The seller of this 1970 Dodge Challenger tells us right away that his Mopar knowledge is limited, but he sure knows a rusty car when one comes around as the proclamation is made that every piece of metal here needs to be replaced, and it’s written in ALL CAPS for even more emphasis. Maybe there will be a piece or two of sheet metal salvageable, but this one’s pretty much succumbed to corrosion issues and it’ll be a major undertaking to get this 1970 Dodge Challenger back to being roadworthy. You’re not alone if you want to give it a shot, as 52 bids have already been placed on the E-Body taking the no-reserve auction up to $3,750. The car is located in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, and can be seen here on eBay.
An intact fender tag is always nice to locate, but there’s not one to be found here, so lots of the specifics have been lost to time but we are provided with a VIN that indicates the Challenger was originally equipped with a 275 horsepower 340 V8. Sadly, that engine is no longer under the hood, and it’s now got a 318 with no further details other than the crank will turn by hand although the seller hasn’t attempted to start it.
It’s also unknown if FC7 Plum Crazy is the factory color, as even though the floors and area around the console are purple there’s also some metallic blue underneath the paint in these areas. But with all the bodywork and panel replacement that’s going to have to be done combined with no fender tag present, since the car will never be numbers-matching again I think a good reward for all the effort required here would be to spray this one in any color you desire at the end!
Things inside haven’t fared too much better, with the buckets in need of repair, and who knows what happened to that dash. It seems fairly complete in there and I like that there’s a console and pistol grip shifter, but the floors look like they might cave in if you tried to sit down.
A vinyl top originally covered the roof and the trim is still in place, but the areas around the back window are full of holes though from what I can tell most of the glass still looks decent. This 1970 Challenger is several stages beyond my skill level to restore, but maybe if it can be bought cheap enough perhaps the car will make a good project for somebody who’s had lots of experience dealing with this sort of rot. Some good news is plenty of aftermarket parts and panels are available. What are your thoughts here?
The seller is upfront about the cars condition and doesn’t make any claims that can’t be substantiated by anyone with two functioning eyes. With an opening bid of $1.00 and no reserve, it’s up to the bidders to determine its value. It may be a piece of junk, but it’s still desirable based on its how much interest it’s generated.
Last month he sold a 1961 Impala with the same manner of ad, $1.00 opening bid with no reserve. He either has a good eye or good luck.
Steve R
Yeah from like 40 feet the car looks interesting but when you get up close you see rust like in all the little nooks and crannies and see why he states every panel will need replacing. Cool it has a Pistol Grip in it. It’s a non R/T 340 car denoted by the “JH” in the VIN. I say this is pretty much a parts car for wheels and trim, and I like to save them all. But someone with time, talent and money can save this car.
As a diehard mopar guy, I would say this car is a parts rig. it appears to be fairly complete, which is good. Unfortunately,i don’t think this car will see the road again. but to someone who may be restoring a challenger it would be an worthy investment depending on what it sells for.
Such a shame this beauty was left outside to rot. The shortsighted owner responsible for this got what he deserved.
Its nearly 55 years old- was it supposed to sit in a garage all those years ? back in 1980 you could pick one of these up for less than a grand, a little worn, a little rusty , usually by some high school kid and there’s no way his parents would let him park his old car in the garage , so it was exposed to the elements even then , and likely was thrashed to death and parked , at that point it would have been worth a few hundred if that.
Let’s see if Mopar fan can push this heap to five figures!
The console and the right interior door panel are the only things I see that are salvageable.
Here we go let’s see how plum crazy this will get. Any guess on how much this rust bucket will go for? My buddy bought one of these back in 75 for 900. Plum crazy 383 slap stick drop top. Even though it was 5 yrs old at the time it had it’s share of rust trunk lid ect. Almost forgot it also had the luggage rack on the lid. Can tell ya it was pretty fast . Good night irene !
Reamer. Hard pass! 👎👎
Chrysler Corporation didn’t make very many non R/T Challenger 340’s in 1970. Maybe a few hundred? How many are still left intact and not crushed and turned into a Hyundai? It’s a rare car, especially with the optional pistol grip 4 speed and optional console. It would have been a stunning car, when new, with FC7 Plum Crazy, and a white vinyl top! With all that being said..
It’s going to take alot of time, skill, and cash to bring it back. Hopefully a Mopar guy, with body skills, can get it cheap enough to restore it back from the dead.
You dont need body skills , there’s no body or structure left ! You’d have to replace nearly every single part on this car , and at that point its an assembly of aftermarket parts as original parts are unobtainable. Even if it had its original drivetrain it would still be at best a parts car ( and very few parts at that) If this heap sells I would guarantee the vin tag will end up on a solid base model 318 Challenger that will be transformed into a Plum Crazy RT !
And I’m a Mopar guy too , so not a hater
Updste your tetanus shot before bidding.
65 bids as of now for this crusty rig. Several bidders are interested…