It’s hard to say when or why this 1970 Dodge Challenger was taken off the road, or whether it ended up in a salvage yard or somebody’s backyard once the previous owner was officially through with it. As popular as E-Bodies are now in Moparland, it’s also difficult to fathom that these cars were once considered disposable, and interesting that one very specific set of components is among the few parts missing here. Is it possible that this one was scrapped years ago just so these particular pieces could be removed? We’ll delve more into that below, but if you’ve been looking for a first-year Challenger to take on as a project, this one here on eBay might be worth checking out. It’s an offering from Mark Worman, located at his shop in Springfield, Oregon, with the current bid of $5,780 not enough to lift the reserve not met status.
This one’s a base Challenger, equipped with a 318 V8, which is how it left the factory decades ago. However, it no longer has the original small-block under the hood, but a correct date-code 318 engine. It also isn’t running, making it a prime candidate for a swap to something larger and more rewarding under the hood. Looking around the bay, some of the pieces that functioned as part of the A/C system are missing and have probably been gone for years. This makes me wonder whether this one was retired long ago so a better-condition E-Body could benefit from these specific components. That’s just one possibility, and rust could be another.
Unfortunately, this Challenger once had a vinyl top, which is great as long as the car never gets out in the rain. It’ll need a new roof skin, and also quite a bit of work around the inside of the trunk. Some repairs have already been attempted around the rear wheel wells and lower areas of the quarters, but it looks like additional rust may be bleeding through, so this was probably done a while ago. The doors may be OK, and fortunately, this car is reported to have been factory undercoated, with the bottom said to still remain solid.
The air conditioning controls and vents are also MIA from the interior, and this one doesn’t feature the cool rally instrument cluster, but it does have buckets and a console. The seats and dash appear to be in excellent condition, and the door panels look pretty good too, but the steering wheel rim is cracked and will need replacing. Since there’s no need to worry about keeping this Mopar numbers-matching, I’m envisioning a restoration that includes at least a bigger engine and maybe a few other fun upgrades. How would you proceed with this 1970 Dodge Challenger?
Back when America was a fair and reasonable country, this car could be owned for little or nothing. Then some father and son would tinker with it in the garage after supper and on weekends. Wasn’t it better back then? Instead today, people like MW make a fortune pedaling these to the 1%. What would you prefer, scenario A or scenario B?
I get your point, Pinto, but when America was a ‘fair and reasonable’ country, this car didn’t even exist. Depends on when you think the decline began, I guess, but I tend to point to the ’60s counterculture movement. Yep, it was the boomers, of which I are one.
That said, let’s hope this car will still become a father-son project after all.
Hello Mr. Moderator
The Boomers counter culture types, were just trying to not get sent away (like I was, and after I got back I joined them). They had nothing to do with the economics (at least back then) that caused, eventually, what I mentioned. Also, us Boomers did fair well in the decades that followed, but most of us also reconize that the times have changed for the worse for those who came after us. Most Boomers had little to do with the policies that caused so much harm. The people who wrote those, were Boomers, but a tiny sliver of a fraction of them. Boomers get too much hate from younger people that is not deserved. Many of us have tried to give back from our abundance as well as try to change some of the bad laws that have been inacted, though it is obvious that we have been less than succsessful.
You mean 40 years ago when Challengers and other highly desirable cars were plentiful? When supply dries up, prices go up. There are 50+ years of desirable cars that have come along since this Challenger was built, many priced within reach of what a typical faster and son can afford. Anyone that can’t see or admit that is more interested in pushing an agenda than pursuing an actual project car.
Steve R
Not to pick on you Pinto, but you seem down and I want to cheer you up. Let’s think about what you said for a minute, “this car could be owned for little or nothing”. It’s hard to do the math on nothing, so let’s look at ‘little’. The average value of a new car in 1970, for example, was about $3550, according to co-pilot. Back then I think most people might have considered $500 to be ‘little’ for an interesting father and son project. Keeping the 14% as a constant, that would mean that ‘little’ now, when new cars average right at $50,000, would be right at $7000. There are plenty of interesting father/son projects out there for $7K…maybe even this Challenger when it’s all said and done. Point is, though the numbers have changed, the economics really hasn’t that much.
