Turn-Key Survivor: 1970 Dodge Charger
It’s always fun to find an original muscle car that is drivable as-is. This one is a great example of a car that has been used, but loved, and while it needs a few things addressed here and there the next owner can work those out while still driving and enjoying it. With only 75k miles logged so far, there seem to be lots of life left in this Dodge. You can find it for sale here on eBay in East Greenbush, New York. At the time of writing, there are 3 days left and bids have reached $33,600.
By the time 1970 had rolled around, the muscle car market was hot and Chrysler had some excellent products. The Charger was one of those products, and the example here is the final year of the second generation (probably the generation most of us think of when talking about the Charger).
This car is mostly original, with a few updates made in 1981. As the story goes, the current seller is the 3rd owner, and he bought it from the 2nd owner who purchased it when he turned 16 in 1981. At that time, he had some patch panels put in the rear quarter panels, gave the car a fresh paint job, added aftermarket turbine wheels, and blacked out the grill and taillights (the original lights and bezel are in the trunk). So, you can technically make the argument this isn’t a completely unrestored, all-original Charger. However, it has had minimal work done and it’s part of the car’s history, so hopefully that won’t bother too many people.
Overall, this Charger present really well. You can see the repairs made 40 years ago are starting to bubble, but the rest of the paint looks good. The trim is minimal, but it’s all present and still is shiny. The seller has also included several photos of the trunk and underneath the car, so we can see it’s very solid. Apparently, it has been garage-kept, which has no doubt helped preserve this Dodge, and it looks like the vinyl top has survived too.
The interior also looks pretty good. The only major flaw mentioned is a split seam in the driver door panel. The seats, headliner and carpet all look clean and undamaged. I personally would have vacuumed out the driver’s footwell before taking photos, but at least it just looks like dried leaves and such, and the floor mats have probably protected the carpet from any stains.
The engine is the original numbers-matching 318 V8. It came from the factory with A/C that was removed years ago to gain a few horsepower, but all components are included in the sale. It reportedly gets 20mpg on the highway, while still having a good amount of power. This car starts right up, runs great, and can be enjoyed right away.
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Comments
If you at the enlarged pictures in the ebay ad, there is what appears to be water in the trunk. Also, the rear valence corners have been smoothed over (probably when the quarter panel patches were done). I’m the3rd owner of an unrestored ’70 Charger 500, and I’ll be watching this one closely, as I may need to increase the insurance valuation on my car! GLWTA!! :-)
Moparman, I really love your car. Thank you for all the pictures you post. Your car is the best of all worlds. A sporty looking car with a sensible and reliable engine. (That is why almost all of them came that way, thank you for leaving it as such. I applaud your wisdom)
I am with you moparman there is water in the trunk. Also the console is held closed with a bungie cord. I think the future owner should be careful about looking at the car to see what surprises it hides before he buys
If left out in the rain, mine leaks too. Replaced rear window and trunk seal yet it continues to happen. Definitely not the worst thing in the world if you keep the car out of the elements.
Many, I assure you. Water in the trunk is a bad sign.
Or you could just sell the car to one of us. . .My uncle bought a 69
Charger with a 383 new and I traded my hand-me-down AMC Gremlin for it as a senior in high school. The Gremlin ran like a top and he needed reliable transportation. The Charger had not run in years and was in sorry state. I really miss that car. In looking at the photos, that looks like a 69 tail panel and not a 70.
Mopar Man, you car IS a “survivor”, while this listed car is not.
I wish this the authors of this web site could their head around about what is a survivor and what is not. Body work and paint work done, does not make this car a survivor in the collector car world. A car in nice original looking condition, sure, a survivor, not so much. Click bait? For sure.
AC removed “to gain a few HP”? The AC draws approximately zero horsepower unless it’s on.
It cracks me up what people will call a muscle car now. A 318. Really? Looks like some of these writers need to take a class in basic muscle car.
Finally, a survivor that is actually a survivor!
Yeah, the wrong wheels and a repaint really push it into that category.
Okay let me get this off my chest, just because it’s Charger doesn’t make it a muscle car, every Tri 5 Chevy is not a Bel-Air,and every vehicle with a straight axle is not a Gasser !!!
A 318 automatic is not a muscle car
Can you believe it?!? A base engine, poorly modified Charger 500 w/ (IMO) some concerning issues, sold for $48,301!!! The classic car world has truly gone CRAZY! Even so, that is still NO enticement for me to my car on the market!
Can you believe it?!? A base engine, poorly modified Charger 500, w/ some (IMO) concerning issues, sold for $48,301!!! The classic car world has truly gone crazy! However, that is still NO enticement for me to put my car on the market!
CORRECTION: Final winning bid price was $49,210.00