While many of us can agree that Mopars with the bigger motors are the cars to buy, there’s a certain appeal to a preserved survivor with the less raucous motors. This 1970 Dodge Charger wears great period colors and has a plain-jane 318 under the hood paired to a 904 automatic transmission. The seller notes it remains in rust-free condition and even has a working AM radio. Find it here on eBay with a $39,000 asking price.
The Charger has been a California car since new, and I love period details like the vintage dealer plate frame and California blue plates. This Charger has not been messed with aside from one repaint in what looks like the original color based on the shade found in the door jambs. The chrome and stainless is not perfect, according to the seller, but remains in nice shape.
Look at how clean this Charger is underneath – just amazing. The seller notes in the listing that this is a highly original car, and it is evident that its previous owners worked hard to keep their classic Charger in OEM-spec shape. The carpets, seats, and headliner all remain original to the car, which is quite a feat considering how many headliners have fallen down over the years in vintage cars like this Charger.
The interior is in outstanding condition, with sharp dash plastics and stock controls in the dash. Even the carpet still looks quite nice. Overall, this Charger looks like an extremely honest survivor that has likely emerged unscathed due to not having the top-shelf motor, and it will hopefully continue to be preserved by its next owner.
Nice honest Charger.
I’m a bigger fan of FJ6 than this green, but boy is it nice to see. Ought to be preserved to show that every Charger didn’t come with a 440 and a 4-speed no matter what auction shows say.
XH29:
Dodge Charger
High
2 Door Sports Hardtop
G0G: 318 230HP 1-2BBL 8 CYL
1970
St. Louis, MO, USA
123252: Sequence number
E44: 318 cid 2 barrel V8 230hp
D31: A904 3-Speed Auto Trans.
FJ5: Sublime Exterior Color
C2XA: Trim – Charger, Vinyl Bench Seat, Charcoal/Black
TX9: Black Int. Door Frames
915: Build Date: September 15
033802: Order number
FJ5: Sublime Top Color
A04: Basic (Radio) Group
A73: 70 only Special Value Package – XH29 Charger
B51: Power Brakes
G33: LH Remote Racing Mirror
H51: Air Conditioning with Heater
J25: 3 Speed Wipers
M21: Roof drip rail moldings
M31: Belt Moldings
N95: Emissions Control
R11: Radio Solid State AM (2 Watts)
26: 26in Radiator
It won’t stay a “survivor” for long and the price, unfortunately, reflects that. Some rich dude will have a hemi swapped in and pretend he was king of the street in 1970 (even though he was born in 1985). There should be age limits in buying these cars. If you weren’t breathing when the car was built, you are not allowed to own it. Lets call Washington DC and get this passed into law. If New Zealand can take away everyone’s assault rifles, surely we can at least get this done.
I wish I could believe Millennials were buying these cars! Unfortunately, my guess would be that most of these purchases are via 401K panty raid, which the purchaser is going to regret when the economy tanks.
Also, I think the buyer pool is going to shrink a bit as Baby Boomers who’ve kept muscle cars in strong demand since the mid ’80s leave our roadways. It’ll be interesting to see what direction things take in the next 5 years in the hobby.
As usual sir (or madam!) you are very correct. I know of at least one person who bought an SS via the crazy 401K “investment” loophole. I tried very hard to talk him out of it, but he said he had to have it and it was an investment he could drive. Who writes these laws? I have railed against an affluent class with more money then they could possibly spend driving up prices, but maybe in the end, it really is us, the aging regular guys, many of whom have no common sense and soon in retirement will be eating cat food on their toast.
I don’t know what kind of 401k loophole you are talking about but IRS rules do not allow for investments in collectables, period.
Great idea. Let’s let Big Governemnt put some regulations on a hobby that’s already priced itself out of too many budgets.
Here, here! Now thats the spirit! Be sure to write your Senators and congressmen. I think we can start a movement, lets all work to get this done! I for one would be pleased to see no more smirking undeserving children driving the cars of my youth.
Right. So people of my age (38) can’t drive the precious cars of your youth. We also have no business calling a 94 Supra (from our youth) a collectors car either. What gives? I had no idea the hobby is so exclusive. You paint with a broad brush.
Sorry Baky, rules are rules. Without the law, there is anarchy. Now you wouldn’t want that, would you? Cheer up, you are still able to buy a Yugo.
Fair enough, BUT, I refuse to leave my Yugoslav stock and all original!
As you should as your right as a member of the Greatest Generation, many several times removed. Cheer up, the Boomers can’t rule the world forever, say, 60 or 70 years from now, we may just start to die off.
