The price of collectible muscle cars has come down quite a bit in the past five years, but if you’re yearning for something really rare or valuable, it’ll still cost you dearly. That is, unless you’re willing to settle for something that’s a little worse for wear, a genuine project car if you will. Though not exactly a cheap prospect either, with a little luck and a lot of hard work, you can turn a crapper into a race car.

For $9,000, you could step into this crispy 1966 Dodge Charger Craigslist find, though you’ll have a lot of work ahead of you before it’ll be even close to “restored” condition. Or, you could leave the flaky exterior as-is, get the 440 big-block roaring back to life, and have yourself a unique take on the rat rod trend.

Those of you who know your muscle cars know that the 440 motor wasn’t an option for the 1966 Charger, only being added to the roster the following year. But you can shoehorn a 440 into the engine bay, as plenty of Charger fans have, and probably very few pulled it off with the coveted long-ram intake you see here.

Clearly, this once-customized Dodge had more than just a motor swap. The Craigslist ad proudly brags of 1960 Plymouth Fury tail fins crafted to the rear quarters, as well as the custom side scoops, custom hood, and custom dashboard.

Alas the hood, along with the rest of the exterior, are victims of falling, flaming shingles that left the entire exterior singed and scorched. The melted taillights make for a cool effect, though we doubt they’d pass muster at the local DMV.

The seller claims there are no dents, and the metal didn’t warp, and the interior appears to be untouched once the soot was cleaned off. There is no mention of whether or not the Charger is still drivable, though the engine bay looks like it may have been spared the worst of the fire as well.

$9,000 isn’t exactly cheap, but road-going Dodge Chargers of this vintage easily fetch twice the money. Do you think you’re handy and daring enough to make a $9,000 gamble of this grilled classic?