1-of-1? 1970 Dodge Challenger 340 Convertible
Claiming that a classic in your care is unique or a genuine 1-of-1 vehicle is bold, and there will inevitably be people who will question that belief. However, it might be accurate for this 1970 Dodge Challenger 340 Convertible. The seller has done their homework, and the array of factory options means there might be something to the claim. It has hibernated since 1977 and needs a new owner to return it to its rightful place on our roads. Therefore, the seller has listed the Challenger here on eBay in Glendale, Arizona. They set their BIN at $90,000 with the option to make an offer.
Some classics have so many positive attributes it is almost impossible to know where to start. That is undoubtedly true of this Challenger, which rolled off the line during the first year of E-Body production. The first owner ordered it in Dark Green Metallic with a Black power top. The seller states the car is as it left the factory, having never undergone repairs or restoration. The optional Sport Hood has slight damage on the leading edge, but the remaining steel is remarkably straight. Rust is always a prime consideration with these classics, although there is nothing but positive news in this case. The Challenger was undercoated at the factory, and life in a favorable climate has left it rust-free. The top looks surprisingly good for its age, and there are no signs of significant trim issues. The ongoing list of factory options includes spotless tinted glass and Rallye wheels that retain their original nuts, centers, and clips.
The beating heart of this Challenger is a 340ci V8, which the first owner teamed with a four-speed manual transmission and power steering. In its prime, the engine would have produced 275hp and 340 ft/lbs of torque, making the Convertible a sparkling performer. It won’t be muscle car fast, but it will provide the new owner with a rapid wind-in-the-hair motoring experience. There’s a lot to unpack with this Challenger, starting with the fact it has hibernated since 1977. It was laid low by a slipping clutch that has never been repaired. The seller purchased the car five years ago but admits they will never get the chance to do it justice. They haven’t attempted revival, leaving that task to the buyer. Those enthusiasts focused on originality will find this classic ticks almost every conceivable box. It is a full numbers-matching survivor that is unmolested. Even the exhaust is as it left the factory, and the correct tags and labels are intact on every component. The documentation is immense, including two original Broadcast Sheets, factory paperwork, and other evidence that confirms its unique status. It is unclear whether the engine turns, but factoring a rebuild into the budget would be wise.
This Challenger’s interior is where we find many features that help make it unique. The first owner went mad with their pen on the Order Form, and the next owner will reap the benefits. The car features Saddle trim, a console, a pistol grip shifter, air conditioning, power windows, a six-way driver’s seat, Rallye gauges with a tach and 150mph speedometer, factory pedal dress-up trims, three-speed wipers, and an AM/FM stereo radio with three speakers. The overall condition is surprisingly good, reflecting the limited active life this Challenger led before hibernation. The driver’s seat has several seam separations, but the remaining upholstered surfaces and the carpet are excellent. The dash and pad are spotless, and the faux woodgrain is free from lifting and fading. The new owner might elect to replace the front seatcover. However, consulting an upholsterer to ascertain whether repairs are viable would be worthwhile for those wishing to protect the car’s survivor status.
Any classic with a BIN of $90,000 can hardly be considered affordable, particularly if it doesn’t run or drive. It takes a special person to commit that sort of money to its revival, and I suspect the seller won’t be inundated with inquiries. However, this car’s complete originality and unique status means someone might bite the bullet and submit an offer. Do you think the price is realistic, or do you have another figure in mind?
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Comments
Optional Sport Hood? The std hood on a 340 was flat with no scoops?! Even with the 440 or 426?!
I can not find a regular body shop in my area of northeast that will work on old cars these days. Same for the southwest, etc.?
No one likes to work with rusty parts and hard to find replacements anymore
My 340 Cuda had the sport hood and an emblem that said “340 Four-Barrel” in red paint. I could be wrong, but the dash looks after-market, I don’t see the stich in it. With the body repairs and painting, In see a $50 to 55,000 car here, if the motor is good, without a rebuild. Sitting as long as it has, I’m sure there is going to be several other items needing attention. Complete brake overhaul for one.
The seller goes a little overboard….there’s a thing or two – like those replacement mufflers – it does look like a nice weld job though. Really nice car though and rare.
A co-worker inherited a 340 4-speed convertible in far worse shape. I have been bugging him for a decade to get it together, but raising his 3 sons has gotten in the way. I sent him the ebay link. Maybe this will provide a spark.
All I’ve got to say is WOW, somebody ordered this car the way they wanted. I have never seen one with this many options and a 4 speed. Very few have survived in this condition (maybe thanks to slipping clutch). Putting a clutch in one of these is a one day job, surprising that it kept this off the road for 45 years. I don’t know where you could find another one this original, restored maybe, but not “original”. This will bring big money, 90k I don’t know, but I’m kind of out of touch with prices these days. I think we all wished we could have saved a barn full of these from when they were $1,000 used cars, but back then we were young and foolish and roached them all. As a junior in high school I had a ’64 Cadillac, then traded up in my senior year to ’71 Duster with a 340 and 4 speed. Now I’m 65 and wish I could have the Caddy back but the Duster would be worth more money.
Agree that it is an unusual build…. loaded but a 4 speed.