You guys are hilarious! Well done.
From my perspective, bent as it may be, when I watch people at BJ or any of the other auctions buy, say. a ’67 21 window bus for 90 K…..I just laugh . They wouldn’t have been caught dead in them in 1967 if they were old enough. They probably were dancing to Up With People on the Lawrence Welk show.
As for Bakyrdhero, you’ll get your chance when the reviled Boomers shuffle off this mortal coil and prices plunge. :)
Mountain man, yes! Baky will indeed be able to buy one , and for a song. Of course, by then, might not be any gas to power them, or if there is, is will cost more per gallon then the car itself. Buy a Tesla Baky, it is the future, plus EM has some of the cutest girlfriends! That boy is a hoot!
I say yeah just what America needs more laws and regulations. NO THANK YOU. Can you say Police State!
Sorry now I will get off my soap box. Didn’t mean to get too political
Narrow minded people on a narrow minded street. “Thanks Glenn Campbell.”
Now
Are you “trying a little kindness” or just can’t understand satire? Campbell was one of the great ones, wasn’t he? BTW, I do believe he was a Baby Boomer, if he were still with us, he would be able to purchase this car under the new proposed legislation. I expect a ground swell of support from the gray haired set, like me. (My wife says my gray hair is sexy, I agree.)
No, Sandy. I think Glen’s alzheimer’s would have ruled out much driving in his old age….
Looks like someone from the rusty midwest, shoots out to California, buys( or inherits) a basic Charger for what, maybe $5g’s, schleps it back and puts a $40 THOUSAND ( “g” just doesn’t have the zing) dollar price tag on it, and it’s a basic Charger with a leaky trans, bad exhaust, sloppy steering and probably runs hot. Watching too many BJ auctions and no bids,,probably asking too much.
I agree, you too sir are usually correct. //// Sloppy steering came standard on these Dodges, no surcharge at all. Just Mother Mopar looking after her young.
It would be nice if you old timers would stop cashing in your 401k’s for these relics that don’t even have cup holders!!
Baky, senility creeps up on you without you knowing. Pretty soon it taps you on the shoulder and you welcome it like an old friend. Maybe you should force us all into nursing homes where we can do no more harm. (Never underestimate the potential harm done by the feeble and rich geriatrics) As far as cup holders, those of us with prostates the size of Cleveland do not need 12 gallon Big Gulps.
It would be nice if the old timers on here (only a certain few) would stop whining and crying . I own a couple nice muscle cars from my youth , 440, 340 4 speed Mopars. I never had a 401k or college education. Just hard work and being smart will go along ways. It is a great hobby and BarnFinds is a great site. Why ruin it all the time with your negativity. By the way I was born in 1954
The BEST year to be born !
Good for you :)
On the subject of your post, its undeniable that the average price for most of the cars of our youth have been driven beyond the means of working folks or for that matter, to my thinking, common sense.
Its great that you have managed to have what you want but that in and of itself doesn’t undermine the basic whine..that many desirable cars of some peoples youth have gone into the stratosphere price wise. Wrenching on and owning cars has long transcending the simple pleasure of ones attraction to the particular model. They’re now investment grade objects and with that comes the obvious downsides.
Were I only twenty five years younger I could just wait for the natural course of the market…..but then again maybe I’ll buy another of the cars of my dreams when I’m a hundred.
You never know.
Every one of my cars has a cup holder.
It is right between my legs. Do you need anything else?
The seller is obviously a flipper ; he has a car this complete, clean and original (hard to find in a Charger) , and he says its “perfect for a Hellcat transplant !”
I guess no one remembers that MOST Chargers ,Dusters ,Barracudas ,Darts ,Challengers Chevelles ,Novas ,Camaros , LeMans ,Cutlass, Skylarks ,Mustangs ,Fairlanes Falcons ,Torinos ,Javelins..etc….were not muscle cars ! They were everyday drivers ; most had hubcaps ,vinyl roofs ,bench seats , and that’s ok – a car doesn’t need a huge motor to be cool !
Yes, nothing like putting 700 HP into an old car that handles like a garbage truck. I agree, most of us drove standard engines as that is all we could afford for insurance, besides, the standard engines had many benefits over the performance ones, that is why they were standard.
Sandy Claws enlighten us with your wisdom! Benefits of standard engines over performance engines?
