Driven into a garage and parked eight years ago, this 1970 Dodge Charger R/T in Mobridge, South Dakota shows evident bodywork and retains its factory 440 and four-speed manual transmission. The highly original muscle car goes to the highest bidder in the on-site and Internet Moser Mopar Collection Auction, with proceeds mitigating medical bills for Mr. Moser’s children, who suffer from kidney disease. Check out more information on this Bright Red Mopar at VanDerBrink Auctions, and thanks to Yvette VanDerBrink for the tip. We don’t say this every day but let’s see this car bring a high price! Sincere wishes for the best possible outcome for the Moser family.
The 375 HP 440 cid (6.2L) (7.2L) four-barrel V8 might start with some careful coaxing, according to the seller. Judging from the often-trashed battery tray, rust may be mostly cosmetic, though listing pictures show some rust in the trunk floor. Original-looking equipment fills the engine bay, excepting the Accel SuperCoil. I’ve never driven a 440 four-speed car, but I’d love to take this one for a spin.
The fender tag decoder at RealDash describes a true XS29 Charger R/T (Road/Track) with a four-speed manual gearbox and the A33 Track Pak with 3.54 gears out back. While not visible today, this gorgeous R/T left the factory with V6X Longitudinal Stripes in Black. The full-width light and reflector panel on this Star Trek-era Dodge emulates spaceship design, and the high-performance 440 should provide ample thrust.
The C5XA interior calls out Charcoal/BlackCloth/Vinyl bucket seats, and the C21 Center Front Seat Cushion or “Buddy Seat” helps the R/T seat six in a pinch. Buddy Seat passengers should mind their kneecaps on that 1-2 shift. Original or not, this purported Chrysler Executive-ordered Charger has a red headliner! In a day of 2 Watt stereos, this red rocker came with an ear-splitting 10 Watt R22 AM Radio with an 8-Track tape player. If you’re not planning to bid, spread the word! Best of luck to the buyer and seller. We’d love to hear an update and see some pictures of this car after it gets the overhaul it deserves. Dodge changed the front and/or rear of the second-generation Charger each year: 1968, ’69, and ’70. Which is your favorite?
Maybe that Mopar guy from Graveyard Cars will step up. That’d be a cool gesture.
Looks like the three Mopars and the ’69 Fairlane are the stars of the auction. I don’t understand why they put that awesome Fairlane on page 4 at the very end. I hope a mountain load of cash is raised for the medical bills.
7.2 liter
Thanks, Robert. I fat-fingered that one. I fixed it and left the original gaff in strikethrough. Corrections are always appreciated!
I’m wondering what happened to the original shifter. 1970 was the debut year for the legendary Hurst Pistol Grip shifter in Chrysler’s E and B-body cars, yet this one sports an earlier, traditional ball shift handle.
not all of them got it
Good question, @Phil D. To my knowledge the Hurst pistol grip shifter was new for ’70 and standard on R/T Chargers. On console cars, the handles had a radical bend under the boot to allow them to fit and have full travel. But the roundish Hurst this car appears to have does look more like the 68-69 that came with the simulated wood ball shift knob.
I wonder if the car was built originally with this shifter due to the “buddy” bench seat. It’s possible that the throw of the pistol grip may just have been too long to allow a passenger in that location. Just a hunch, as I can’t find any reference to confirm that
In any case…wicked cool car. Hope they get too dollar for it!
I bought and still have a 1969 Dodge Charger 4 spd R/T new in Feb 1969 with bucket seats and a console. It came with a Hurst left offset shifter with a simulated wooden ball.
Wasn’t there a labor strike that year?
I owned a 68 Charger R/T with a 440 4spd, it had a the same shifter as this one, though I had a console with metal plating. I also noticed the Magnum 500’s are the full chrome, which was on the 68’s. In mid-69 they went to the 500’s with trim rings. Sure do miss that car…
That could easy hit 40k as is. The prices for matching numbers MOPARs is bat guano crazy.
It brought over twice that with auction fees..