A desirable paint shade? Check. Excellent presentation? Check. No rust? Check. A 440 Six-Pack under the hood? Check. This 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T has enough positive attributes to appeal to most Mopar enthusiasts. Actually, we can scrub the “Mopar” part of the previous sentence, because almost anyone seeking a classic with exhilarating performance will be drawn almost irresistibly to this R/T. It appears to need nothing and is ready for a life of adventure with its new owner behind the wheel. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Curvette for spotting the Challenger listed here on eBay in Magnolia, Texas. The seller set their price at $49,900, and it appears they are firm on that figure.
I have always considered Chrysler’s E-Body range among the most attractive American production cars of the 1970s. The low roofline and bulging flanks make even the most basic example look bold and purposeful. However, when the vehicle in question is a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T in Plum Crazy with huge wheels, a hood scoop, and a rear spoiler, that impression lifts to a higher level. The seller confirms that while this R/T wears its correct paint shade, it underwent a fairly comprehensive refurbishment approximately twenty years ago. The fact that the car still presents so well suggests not only that the work was completed to a high standard, but also that the Challenger has led a sheltered existence for the last two decades. The paint shines beautifully, the panels are straight, and slipping beneath this Dodge confirms that the factory undercoat has protected this classic from the ravages of rust. The Centerline wheels don’t appeal to me, and I would love to see this classic rolling on a set of factory Rally wheels. Otherwise, there is little to criticize about its appearance, while the hood scoop indicates that there is more to this R/T than meets the eye.
The first owner ordered this Challenger with the U-Code 440ci Magnum V8 under the hood. With the factory quoting a power output of 375hp, it was a pretty handy weapon for the driver to have at their disposal. They also selected a three-speed A-727 TorqueFlite transmission, the optional 8¾” A36 performance rear end, power steering, and power front disc brakes. That combination promises excellent performance, but this R/T offers so much more for your money. The seller states that while the engine block isn’t original, it is of 1968-1970 vintage. The refurbishment included a comprehensive engine rebuild, designed to squeeze considerably more from the 440. The process commenced with a 0.030″ overbore before the motor received new forged and balanced pistons, attached to a forged crankshaft. With the list also including hardened rocker shafts, roller rockers, a double-row timing chain, a Hughes hydraulic camshaft, a high-volume oil pump, ceramic-coated headers, and Edelbrock aluminum cylinder heads, the goal was reliability. Completing the package is a vintage Edelbrock aluminum Six-Pack intake with stock carburetors. Forget 375hp, because this V8 should deliver well north of 400. The TorqueFlite received a 3500 stall converter, and the rear-end 3.55 gears were swapped for 4.10s for more brutal acceleration. The seller states that the car runs and drives well, admitting that it isn’t at its best on the open road due to the short rear-end ratio. However, swapping to something more appropriate would be pretty easy without compromising the Challenger’s performance potential.
Considering the modifications made elsewhere, I’m sure many readers will accept that the refurbishment included replacing the factory White vinyl interior trim with Black. It is probably a more practical color in the long term, because it still looks good twenty years later. There is no significant wear on the upholstered surfaces, the carpet, dash, and console are in good condition, and the woodgrain hasn’t faded or lifted. The first owner ordered this R/T with air conditioning and power windows, though it appears the A/C may have been removed during the build. There is a wide range of additional gauges that allow the driver to monitor what is happening below the hood.
There’s a lot to like about this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T, especially if you crave a high-performance classic. Its engine will deliver more power than most people would know what to do with, although I can’t remember ever hearing an owner wishing their car had less power. I would probably swap the wheels if it found its way into my garage, but that is a matter of personal taste. You may disagree, and I respect your opinion if that is the case. The listing statistics are quite impressive, but do you think they will translate into sales success? There is plenty of time left for interested parties to throw their hats into the ring, so it will be interesting to monitor proceedings to discover the outcome.
Adam, i agree with you on the wheels, the stock ones are gone?
I could have built this car myself back in the 80s, when I’d put parts from 5 or 6 parts cars into one. The fairly rare tuff steering wheel looks like an original, but they were never factory installed on challengers. The little chrome reverse light on the lower part of the dash under the center a/c vents indicates that the dash frame is from a manual transmission car. The hood and spoiler are T/A challenger items, if they are OEM, although the hood was available on a handful of R/Ts. The door panels appear to be from an SE, which this car is not. Then, of course, there’s the block and six pack which could be from two other cars, and the purple car itself, which the k frame would indicate as being a factory 440 car. I’m not really knocking it, because there’s cool/hot rod potential here, and I’m a genuine fan of that, and if you ever decided to do a more faithful restoration, it would appear you’d have a genuine purple 440 R/T as a starting point.