In June 71 I was 21 and bought a 5K dealer demo 70 Barracuda Gran Coupe.. 318… column auto, A/C… red with white vinyl top and the houndstooth interior. Regular buckets.. no console… Rallye wheels with 3 stripe whitewalls.. it was VERY sharp… Drove it for real in Ohio and Michigan winters… eventually the salt won and I sold it in 79 with 117 k miles for 800 bucks AFTER I patched it up and painted it… Loved that car..
Its possible someone special ordered it , but its just as possible this was a highly optioned car the dealership got to put in the showroom to show potential customers what options could be had, or even a highly optioned car for the dealerships lot . . The writer is assuming its a special order because its option list
What does the “Broadcast sheet” say it came with. I think some of the items were added on later. Black seat belts, on a Tan interior?
$90k BIN? Uff Da!
Absolutely crazy price for this car!….nothing more to be said….then again, someone once said “there’s a sucker born every day”……
“There’s a sucker born every minute.”
P.T. Barnum
I’m skeptical of the 1of1 claim,and that it was parked do to slipping clutch that’s a couple hours job to fix. Jay Leno has a blue one that’s extremely rare in his collection I remember 10+ years ago when it sold at auction but overall nice car.
BIN price 90 k. Must be a Hemi car. What a flip if the seller gets lucky…..
See my comment above…. 70 some thousand miles…. the owner was an Army Officer at Ft. Meade Md… that explains the colors. It does not have those stupid hood pins…
Overall it is quite straight…
Original owner must have liked “Mannix”!!!
$90K for a car that isn’t running? Seems steep to me. 340 parts are expensive.
Still it’s a 1970 Challenger Convertible and it’s loaded. If it were possible to walk into a Dodge Dealer today and order one new, this car is what I would order, maybe add the SE package for the front leather seats.
Mark Wormand would probably love restoring this car. I mean, about the only sheet metal it might need is the hood. Maybe it could be straightened. $90K, still steep, but you probably won’t find a cleaner one out there.
Mannix drove a Cuda. It’s odd i never seen a ’69-’72 trans am in a movie in factory white with blue racing stripe(s) or vice versa for ’70-’72.
A Dart GT vert as well
Well aware Mannix had a “Cuda”, was referring to the paint color and options.
And yes his was automatic and had a black interior.
Dazed and confused!
Strange that every box was checked on the order form except power disk brakes. By the look of the hood damage the car hit something soft – the bumper is undamaged. I have to wonder if the trauma of hitting something caused the then-owner to stop driving the car. I have to think there is.probably a story here….
Rare or not , $90K is still too rich for a non-running Challenger unless it has a numbers-matching 426 Hemi. If the clutch is the only real issue with this car, $60-65K might be actually reasonable; you’d get a runner that’s fun with the 4-speed and lighter 340 but with its rarity you’d also be walking on eggs each time you take it out.
Hmmm, no power brakes ??
I always find it funny when people on here are so surprised to see a car from the 60’s or 70’s that doesn’t have power brakes, or power steering or air conditioning, or some other creature comfort that every car has today. Back then you could order a car any way you wanted and many buyers didn’t see where all these power assists were necessary.
In 71 I ordered a new El Camino with power steering, and without power brakes and a few years later I bought a used 74 Corvette L-82 4 speed that had power steering but not power brakes. I had a friend that had a 74 Corvette with air conditioning, but not power steering or brakes. One friend had a grandfather who ordered a new Caprice in 69 with PS, PB, PW and AC but no radio. He told me he’d never had a car with a radio and didn’t see the need for one. It was nice being able to buy a car the way you wanted, not the way the makers wanted.
& of course back then the common crank windows, the hardly ever seen cruise control, a ’70s trans am without a radio or hood bird(neither was standard), ps & pb & cruise control not even available for early pintos, some cars with soon to be cranky passenger unreachable HVAC controls & radio to the LEFT of the driver, & best of all, some cars with factory HEATER delete.
Hasn’t ran in 40+ years?? Chewed up seats? Worn out paint, who knows how many mechanical issues because just a clutch is close to nothing to repair. Beat and tired engine bay. Rust.
Yeah, it’s old, let’s ask 90k and look for someone stupid.
Sorry, hard pass.
Do your research. This car is very rare especially with the litany of options it has. May be a lot of money to some, but to a Mopar collector who cares, this is a great car at a great price. People who complain about the prices all the time are people who are perfectly happy with a driver quality anything car. Those are still very affordable. But they’re complaining about highly collectible, rare expensive cars. Champagne taste on a light beer budget.
Needs a multimillionaire with Mopar love💚! The $90k would be just $5 bucks to him lol. Love that Pistol 🔫 Grip!
For $90k I would expect the car to be complete. This one will need a new hood and trim on the driver’s side fender as well as the headlight bezel is missing. What will this car be worth when it is repaired and cleaned up? Someone will have another $20-30k into it as well as time. Is a small block Challenger really worth over $100k?
Imagine checking off all those options and passing over disc brakes.
Ninety thousand dollars. That’s hilarious. The seller must be a comedian.
What’s not being talked about is it’s a non-R/T model vin “JH” and is loaded as a R/T. I had a ’70 Challenger JH but with a 383 hp and 4 speed. It even had a Ralley dash. I know a lot of these were built to get around growing insurance rates. I sold mine around 1991 for $2700.