ABANDONED Dodge Challenger Rescued After 35 Years Part 5: How Rusty Is It? 

Only 2 weeks left to pre order! dylanmccool.bigcartel.com/product/abandoned-challenger-t-shirt-pre-order

I use to work at Ford for 30 years that number is more than likely a rotation number for the assembly line so the right parts go on the right car .

That brochure is not aftermarket, my friend, but genuine Mopar factory "accessories" from 1973, way cool find, please keep that thing in pristine condition, you don't ever see those things around anymore.

Turns out she isn’t green but rather gray.

I am always intrigued working on a completely cruddy oil and rust coated engine, you remove a part of it and on the interior it is as clean as the day it went off the factory floor.

aw man i got a 2 day asthma attack just watching you tear out that old carpet

You should see if the original owner is still alive

Like Mr. Mackey would say: 'Cleanliness is next to Godliness, mmkay??' Now you won't have to worry about brushing up against that mess and turning into the Toxic Avenger. Glad to see you wearing gloves and a mask as well. Keep up the great work sir!

You are one of the reasons i bought a 69 scout 800. thanks for the vids!

Such a great format, no BS music, no foolish comedic antics, just a cool cat with a cool voice wrenchin' away nice and slow !! well done

Been thinking about washing my ‘69 Wagoneer project that hasn’t had a bath all summer... this gave me the motivation I needed. Gonna go drag out the pressure washer and get to work. 🙂

There's something Thereputic about watching a good pressure wash ! Your videos are awesome !! Keep Up the Great Work !! Dirt Hawk Ya'll !!!!

Great video but one of the rear lights that is dangling out has been making me go crazy that you haven’t put it back in😂😂

I would fix the dents as best you can by pulling and pushing them, then clear coat the entire thing with satin clear coat. That patina is absolutely beautiful.

Coming from middle Tennessee/upper Cumberland plateau, and living in Denver, it’s nice seeing fall creek falls on RU-vid. I ain’t been back in a long time

Watching guys clean up old filthy cars like this is, to me, very therapeutic. Especially the power washing. I really enjoy watching it. Maybe I should speak to my analyst.

Thank you so much for uploading! So interesting and informative and loving the progress of this project! Cheers from downunder, Australia.

Ospho rust inhibitor is what you want to use on those floor pans, keeps them from further rusting

I'm so glad you're restoring this classic. Can't wait to see the finished gem that this car is.

Hey, those floor pans were far better than what I was expecting -- I've seen you bring way worse than that back from the dead. This is almost easy by comparison. Looking forward to more videos!

That brosure you found is a gold mind I'm glad your keeping it especially how old the car is and to still have it

Am I the only person who moved from the computer to the living room HD TV to watch the pressure wash? ASMR! And A+ for not overlaying music. Instead of wetsanding, ever try SOS pads? Works wonders and takes less elbow grease. That soap really helps out.

The way it looks now, cleaned up and cleaned out, it looks like a for real honest work in progress, instead of something the HOA would piss their pants about, and then want to have it hauled off to the crusher. Thats a mistake lots of peopleake by being lazy about the details, and having it sitting out looking crusty, filthy and abandoned. That's what makes people hate old cars. You obviously have plenty of respect for the car itself and you appear to take great pride in your work. Those are rare and admirable qualities in any era, but especially so in today's "don't give a shit, make everything cheap and fast and who cares" culture. My hat is off to you sir, you have done a fine job so far, and it's fun keeping up with your progress.

571 might have been the union local. You should be able to research it pretty easy. Find what assembly plant it was built. Then you would know it it's union local 571

Is it just me or the “Pressure Washing “ was the best part?🤔🤷🏾‍♂️👍🏾😎🤗

Man honestly, I can not understand how a young man like you can actually pull this off. Do you hire mechanics to do this or you do it yourself ? This is so amazing either way, congratulations.

Please do restore this thing, patina is neat but it would be so much cooler to fully restore it.

I’m totally hooked on this series! I’ve been watching a lot of the Charger episodes too, trying to catch up on that series. I’m looking forward to seeing the rust repair, as I have a couple projects that I’ll need to do some of that on too. Thanks for all your hard work on these vids!

Cars here in Michigan get like that just after 3 months of winter I kid but still, shit rust out in 8 years normally

oh wow, I really like the color of the original paint! it's like a silvery blue.

When I saw that trunk floor I was expecting the floorpans to be gone too but it's held up surprisingly well.

I worked for a facility services company for some years. We had this one rule and it was to always start cleaning from top to bottom, no matter what.

You should pull that three speed out and put a four speed trans in, or one of those three speed over drive's. Good job

Something about my OCD hate seeing anything washed bottom to top, yet so satisfying.

Dylan the work is fantastic. I could leave a ton of comments on it, yet I wonder has anyone said that the man operating the tractor has a surgeons gift?

That’s really nice what you are doing! I am excited to see the end result of your work. A big hug from Brazil and good lucky!!!!

