At $25,000, Is This Custom 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T A Burnin'-Hot Bargain?

Claimed fully loaded and sporting some aftermarket add-ons, today's Nice Price or No Dice Challenger appears to be a turnkey custom ready to hit the strip or cruise down Woodward Boulevard. Let's see how challenging to either scenario its price proves to be.

"Not your father's Oldsmobile," was the tag line employed in advertising by Olds when it began to become apparent that the brand had turned into a dad joke. Swaying consumer opinion is a tough row to hoe, and as we all know, Oldsmobile was shuttered after failing to turn sales around, an ignominious end to its storied 107-year existence.

The 1991 Olds Cutlass Supreme convertible that we looked at last Friday, happily, arrived before all that happened. It proved a shining example of what made the marque great back when dads bought them without fear of mockery. At $7,591, however, there were grumblings of "no dad should pay that much for it!" in the comments. In the end, though, the Olds overcame the naysayers, earning a narrow 55% 'Nice Price' win.

Today's candidate may prove to be a challenge. Or, at least a Challenger, since that's its name; don't wear it out. That is a 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T, thank you very much. And, unlike a lot of these that have been driven like they were stolen from the county impound lot, this one has a mere 23,000 original miles to its name. It's also got the 5.7-liter Hemi, a six-speed stick, a bunch of expressive add-ons, and a clean title.

But, of course, the first thing you'll likely notice about the car is its awesome paint job, which wraps the nose in wisps of golden flames over the Hemi Orange base coat. That's accented by black-coated aftermarket alloys, chrome inserts in the grille and front bumper, and a massive wing out in the back. Heavily tinted windows complete the picture.

Everything on the car appears to be in excellent condition, with no flaws in the paint and no noticeable curbing on the wheels, which would be evident given the black coating.

Another noteworthy visual element of this R/T is the shaker hood. No, that's not named for the quaint mid-western furniture makers, but for what the scoop poking through the hood does when the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 comes to life. From the factory, that's supposed to bring 372 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque to the table, but this car has been fitted with a cold air shaker intake from Cervinis, which the company claims adds "up to 15 horsepower." That's about a two-grand investment, and appears to be the only mechanical modification made to the car.

Behind that is the preferred six-speed Tremec manual gearbox driving the rear wheels in traditional muscle car fashion. The seller doesn't provide any information about how the car runs or whether there are any gremlins hiding beneath the pin-locked hood. If, however, it runs as good as it looks, and has such low mileage, there's probably little to worry about.

Should there be any concerns about what the engine is doing, there's the comfort of all the extra gauges added within the driver's line of sight on the A-pillar. Included are oil temperature, fuel pressure, and a wideband gauge for reading the air-to-fuel ratio. Fun stuff! Those complement the factory four-gauge cluster, and offer a lot more peace of mind as to what's up under the hood.

Craigslist

The rest of the interior appears to be pretty stock, save for covers for the steering wheel and console armrest, which serve to protect their factory finish. The upholstery and plastics all appear to be in good shape, with only minor abrasion on the driver's-side seat bolster stitching indicating use.

The seller notes this is a fully-loaded car, and that's evident in the presence of seat heaters, push-to-start, a sunroof, and a CD stereo with satellite and phone integration. All in all, it appears well-kept and clean.

Basically, what we have here is a big, dumb, wonderful American coupe with eight cylinders and a clutch pedal. And I mean that as a compliment.

The 23K miles are the big attraction here. Finding a 16-year-old Challenger R/T with this low of mileage and a stick shift is getting increasingly difficult. The seller is asking $25,000 for the opportunity to add to those meager miles.

Twenty-five grand is real money for a 16-year-old Dodge. Yes, it's low-mileage. Yes, it's a V8. Yes, it has three pedals. But for $25K, you're getting dangerously close to money where the newer, brawnier, more sophisticated Challengers start showing up.

What do you say? Do the custom bits add to this Challenger's value, or do they detract from it? And in the end, is that $25K price tag a fair asking, or do you see that as an insurmountable challenge?

You decide!

North New Jersey, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

Hat tip to Whatsupdohc for the hookup!

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