The automotive world is full of homologation specials built by manufacturers to qualify for various racing categories. The 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A was one such car that the company produced to qualify for the Sports Car Club of America’s Trans American (Trans Am) Sedan Championship. Built in limited numbers, it offered a winning combination of style and power. This T/A is an original and unmolested survivor needing a new home. It is for sale here on eBay in Fort Worth, Texas. The seller has a BIN of $115,000, although they may consider offers.
The seller isn’t forthcoming on this Challenger’s history, but they emphasize its originality. It wears Dark Burnt Orange paint, and its condition is extremely impressive if it is original, as claimed. It holds a deep shine, with no significant flaws or defects demanding attention. The panels are as straight as an arrow, while rust is not an issue for potential buyers to consider. The listing indicates that the steel is factory, with no existing or previous evidence of the dreaded tin worm. The stripes and graphics have avoided the deterioration that can occur with age. The car retains its original fiberglass hood with its enormous functional scoop, while the rear spoiler is intact. The T/A rolls on its original steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps, trim rings, and Goodyear Polyglas tires.
Lifting the Challenger’s hood reveals a 340ci Six-Pack V8. This gem of an engine should produce an “official” 290hp, although some learned individuals will argue that the figure is probably higher. The rest of the drivetrain includes a four-speed manual transmission, a heavy-duty suspension package, and power assistance for the steering and front disc brakes. The company produced more potent versions of the Challenger in 1970, but they developed this as a racing special. If the owner pointed it at a ¼ mile, it would despatch the distance in 14.7 seconds before winding its way to 129mph. The seller says that the T/A is numbers-matching and that none of its drivetrain components have ever been removed. The information is contradictory, so it is unclear whether the car is roadworthy. It has 26,126 genuine miles on the clock, and while they don’t mention verifying evidence, I wouldn’t rule it out of the equation. They hold the original Owner’s Manual, Protect-O-Plate, two Build Sheets, and various other documents. There could be something there confirming the mileage.
The originality of this Challenger extends to its interior, with the only modification being a dealer-installed 8-track player. The upholstered surfaces look excellent, as does the carpet. The console features the ultra-cool pistol grip shifter, and what we see of the dash is perfect. The photos frustrate me because they don’t provide an effective overview. That criticism isn’t restricted to the interior shots, because the seller doesn’t do a car of this rarity and potential value justice by supplying such poor photos. Still, we must do our best with what we’ve got.
With only 2,399 cars produced in 1970, the Dodge Challenger T/A is a rare beast in the world of American high-performance classics. How many survive is one question worth considering. More important would be how many of those are as original and unmolested as our feature car. That it has never undergone any form of restoration is significant when considering its potential value, while its numbers-matching status and odometer reading add further to the equation. The BIN is well beyond recent sales results, but none of those cars have been in the same league. The price is above the top mark on NADA and in the ballpark for a #2 example on Hagerty. Probably the most telling factor is that 144 people are watching the listing. That suggests that many people like what they see. Some may simply be curious, but you can be sure that a few are genuinely interested in this classic. Do you think any of them will put their money where their mouth is and make a play for this Challenger?
Odd. The second photo (almost) looks like a staged 1/25 model kit, others have an eerie clarity but with a strange blur spot. Am I not awake yet? Did someone put something in my coffee?
2nd photo looks like an iPhone portrait shot. Works better on kids than cars.
It should be at Carlisle about now for one of the biggest Mopar gathering – not real sure but an on-site view would be my suggestion.
Nice car, but I think $115k is a little much.
It has a BUY IT NOW button for only a $100K. Hurry ! lol
This has to be one of Cool Joe Machado’s old cars. By now it’s reasonable to think this is one of the 6 he owned.
I heard Pat Boone bought one too. Was it an FC7 4 speed Joe?
Cool Joe Machado owned 6 of these. He was with Pat Boone when Pat bought his FC7 4 speed T/A new.
where is the windshield in the 1st photo
back in the late 90;s i spotted one here on long island getting gas i was just in awww checking it out…the owner was about 65 at the time it was all orig.. and after that never saw it again. Always wondered what happened to it. Its got that real street brute look!!!
