Few vehicles embody the muscle car era better than the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T. Its stunning styling hints at a car with genuine performance credentials, and the original 440ci Six-Pack under the hood of this car confirms it is more than a pretty face. Almost every aspect of this classic presents perfectly, meaning that a new owner would draw crowds to this classic wherever they go. Its next journey could be to a new home, with the seller listing the R/T here on eBay in Manteno, Illinois. Bidding sits below the reserve at $32,600, although there is a BIN figure of $78,000 for those viewing it as a “must-have” classic.
One of the most desirable paint shades offered to Challenger buyers in 1970 was Plum Crazy, which graces this classic’s panels. The history of this car is unclear, but the overall presentation of every aspect suggests it has received a reasonably comprehensive cosmetic restoration. The paint is basically flawless, from the exterior to the door frames and engine bay. There are no signs of chips or marks or panel bumps or bruises. The underside shots confirm the car is as solid as the day it left the factory, while the trim and glass look flawless. However, I don’t look at this R/T through rose-colored glasses because it doesn’t appear perfect. The seller supplies this YouTube video. It features a walkaround, allowing us to hear the Challenger starting and running. This is where being observant becomes crucial because we receive a fleeting glimpse of what appears to be a wrinkle or bulge in the Black vinyl top above the driver’s door. There is another at the top of the passenger side A-Pillar, which makes me feel that an in-person inspection is justified. They probably won’t be anything untoward, but an inspection is cheap insurance if potential buyers consider hitting the BIN button. Another point that is open to interpretation in the listing is the wheels. Some photos show the car sitting on Rallye wheels, and steelies with dog dish hubcaps feature in others. I interpret that the Challenger rolls on the latter, and the Rallye wheels aren’t included.
The Challenger’s exterior may potentially have some slight cosmetic shortcomings, but there are few such issues with its interior. It is trimmed in Black vinyl that is free from flaws and defects. The carpet is spotless, as are the dash, pad, console, and headliner. The faux woodgrain on the gauge fascia could be deteriorating slightly, but replacement kits are readily available and fairly inexpensive. The overall condition makes me believe that the interior received a retrim when the exterior was refreshed. The Rallye gauge cluster features a factory tachometer, and the factory AM/FM radio occupies its rightful spot in the dash. Speakers are cut into the door and rear trims, which may indicate an aftermarket stereo hidden inside this classic. The heater controls show evidence of air conditioning switches, but there are no A/C components under the hood.
Hmm, a 440ci Six-Pack, a three-speed TorqueFlite transmission, power steering, and power front disc brakes. That’s a tasty combination the new owner receives once they hand over the cash for this Challenger. It is a numbers-matching classic that is in excellent mechanical health. The Six-Pack churns out 390hp and 490 ft/lbs of torque. The only engine more powerful was the legendary 426 Hemi, but many buyers struggled to justify the extra cost of a motor that delivered 425hp and 490 ft/lbs of torque. Besides, most owners would have been extremely satisfied with what they had under their right foot with this classic. The ¼-mile journey would become a memory in 14 seconds, and keeping the pedal to the metal would see the 440 run out of breath at 132mph. This classic is in excellent mechanical health, only seeing active service for the occasional weekend outing or show. The previously mentioned video clip shows a cold start, and while the motor seems reluctant initially, it sounds as strong as an ox wants it roars into life.
Total Dodge Challenger production for 1970 was 76,935 cars. However, only 793 buyers selected the R/T equipped with a 440 Six-Pack/TorqueFlite combination. That makes this a relatively rare car in the big picture, although the bidding action has been more subdued than many might have expected. I won’t be surprised if it intensifies as the end draws near, but do you think someone will hit the BIN on this R/T? It might be worth watching to see if it happens.
Amazing car. The longer automatic shifter from the earlier Mopars, is a much more elegant application.
Nice car, but never liked that color. Reminds me of a certain lizard that would just as soon forget. What is with that shifter handle?
Love the silly dog dish covers. No one actually ran those back then. They were ordered that way to cut costs. The actual owner almost always put new after market wheels one them, yet today on these goofy priced restos, many seem to have them as that is what they originally came with.
Yeah, the doggie bowl craze has kinda hit peak over-done-ery. I have a set for my Olds since that is how the car was ordered; 4 speed, no air, 3.42 rear. I assume the original buyer ditched the wheels immediately for a set of Cragars or some other mag of the time in 1970. It does get a little old seeing them on a lot of these restos though. I swap mine out with SSI’s to break up the monotony. No surprise, average everyday non-car people much prefer the latter.
I’d take the 6pack off & drop EFI+NO² on it w/a valve kit in the Trans that’d be good 150-200hp
Save the 6pk for later
This is a U code 440, not an original V code 6 pak car per the fender tag. That one letter on the tag makes a big difference in price.
Yes, back in the day, you could buy all the parts, manifold, carbs, linkage, air cleaner etc. as OEM items right over the parts counter. It wasn’t even that expensive to do so. I love the look with the dog dish wheels.
Great color too. Too rich for my budget, but it was fun when they were cheap!
30 – 40 grand on a hard top , this is still a nice car , it looked nice for the buy now price
Price is inline with U code car given its condition. Won’t find a v code car with the same level of detail for under 100. Listing on eBay states U code as well.
6 Pak cars did not have a/c.
Not an A/C car. That’s Strato-Ventilation.
It’s a good daily driver musclecar,not totally numbers matching and some minor flaws.It would be a six figure price if it were real.With a bigger cam and some other tuning tweaks,425 hp or more can be easily achieved,no Hemi required….
I had a 70 Challenger 440 magnum 6 pack car, pistol grip 4 speed back in early 80s . Single 4 barrel 6 pack setup was missing. Nothing but a rattle wagon and stuck to the road like shortening on a hot frying pan! All over the place! It’s no wonder there’s not many around anymore, most of them crashed and burned. Newer Challenger 10 times the car. Always preferred the GM muscle cars.
Yep. Drove a 70 Challenger R/T V code in 2005. Was like sitting on an empty pizza box. Terrible driving. Looked great and the sound out the back far better than today’s stupid cars. Plum Crazy was the top selling color choice in 1970.
nice car but not a $78,000. car with an automatic and the 6 pack and rear wing added to the car, but it does present well, in person inspection is always the best!!
The bulging in the vinyl top is from a few spots of clue adhesive not sticking, the top is not rusty rather a few spots that could use a glue injection.
My buddy in high school traded in his 68 SS 396/375 Chevelle for a 70 440 SixPack with a 4 speed… came with E78x14 whitewalls and full wheel covers. Plum Crazy with a white top and interior. Got it from Mr Norm’s in Chicago, the original wheels and tires were appropriated by someone on the dealers lot, he wanted the car, so they pulled a set off a base car and away he went. He beat the ever loving snot out of that car from the day he got it, needless to say the rear tires were quickly incinerated. He put on some L60x14 Mickey Thompson’s on it. That car ran unbelievable fast until it wouldn’t… at about 10k miles. But in those 10k miles, it was one of the fasted “stock” cars ever. No headers, only a distributor recurve. He said break it in like you intend to drive it! Not a Chrysler guy, but that car made a lasting impression.