Here’s an oft-told tale: high-end muscle car, driven/raced on the street, converted to drag racing, blown up, sits for a bit, and now it’s time to return to its original form (especially since the value has escalated significantly). Name your brand, Chevrolet Chevelle, Ford Mustang, Plymouth Road Runner, or in this case a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T, all models, at one time or another, that were victims of this syndrome. Let’s see what the story is with this Challenger. It is located in Manahawkin, New Jersey and is available here on eBay for a current bid of $22,433, reserve not yet met. There is a BIN option of $29,000 too.

The notable thing about this Challenger is its E87 engine code, it’s a 390 HP, 440 CI V8 engine, the one with three two-barrel carburetors. Or perhaps I should say it was an E87, as it is now a “yousetabee”. The seller refers to this Dodge as “an old drag race car” so whether the original engine was lost to drag racing mayhem, or even prior to that time, is unknown. The seller has a 1970 vintage 440 CI engine and four-speed manual transmission included with the sale so some pretense of its former self can be reattained. The accompanying engine will need to be rebuilt and, based on an included parts image, is probably disassembled. Underneath, there is a Dana 60 differential in place along with a driveshaft hoop, a testament to this Challenger’s former racing career.

The body is not without its issues. The seller claims, “some rust on the bottom of the fenders, and a little on wheel lip“. The above image reveals more than just “some rust”, the quarter, rocker and lower fender leg are going to need a lot of metalwork. And the driver’s side isn’t much better. There are bits of surface rust here and there and a hole at the base of the rear window – typical northeastern U.S. rot problems. The seller states that the “Floors and frame rails look great“. The trunk pan has some heavy surface rust but it does not appear to have lost its integrity. The finish is supposedly the original EV2 shade of Hemi Orange, faded but still there. Note the oh-so ’70s. Centerline-style wheels.

There is only one image of the interior and it’s not too telling. The floors are bare and look OK, I’d reserve judgment on their “great” claimed condition until I could see additional pictures or lay some eyeballs on the actual floors. The black vinyl upholstery is going to need some help and it looks like the front section of the center console is missing. Included is a pile-o-parts so it, and anything else that looks like it’s missing may be found there. Other than a cursory review, it’s tough to make an in-depth value judgment regarding the interior of this Dodge from just a single image.

So valuation time, as it sits, the fact that it is one of 2,035 ’70 440 Six-Pack Challengers is nullified by its lack of a born-with engine. A date-correct engine would help with value and attractiveness but the ’70s drag-race vibe is probably going to hold it back a bit. That said, there’s not a lot of logic in Mopar muscle car values, they are what they are and they are ascendant. If this were your project, how would you handle it?