The owner of this 1970 Dodge Challenger purchased the vehicle in 1982 as a restoration project. As often happens, this is a project that stalled before it could start. However, the owner has accumulated a significant stash of parts, and he includes these in the sale. Located in Knoxville, Illinois, you will find the Challenger listed for sale here on eBay. Spirited bidding has pushed the price beyond the reserve to $9,500. With a few days left on the listing, there’s still plenty of time for interested readers to stake their claim on this classic.
The Challenger last saw service in 1978, meaning that it had already been sitting for four years before the seller purchased it. The vehicle is finished in the ultra-desirable Plum Crazy with a White vinyl top. The paint has seen better days, although the vinyl looks surprisingly good. However, I believe that the buyer will probably replace this to ensure that the steel hiding beneath is rust-free. There is the usual rust that we’ve come to know and love in these classics. It has impacted the lower body extremities, but it’s not as bad in some examples of the Challenger that we’ve seen over the years here at Barn Finds. The surprise is the overall condition of the floors and frame. There’s no arguing that there’s plenty of surface corrosion, but penetrating rust seems pretty minimal. Even so, I think that a rotisserie restoration would be justified in this case because the foundations for this project look a long way above what we have come to expect in recent times.
When this Challenger was shiny and new, its engine bay housed a 318ci V8 and a 3-speed TorqueFlite transmission. The motor would’ve been producing 230hp, which was enough to send the vehicle down the ¼ mile in 16.5 seconds. The original owner also chose to equip this Dodge with power steering and power brakes. It appears that the transmission is intact, but the original rear end has made way for a Sure Grip unit of 1971 vintage. Sitting on an engine stand is a 340ci V8 from the same year, and both the engine and stand are included in this sale. In sound health, this V8 should bring 275hp to the table. That’s sufficient to lop the ¼-mile ET to 15.2 seconds. Of course, the buyer might want to give this motor a birthday that would liberate even more power, and this process would be relatively easy and affordable.
The original owner liked their touches of luxury, which is apparent when we look at the car’s interior. As well as factory leather on the bucket seats, we find a console, Rally gauges, air conditioning, 3-speed wipers, a remote driver’s mirror, and a pushbutton AM radio. Some of the painted surfaces require attention, but the dash, pad, console, and door trims all look remarkably good. The seats would benefit from new foam and covers, while the small holes in the headliner would be sufficient to justify replacement if the buyer is seeking perfect presentation. Otherwise, the interior is complete and is begging for attention.
I earlier referred to the collection of parts included in this sale, and as you can see, it’s a pretty extensive assortment. I can spot a transmission, radiators, genuine Rally wheels, a couple of gauge clusters, distributors, brake components, and glass. That is merely scratching the surface, and while some of the items will require restoration, I would be glad to have them if I were tackling this project.
Theoretically, once restored, this 1970 Challenger would’ve been worth more as a numbers-matching classic than with an upgraded engine under the hood. However, sometimes theory and reality can be separated by a fair distance. With the supplied 340 occupying the engine bay, I can see no reason it couldn’t be worth around $35,000 if the work is completed to a high standard. That’s around the same value that you might expect if it were numbers-matching. However, with the car being so structurally sound, the buyer might choose to push the boat out on this one and plump for something a lot more powerful to satisfy their horsepower addiction. It is a blank canvas, so substituting a 440 or a Hemi is not out of the question. If you bought this Dodge, what would you do?
It’s no wonder trim rings for these are hard to find. This guy had them all.
Instructions included?
Adam, I wouldn’t be too quick to toss out the seat covers. According to the fender tag, this car was optioned with factory leather seats There’s a chance with some care they could be brought back. If that fails then you could always throw on the vinyl ones.
Always wanted a 1:1 scale model kit!
And as a bonus all the parts have already been removed from those pesky trees. Remember, always cut, never twist when removing. The amount of Testors required to hold it together is going to be staggering.
Went thru many band aids building kits using exacto knives!
Looks like a nice tarp.
Wow im impressed
I mean, yes, its overpriced as they all are, but if it was in my possession I would build out the 340 a bit to get power a little over 300hp. Then put the rest back to spec. It all depends on the condition of the underside as a rotisserie would be very expensive. Would need to add A/C in east Texas, lol.
If upgrading to the 340 it would be a good idea to upgrade from the little 904 torqueflite to the larger 727.
Steve as I read this it shows to be a real feel of 105 but at only 47% humidity. That’s mild for Deep East TX 😁. Of course, I haven’t had my 72 Javelin out in months, so, yeah, working AC would nice.
Why waste time and money on this 318, plain Jane car ? It was nothing special in 1970 other than the color. If your going to fool with Challengers find at least an 1970 R/T model. That way you at least get a big block engine. Yes, a T/A would be nice but difficult to even find let alone purchase.
Exactly.
You just answered your own question.
Scarce supply and price of big block R/T’s is why this will be bought.
While it might not be a bruising big block, that 340 will still give you a fun ride and it will handle and brake better than the big block version.
To me it’s all about where the collectible car ranked in the car culture of the year it was manufactured and this car was at the bottom. I ordered a new 1970 Challenger R/T , 440 Magnum in Sublime. Waited 9 weeks to get it. That car would be a true collectible today, this car? — not hardly.
Best of luck to whomever decides to tackle this! I see a few good parts there, but the buyer will have a hard time fitting those 72-74 Chally taillights in this car…
Incredible that a POS when new looks this bad after 8 short years of use. I daily drive my 1997 Plymouth here in salt city NE PA. To date, 120,000 miles and zero rust. Why? I over maintain it and every fall coat the bottom with Fluid Film. People are so stupid.
It’s great that you care for your cars, but comparing 1997 sheet metal to early 70’s sheet metal is like comparing apples to oranges.
My ’73 Barracuda that I bought when I was 16 in 1978 was already rusting. My 2013 Charger with 157K miles and driven through 8 New England winters still looks brand new.
It wasn’t until there was a crackdown and manufacturers were forced to offer 10+ year corrosion warranties that things changed.
I feel bad for the owner. Bought it almost 40 years ago when he was 17, accumulated all of those parts, now realizes that he’ll never get to it.
Kind of heart breaking.
SOLD for $13,297.