1970 Dodge Challenger Resto-Mod

Description

Mopar guys, you know what you like: late-model HEMI power, E-body looks, and a shift-it-yourself transmission, all covered in a very bad attitude. This 1970 Dodge Challenger delivers plenty of everything with a snarling 6.4 liter EFI HEMI, 6-speed gearbox, and a very trick look with a bit of a twist.

A lot of this Challenger's appeal is under the skin, where it really is a bare-knuckles street fighter, but it sure is pretty to look at, too. Sizzling Sublime Green always looks best on Chrysler's pony cars, particularly the Challenger, where it looks both fast and highly polished now that it's been given a slick monochromatic look. The jury's out on whether the Challenger or the 'Cuda is the better-looking car, but there's no denying that showing up in this slick resto-mod will generate a ton of attention. The bodywork is beautifully finished, showing off the crease running along its flanks to great effect, the result of a lot of careful sanding work before the paint went on. Fit and finish are far better than you'd expect from vintage Mopar muscle, and anything that wasn't covered in Sublime Green was blacked out, including the grille, hood nostrils, and rear spoiler. There is no chrome, zero, so it has a modern look that's incredibly sinister and even under close scrutiny, this beautifully-built car holds up. It's definitely a vintage Challenger, but the look is very much 21st century.

Your first glance inside and you'll likely spot those beautifully stitched high-back bucket steats, which are a good tipoff as to this car's performance potential. The seats leather with contrasting stitching that matches the bodywork, and there's a custom-made center console that's covered in the same stuff. It's almost OEM, but a bit more aggressive and it's nice to see that they continued the theme to the rear bench and side panels, the mark of a truly high-end build. Custom Auto Meter gauges give you a comprehensive look at the engine and a vintage look, all arrayed in such a way to make them easy to see. An AM/FM/iPod stereo head unit replaces the ancient Music Master AM unit and the A/C is ice cold thanks to modern hardware working behind the scenes. Of course, things like the Hurst pistol-grip shifter and custom three-spoke steering wheel are more than welcome in any muscular Mopar simply because they look awesome. The trunk is beautifully finished and includes custom bulkheads to hide the hardware and give it a show-quality look.

You can see just how serious this build is just by popping the hood, where you'll find a crate 6.4 liter HEMI V8 with an advertised 550 horsepower and 530 pounds of torque. Topped by factory-looking coil covers, a plastic intake manifold, and OEM-style serpentine belt drive accessories, it's almost as if the Chrysler Corporation put this one together. The inner fenders and firewall were smoothed and painted to match the bodywork and you'll note that all the plumbing and electrical systems were hidden out of sight, making for a very slick, clean engine bay. There's a big aluminum radiator up front with an electric fan, and long-tube headers dumping into a Flowmaster dual exhaust system. A trick Schwartz front suspension with A-arms and coil-overs is joined by a power rack-and-pinion steering setup, while the rear end is a full floating Ford 9-inch with a nodular center section and 3.50 gears on a Detroit TrueTrac limited slip. Wilwood 6-piston brakes live up front and 4-pistons in back and all the brake lines are stainless. Nasty black powdercoated wheels resemble vintage Rallyes but wear staggered 245/40/18 front and massive 345/35/18 rear performance radials that look exactly right.

Beautiful and fast, this is the Challenger every guy wishes he could own. Here's your chance, don't miss it and call today!