70 Charger acquisition, version 2.0

[smithenhiven]

As some of you may recall, in the spring of 2016, I bought my 70 Charger R/T out of Vancouver B.C. Canada, and drove the car nearly 3000 miles home to Pittsburgh PA.

Since purchasing the R/T, I've just maintained it's mostly stock form, fixed the little quirks if it developed any issues, basically just enjoyed it as an excellent running fair weather weekend car.  It still puts a smile on my face every time I look at it.

But as much as I love that car, it falls short on some of the things I really wish I had in a Charger.  Namely a manual trans, and a beefed up high HP engine.  Could I add those things to my car, sure.  But then I feel like I'd be butchering a basically stock numbers matching car, while jeopardizing it's future value and collectability.  I have no plans to sell my current Charger, but still, you never know what the future holds.

So what can a man do in this situation?  Buy another Charger of course.  Enter the 70 500.  Thankfully it's not 3000 miles away this time, it's actually in the same state, a 6.5 hour drive from Pittsburgh to around the Philly area, I can make it out and back in a day.

It's a non-running project car that appears to be in half decent shape body wise, the 383 is already out, and I doubt it will ever go back in.  My plans are to manual swap it with a Tremec 5 or 6 speed, behind a nicely built 440, or perhaps 426 if I can find an affordable block.  I'd like to do a color change on it, as I'm not a fan of Orange over Orange, but who knows, maybe all that orange will grow on me.

Here's a few pics, I'll post more when I pick the car up next week.

[b5blue]

Sweet find, how is the underbelly? 

[smithenhiven]

Underneath is not the greatest, its gonna need some patches in the floors and trunk, and a frame spot or two, but certainly not the worst Ive ever seen.

[moparfan53]

Looks like a good find.    If I am reading the fender tag correctly, it has a very early SPD, August 5. I wonder what the RH mirror is from? 

[will]

I like it. Different wheels on either side, looks like two different cars.

[AKcharger]

Burnt orange!

[Kern Dog]

Great score. What did you end up paying for it?
I bought a '70 Charger 500 in the same FK5 color. MIne needs to have the RF frame rail straightened and the firewall straightened out a bit. I paid $5000 for a roller with the original engine, NON original trans. Solid floors inside but will need a trunk floor. 8 1/4" axle!

[smithenhiven]

Not a bad score yourself Kern Dog.

I'm giving $7500 for it.  The original 383 is included, its out of the car and disassembled, also has the original 727.  Not sure what I'll do with the drivetrain, maybe sell it if I can get a few bucks out of it, but I'll probably end up keeping it just because its original to the car.

First order of business when I get it home, its giving up the 8 track to the R/T, lol.  My R/T is supposed to have an 8 track, but wound up with only a thumb wheel AM radio at some point in its life.

[Kern Dog]

Cool deal. I think if yours is straight and true, your repairs will be easier than mine. I'd rather patch floors than straighten a frame!
Nice grille in that one. I got lucky with that too. Your fenders look nicer than mine do.
I shake my head at the prices of these even as projects! I paid $1700 for my first '70 I bought in 2000 and it ran and drove quite well. The money I spent on this one would have been more if I didn't know the guy. I've known him about 10 years or so and have done favors for him. (Not sexual) 

[smithenhiven]

Got the car home today.  Here's a pic of it's 20+ year hibernation spot, only pushed out on the rare occasion when the previous owner needed to rearrange things in his garage.

[smithenhiven]

Loading this car was a huge pain in the @$$.  The seller told me it rolled just fine (apparently because last time he rolled it out several years ago, it moved just fine).  Well, it had two flats in the rear which would not hold air, and the passenger front was frozen. 

[smithenhiven]

Finally home, dragging the car off the trailer was a breeze with the tractor.  And here's the pair of 70's. 

[Kern Dog]

That is GREAT ! The red one looks great with the road wheels. 

[billssuperbird]

Looks nice I live in the North hills maybe someday I'll see you at a car cruise

[smithenhiven]

That is GREAT ! The red one looks great with the road wheels. 

Thanks man, yeah I think Magnum 500s are the best wheels for a Charger, I'll be looking for another set for this new Charger.  Did you get your project home yet?

[smithenhiven]

Looks nice I live in the North hills maybe someday I'll see you at a car cruise

Thanks, I live in Beaver County, would be cool to meet ya one day.

[Kern Dog]

That is GREAT ! The red one looks great with the road wheels. 

Thanks man, yeah I think Magnum 500s are the best wheels for a Charger, I'll be looking for another set for this new Charger.  Did you get your project home yet?

I should be able to move it this week. Yours sure looks nicer than mine.

[bigdsul]

As some of you may recall, in the spring of 2016, I bought my 70 Charger R/T out of Vancouver B.C. Canada, and drove the car nearly 3000 miles home to Pittsburgh PA.

Since purchasing the R/T, I've just maintained it's mostly stock form, fixed the little quirks if it developed any issues, basically just enjoyed it as an excellent running fair weather weekend car.  It still puts a smile on my face every time I look at it.

But as much as I love that car, it falls short on some of the things I really wish I had in a Charger.  Namely a manual trans, and a beefed up high HP engine.  Could I add those things to my car, sure.  But then I feel like I'd be butchering a basically stock numbers matching car, while jeopardizing it's future value and collectability.  I have no plans to sell my current Charger, but still, you never know what the future holds.

So what can a man do in this situation?  Buy another Charger of course.  Enter the 70 500.  Thankfully it's not 3000 miles away this time, it's actually in the same state, a 6.5 hour drive from Pittsburgh to around the Philly area, I can make it out and back in a day.