These videos are honestly gold.. At least for me are therapeutic. I grew up around stuff like this. My family got a barn find 64 1/2 mustang and restored it for my older cousin (did this in the early to mid 90s) my uncle still has it out in colorado with his restored 32 5 window. I wish i had the tools and ability to do this ive seen a couple cars id love to save and keep from the crusher. Even my old beat up 92 s10 which i would love to start ripping into at some point just havent had the time with a young child ita hard to find time with a fulltime + job.. Just want to say thank you for the content it gives me motivation to try and fight for time to get started on my old little truck..

Damn this thing isn’t too bad! Floor pans and trunk need some sheet metal work, but it’s no terrible. My buddy’s scout basically needs a whole new floor, and hefty quarter panel work.

Dylan, Ignition sealer was used to spray on the Distributor cap and wires to prevent cross-firing when wet as the spark plug wires were not as good as the ones we have today. I doubt they sell sealer nowadays. I was surprised those floorboards were that good. Thanks, Dylan looking forward to the next video.

No way I could of cleaned out that interior; you are a brave man sir! LOL

Great video. I’m taking the same approach to my restomod. Make it mechanically sound and drivable before any cosmetics. Looking forward to the floor pan work!

I was expecting the trunk wheel wells to be horrible but glad it wasn't. just glad that the floor boards was not as bad as expected

Looks like the drivers quarter panel may be salvagable, but you're gonna have to find a driver's door, it's a really cool old car, would love to see it restored!

Funny to see how they built cars in the 70s you do not see that in other people's channels great info on that car

Alumibright, Dawn and water. 1/2 cup each to a gallon of water mixture in a gallon sprayer will clean up nicely. Be sure to clean out sprayer hose and nozzle after use as it will melt it. Store unused portion in a gallon jug.

You can hear the chally saying “ahhhhhhhhhhhh thank you” love it PTL great video

First off. AMEN! Second: I do like Arctic Blue on that car! I loved watching Nick building his Kowolski and I'm looking forward to yours now Dylan!

A sleeve of tennis balls.... true '70's! It would be cool to keep the original paint on that spare tire and gloss clear the patina. Another fine video!

I could of watched you pressure wash that car for hours... was so memorizing..

Lots and lots of Cool stuff in this video, the vintage, well preserved Tennessee licence plate, etc. And the steel rim and tires during the pressure washing. The chrome Challenger script badge on the rear fender, and the build of the floor pans inside. My T-shirt order is in. Thanks for all of the shots and steps.

If you found a similar 'color' driver's door, most of the major damage on the body would be dealt with. Would make it a lot easier to open too. Very cool car, can't wait to see how she turns out!

Have a AMC Rambler hornet sst 4.1lL and have a lot of rust repairs on the doors and have not looked at the floor yet but your videos will most definitely help.

I study about auto engineering....your videos give me many information about engine of dodge car ..thank u very much .love from Pakistan

16:53 One of the most satisfying car-related videos on the internets ^o^

That 571 on the floor may be the UAW number where the car was built. I looked into it, and UAW local 571 is in CT, and these cars were built in MI and CA. I dont know if those UAW number change or move around tho.

Love what you are doing man very clear and concise in what you are doing. The direction and consistent progress is awesome. This thing looks mean already 👍🏾

Hey Dylan. Enjoying your videos. I have a 1973 Barracuda 318, 3 speed standard. I have owned the car since 1977. Car is always garage stored and has all original sheet metal, motor, trans, interior etc. Drive it occasionally every summer, for the past 42 years.

Got about as much rust as my 71 did back in 84! NorthEast was nasty on these cars back then. Back then all we had had was Year One with about 5 patch panels available for E Body’s. For a car that’s been sitting on wet earth as long as yours did, she’s not too bad at all! Very fixable, but you know that already!

That's the way Tennessee used to tell their counties on their tags, the first number was the county of registration,1) Memphis 2) Nashville 3) Knoxville 4) Chattanooga They went in order from biggest to smallest counties.keep up the good work Dylan

I would absolutely daily drive this thing once restored. Such an awesome car!

Dylan, that’s such a beautiful car. Why not fully restore her?

Can’t wait to see when you do the rear frame rail. I have a 70 dart swinger that has the same problem. I’m hoping to gain some knowledge on how to put in a new one. My rear trunk pan is also rusted out but it’s much worse than the challenger.

That hose in the back is called a TN credit card.

The number on the passanger floor pan stands for May 1971 (5/71)

I would have had to pressure wash and rip the interior out first thing! It just looks SO much better after! Another great video

Unbelievable the knowledge these young kids have

Everything you have done in this video is so satisfying. Can't wait for the Engine, Drive train, etc. , but the love you are giving to the chassis lets us all know, you are not going to skimp on any part of this project. You probably should use the word "Restoration" from this day forward. It is doable. At this point, I don't think your soul will settle for anything less. Thanks, Dylan!!

@10:45 LMAO While you were vacuuming I wondered if you were going to pull the headliner and not mention that mess.

Was glad to see you finally power wash that beast. Besides finding any hidden body issues, no way to tell what was in all that mold and such. Could have been something toxic. Same with the inside. Gloves, dust mask, and safety glasses. Especially since rodents were in there. Keep up the good work. Rare that you find a car sitting that long that is still in that good of shape.

