I have sometimes wondered whether an owner can achieve perfection when embarking on a classic car restoration. That is the question posed by this 1970 Dodge Charger R/T. No aspect of this muscle car has escaped attention, with the vehicle presenting superbly. Its engine bay houses what was considered the entry-level V8, but its power guarantees the Charger is no automotive wimp. The R/T needs a new home, with the seller listing it here on Craigslist in La Cañada Flintridge, California. The price of admission isn’t cheap, with interested parties facing the prospect of parting with $115,000 to drive it home. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder T.J. for spotting this fantastic classic.
The seller claims that the car has been in movies, TV shows, music videos, and more but doesn’t offer any specifics. Purchasing a classic with a known history is desirable, especially when it is a car like this 1970 Charger R/T. The seller has been its custodian for over thirty years. They bought the car from its original owner, holding documentation tracing its history back to Day One. The Dodge has always been cherished and treated respectfully, but that didn’t prevent the seller from handing the car to renowned Mopar specialist Julius Steuer at Restorations by Julius in Chatsworth, California, for a complete refresh. The panels were returned to a laser-straight state before receiving a fresh coat of the car’s original Top Banana Yellow paint. The contrasting Black vinyl top is in as-new condition. While describing the Charger as being in showroom condition may raise questions from some quarters, there is little to criticize about its presentation. The chrome and trim look perfect, and the grille retains its functioning headlight covers. I am unsure whether the Magnum 500 wheels are original, but they don’t look out of place.
Dodge’s entry-level engine for the 1970 Charger R/T was the legendary 440ci “Magnum” V8. The original owner teamed the monster motor with a three-speed TorqueFlite transmission and power assistance for the steering and brakes. The term “entry-level” is relative, because the Magnum places 375hp and 480 ft/lbs of torque at the driver’s disposal. That is enough to launch the R/T through the ¼-mile in 14.4 seconds on its way to 132mph. Those figures remain respectable today, but they commanded genuine respect in 1970. The good news for purists is that this Charger is numbers-matching. The drivetrain is unmolested, and the car is in excellent mechanical health. Flying in and driving home is a viable option for those considering a Californian vacation.
The Charger keeps dishing up the “wow” factor when we examine its interior. It is trimmed in Black vinyl that looks perfect. The lack of wear on the seats and carpet suggests the car hasn’t seen much active service since its restoration, with the condition ensuring it will garner plenty of admiring looks and favorable comments. It is also nicely equipped in a 1970 context. The new owner will sink into comfortable bucket seats, controlling the TorqueFlite via the shifter emerging through the woodgrain-clad console. The Rally gauge cluster features the desirable Tick-Tock-Tach, while occupants can revel in factory air conditioning and the original AM radio/8-track player.
Perfect? That’s a tough call, but I have decided to mark this 1970 Charger R/T harshly. It would undoubtedly attract attention wherever it goes, and its mechanical configuration promises exhilarating performance. I did notice a small paint chip on the driver’s side front fender, so the car isn’t flawless. That might seem like a minor detail, but with the seller’s price at the market’s top end, the finer details count. A six-figure sum guarantees they will play to a limited pool of potential buyers, but could you be one of them?
PAINT CHIP?!!! That’s it…. I’m out!
This is an outstanding example of a great muscle car. If it was B5 blue I’d be a bit more interested…. Not a buyer, Just more interested.
Never enough blue for the barn finders!
Right. I’m not a buyer but if I was…
Simply stunning.
For six digits I would like disk brakes so I can stop the car when the cell-phone wielding guy next to me floats into my lane. Original or not, it will save the car.
Unless you’re road racing or driving through two feet of water, the massive drum brakes on 440 cars are probably just as, or more effective than the optional disk brakes were in the day. The early demand for disk brakes was driven more by corporate marketing and (typically) gullible consumers, than any sort of capability or safety standards for day-to-day driving. That’s why in this day of air bags, lane reminders and adaptive cruise control, you can still buy a few new cars with 4 wheel drums.
115k, or the 23.5k turd that will cost more to be even close to this. I would bet they have that much or more in this. There is likely some bargaining, not much but some and you have a unit you can enjoy before you pass on. I am not sure why folks think these don’t stop with drum brakes. You can lock them up in a panic but even new behemoths need the space and time. Old cars are like bikes. Mash the pedal you slide, grab that front brake and fly. Beautiful copy here. Buy this or a new SUV? I can tell you which one will be a row warmer at the pick-a-part a few years down the road.
What a beautiful car! Wish!
Beautiful!
I have a 70 Charger R/T I purchased 2 years ago from Volo. Orig, unrestored except for mufflers. This is well-priced.
While my interest in “classic cars” is never ending, I just can’t seem to grasp the skyrocketing prices these cars are bringing now. I am essentially priced out of the market, its become a rich mans game now. I just priced out a 2024 Camaro LT1 built to my specs and it came in under $48k… It seems if I want a muscle car, it will end up being a brand new one…
In today’s world that may be the way to go. If your going to as I say die with it and are not worried about depreciation, you may be better off.
You can thank Barrett Jackson for pricing the average Joe out of the classic muscle car market. Mopars were stupid over priced back in the mid 2000’s
Scams, inflation, untenable debt, international instability, wall street jitters, and a discouraging outlook tend to drive some investors into hard assets; metals, collectables, etc. Makes some sense to convert some of your portfolio into a cool, rapidly appreciating asset, like an old car.
Good news is that when the bubble pops, and it always does, there will be glut of interesting machines at discount prices for us to peruse.
I’m not sure if I could ask for more. Except maybe money in my pocket.
Put some of the blame on professional athletes that brought everything in sight no questions asked because they could afford to.
Nicely done one for 100k okay I can see that. It’s the strip down rotted out rust buckets for 20K that turn my stomach
I sold my all original burnt orange/ gator grain roof ’70 Charger RT in 2015 for $22,500 and it needed a trunk floor and quarter panels and nearly perfect burnt orange interior. Had I only known.
On the other hand, Bitcoin was about $300 in 2015. Your $22500 would now be worth towards $5Mil. Had we only known.