It's a non-running project car that appears to be in half decent shape body wise, the 383 is already out, and I doubt it will ever go back in.  My plans are to manual swap it with a Tremec 5 or 6 speed, behind a nicely built 440, or perhaps 426 if I can find an affordable block.  I'd like to do a color change on it, as I'm not a fan of Orange over Orange, but who knows, maybe all that orange will grow on me.

Here's a few pics, I'll post more when I pick the car up next week.

That is an awesome find! Where did you find the car posted for sale? As anything remotely close to that car is going for more than double the price online!

[Challenger340]

I think you did very well for the money   depending of course on just how bad an issue patching the rust in Trunk and Frame Rails becomes ?
Nonetheless,
and again here, far worse cars go for FAR more Money !

[tan top]

good stuff 

[smithenhiven]

That is an awesome find! Where did you find the car posted for sale? As anything remotely close to that car is going for more than double the price online!

It was listed for sale on the 1970 Charger Registry website. 

[Dano 1]

Looks like a good score for the money to me. Those pictures of loading it up on the Uhaul trailer brought me right back to the fiasco I dealt with loading mine the exact same way. Good luck with the car! 

[ACUDANUT]

Wow. a hell of a good deal. Drop in a engine and drive it as is.

[Nacho-RT74]

What I love most, the interior color!!!

[smithenhiven]

Wow. a hell of a good deal. Drop in a engine and drive it as is.

Funny you should say that, I found someone local to me selling a 383 out of a roadrunner, it's supposed to run (its one of those "ran-when-pulled" situations).  Im thinking about grabbing it up, and seeing if I can make this car run on the cheap, at least for the time being while I source the drivetrain I'll enviabley end up using.

[smithenhiven]

What I love most, the interior color!!!

I was thinking I wasn't the biggest fan of Burnt Orange, but considering how good of condition most of the interior is, I think I can become a fan real quick.

The rear seats in this car are nicer than my R/T.  Just a couple impression/creases, which I think will come out with a little heat massage; the dash has no cracks, console is complete with no damage, driver door panel is decent; all in all, with a little elbow grease most/all of the interior will clean up to driver quality condition, with the exception of the front seats which need recovered, the passenger door panel which needs replaced, and the headliner which is mostly missing.  I got lucky too in that the steering wheel has no cracks. 

[ACUDANUT]

Whoa, are the floors toasted ?

[Kern Dog]

It is a curious thing....East coast and Northern cars are usually rusty as hell with the interiors still reasonably nice while the West coast and Southern cars have solid metal with burned out interiors.

[VegasCharger]

Nice car.

Nice score.

Just curious, when you went to rent out the U Haul trailer did they know that you were putting a 1970 Charger on it?

I've had some experiences where the U Haul operator denied me of hauling some 1968-70 B Body 4 door parts cars on them.

She said their system didn't go back that far for model years. WTF

[Nacho-RT74]

there is one 70 R/T 4 speeds being sold in Spain with the orange interior... I love it, they are really uncommon.

( buckets are not the correct ones thought )

https://www.milanuncios.com/dodge-de-segunda-mano/dodge-charger-rt-440-v8-1970-230805030.htm

[jefferson]

They sure had some whacky colours come out in 1970, burnt orange, panther pink, lime green
compared to 68 and 69, what was the reason for it?

[smithenhiven]

Nice car.

Nice score.

Just curious, when you went to rent out the U Haul trailer did they know that you were putting a 1970 Charger on it?

I've had some experiences where the U Haul operator denied me of hauling some 1968-70 B Body 4 door parts cars on them.

She said their system didn't go back that far for model years. WTF

Well, when I called uhaul, they asked what was going on the trailer.  I told them a 1970 Dodge Charger.  They said "we're sorry, but that car is too large for our car trailer, we cant rent it to you".

I tried calling back, to say its actually a Dart, but since the quote was already started as a Charger, they said they'll assume im actually towing a Charger and still wont let me rent it.

So I had to have the wife call and tell them we'd be hauling a Honda Civic.  Probably not the best way to get a uhaul,...had an accident occurred Im sure I would have been screwed; but until I get my own car trailer I dont mind telling uhaul a little white lie, or rather a big orange one, lol

[chargervert]

I think you did really well on the car,you don't get much second generation Charger these days for under ten grand!

[timmycharger]

Very nice score!!   

[INTMD8]

It is a curious thing....East coast and Northern cars are usually rusty as hell with the interiors still reasonably nice while the West coast and Southern cars have solid metal with burned out interiors.

Agree.  Pacific Northwest seems to be the best of both. 

[smithenhiven]

Whoa, are the floors toasted ?

Yeah pretty much, car will need trunk pan and floor pans, as well as torsion boxes. 

[Challenger340]

It is a curious thing....East coast and Northern cars are usually rusty as hell with the interiors still reasonably nice while the West coast and Southern cars have solid metal with burned out interiors.

Agree.  Pacific Northwest seems to be the best of both. 

Southern Interior BC Canada desert.... and much cooler up north so it maintained things like rubbers, vinyls, window felts along with the sheet metal.

[Kern Dog]

Nice car.

Nice score.

Just curious, when you went to rent out the U Haul trailer did they know that you were putting a 1970 Charger on it?

I've had some experiences where the U Haul operator denied me of hauling some 1968-70 B Body 4 door parts cars on them.

She said their system didn't go back that far for model years. WTF

I always tell them that I am towing a 70 Dart. The rental place I use is a bunch or old timers that knew those cars when they were new.