35k Mile 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440

1970 Dodge Challenger R/T

This 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T was originally sold new in El Paso TX and has just over 35,000 original miles on the odometer (verified). the original, numbers matching 375hp 440, it is loaded with other great options: Power disc brakes, power steering, console shift automatic, air conditioning, 8-Track AM /FM radio, white vinyl roo, tinted glass and more.

Here is the story on this car as told by Mike from Automotion Classics who acquire the Challenger for us:

I have located and spoken with the original owner who ordered this car new. I found him after researching information on a credit card receipt discovered under the carpet when it was removed.

He relayed the following information to me:He really wanted to order a Hemi, but his new wife said, "no air conditioning, no new car”, and they lived in El Paso Texas at the time. You know what happened here. He told me that it took longer than expected for the car to be delivered, possibly due to a strike, or some other reason.I told him that his name and address was also etched in the top of the 8 track player/radio. He stated that it must have been put there when the car was a year old, when the dealership replaced the original dash, due to it cracking at that time. He also told me that he took the car out on the highway, alone one night, and brought it up to about 135 mph. He said it was still pulling but he backed out of it because, "it felt like it was floating”. He also sent me photos of the Challenger in his driveway in El Paso from approximately 1982.

(I was told, by the fellow that I bought the car from, that the original owner was so short and he could not see over the R/T hood, so he had it replaced with a flat hood from the dealership. The original owner told me that he had traded the R/T hood for a flat hood of the same color, because the R/T hood "attracted too many cops”.) Note: The R/T hood is missing in this photo.

He eventually sold the car in the late 80s, evidenced by the Texas registration on the original windshield from July of 1988.

The car then found a home in Central Massachusetts when it was purchased in February of 1990. It was titled in April of 1990 with 31,105 miles showing on the title. (Through discussions with the subsequent owner I found that this owner had been killed in a car accident while test driving a Mustang that he had built for a customer in approximately 2004)

The car was purchased by a Mopar enthusiast in Arlington Vt., from the Central Ma. owner, in August of 1992. The paperwork shows mileage at 35,203.I have also spoken with this owner who remembers the car as being so original that other members of his Mopar club would come over to see what these cars were supposed to look like when they were new.The Challenger was then sold to a long term owner, located in Colonie N.Y., in May of 1994, with mileage on the paperwork showing 35,266. He owned it for 23 years and never registered it. I purchased the Challenger from this owner in May of 2017. It still had the original toasted Texas interior in it, and there were new seat covers with the car that dated back to April of 1991, along with several NOS emblems and a new white vinyl top still in the box. He had the car painted almost 20 years earlier and it never saw the light of day. There were some small chips and scrapes in the paint from minor mishaps while being stored, which we touched up along with painting the original style R/T hood that came with the car. Other than the hood, every body panel is original. With the exception of a few NOS emblems, the exterior trim, including bumpers, grill, wheelhouse moldings, etc., is all original. The trunk mat, jack, etc. are all original to the car.(I kept the original carpet, seat covers, package shelf cover, glove box with factory markings, and windshield after they were removed)
B5 Blue with White Vinyl Top
Bright Blue Interior
This car is vastly original and sparingly restored. It has its original engine and related parts including, water pump, carburetor, air cleaner with decal, alternator, starter, exhaust pipes,resonators, one muffler, and tail pipes. The front disc brake calipers, all brake lines including the soft hoses, are original. The transmission was changed at some point in time and none of the owners I spoke with seem to know when that happened. The original owner told me that never experienced a transmission issue, and subsequent owners may have simply assumed that, since the engine was original, the transmission must be as well. It is not. My guess is that the Massachusetts owner may have changed it at some point, but I cannot verify that.

Being an L.A. built car, there is no build sheet.

Item Photos
click to enlarge

• Make: Dodge
• Model: Challenger
• Type: Coupe
• Trim: R/T
• Year: 1970
• Mileage: 35,000
• VIN: JS23U0E142300
• Color: Blue
• Engine size: 440ci V8
• Number of cylinders: 8
• Power options: Air Conditioning
• Transmission: Automatic
• Drive type: RWD
• Interior color: Blue
• Drive side: Left-hand drive
• Vehicle Title: Clear
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