Dodge was the last U.S. manufacturer to get into the “pony car” space, more than five years after the Ford Mustang created a huge stir. The Challenger would share the same new platform as the Plymouth Barracuda in 1970-74, but none of the primary sheet metal. This ’71 Challenger has had two misfortunes come its way: the roof was rusted out due to a defunct vinyl covering, and it got in a bad front engine collision, which created frame damage. Located in a scrap yard in Logan, Utah, this Challenger is available here on eBay for parts or a major restoration. The current bid is $890 with an unmet reserve.
Being a latecomer in a market that was about to contract, the Dodge Challenger sold well in 1970 at nearly 77,000 units. But demand dropped to 27,000 copies the following season (a similar decline was also experienced by the Barracuda). The cars had a reputation for being performers, so the insurance industry’s crusade against muscle cars also spilled over onto the ponies. The seller’s Challenger was built with a routine 318 cubic inch V8 that has since been replaced by a big 440 in unknown running condition due to the wreck.
We don’t know what happened first, the wreck or the ruined roof, as the car appears to have been sitting a long time. Mother Nature has had to opportunity to capitalize on both of these situations and the overall condition of the automobile is rather poor. But we’re told it’s mostly complete, so if it’s parts you need, perhaps something here is still usable. But there are a lot of bent or rusted pieces to choose from.
When the car was wrecked, some damage to the frame occurred. So, assessing how bad that is and whether it’s feasible to repair will require further scrutiny. The seller has inner fenders and front frame rails to go with the deal, in addition to a good flat hood the buyer is welcome to. Regarding this vehicle, what would you do? Harvest it for parts, restore it at considerable expense, or just walk away?
It needs to stay where it’s at, in the junk yard.
For a low enough price, there might be some salvageable parts in the back half.
Calling hrs are 3-5 pm & 7-9 pm this weekend at the dodge bros funeral parlor the family requests in lieu of flowers donate some repo sheet metal to a high school auto class. Amen
Look at what’s next to it though!
Available for a ‘major restoration’?!! Surely they jest!
A parts car for sure – no one in their right mind would restore this 318 Challenger.
The Vanishing Roof Challenger
Remove usable interior items and whatever other bits and shred it. Even in today’s world a 1000 bucks is pushing it.
Well… this depends.
25 years ago I saw a BFG poster of a pink T/A and a lime green AAR lined up at a traffic light on Woodward Blvd. Amd 30 years before that I saw Savage or Gurney running a pink T/A at Lime Rock.
I wanted one.
Problems were pink T/As were never common
Pink T/As in mint condition were virtually non existent. And IF you found a really nice one …which after a year I hadnt the price was around 50 000.
AND THEN…the Challenger was a relatively heavy pony car . And the 340 6 pAK engine was short on horsepower overcarbed short on torque and the handling and brsking was s o so.
I ve never been a numbers match guy where muscle cars and poney cars were concerned.
But… I wouldnt modify a rare classic car to get where I wanted to go either. What I really wanted was a pink T/A that ran and hsndled like the old TransAm cars back in 1970.
Which meant I needed around 450 hp lots of torque for a heavy street car and that was streetable and hanfled well enough to auto cross from time to tim e.
So I bought a 70 base Challenger for 2500 out of the California Central Valley..
And I bought a 1973 360 compete engine out of a junkysrd from a wrecked policecar for 125.00.
The car needed everything of vourse a nd had a rusty top but no perforations. Floor pans were good truk pan had to be trplaced along with a front fender . Two weeks later using a rented sand blsster there was no rust in the car it was in bare metal with a new repo fender and a complete new trunk pan butt welded in.
A year a nd 40 000 later… A 366 LA engine producing 440 ft lbs of torque and 435 hp running aluminium int a ke and cylinder heads CNC ported courtesy of Edelbrock. 440 torsion bars and aftermarket tubular A arms 440 6 pack rear springs Bilstein shocks subframes tied together front and rear disc brakes and 8 spoke mini lite wheels running Good Year Blue Streak racing tires. Air conditioned since the 318 had AC but with a modern Sanyo compressor .6 p a k with proper hood and hood se a l . Aluminium radiator. Chrysler NP 4 speed Auto trans beefed up with full lockup converter and OD.
⁷
Well… it depends.
On what you want to d o with the car.
Start with a full inspection of the car to see how much rust is elsewhere.
If nominal then determine where and how much you can find a new roof and whether its economic to desl with the front subfra.e damage and body pan. Take your favorite bodyman along for the inspection. If the floor pans rocker boxes trunk pan and suspension pick up points are solid. And the cost of the above plus the cost of the car doesnt exceed around 10 000 then buy it.
Get a clean stripped shell and proceed more or less as follows.
Youve got a 440. You re going to hsve to go thru it anyw a y. Get a Scat stroker kit and take the engine out to 505 . Get a set of CNC ported Edelbrock aluminimum heads and dual plane high rise aluminium manifold. Use the 440 6 pak front torsion bars and staggered 440 6 pak rear springs use Hotchkis A arms etc and Bilstein shocks. Convert to a HD tremec 5 or 6 spd trans.
Out bavk use either a 8 3/4 spool with a 3.5 or a Dana 60 with Moser shortened axles.
Convert to BIG 4 whl disc brakes .relocate a big Group 27 battery to the trunk.
You get the ide a by now. Exterior and interior refurb to taste and budget.
25 years ago I did a similiar project except zi didnt have a roof problem I had a trunk pan problem. But I bought the car for 2000 dollars. It was a base 318 2bbl with the 904 au T o and the 7 inch rear end.
Except zi used a 360 LA engine as a start point because I wanted at least double digit gas mileage and the best handling possible. I wound up with a 366 small block producing 440 foot lbs of torque and 432 hp at the crank.
The car handles quite well . Power is adequate but not what you could attain with a 505….think close to 600 give or take.
Point is iven caveats above the car MAY be an economic starting point for a restomod. Excepting the roof and body pan and relatively che a p front end sheet metal youre going to be replacing the front suspension anyway .
And even if it wasnt damaged it would be worn out and need a complete rebuild of the front and rear suspension if for no other reason than the rubber bushings are rottd.
On the plus side the Challenger has heavy resto support from the aftermarket.
And you have perhaps a pre 1978 440 core motor to work with that now unlike 25 years ago has heavy aftermarket support and speed equipment.
I stil have my 70 Challenger in Panter Pink With athe c I rrect blsck vinyl roof black graphics and black perforated leather seats.
It still looks runs and drives about 98 percent as well as the day I finished it. Probably the best looking pony car I built excepting possibly a 67 Shelby GT500 clone in smke silver with black stripes .
That car runs a Ford package 363 engine rated at 500 hp a Tremec 5 spd a 9 inch 31 spline locker rear and a LOT of suspension and brske work.
Nether car is nu.vers match. Neither car is a trailer queen. Both had humble beginnings. Both can be accurately described as about 1.5 condition cars.
In todays world neither are blindingly fast.
But both are sreetable both sill run out at over155 mph and both were fun and interesting to build.
Im frequently offered what I consider stupid money for each of them..
Re d tomodded cars if done oroperly can bring in excess of what the originals bring.
And oerform far in excess of the originals.
In closing I repeat… inspect this car. Consider what you have what yo re going to do with it and what you re going to use.
I wouldnt restore this car to original even if it had a good top and no crash damage. Its not worth doing even if the car were free. At best… after inspection for rust you might after cleaning and refurbishing have a few pieces of shhet metal and glass.
Yeah it’s past life support for sure.
Bench seat? I have never seen an E body w/ a bench seat.