1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 4-Speed (NOT a clone)

1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Description

This 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T is a rare red on red, U-code, 4 speed with low original miles. This is an original Texas car. Yep, it has the fender tags and build sheet.

How to best describe this car? Not sure this analogy works perfectly, but it fits. This car is like a house you buy in the right neighborhood. Everyone you meet will be impressed as soon as you say “I live on Boardwalk”. They might walk up the drive and pause just briefly, noting that the exterior of the house could use a little bit of touch up. Once they go inside however they are awed, as everything is new, everything is right and it is obvious that meticulous care has been taken to make sure that is the case. Don’t take the below improvements incorrectly, I started driving the car when I got it many years ago, it was “stored” in my heated garage during the winter and I had time to tinker with it to improve things that were not perfect.

Same deal with this Challenger, look at some of the pictures. From the very inside out (new gaskets everywhere inside from the heater housing to the duffy plate). New wiring harness anywhere anything was amiss. Everything cleaned and or refinished or repainted as necessary. Look at the ash tray, you could eat out of it. You might buy a house and then discover that you need to buy all new appliances, light bulbs, some missing trim, etc. Not here. If you are missing the jack, you might spend a few hundred for a correct jack. Not here, that is present. Many have rotted exhaust tips, these are new. Same story in many places, everything was restored and with great care and attention to detail. How many vehicles don’t have simple things like the right seat belts? You might have to drop $1000 on something like that if they are gone. And just try and find things like the right seat belt retractor covers. Detail in things like making sure all interior screws are correct, the reverse light is there. The dash is new (see if you can find one without a crack). The radio speaker cover is not cracked, all the perfect touches.

Engine and drivetrain. Engine is not numbers matching, drivetrain is correct and original to the car. The engine might be, it is a 70 block and has been with the car for the 20 years I have owned it. The engine casting date is 7-31-69, with the car manufactured date inside the door showing as November of 1969, so it is curious that they seem to indicate they could have been mated at the factory, everyone knows that Dodge sometimes put in what they had available.

What has been done to make the car great? Here are some of the things, not enough room to list everything.

Big Things – New Centerforce Clutch. New leaf springs. New Holley carb. New front suspension from Performance Suspension Technology (ball joints, bushings, steering linkage, sway bar, etc). New 15 inch wheels from Summit Racing. Ceramic Headers and new exhaust pipes (TTI Exhaust from Mancini Racing). New interior (front buckets, rear seat), both including new foam. New carpeting, new headliner. All correct from Legendary interior. Engine rebuilt by TPI Specialties (Cottrell Racing), then dyno tuned by Applied Dyno technology before installation. New dash.

Medium Things – New correct gas tank, new pinion snubbers, New smaller, lighter weight, higher performance starter that can stand the heat of the headers. New emergency brake cables. Correct fan shroud. Radiator flush, pressure test and small crack fixed. New shift fork. New ball joints. Front and rear shocks. New Brake lines. New wheel bearings and seals. Correct jack, refinished and repainted. New fuel pump, aftermarket Temp and Oil gauges. New power steering gearbox. New and correct rear exhaust tips. New Body plugs. New u-joints, refinished driveshaft. New 6 Quart oil pan. Rebuild kit for the heater box.

Bigger than little things – Brake drums sand blasted and painted and refinished. Ditto for control arms. New correct washer fluid bottle. New turn signal switch, upgraded to halogen headlights (thank you Year One). New motor mounts, new pillar trim. New pistol grip. New speedometer cable. Front firewall pad.

Time to embark on a new project, so the Challenger must go. I have had the car for nearly 20 years, and have enjoyed working on it and loved driving it, as well as all the complements you get and the people that want to talk to you. I just wish that everyone would not always say “beautiful Charger”, how come everybody knows “Charger” and only a few “Challenger”?

Not only will you enjoy the drive, the looks, the complements and the conversation, this is a great investment vehicle with the 50th anniversary quickly approaching, these vehicles are projected to dramatically increase in value. Get yours while the getting is good. The 1970 model year was so good, that they had to use it for the model when re-introduced the Challenger.

I have all the receipts and records of what has been done.

Original build sheet with the car. 58xxx miles. Clear title in my name. The car comes with the original build sheet and fender tag. It drives and runs very strong.

The Challenger came from the factory with the 440 engine, 4-speed transmission and Dana 60 Super Track Pack rear end! This car is very quick and a blast to drive.

The interior is all new from Legendary. It has factory C55 buckets and R11 AM radio. All of the carpeting is new as well and as are the floor mats.

The car is listed in Galen Govier’s Chrysler Registry.

Options from the build sheet listed below.

• Factory Options:
• FE5 Medium Red Paint
• A01 – Light Package
• A33 – 3.54:1 Dana 60 Track Package
• A62 Rally Instrument Cluster
• B11 – Heavy Duty Drum Brakes – E body
• C55 Bucket Seats
• C93 Carpet or mats
• D21 4-Speed
• F96 Oil Pressure / Temp Gauges
• G15 Tint Windshield
• G33 O/S LH Remote Race Mirror
• G41 I/S Day/Night Mirror
• H11 Front Heater with Defroster
• J11 Glove Box Lock
• J15 Cigarette Lighter
• J21 Electric Clock
• J25 3 speed variable wipers
• J31 Dual Horns
• J45 Hood tie down pins
• J55 Hood Insulation Pad
• J64 Wood Grain Instrument Panel
• L15 Ash Tray Light
• L25 Trunk Light
• L72 Headlamp Warning Light
• L74 – Title/SW/w time Delay
• L76 – Heater Control Lamp
• M21 Roof drip Rail moldings
• M26 Wheel Lip molding
• M83 Rear Bumper Guards
• N41 Dual exhaust
• N42 Chrome exhaust tips
• N65 7 blade clutch fan
• N51 maximum engine cool
• N85 Tachometer
• R11 AM Radio
• S15 – Hemi XHD Suspension with front sway bar
• S25 – HD/firm ride shock absorber
• S31 – Front Sway Bar
• S77 – Power Steering
• S81 – Simulated Wood steering wheel