Vehicle Description
If you had a wish list of all the features you'd want in your next
muscle car, this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Tribute would probably
nail them all. Big block power? It's there via a powerful 383 V8
under the Shaker hood. Available options? Power steering, power
front disc brakes, and factory A/C are all in tow. Dialed-in
restoration? You betcha, and it's a comprehensive build with an eye
toward originality. Awesome colors? Light Green with black accents
is a gorgeous and unique color combination. Bottom line, this
Challenger checks all the boxes, so have a closer look and prepare
to be impressed.
Every car show features Mopars in all the usual colors - Hemi
Orange, B5 Blue, and Plum Crazy cars are generally strewn about the
field. It's as if people forgot that back in their day, most of
these cars were covered in more subdued, grown-up colors like this
Light Green beauty. Without a fender tag in place (it appears it
was removed during the resto), it's difficult to know if this is an
original Code F4 Light Green car, but nevertheless, we absolutely
love the color. By the looks of the top driver-quality appearance,
it's obvious that the finish was laid down by professionals not
long ago, as it absolutely glistens and still looks fresh. Light
metallic flake embedded in the mix gives it a new lease on life
that only modern materials can bring about, and with only very
minor imperfections to speak of (the majority of which could be
remedied with a buff-and-wax), the curb appeal is through the roof.
Judging by the fit of the bodywork and super straight sheetmetal,
this was a pretty nice car to start with, and after the
comprehensive restoration the body panels all line up consistently,
the sheetmetal looks laser-straight, and the doors close flush.
Chrysler got the look exactly right with their A-body and the
Challenger ideally embodies the long hood/short deck profile that
just screams high performance. Add in a Shaker hood complete with
hood pins/lanyards and a blacked-out air cleaner, a chin spoiler,
R/T side stripes that highlight the little kick-up behind the door,
and an aggressive-looking Go-Wing out back and you have one of the
best-looking muscle cars of all time. The black vinyl roof is
fresh, and not only does it add a nice contrast to the light green
finish, but it also gives this muscle car a more sophisticated
look. The front and rear bumpers are bright chrome and sparkle
perfectly against the paint, as does the remaining brightwork
around the glass, wheel arches, and remaining trim. Proper emblems
- including the added 'R/T' badges - were installed to intimidate
anyone that wants to get fresh at stop lights, and the
rectangle-shaped quad exhaust tips that exit from the lower rear
valance will be the last thing they see.
The black bucket seat interior is the right choice with Light
Green, giving it a purposeful, all-business look that seems
appropriate even with the car's muscle car credentials. There's a
woodgrained center console surrounding the short shifter that
manages the A727 Torqueflight automatic transmission below, and the
woodgrained three-spoke steering wheel needs nothing more than a
pair of string-back driving gloves to complete the look. Yes, you
could get an automatic transmission in an R/T, perhaps a way for
Mopar to appeal to guys and gals who wanted a Boss or a Z/28 but
needed the convenience of easy shifting. Ahead of the driver,
there's a big speedometer is to the left, followed by a tachometer,
all-in-one auxiliary unit, and clock, and all those Rallye
Instruments are inside big round pods that look very cool inside
the woodgrained dash. The original Chrysler Solid State AM radio is
still fully functional, and it appears that this Challenger was
also originally equipped with factory A/C - with factory controls
and vents still in place in the dash, although the system will need
a service to work again. There's almost nothing inside this car
that doesn't look fresh and clean, including the plush carpets,
headliner, door panels, and rear seat. Even the trunk is shockingly
clean, housing a reproduction mat and space saver tire and jack set
that completes the look perfectly.
Originally a 383 2-barrel car, this awesome Challenger now sports
an upgraded 383 that's been tweaked with a few performance parts to
make a bit more horsepower. With a nice, lopey idle, a big Holley
4-barrel carburetor, Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold, and proper
set of long-tube headers, it cackles and performs like a true
muscle car should. The big Shaker scoop and chrome Mopar valve
covers add a high-performance look, and even with the upgrades the
engine bay still looks fairly authentic under the hood. An upgraded
MSD distributor and plug wires work with a modern alternator to
help the big block crank with ease every time, while a giant
aluminum radiator with an auxiliary electric fan keeps the whole
show running cool. It's backed by an A727 TorqueFlite 3-speed
automatic and 8.75-inch rear end with easy-cruising gears inside,
which we suspect are 3.23s that many of these 383 cars were
optioned with. The H-pipe Dynomax dual exhaust system looks
practically brand new, while power steering, power front disc
brakes, a big front sway bar, and heavy-duty shocks out back help
keep the big coupe planted to the road. And although it's not
necessarily restored for show underneath, there are newer
components throughout and everything is quite clean and extremely
solid. Flashy 18-inch Boss wheels with staggered 225/45/18 front
and 265/50/18 rear Nitto radials spice up the look, although the
original 15-inch Rallye wheels also come with the sale for those
that prefer stock shoes.
When we dream of our ideal car, it's always a shock to find that it
actually exists. This Challenger R/T Tribute is one of those rare
finds that hits all the right notes. Call today!