Thanks Melton, I am feeling down recently. Sorry, personal stuff, I will try to not let it color my posts. I was thinking circa 1980, and a rusty non running half missing 1970 would have mostly been junked, not worth even 500 dollars. That was my reference.
Though, Steve R makes a good point, there is probably a much lower supply. Many got crushed like I just suggested. I just wish the few that remain would go to regular people who remember them, and would love and cherish them. Around 1980, I recall many retired men with cars from thier youth, not nearly a thing for people my age today. Most can hardly keep food on the table, but I guess that is a whole different topic.
Whatever’s troubling you, I hope it passes soon and you get to feeling better. To everything, there is a season…
MW has the money to do whatever he wants, seems he chose not to restore this car, who knows ? It’s a base 318 Challenger, not much value with all the rust repair, good candidate for a restomod for someone with deep pockets
I don’t think he does cars on spec, only for customers paying to have restorations done on their cars. He’s seems too busy, there should be no reason to expend his resources on a car that is not a guaranteed pay day.
Steve R
Paying customers is where the money is, A Graveyard cars build, is multiple 6 figures, these were mostly cheap daily drivers back in the 70s
There are plenty of rich people willing to pay, but how many willing to pay for a car set up as they want it? I think most of his customers want an investment that they can brag about. Few have any real knowledge about the car or the history of them. An ideal Richie Rich for this car would have stupid crazy money to have the car fitted with modern engine and suspension parts, then drive the wheels off it. I do not however feel too many exist as such. Too bad you can no longer buy a repo body to do just that.
Wow! Looks like I’m not the only one that remembers MW from a TV show that restores nothing but Mopars. I used to watch it all the time. He does excellent work on them, which leads me also to believe that he used this Challenger for parts for other clients cars. I guess he thinks it isn’t worth the time and money to restore with what’s left. What a shame.
I’m guessing that’s correct, a base car will never be worth what the higher end models are, some cars end up being donors for their parts
In the 1980’s after me or my friends bought a car, which normally drivable projects, we’d typically look for a parts car. We’d always try and find a performance variants (muscle car). When parting them out you often got 2 to 3 times the money, sometimes more, selling off their more desirable parts. That dynamic has changed over time as the number of viable parts cars has diminished any their prices have gone up.
Steve R
I don’t think it’s too far gone. I suspect that a restoration (or at least a revival) of this car may not be too difficult. At the worst, maybe an engine swap. The floors and interior look pretty decent, for the most part, so that’s going for the next owner. I hope they have fun with it.
Gonna need to find a source for the HVAC which was nabbed sometime in the past. At least.
say what you will somebody will redo this it is a 70 challenger rust and all. it won’t be cheap to do. Worman found a niche market and is making a killing doing these cars. the man is good at what he does. he is living the American dream and has the means to do so. wish i could say the same. never forget the people who passed today. God bless.
Plenty of good bones here. Restore it back to what it was, an attractive and sensible pony car. A 318 with a 340 cam and a few goodies is all you really need. Don’t buy it to sell it. Buy it for life…and just enjoy it
Interesting car! Looking at just the one undershot that they have over by the rear axle it looks like there’s some rust but the body and the floors don’t look too bad. I’d be curious to see what the front subframe looks like over by the torsion bar support.
Yeah, it’s not a special model or anything like that but that’s a blessing in disguise! You have a blank canvas and can make it into anything you want. You can make it into your favorite challenger with whatever color combo, a white vanishing point replica or a 1970 T/A!
People talk about full restorations and how much they cost and I for one cannot afford anything like that. I don’t have that disposable income. This car does need a lot of attention of course, but it’s not something that maybe you can’t just work on during the weekends a piece at a time. If the subframes look good, then you’re just looking at some little rust spots around the trunk that maybe people might use body filler to fix. That’s what we did in the old days. Not everything was a full restoration.
Too far gone?,,,,,no way! This car is in 10X better shape than the one I started with.