Owning the "Fast and the Furious" Dodge Charger: 3 Ideas

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Owning the "Fast and the Furious" Dodge Charger: 3 Ideas

by Kevin Gardner

When you think of amazing cars on the big screen, it's hard for your mind not to go to the "Fast and the Furious" movie franchise. The films have shown some of the coolest cars used in awesome stunts and races, feeding the appetite of action movie lovers and car enthusiasts alike. What if you wanted to own one of the iconic cars in the series, such as the 1970 Dodge Charger the main character uses? Let's take a look.

Start Searching for Deals

As you can imagine, a car that's been gaining fans for more than a decade is pretty sought after and won't come cheap. To get one exactly like the one used in the film could easily cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. When you find a car that is in running condition, it has likely been carefully restored by experts and is worth a lot of money.

If you find a Charger that you want to get, it's a good idea to do some planning to make sure you know what the monthly payment and financing costs will be. Use a car loan calculator to easily figure out what you can afford. You can change different options such as the loan rate, loan period and down payment to see how the monthly payment will be affected.

While this may not help you afford a fully-restored 1970 Dodge Charger, it could be helpful if you manage to buy one that still needs work. Since you won't be paying for someone else's labor upfront, you can get the car itself for a more reasonable price.

Handle the Restoration Yourself

The next way to potentially afford the kind of Dodge Charger you've seen in the "Fast and the Furious" films is to tackle the car restoration yourself. As with many things, it can be more cost-effective to do a project yourself rather than outsource it. This holds true for car repairs for many people as well.

To take this type of project on, you want to make sure you know what you're doing. Although it may be possible to learn the skills you need as you work on the car, this is a project better suited for someone with experience as a mechanic.

You also need to plan enough time to get the restoration done. Bringing such an impressive car back to its full glory is not an overnight task. If you are able to work on it every day, you may still spend months doing the work. People who can only work on the car part-time may find themselves working for years. The best way to manage the work is to create a schedule that is realistic and stick to it.

A professional restorer can also help you with parts of the project. They may have specialized equipment that you need but don't want to spend the money on.

Carefully Source Your Parts

When you are restoring a vintage car such as a 1970 Dodge Charger, chances are some of the parts will need replacing. This gives you an opportunity to make the car a little bit more affordable. Research your area to find junk yards that sell auto parts. You can often pull parts from old cars for your restoration and save money by not having to order new items.

You can also check estate sales and tow yards to see if there are items you can use. Also, look outside your area. There are many people online who sell classic car parts. Just make sure they are legit before you buy.

Your dream of owning a Dodge Charger just like the one you've seen in the movies isn't impossible. It just takes some careful consideration so you can get the ride you want at a price you can handle.