charger R/T you see here.
Following his dad's example, Nicholas Yocham always has his eyes peeled for that special car, hidden where nobody else has seen it. One day while working with his grandfather (Dewey's father), Nicholas was riding through a neighborhood and spotted what he knew was a Mopar sitting partially hidden under some trees. Although in a hurry, Nicholas said to his grandfather, "Please turn around and go back. I just saw a '71 R/T!" Nicholas's grandfather quickly turned around (as any good grandfather would), and sure enough found a '71 Charger R/T sitting exactly where Nicholas said it was, in a side driveway on blocks.
Nicholas couldn't wait to get home, and upon doing so quickly told his dad about the car he had found. Going back to the house where the R/T was, they quickly found that it was a numbers-matching, N96 code, '71 Charger R/T, and it was for sale at a reasonable price so they made their purchase immediately. Though a little rusty (of course the term rusty is relative these days), the car was nearly complete and equipped with the desirable Air-Grabber hood and accompanying underhood hardware. The original engine wasn't in the car, but the owner had it stored along with the transmission under his deck and it was included in the deal.
While Dewey says he loves the Charger, the greatest part of this find-and his hobby-is having a son like Nicholas who can enjoy it with him. While many 13-year-old boys won't even carry on a conversation with their parents, Dewey is fortunate to have a son who enjoys finding, restoring, and collecting old Mopars with his dad. We're glad to see it runs in the family.