Triumph, how can you deny that? Better reliability, better handling, , cheaper to buy and maintain, better MPG, easier to insure, less likely to encourage you to behave in a way that attracts law enforcement, are just a few that come to mind. Please enlighten me Oh Great One as to just why the optional engines were superior. Say, certainly you were not calling ME whiny, were you? If you were, might I suggest that there is still time to go to college and take some English classes so you learn how to better express just what you are trying to say. Oh yes, no 401K? Are you going to eat those cars or do you belong to the plumbers union? (I could have been a plumber, I have the butt for it)
Don, I think your cool! You are a wise man. The kids today think we all drove exaggerations of automobiles, when we did not. I recall buying a new (well, almost new) car with a 318 and my folks said I was “beaming”. A standard small block V8 could get up and go all you needed, anything more was just to show off that was usually an annoyance for those around you, and often dangerous. But don’t tell Triumph1954, he is stuck in his teens (and probably his Mom’s basement too.)
If the guys or gals from the generation that had these as kids didn’t wrap these cars around inanimate objects, blow the motors, trans, rear end, hack the body, these wouldn’t be scarce and wouldn’t go for as much as they are now. Being 35 and being lumped in under the namby pamby milennial handle, I don’t believe I should only be able to buy what was around from my youth. I hardly compare to the dunces I’m lumped in with, I did my service to my country, over nine years, if I want one of these cars, I’ll buy one. Also, don’t you think we have enough laws? Land of the free, not the infringed.
Thank you for your service Jake.
Just a little generational ribbing here, nothing too big of a deal.
Mountainwoodie! I agree 100 percent with you! I also like WW2 fighter planes, P-51 Mustang’s etc.. I could never afford one. But I don’t whine and complain because I couldn’t ever afford one. But I still enjoy reading about them and looking at them any chance I get.
Mr 1954, early onset senility? Mountainwoodie did not mention WW2 fighter planes in this post. I recommend this again, go back to school and in those English classes you will also learn better reading comprehension. BTW, who are you calling negative, do you hear any meanness in this post? There might be a little wry humor, but if you can’t pick that up, perhaps you need some mood altering medications, nothing to be ashamed about. Never rile up someone with an IQ of 141 (though, don’t ask what the EQ is).
Sandy your charm and with knows no boundaries! I had a 71 Buick Skylark with a 350. It got out of its own way just fine and sounded great with a duel exhaust. It was no Grand Sport, but I never felt like I needed more power, it did everything I needed it to.
Thank you Baky, I can see you are wise beyond your years. I always loved Skylarks, even yanked the Skylark emblem off a wreck in a junkyard back in the 70s that still hangs on my garage wall. Like I told the rather indigent Mr T above, I also am a fan of the standard engines (not that many of them are left today). The only high performance forte I ever had was in the late 80s while going through some sort of middle aged crisis I bought a high end Chrysler turbo sports car. What a disappointment. I am back to standard engines, which BTW, are better then ever, are they not?
Give me hi po any day. Nothing wrong with base motors. I like the Ampicars and alot that are posted here. But I really like the big HP cars that show up here. No denying new cars are better, depends what you are into. I like them all. I am going to grab a Leinies and watch Perry Mason. You guys can duke it out. Take care all, Mike.
Raymond Burr, he was the man! I miss those good old shows, thank you MyTV. Enjoy the cool brew, sleep well.
Thanks Sandy! Ya, and I always try to stay up for Mannix! Hard to do. Take care Bud, Mike.
My god, this thing is soooo gorgeous!…..and ’94 Supras look damn good too.
Wow! A really nice, desirable driver with A/C and NO ONE TALKS ABOUT IT!! The comments section devolves into personal attacks!
Roy, you must be a protected class, your posting stays yet mine does not. Sad really, because I am hilarious! Pretty clever too, ask my students.
In 1983 I bought a Charger just like this with the 318 but mine was root beer brown and had a white vinyl top. It was in about the same condition as this one but of course it was only 13 years old at the time. I sold it after six months because I thought it was boring to drive. I got spoiled after driving a few cars with manual transmissions and a car with a 318 and an auto trans turned out to be too boring for me. Even though I LOVE first gen Chargers.
13? Where did you drive it, in a corn field?
Hi Sandy, I think Lance was talking about the car as being 13 years old. Myself, still drinking a beer and watching Svengoolie. LOL. Take care bro, Mike.
Everybody just settle down now…..don’t take things so seriously. And Sandy Claws…just make sure you fill my stocking….and not with sand. :)
I like the car, I wouldn’t change a thing, but that price is way out there.
Re listed for the same price 39k
My first car, 70 charger series 500 with 318. Headlight doors, graduated high school 1977. Parents paid 1/2. Total cost 1800 out the door from dodge dealership…. Loved that car. Red/ black vinyl roof. Black interior with 8 track.