340 6-pak…have to believe that would eclipse the rated 290hp Man, that has to be a rare combo. Anyone know the build numbers for that? Love the color and the condition looks great (in pictures anyway)
Can’t say i ever seen trim rings & baby hub caps on an old Chally before with any motor. I thought only Ford did that in the early 70s.
I wonder how the wheels would look here with chrome lugnuts & no hub cap.
Or also with no trim ring.
Can i assume this is an ALL ORANGE interior & that ONLY Chrysler offered that color in ALL VINYL(very kewl) & only for a few years & only on Chally & Cuda?
The wheels and dog dishes aren’t original to this car. Both the Plymouth Cuda AAR and Dodge Challenger T/As all came with 15″ Rallye Wheels, the only E-Bodies so equipped.
As far as the Burnt Orange interior trim goes, that was available in both E-body and B-body (Plymouth Belvedere/Road Runner/Satellite/GTX and Dodge Coronet/Super Bee) in 1970.
The air cleaner housing is not T/A and breather is not connected
What’s strange Lisa is that in some of the pics it has the T/A breather, rubber seal, air breather hooked up and in other pics, it has a different air breather altogether, as you have pointed out is wrong. Aftermarket rad, no rad support black out, alternator bracket orange overspray, water pump pulley painted orange, RH front wheel well, hardware store bolts holding on the bumper. Gotta stop looking at the pics…lol
Dealer installed 8 track, I guess the dealer forgot to order the correct color-keyed orange bezel that surrounds the 8 track radio. Should not be black. “only modification” ? Wrong air filter, wrong rad cap, electronic ignition, air shocks, every original T/A I’ve worked on had black mufflers including the NOS ones I had in the boxes. But never say never. Hood pins have been replaced, missing correct washers, wrong battery…
You care correct Rick the windshield is out in one of the pics and so is the dash pad, probably to be replaced. Air conditioning brochure, not much good for a T/A as they never came with it. Probably standard promo packaging. “Protecto plate”? Isn’t that a GM thing ? Pictures are terrible, especially for a $100,000 car.
The car does look good as it should for the mileage, will be interesting to see if some steps up the $$$ for the mileage.
I have a ton of skepticism about this car. Look at the dash, it isn’t even a Rally Dash Cluster. Your performance Cuda’s and Challengers came with the tik tok tac in a Rallye dash package. Probably replaced… You are spot on about the rims, it should have 15″ Rallye’s. Think…a 100K car, but wants a buyer from sub-par pictures.
Love the car, but you had better see it, touch it, and drive it before you trust anything on this one.
I will not ask if this is priced right. The only thing I know is that I know nothing. A good man named Maxey owned one of these in about 1974. Beautiful red car with the pistol grip. The pickup they drove said “there goes Maxey”. In the Challenger it was true.
Yep….I saw a lot of things I didn’t like for this to be an original car.
I agree with the others.wrong wheels,hood pins , they didnt have potec-plates.they had fender tags. spend some time finding finding the build sheet. most of the time they under the rear seat. I was looking for that in my 71 duster. Turned out found it in the springs of the drivers seat. weird, found it when i took the seats to get redone.nice looking car though!
I am not so concerned about how correct this car is, as much as its price is – because of that ALL ORANGE vinyl interior – which i am going nuts over, considering it was offered only 1 year, apparently!! & it’s in good shape here!
Is it difficult, if not impossible today to find replacement carpet, dash pad, steering wheel, door panels, etc. IN ORANGE for cars equipped as such? I would think so.
Any chance the Chrysler divisions kept records of how many of each model got that orange interior in ’70?
The only other car i remember with an orange interior was/is turbined powered FIREBIRD 3 from 1958! & wouldn’t you know it, the orange surfaces were all “restored” a few years back to a modern black “color” – the worse possible choice for a car with dual transparent bubble canopy roofs!
A sacriligious “restoration”, if you ask me.
Unless that dash has been replaced, this is not a T/A original.
Another “over priced” Chrysler Plymouth product!
Rex, I can appreciate your disdain for how the MOPAR brand has elevated as a leader in the nostalgic muscle car era. If you look at the numbers they remain the most rare. Also, during that era, they dominated street/strip and NASCAR. While I love my favorite brand, I think like most all on this site have a deep appreciation for every ground pounding, piston pumping, rubber burning, high octane loving machine.
Different strokes for different folks, but we all can agree upon that.
Marked down to 89K now.