Stored 25 Years: 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE
The Challenger was Dodge’s foray into the “pony car” market that the Ford Mustang created almost single-handedly. Plymouth’s Barracuda was there 17 days earlier but never sold near as well. Chrysler waited until five years later to give Dodge its version of the Barracuda, just as the genre was beginning to fade with the public. This 1970 Challenger is both an R/T and an SE, meaning it has both muscle and luxury elements to offer its owner. Not running and needing lots of love, this Mopar is in Wichita, Kansas, and is available here on eBay. The current bid is $19,900, the reserve is unmet, and the “pass-go” price is $28,500.
Perhaps the Challenger was born to capitalize on the new E-body platform that benefitted the Barracuda in 1970. Challenger sales initially were on par with the Mercury Cougar and Pontiac Firebird, but not the Mustang or Chevy Camaro. Nearly 77,000 Challengers were built in 1970, its peak sales year. And just 2,522 were ordered as an R/T in SE trim. That brought a 383 cubic inch V8 as standard equipment, and the SE had a more formal, smaller rear window. The VIN and cowl tag identify this car as one of those.
This has been a one-owner auto for the past 25 years, having been stored indoors for all of it except for the past few months. It was sold originally in Oklahoma and the seller believes that 90% of the worn paint is original. So is the glass, but the windshield is cracked. Rust is apparent in a few places, but not rampant as we sometimes see here on Barn Finds. The exception is the trunk floor, which was toast and cut out, waiting for a replacement. Some new body pieces are there to help with a restoration.
The core of the engine (the block) is not original, having been lifted from a 1971 Chrysler product. It does not run, and the photos show an engine before and after some dismantling. Many of the accessory pieces to the motor are date-coded. The seller has accumulated some NOS parts that may help put the machine together again.
Missing are the original engine block, gas tank, and factory front seats (the ones there were lifted from a ’74 model). The car retains the SE’s smaller rear glass, which never made sense to me as it has to hinder rearward visibility. Challenger are popular cars to restore and this one has credentials that make it rarer than others. We’re betting that someone will restore this classic to its former glory – could that be you?
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Comments
How deep is the 1970-74 Dodge Challenger market? Seems like every one ever made is now or has been on Barn Finds, time to unload (as if your kids really want these), or time to buy because you had better do it now or you will be to old to enjoy shortly? I love’em, but why sooo many relicts for sale?
I’ve been around people that have been making the same proclamations since the late-80’s/early-90’s, so far nothing they’ve predicted has come to pass.
Some day, there are segments that will come down, but it’s likely the cars that never had a strong following in the first place. Any car where its main attribute is, “it will draw attention at a coffee and car”, is something I can see leading the way down, not a traditional muscle car.
Steve R
Or those who rake in the cash selling the traditional muscle car hope that the market for the other type falls off first. The rise of interest in things like station wagons must really gall guys who make a killing cranking out superficially refurbished “belly button cars.”
That it’s a verified R/T-SE makes this worth looking into. If I can’t get a date-code correct 383 I would ask the seller to slash the price below $20K. Except for the trunk floor this looks reasonably solid. The aftermarket has blessed us with plenty of restoration parts and the total investment on this should not exceed $40K, including haggling, parts and labor.
Was the overhead consol still in it?
Always thought the smaller back window looked better but the again I’m a little weird when it comes to rear windows having owned a 63 split window corvette for 52 years. Good day
Dang…..I’d hope nobody would find thislisted. Been looking at it for awhile now and it does look very solid except for the trunk and good trunk cars are hard to find. Even my R/T spent a lot of time garaged and in the 80’s was showing some trunk rot. Nice color combo you don’t see – and a SE…….
I had the same car, color and all, except mine had the bumble bee stripe at the rear.
Car had been on FB Marketplace for awhile….nice rare colored car and lots of good NOS parts……..have fun !
Always thought the smaller back window looked better but the again I’m a little weird when it comes to rear windows having owned a 63 split window corvette for 52 years. Good day