These videos are fantastic, they remind me of when I first started tearing into my dad's '65 Mustang...and they show me how much I still have to learn. I wish I'd had a game plan like yours when I first started, because up until this point I've just been doing whatever I thought felt right. Now I have a ton of parts and bits and bobs to reorganize because I didn't use common sense. That said, I'm looking forward to continuing my journey with my project and watching you continue yours.

That moss look was growing on me.

Fixing that door would suck, but it’s cool to see the car brought back.

Seems like you get the best patina look from just a good pressure wash. Gives the paint a natural worn down worn through look.

i'm a few years late but am enjoying watching this series

Awesome seeing the Dunlap brochure, that's where my dad lives and we actually went to the falls last time I went up there

Hello. I have been watching you removing the carpet from inside the car and I had to go to my garage to catch a mask to continue watching you finishing it......lol !.

You must really want a Challenger like this. There are plenty for sale that are not rust buckets. Looking forward to your project.

WTH??? After all that mechanical work, you THEN decided to check out the rust? Usually when I check out an old vehicle, rust is the FIRST thing I check in order to assess whether it's worthy of restoring or using as a parts car. I hope you realize how lucky you are that this car doesn't have as much rust as I expected. Having said all that, I think it's a good find!

Protection level : T-shirt in the face

I don't know about anyone else but watching that mold and years of filth being power washed was so satisfying to me great jod a good rust converter I found is corraseal just to let you know

Your the king of pressure washing of course u have to do it. Ha

Cool, looking good so far , i used to have a 72 rallye challenger black on black with white bumble bee stripe on the tail 440 with air shocks and rallye wheels, i kept that car waxed up weekly.happy moparing 👍

Coming along nicely, you really should get rid of that driver's door, it may be original but it's junk. That said to each his own, you're doing a great job Dylan 👍☮️

that is awesome mate, she don't look to bad, the frame rail looks a bit bad but the floors look good

I found this to be so soothing washing some of the rust away

Chrysler must've bought a boat load of that dark green metallic paint back in the early 1970s. My mom and dad had a Plymouth Duster the same color. It was a 1970 I believe and it was about as oddly optioned as your car. It was a dark green metallic as I previously mentioned and had a slant 6, manual 3 speed on the column, no power anything, no a/c, and an AM radio and a front bench seat. It didn't even have carpet and the interior was all vinyl. I'm not sure if the AM radio was an option but if it was that was the only option it had. The thing lasted and lasted though. My dad sold it when it had around 300,000 miles on it and it may still be on the road.

Just knew like most of your viewers you would pressure wash the car. Surprisingly all the debris in there! You sure are getting a good collection of cars in the field. My favorite is the Cordova. It's smack shame all over the Monte Carlo and the cougar when it was new! May your endeavors on this car goes smoothly, thanks for sharing again!

That was surprisingly satisfying.

ripping out carpet is waaay wrong. First remove door jamb trim, seat bolts, seats, seatbelt bolts, and console. carpet will then roll up and out with very little dust becoming airborne. Also, dampening it with a mist from a hose, or use of a dust mask is a good idea. I do these things to my old cars, too. 71 and 72 Monte Carlos. Had a 72 'Cuda. All 3 had rusty trunk/floor pans. Just patch'em if not showing the car at shows. This Challenger just needs a trunk pan and maybe driver's front. To Dylan... That bigger bored motor is gonna rock! Sell that Mustang in the driveway and put the money in the Mopar, I am enjoying this series of videos! I love 60s and 70s American steel...

i'd hypothesize that, after seeing the car pressure-washed, the mold on the exterior body panels actually absorbed the moisture this car was exposed to, and protected what was underneath. my fingers are crossed that you'll go full restore on this thing considering how much of it is intact.

I had the same fight with floor in my 1986 Porsche 944. Best wishes from Poland

Look how popular Challengers are at Car Auctions as well as the new ones with all the different levels of performance and options available..

The pressure wash has given you a new paint job! Nice!

Glad you pressure washed it, now it looks like someone cares for it. Darlington, South Carolina

Great job brother, I Love seeing the Mopars Saved 💯💪👍👍👍😀🏁

Oh boy the brothers (Charger and Challenger) are coming along really nice! Cannot wait to see them together 😊

I'm about 40 minutes from fall creek falls. That's awesome.

I am SO pumped to see this thing rocking that Jack Black 360 under the hood with that fo speed from the 318 and some new interior pieces and reupholstered seats. I don't know how you feel about this Dylan, given your many other cars and their paint's state of being (or not being), but I would love to see this car with a nice candy apple red or even just a factory respray. One thing is for sure, it'll be done right, and we'll all be slobbering over it. (Btw, I know it's Keith Black, I was just being a smartass lol)

I love how you keep a positive attitude discovering horrifying things! I'd be freaking out!

Car is coning along great. My car literally is the same way this challenger is. The frame rail and the trunk. I think it's a common issue on some cars but mine was abused by the previous owners espically the second one since the car was a rally car. I am hoping to restore the body and maybe the frame where it rotted out by the trunk area. Keep up the great work and hope to see more