Dodge came to the pony car party late, perhaps relying too much on the Charger to carry the Dodge banner in muscle car circles. 1970 was the first model year of the Challenger, which was based on the same new platform as the Barracuda and would end production after five years. Challengers have found a place in the hearts (and wallets) of collectors and are quite popular today. This one started out with a 383 V-8, but a 440 replaced it later and there are indications this car may have been set up for racing purposes at one time. It needs a cosmetic restoration and can be found in Springfield, Ohio. The car is available here on eBay where the bidding has just started at $15,000 with a reserve still to be met.

The new Dodge Challenger would prove both potent and popular, although it came at a time as both the pony and muscle car markets were peaking. Dodge would sell nearly 77,000 of them in the first year, with about 9,000 being the R/T model (Road/Track) when equipped with the 383 V-8. If this R/T had been an SE model, too (which there is no mention of), its company would shrink to 2,500 units. The original Hi-Perf engine should have been rated at 335 hp. For reasons unknown, the 383 was replaced in favor of a 1969-dated and balanced 440 engine with a 6-pack set-up. The 6-pack has also flown the coop, which means the engine carries a single 4-barrel, which would also be superfast. The motor has been fitted with a mild camshaft, full MSD ignition, ceramic coated headers, and stainless-steel exhaust. All those changes are said to have been pulled off about 10 years ago.  Thanks, Challenger Specs, for some background info.

This car has the earmarks of an intended racer, weekend or otherwise. For one, the photos show the car with two sets of wheels, one with wider rear wheels and racing slicks. For the other, the battery has been moved to the trunk and some welding appears to have been done that looks to have eliminated the wheel well for the spare. Perhaps that was done to add more space for a larger gas tank. At any rate, the seller says the Challenger starts up and runs, taking occasional local trips. It’s also said that the suspension and brakes are 50 years old, possibly indicating that both areas need a refresh. The mileage on the odometer reads 67,000.

While the body seems mostly straight, there is evidence of rust in at least both rear quarter panels and the Alpine White paint is asking to be redone. There is an unusual set of blue stripes on the car that don’t match and even appear in the same places on both sides of the car. The interior looks good excepting for the driver’s front seat where all the stuffing in the seat bottom looks to have been chewed or plucked out. The seller has provided a short video of the car which is a help as the photographs don’t capture the whole car for the most part. Folks using cell phones to take pictures really should take landscape photos, not portrait. You get to see a whole lot more than way.