Restoration Required: 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T
The seller of this Dodge Challenger is very candid about the car’s state. He says that it will require a full, professional restoration due to its rust issues. You will find this project car listed for sale here on eBay. Located in Bay Shore, New York, it is offered with a clear title. Bidding has been quite strong on this Dodge. In the past three days, bidding has risen from an opening bid of $1 up to its current bid of $10,000.
This Challenger certainly does have some rust issues, but in reality, I’m sure that we’ve probably all seen cars in worse condition brought back from the dead. As well as what can be seen from the shots of the underside of the car, there is rust in a number of places along the lower extremities of the car. This includes both lower rear quarter panels and rockers. There also appears to be rust appearing around the rear screen as well.
The trunk floor is also gone, so will require replacement. Looking at the general state of the car indicates that whoever chooses to take this car on would be best served to do a full rotisserie restoration to make sure that they get all of the rust issues.
The interior looks like it could be brought back with a bit of work, but there are some parts that are long gone. The rear seat looks good, as does the majority of the plastic trim. The front seats will require new covers and it will also need new carpet. The dash is an unknown quantity, but what we do know is that the original dash cluster and some of the wiring has also been removed.
The seller states that what you see is what you get with this Challenger. What you don’t get is the original engine or transmission. What originally resided here was the 390hp 440 Six Pack which was backed by the 3-speed automatic transmission. While these items are missing the seller does have documentary evidence to verify the specifications of this car. I have to say that the broadcast sheet makes for some mouth-watering reading. I don’t know about the rest of you, but the sight of such a classic car in this state is quite heartbreaking.
This Challenger represents both a major investment and a major restoration project. To see a once desirable car reduced to this state is really hard to take. Looking around the market at present shows clone cars that are achieving prices of around $40,000. While the VIN and the broadcast sheet verify what this car started life as without the original engine and transmission it won’t be numbers matching restoration. Even allowing for this, the eBay auction shows that there are more than a few people who can see plenty of potential in this car.
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Comments
Nice rust bucket.
Has anyone ever priced metal replacement parts on a challenger? The prices are astonishing and one needs a good line of credit to obtain them unlike Chevrolet or Mustang Parts.
So let’s get this straight a rough no engine or tran car with lineage of what used to be a six pack that can never be original is now coveted ?
It’s a future resto car with nom …
Enjoy and let the crazy drooling 🤤 bidding begin for those with money to burn .
No thanks for me ..
I’ll be shocked if the bidding stays under $20 grand. One thing is certain, having an intact build sheet as nice as this car has makes it a lock for a full restoration. Date coded blocks are sourced all the time. To me it’s a good and bad thing as it’s great that an original V code Mopar will be saved from oblivion but the outrageous investment to do so pushes the monitary chasim that’s killing our hobby. At least for regular guys like me.
Hmm may as well find a date coded warranty block, yeah, yeah, that’s the ticket! And put it back to a streetable condition. Yeah, original motor blew up drag racing. This is the warranty replacement. Its had some new sheet metal added but the rest is numbers matching. It does have racing history but was always kept drivable. Oops someone googled the serial number. May as well season it your liking. Money in will not equal money out here
That’s certainly a possible scenario, albeit the more cynical outcome. But it’s not always the case, how about original V code fully restored with NOM date coded 440 and original auto carbs. Retains some original sheet metal, repairs done properly on a rotisserie. Car comes included with as found pictures and original build sheet and fender tag. Granted after all that a guy might only break even on a car like this, maybe actually end up in the black if he’s skilled enough to put the damn thing together in his garage. Bottom line is that there are certainly more than a few theives in this game that would lie to your face and take thousands of dollars from you but there’s also a lot of good dudes who still build great cars that will give you the story straight and make good deals. If this car is what’s being listed, as rough as it is, it’ll be done and be worth something in the end. It’s only bid to $11 grand as of now. That’s a pretty good start for a car with these codes
And I agree, money in doesn’t always equal money out with old cars. But that’s not news to most of us.
I know where there is a motor. https://barnfinds.com/?p=233844
“page not found”, link doesn’t work.
Hi Glen, early access must not show up. I see its listed now. Take care Mike. https://barnfinds.com/original-1970-plymouth-superbird-440-engine/
I really hate these finds that have no motor, no this, no that. You really have to appreciate a truly original car, like that Camaro posting.
Id pop rivet some sheetmetal in the trunk, drop in a modern hemi from any wrecked POS, and drive the wheels off it, Imagine the looks you would get doing stoplight burnouts in this thing.
But it would fall apart and disintegrate before it rolled 20 feet!
In the past year I purchased a 1970 Plymouth Duster 340 / 4 speed that came with a couple of extra engines, transmissions, rear differentials, and a boat load of additional “parts”. After close examination I was the owner of a 70 340 AAR cuda motor that was 85% complete. There is a partial V.I.N. number on most MOPAR blocks and the owner was found and the motor re-united with the fully restored vehicle it belonged in.
There is always the possibility that the original 440-6 is out there, and who knows, lightning can strike twice…
Its rare but I think its scrap
(M)ostly (O)ld (P)arts (A)nd (R)ust.. I’ve been working my ass off since I was 15, and even with 20 years in the military, I’ll never understand where people get the money for cars that look like this. Then Put ANOTHER 50K into it. I’ld just as soon buy me a F-4 Phantom II and Fly Around and Use Things Like This For Targets….We all have a Dream……..
The F-4s, yes, remember them well. We called them the ‘double ugly’.
In the early 1970s I bought a ’70 Challenger R/T 383 automatic. Same color and side stripes, but a red interior and a column shifter. I found out (from Glen Campbell) soon after I bought it that it had been used on The Mod Squad television show, (I live in LA ) and Julie had to sit somewhere ;-). It was in great condition because it was only a few years old, had always been kept inside, and had never seen rain. I sold it to a dealer for $2400 Here’s a shot of it “on the set”.
Oh Julie!!!!!!
Yes we have a mopar site that list found motors, trans and rear ends trying to put them back together…kinda like that Shelby guy posting a finders fee of $5000 for the orginal 4 speed for his car that was turned into an automatic at some point.
More Mustangs and Cameros out there that need the same help – that’s one reason parts are cheap.