I had a 70 Challenger R/T in the 70s. Your analysis of the pieces & parts that went into this one 100% spot on! Still a very nice car and most people might not recognize what we see. But over priced regardless.
Because most people could care less!
it also has the controls for a/c… whether it was or not… Most of these were built for performance rather than comfort….
June 1971 …..just home from the Army I bought a 5k mile dealer demo 70 Barracuda Gran Coupe.. 318 column automatic, A/C deluxe houndstooth interior.. red with white vinyl top and 5 spoke road wheels with 2 ring whitewalls. It was very sharp… drove it 120k miles for real in Ohio and Michigan winters… it finally got so rusty that the rear spring mounts were loose from the body. The last night I owned it the speedo still reached 115… the body was loooosse… LOVED that car….
It’s a nice car, but if you want something original this one isn’t it for the $50K price. Money wise you would be underwater making it look 100% correct and you still have a non-original motor. And that’s only if you do most of the work.
I’m not a Mopar expert, but I do have a 65 Belvedere 383 car. I was told that the Hemi and Six Pack cars couldn’t come with air conditioning because the compressor sits above the water pump at the top front of the motor. That interferes with the front carburetor on a Hemi or Six Pack set up.
That isn’t to say that it was never done. Raz the Trim Man, who did the side trim on my 65 Belvedere back in the day, said that he saw a Hemi car with air conditioning the belonged to the Teuton Brothers from South Land Dodge. I’ve seen them show up at NHRA national events with Hemi Darts and ‘Cudas so I don’t doubt it.
That car was said to be built for a Chrysler big shot. So apparently it’s original and somebody just told the factory guys to just make it happen.
That’s exactly what I was thinking reading the listing. Someone spec’d this just how they wanted it to be. And there’s nothing wrong with that b/c they got it right! It’s a looker and a runner! GLWTS!
Surprised no AC in Texas. Nice car.
you are right no a/c u code is not a 6 pak car
The wheels look great on something with a late-70’s through 1980’s themed car. OE choices aren’t necessarily great, I like body colored steel wheels and the 10 hole rally’s, but the reproduction Magnum 500’s are garbage quality Chinese imports and overplayed too boot. The right after market wheels enhance to look of cars from this era, there are many different styles to choose from depending on the theme of the rest of the car. Back in the early-1980’s if you went to the local cruise the vast majority of cars had some sort of aftermarket rim installed,
Steve R
I agree with you Steve R, having the right after market wheels. For me, I would choose Cragar SS rims, add tint and loose the rear louvers.
Don’t make the rear window louvers too loose or they’ll fly off.
For 50k I could get more original Challenger. This one is old school put together like the old days. This one is not worth 50gs sorry to say. I wish we had a picture of the headliner. Just to see if its a SE model and picture of the fender tag. That would show us what came in this Challenger back in 1970. The shifter is from a 71. I never like the t-handle set up it would break under hard shifting. 70 was the best. Also no heater system hook up. Looking at the leaf springs i notice its not sitting correctly. It’s sagging in the back. To see if this was a 4 speed the fender tag would tell us. Or they change the complete dash assembly from a 4 speed. Just to many unknown in this ride. Well good luck to the seller. 🇺🇸🐻
Also there is a nice 1970 GTO for sale $46,000 better shape. That why 50gs is to high 35-40 would be fair. 😃
The GTO is nice looking, but it has a lot of similarities to this Challenger, the ad says it has an optional high performance drivetrain, but there is no documentation and what’s shown in the pictures doesn’t match the claim.
Steve R
look like it was raced quite a bit.
Rear window louvers are the BIGGEST turn-off!
If I’m not mistaken this car is sitting on race slicks. With a 4.10 rear gear and 3,500 converter I’m sure it’s a hobby bracket racer.
It would make a fun weekend cruiser. Dump the rear window louvers. Compared to the 70 Camaro for $42K this is a better deal by 1,000 but bracket cars aren’t worth this amount more like 32K
Yup, eBay ad has a pic of a helmet in the back seat and Houston Raceway Park stickers in the windshield.
If I was to buy an old muscle car, I’d have to confer with these guys. I sincerely marvel at what they know.
In 1971, I special ordered a Challenger RT with the 426 Hemi. The cost for the Hemi was $987. Loved that car, but the gas crisis in ’73 forced the sale. You can view it in Mopar Collectors Guide, June 2023.
Some talking about how much it would cost to restore to OE, I’d take an OE car and turn it into something like this. OE is boring, they all look the same but with various options and colors. This would be far more fun to have and drive than a trailer queen.
Yeah me too! I like the “Day 2” look. Factory is cool but you’re limited to the fender tag. My ‘72 Challenger is pretty stock so I’m limited to what I can change but some bolt ons here and there give it a little personality. Factory style 14” Road wheels are cool but the 15” Keystone Klassics give it a different look especially with 275s out back.