Restoration In Progress: 1970 Dodge Charger Project
There are so many things to take into account once you decide to move forward with a restoration, with one of the more important choices being whether or not to keep the car as original as possible or go the other way and make it your own, regardless of how it left the factory. If the vehicle isn’t a numbers-matching example to start with, maybe it’s easier to rest at night building a Restomod, but do you still go that route if the original engine and transmission are in the car? This 1970 Dodge Charger here on eBay is easing in the direction of at least somewhat becoming a custom, but it’s still not really past the point where the next owner can choose how he prefers to move forward. The B-Body can be seen in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with bidding just beyond the $20k mark so far and a reserve that’s yet to be seen.
This photo is as close as we get to seeing the beginning of the work-in-progress, so we don’t really know what the car looked like when the seller first acquired it. But he does tell us that some of the sheet metal has been replaced, including the trunk pan, quarters, and parts of the floor.
There’s also a fender tag mentioned, and although we don’t get to view it apparently Bright Blue Metallic was the factory color, which has been sprayed all over the outside, inside, trunk, undercarriage, and rear bumper. The front bumper is still chrome and can be seen here, which looks to be in nice shape, and the headlight motor is also included.
The original 383 engine is also present, which is said to turn over freely by hand and has good compression, with the owner not feeling the need for a rebuild at this time. His plan was to install new gaskets, re-assemble, give it a tune-up then call it a day. The 4-speed transmission is also stated as a factory component, though we don’t get any information beyond this regarding its functionality.
Down below is where the mods are starting to show the most, and I completely understand and appreciate the owner’s mindset of modern upgrades, as he’s added a Hotchkis suspension and is in the process of setting things up for 17-inch or larger wheels. But I’m also keen on keeping things stock, not that one choice is right and the other is wrong, it’ll just have to be up to the person who inherits this project which direction to continue in.
I’m not sure the inside could have been taken down any further to the blank canvas level, and the seller assures us it’s all there including the dash but will need to be redone. He’s already sourced an IDIDIT tilt steering column, which would be a fun addition if the future owner chooses to go for a custom, but I’m curious how our readers are feeling about the crossroads where this Charger seems to be currently- would you continue on the Restomod road, or undo some of the custom touches and return things to the factory specs?
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Comments
Looks like someone’s trying to dig themselves out of a money pit. Good luck.
to answer your question, mike…i keep up with the resto mod. while i wouldn’t go to 17s or bigger, i’d leave the aftermarket suspension. and then add in options i want. the 383 would stay but i might source a 5spd and gear it for how i would drive it.
as for melton’s comment… it is also possible that real life got in the way of this pet project, and rather than letting it languish in unfavorable conditions. it was decided to pass it along.
most people don’t get this far and just stop because they hit a magic dollar limit.
Hi Eric, this is actually my car and I really dig this article on it. Thanks for the great write up Mike!! Actually the only reason I’m letting go of this beauty which was my dream to finish, is because I now have the opportunity to buy a dear friends 70 superbird who passed during the 1st yr of covid and his family which is you could say like my family now. They offered the bird to me which is basically any mopar guys wet dream which is to own a real wing car, so sadly I’m not fortunate enough to be able to keep both to make this amazing opportunity come to fruition, so the charger has to find a new home sadly.
Hi Louis,
Thanks for letting us know more details about your Charger! Sorry to hear about your friend’s passing. Yep, I’d say you’re correct about a Superbird being at minimum one of the dream cars of most Mopar guys, and it’s quite an opportunity that you now have the chance to own one. Keep us posted on what happens with your Charger and tell us more about the ‘Bird when you have time!
While I am always happy to see Chargers, I know that other makes and models are emerging to daylight. I have lost count of how many 1970 Chargers we have seen in the last two weeks, let alone 1968s and 1969s. I have owned more Mopar B-bodies than I can count, but I also enjoy seeing other makes and models.
Please keep up the excellent work!
I’m thinking redo the engine now. But then again, it’s probably best to let the new buyer do that. Also, it ships much better like this. :)
Sorry to hear about your friend and his family’s loss. Im sure he would’ve been pleased with your purchase of his prized possession. Good Luck and prayers / condolences to your friend’s family and you.
Looks great and in my favorite color to boot. If it was somewhere near me I would definitely be bidding
I doubt that is even the least bit true. Any serious buyer of a higher-dollar car like this would not let distance stand in the way. This is a perfect example of the ridiculousness that we all laugh at every day on Barn Finds…someone who just can’t help themselves and just has to expound on why they just can’t quite seem to be able to buy this particular car. “But, if only…”
I had a 70 Charger 500, 383 and the 4 speed. Seeing this down to the guts allows the new owner to do it the way they see fit.
That said, it would make the ultimate EV project as well. Don’t laugh and don’t cry until you see the end result.
There’s a guy here in my home state who did exactly that. He took a ’71 Plymouth Satellite and converted it to an EV, stripped the entire thing down. It runs the quarter mile much faster than most fossil fuel vehicles
Twin electric motors set up correctly and no fossil fueled vehicle stands a chance…. time to think like there never was a box in the first place..