moparnut
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1970 Dodge Challenger - $59,900 - Cleveland, OH - NEW PRICE! Matching numbers 383, 59,438 original miles, mostly original car with one high-quality repaint. Two sets of wheels and tires. Runs and drives very well, ready to enjoy this summer!This particular 1970 Challenger R/T convertible is a fantastically original car that shows what we believe to be 59,438 original miles. It has been repainted just once in its original B5 Bright Blue and carries its numbers-matching 383 cubic inch V8. Original cars are some of our favorites, because there’s just no way to restore the factory feeling back into a car once it’s been disassembled, and this car is no exception. The doors close with confidence, not the usual rattle you get in an ancient convertible, and the super-straight bodywork is 100% factory-issue. The high-quality respray was done a few years ago, and uses two-stage urethane to give the B5 Blue a deep gloss that’s better than anything Ma Mopar was offering in 1970 and the white bumblebee stripe around the tail was applied under the clear for a seamless feel.
The white interior is all original, including the seats, door panels, and even the black carpets, and it should tell you all you need to know about the care this car has received. The upholstery is still supple and comfortable and shows no major stains or discoloration, and even the black carpets have minimal fading, suggesting that even when the top was down, this car was always sheltered. It features a console with Slap Stick shifter, a full array of Rallye gauges, and the factory-issued R11 Music Master AM radio. The gauges are all fully functional except the tachometer, which is not compatible with the modern MSD distributor on the engine today, but it should work if you convert it back to an OEM unit. The dash pad isn’t cracked or baked by the sun and the woodgrained appliques are bright and clear, with the one on the center console perhaps being a replacement piece. Overhead there’s a great-fitting white vinyl convertible top that uses the correct vinyl material and a glass rear window, and it stows under a matching white boot that’s a new part from Legendary. The trunk is outfitted with a correct mat and jack assembly, and you’ll note that the quarters wear original textured undercoating, so they’re unquestionably original.
The engine is the original, numbers-matching 383 cubic inch V8, and it runs superbly. It starts quickly and idles well, even on the choke when it’s cold, and thanks to a relatively recent detailing, it looks quite correct. Except for the aforementioned billet aluminum distributor, it’s factory correct throughout, with proper hoses and clamps, a wrinkle-finish air cleaner, and Hemi Orange paint on the block itself. Close inspection will reveal that the paint on the inner fenders, firewall, and radiator support is original, more evidence of a very nice car from a friendly climate. Even the unique exhaust manifolds are in good condition and it exhales through a great-sounding Flowmaster exhaust system with oversized pipes and correct quad tips out back.
The chassis is original, because this really is a very original car, and while it’s not detailed for show, there are no signs of panel replacement or critical issues underneath. The 727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic transmission shifts crisply and we believe there are 3.23 gears in the 8.75-inch rear end. The suspension is stock and it currently rolls on a set of original Magnum 500 wheels with 225/60/15 BFGoodrich T/A radials, but it also includes a set of shiny Boyd Coddington alloys with staggered 17- and 18-inch tires.
Clean, straight, matching-numbers, and a joy to drive, this Challenger delivers on all levels. It’s not a show car, it’s not perfect, but it is a big block Challenger that’s properly sorted and you can’t beat the color combination. I know Mopar guys and Camaro guys aren’t cross-shopping cars, but cars like this Challenger make you reconsider your allegiances.
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
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