After Ford introduced the Mustang in 1964, the other American manufactures scrambled to respond with their own versions of the Pony car. For Chevrolet, it came as the Camaro. For the Chrysler Group, their response came much later with the introduction of Challenger in 1970. The Challenger was really a different kind of Animal, but it held its own against most Pony cars. This 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T is a survivor with its original 383 V8. It has been garaged, cared for, and documented its entire life and is ready to be driven and enjoyed. Find it here on eBay.
Unlike most of its Pony car competitors, the Challenger was more about brute force and forward acceleration than about handling. That isn’t to say it isn’t a fun car to drive, just make sure you’ve planned ahead for those fast turns. This R/T has its original 383 cui V8, which churns out a respectable 335 hp and is mounted to a four speed manual transmission.
The interior looks to be in good shape, but the photos aren’t the best. The majority of this cars life was spent under the care of the second owner, who purchased it in 1973 and had it until 2010. During that period of time it was carefully maintained and retains all its documentation since new. The odometer currently read 65,000 miles and this can be backed up by all the documents that come with it.
The paint has a few thin spots and a couple places have been touched up already, but the paint is otherwise original and in good condition. We love the high intensity Sublime green paint and it really makes the car standout in a crowd. While it might not be the mighty Hemi powered Challenger, it would still be a fun survivor to own and show, plus it won’t break the bank. We are sure there are a few of you out there that have some fond memories of the Challenger and we would love to hear about them!
Every time I see one of these I remember the yellow and black 1970 Challanger T/A 340 six pack I saw at a dealership in the mid 80’s. Price was $3,895…way too much for a used car, I thought at the time. I’m still kicking myself.
Yes I hear that 1973 my friend purchased burnt orange and black Challenger 70 RT SE 440 automatic a/c $1,850
Can anyone tell me WHY that green is so popular? Every third car, it seems,. at TV’s auto auctions is painted that awful green. Ken……I know what you mean about past auto prices. Imagine how I feel. In the mid 1960’s I sold a very fine, not raced or abused, 1955 Porsche Super Speedster for………..$!500 Y E S…… $1500 Last one I saw at auction went for $269,500. I can’t think about that at night or I lose sleep!!
We older car guys all have these stories . How about the friend that offered me a low mileage mint 67 427 Vette coupe for $2,900, it sold to Bridghampton raceway for a pace car, about in 71, I was several years younger & at 20 years old I couldn’t come up with that kind of cash, but I knew it was a keeper.
AT THE AGE OF 16 I HAD A FRIEND WHO WAS MORE LIKE AN OLDER BROTHER WHO HAD A ’60 CORVETTE RACE CAR CALLED POISON MAN.THE ONLY PAINT ON IT WAS A HYPEDERMIC(SP) NEEDLE DRIPPING ONTO A SKULL AND CROSSBONES.HIS TOW CAR WAS A ’62 CORVETTE THAT WAS THE ONE I REALLY WANTED BUT HE WAS SELLING OFF POISON MAN TO RESTORE THE ’62. HE WANTED ONLY $600 FOR THE CAR THAT NEEDED WORK BUT IT WAS STILL A ’62 CORVETTE.HE SAID HE WOULD FEEL BAD IF I BOUGHT IT AND SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME OR THE CAR BROKE DOWN. LOOKING BACK HE WAS PROBABLY RIGHT CAUSE I DAMN NEAR KILLED MYSELF IN THE ’69 CUDA RACE CAR I BOUGHT INSTEAD.THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THE ’69 CUDA WAS IT WASN’T A ’62 VETTE AND YES HE IS STILL LIKE MY OLDER BROTHER AND HIS KIDS CALL ME UNCLE LITTLE FREDDIE BUT THAT’S ANOTHER STORY…….
Tricky………yep, Speedsters were a dime a dozen. My ex-neighbor bought a Porsche Spyder for $7500…….yes a real Spyder. When he brought it out one day I looked over and asked why he would buy anything so darn ugly……..goes to show you what I knew.
I no longer desire muscle/pony cars .. These were/are cheap tinny cars made with the cheapest interiors I have ever seen. Oddly….I like it. But never enough to give up my Loti…………never
A Loti TC is apples & oranges to this, never was a fan of Chrys. myself but I do appreciate that someone has kept this up all this time, it can be done I had an Alfa for 26 years & it looked & ran better then the day I got it.
