Okay, it’s time to compile a list. Desirable classic? Check. Premium paint shade? Yep. Chest-thumping V8 under the hood? Ooh, yeah! However, those factors don’t tell the whole story of this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T. The 440 hidden under its hood features a modern touch to enhance drivability and increase power, and its presentation is first-rate. The only thing this classic needs is a new home. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Mitchell G. for spotting the Challenger listed here on eBay in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Intense action has pushed the price to $82,100 in a No Reserve auction.
When Dodge unveiled the Challenger in 1970, it introduced what I believe to be one of the most attractive American cars of that decade. The styling was bold and purposeful, and even in its most conservative mechanical form, it couldn’t help but turn heads. This first-year Challenger R/T is a prime example of the breed. Finished in desirable Plum Crazy with a Black vinyl top, its appearance is first-rate. Although it received a complete restoration approximately twenty years ago, it has only clocked around 6,500 miles since then. Therefore, it hasn’t had much of a chance to accumulate chips and other imperfections. Upgrades during the build include the vinyl, rear spoiler, and hood shaker. The depth of color and shine is impressive; the panels are laser-straight, and the vinyl is in as-new condition. The seller supplies several underside shots, revealing floors that are almost as clean as the exterior. The trim and glass appear flawless, and the color-matched wide steelies with dog dish hubcaps emphasize the car’s purposeful appearance.
Dodge marketed the 1970 Challenger R/T with the U-Code 440ci “Magnum” V8 as the entry-level powerplant. It delivered a factory-quoted 375hp and 480 ft/lbs of torque, making the R/T a genuine muscle car. The first owner teamed this car’s 440 with a four-speed manual transmission, power steering, and power brakes. As a Track Pack vehicle, it also scored a 3.54 Dana 60 rear end. Purists will welcome the news that this classic is numbers-matching. The seller added FiTech fuel injection atop a Six-Pack intake, but includes the original four-barrel and matching intake for those wishing to reverse the change for authenticity. The current setup should unleash additional power while making the Challenger more user-friendly. The seller emphasizes how nicely this classic drives, confirming that it is a turnkey proposition.
Scrutinizing this Challenger’s interior suggests that the seller performed this restoration to a high standard. Trimmed in Black, it features bucket seats, a console, a purposeful pistol-grip shifter, Rally gauges with a tachometer, and a factory radio. The most apparent addition is the dash-top LCD for the fuel injection system. There is no evidence of wear or other issues with the vinyl, plastic, or woodgrain trim, which all look excellent. The carpet is clean, and this is yet another aspect of the R/T that should receive plenty of positive feedback.
Our Barn Finds readers are knowledgeable, so I don’t need to explain why this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 is desirable. The listing statistics demonstrate this fact graphically, with View, Watch List, and Bid tallies of 527, 192, and 86, respectively, at the time of writing. People want this car, and aren’t afraid to pay for the privilege. The high bid will place it out of reach for many, but a few lucky individuals may choose to join what is fast becoming a bidding war. If this Challenger is beyond your means, monitoring the auction might be worthwhile, as it could be fascinating to see how intense the bidding gets and what the price climbs to when the hammer falls.
It’s just Plum Crazy to think this sweetheart was about $3400 new and as right now sitting at $85000, roughly 3 times the original cost converted into todays dollars ($3400 in 1970 = $27500 approximately). That’s a whole lotta love, but it’s easy to see why. Exceptional car here in every way a diehard gearhead would like.
GLWTA
Wow factor very high on his one.
Wow!! With over 4 days to go this might break $100k.
I wonder why only 200 or less ’70s got the shaker. & around 140–160 ’71s got it. A lot more barracudas got the shaker.
1970 Dodge Challengers w/Shakers supposedly didn’t comply w/FMVSS frontal impact standards until the underhood structure was redesigned. That’s why so few ’70 Challenger Shakers were built & have later build dates. Plymouth ‘Cuda’s w/Shakers met crash test standards right off the bat using a completely different hood & front end design than the Dodge…
You can say that again.
