There are movie cars and then there are iconic movie cars. The 1970 Dodge Challenger fits into the latter category, being the real star of one of my favorite car movies, the 1971 action drama Vanishing Point. The film starred Barry Newman as a car delivery driver named Kowalski who takes an assignment to deliver an Alpine White 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum from Denver, Colorado to San Francisco over the span of a weekend. Kowalski encounters plenty of odd characters along the way and of course is constantly being chased by the police as he races the Challenger to its destination. For those of you who would like to recreate your own Vanishing Point car, here is a 1970 Dodge Challenger project with a 440 4bbl included. The seller has listed this 1970 Challenger with a clear Idaho title here on craigslist in Hayden, Indiana, for $25,000.
Dodge introduced the Challenger to its model lineup in 1969 as an E-body pony car to compete with the Ford Mustang and Pontiac Firebird. What made the Challenger unique was the generous number of options including trim and engines. While buyers could check the most potent engine, the Chrysler 426 cubic inch Hemi, the original owner of this 1970 Dodge Challenger went the economical route in choosing the smallest option, the 225 cubic inch straight-6. While the 425 Hemi would deliver a blistering 425 horsepower, the original six would only produce an anemic 145 horsepower. The seller of this Challenger has remedied this underpowered situation by pulling the six and offering a date correct factory 4-barrel 440 complete engine that turns free and a 727 automatic transmission which comes with car. The ad description does note that both should be rebuilt, which should factor into the total cost of the car. Unfortunately, the seller does not include any photos of either the 440 engine or the 727 automatic transmission which any interested buyer would certainly want to see to determine their condition.
The body of the Challenger unfortunately was the victim of the dreaded rust and rot probably due to being left exposed to the elements too often. Here, the seller has begun a body restoration by replacing all the front end panels including the hood, installed a new full trunk pan, re-upholstered the front bucket seats and rear bench, and installed new front and rear door panels. Originality wise, the car is noted to contain most of its original factory Sublime green paint (which would be Code FJ5), and the original floor pans also still retaining the factory paint. The seller also mentions that he is including a V8 K-member with new torsion and sway bars which will be needed for the V8 conversion.
For a mechanically experienced Dodge fan, this 1970 Challenger might make for a good winter project. The Challenger does need a lot of work, but most of the needed items are included to be rebuilt and installed. It would be great to see this Challenger once again returned to the open road for fresh adventures. While a real deal restored R/T 440 Magnum might fetch upwards of $100,000 at auction, this seller’s Challenger seems to be in the ballpark for a project car and might be worth looking into to see how firm the seller is on the price. What do you readers think?
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