Back in that day, there was a guy received a yellow R/T just in time for high school graduation. It had a 383/auto. The guy got spinning donuts on the highway at the entrance to the town when another kid came around the bend at full tilt. He had a brand new Toyota Celica ST and planted that R/T’s rear wheel square in the middle of that ST’s rad. Both cars written off with less than 6K miles on them.
I would love to find a yellow R/T like the one that boy had (before the crash).
~ despite the genre being called ‘pony’ cars the Ford Mustang was preceded to market by the Plymouth Barracuda. only by a couple weeks but aren’t we all glad they don’t call them ‘fishy’ cars?
The color is an acquired taste and likely tied to nostalgia. It brings back nice memories.
While I love this green on this car, there is no way I’d order it on my wife’s new Subaru.
Looks like the turbo clamp is loose and the spare tire is missing
If this was Chrysler’s response to the Mustang what was the 1966 Dodge Charger a response to?
The Dodge Charger was a response to the fastback fad started by the Mustang and the Barracuda, but on a much larger scale.
http://www.musclecarclub.com/musclecars/dodge-charger/dodge-charger-history.shtml
The GTO, etc!
Drove a ’70 AAR ‘Cuda in the late 70’s. Impressive power. Awesome styling.
The interior looked cheap and plastic and friends who owned those Mopars told
of knobs falling off all the time and pieces didn’t seem to fit quite right. Very
cool-looking car though.
AHhhhhh yes, brings back the memories, …My Dusk Rose (Maroon) and India Ivory (White) 55 Chevy Belair, 66 Marina Blue, L-79 Nova Super Sport, nor the Black 916 Porsche, got me the looks, comments, and ‘Chicks’, like the 71 ‘Hemi’ Orange Plymouth Duster ‘Twister’ that I got when I graduated High school… Those colors that Chrysler had were chick magnets in case any of you ‘youngsters’ didn’t know it…LOL… and for all you oldsters who forgot ! Also Most of those Chrysler Muscle Monsters were the fastest thing around straight off the dealership floor, unlike the competitors at Ford or Chevy, …well… except for the ‘Afterthought’ cars like the Shelbys and the Motion Corvettes and the like…
I havent written here before but thought I would this time due to the memories of the cars I had and buddies had just like this one, The AAr ‘Cuda, The SuperBird, also both Hemi Orange, and not to forget the ‘Boss Hoss’ 429 …I was so lucky to grow up as a teen during these times and be able to go back and restore many of these same cars as an ‘Older guy’ now…
this car was not Chryslers answer to the Mustang, the Barracuda was. This car was just the Dodge version of the Cuda. Dodge’s premier muscle car was the Charger. If they hadn’t retired the Plymouth brand todays Challenger woulda/shoulda been a Cuda. Look back in magazines of the day for the Hemi Cuda, oh my gawd…that car rocked!
I can’t imagine one of todays rice racers getting into what was my second car 69 Shelby , 429 Cobra Jet , putting out 650 hp .The engine had to be chained to the frame due to motor mount breakage . Sitting here reading these memories still makes the hair on the back of my neck tingle . I was 21 it was 4:00 on a Sunday morning flew through this small town , it wasn’t even a blink , 20 miles later there’s a road block shades of vanishing point I.saw them from far enough away that I slowed down enough to stop for them and asked what the problem was . With eyes popping out of his sockets he demanded my licence ,which he immediatly tore up ! I was put in his police while they checked out my car . about a 1/2 hr latter he told me to get out of his car and he flew off in a rage. I asked why he was so up upset and was told I went through a 30 mph school – church zone and blasted his radar so hard it broke and he had no proof of what had happened . After that every time I drove by that town I got pulled over , they never missed that Black Cherry Shelby !!
Good morning! I am the original owner of this very vehicle! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I searched Google images to show a coworker the vehicle. I can tell you everything I had done to the car, like taking the mufflers off and running straight pipes from the resonator. I was young and dumb and upbadged the vehicle when i took off the 383 magnum emblems and had put on the 440 magnum emblem on the hood. I am interested in getting this Mopar right back in my garage next to my hellcat. Please message me so we can discuss our options. Thank you for your time!
Gene
Gene Bowden
Bowden 1364@yahoo.com
This is Gene Bowden again I am the first owner of this 1970 challenger R/T
If the new owner would like to sell , my email address is
bowden1364@yahol.com
This is the car my wife and I went on her honeymoon with
Thanks
Gene Bowden