Good ol’ google double clicks double the revenue, eh? The Challenger hood with the Shaker ring as originally installed made the hood too rigid to bend in a front end collision, it went thru the windshield instead…
1970 Dodge Challengers w/Shakers supposedly didn’t comply w/FMVSS frontal impact standards until the underhood structure was redesigned. That’s why so few ’70 Challenger Shakers were built & have later build dates. Plymouth ‘Cuda’s w/Shakers met crash test standards right off the bat using a completely different hood & front end design than the Dodge…
The entry-level engine for the Challenger R/T was the 383 Magnum.
According to the fender tag, a few things have been added and a few deleted. Overall a really cool build though.
The spoiler might be mounted a tad too high on the deck lid, but not sure.
No disc brakes, which will be fodder for the drum haters.
Just a stupid question, but this car have ac and/or can it be added? I live in the Deep South where the heat gets intense.
I own and restored a 70 Challenger R/T with factory original a/c which is a little rare. There’s also aftermarket a/c available as well.
One of the shaking-my-head missing options the V9W stripe. Looks fantastic on a purple car.
V9W – White Transverse Sport Stripes (Paint) “Bumblebee”
Beautiful build. Nit picks: shaker scoop is set about an inch too low. Mounting brackets can be adjusted. I believe some ’70 models had a rear deck spoiler instead of the tall wing, which gave a more streamlined appearance.
This is a beautiful Challenger, and likely worth the asking price. How many 440 4 speed R/Ts will you find in this condition? It might just be the photos, but there seems to be something odd about the way the backlight sits at the top of the drivers’ side, and the way the wing mounting looks to have distorted the trunk lid sheet metal. It might just be the way the light hits the car in the photos.
The likely reason for the “distorted” dimples in the trunk lid is that the wing was not installed with correct special adjuster bolts. The bolts allow the adjustment of the tension that can be applied to the wing so that it doesn’t pull down on the outer skin. If it does have these bolts, just means that they haven’t been adjusted correctly
What would the car be worth with a 426 Hemi?
Very nice 4-speed Challenger here, I would just get rid of those floor mats.
Oddly, no magazine ad i remember ever showed this rear spoiler.
Is the vacuum advance supposed to be disabled/plugged?
Is there no room for a radiator overflow “bottle/tank” under the hood? – No compact batteries back then?
Should there be a long rubber hose to the injectors(or carbs)?
Did any 318 Challys or Barracudas get a shaker & shaker hood by mistake or special order?
That’s a fairly common spoiler. A lot of the factory decklids had reliefs in the inner structure which marked where it’s installed, but not all. The timing is probably being controlled by the engine management computer that runs the injection, so the vac advance would be disabled. My 69 camaro is set up that way. This car would not have come with a radiator overflow tank. I think that hose is running from the manifold to the PVC valve. I doubt any 318 cars ever received a shaker since the only small block R/T option was the 340. All 318s were two barrels, so a shaker bubble wouldn’t even fit the carb without some sort of adapter that I’ve never seen nor heard of.
nice piece. lose the floormats and the screen on the dash. my guess is 125k+
Very nice car in the most popular color for 1970. Obviously a repo fender tag. Purists may cringe at the orange spark plug wires. Oh well, these every day cars 56 years ago. Yes, they were driven in winter with snow tires. I had a 1970 Road Runner then. Snow, wind, rain, whatever. It was my daily. Very few dreamed back then these high po Mopars would be worth what they are today.
This is a real beauty. Iit may not be totally original but I still love it, somebody did a nice job. It’s up to 90,100 as I write this with 4 days to go, so I think hairolds68 is probably on target with 125k+.
$95,100 currently. Likely worth it but not in my budget
Sold $99,200, with 99 bids.
Considering what big money these go for, even in ratty condition, i’m surprised they not only discontinued/there was no demand for the Chally Dynacorn body, but there never was a smaller Cuda version.
IMO, the ’70, ’72-’74 Cuda should have had 4 headlites, to make it less look like a ’68 camaro on the front.