Well from the outside it does look like it could be a '73 base model VH charger, VJ didn't come out until March '73 so you can have '73 VH's and they did come without the driving lights. But with that car I think it is a very long story because it has been butchered and is a mismatch of VH and VJ parts.
First off the nose is VH. Only the R/T and 770's had the driving lights. That grill and headlights are off a base model VH Charger, also the VH had clear indicators while the VJ onwards had orange indicators.
The interior is VJ, VJ had the aluminium fish scale dash while the VH had woodgrain.
Brakes are VJ.
Engine in VJ because it has electronic ignition.
The VIN should have a N on the front so NZAVJ8H2267 for NZ assembled. and VJ in the VIN means it was a VJ and the H means high price range so it was a 770.
Being built in NZ it would have been a 770 so if it was a VH it would have driving lights and if it was a VJ it would have the round lights.
But carjam makes it even more interesting.
It says it is NZ new but if you look at the registration details it says
Registration status: Active
Registration origin: Imported
Vehicle usage: Private Passenger
Cause of latest registration: Used
Date of registration: 1991, February 7th
Was registered overseas?: Yes
Previous country of registration: Other
So it was imported in '91? but it is a NZ assembled car because you can tell because they use a different heater motor and hose setup on NZ cars.
So here is what I think has happened to this car. It started off life as a VJ 770 but then sometime before '91 it was writen off in a front impact crash. They then replaced the whole nose cone with the front of a base model VH Charger, or maybe a ranger etc. Because the VIN was already in use they probably filed off the N and reregistered it as ZAVJ8H2267.
So yeah, I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. No history before '91 for a NZ new car alone is enough to sound alarm bells in my head.
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