The 1970 Dodge Challenger: A Muscle Car With The Right Engine
May 12, 2014
The 1970 Dodge Challenger offered massive power in a two-ton package that was 191.5-in long and 76.5-in wide. Handling was, to put it mildly, not a strong point. The deeply recessed front grill tended to scoop air enough to have an effect in turns. Of course, handling twisties at speed wasn’t a big priority for the car. Leaving competing street machines in the dust from a standing start certainly was.
Straight-line Power
Dodge aimed to please when it came to building Challengers the way that customers wanted them. There were no fewer than seven different engine sizes available, in twelve configurations! The smallest V-6 was good for a measly 101 horsepower. But the Challenger R/T could be equipped with a 440 cubic inch six-pack engine capable of 390 horsepower. It did zero to sixty in 6 seconds. And its quarter-mile time was 13.6 seconds at 104 miles per hour.
The ultimate option for the 1970 Challenger was the 426 “street ” Hemi, rated at a massive 425 horsepower. The 1970 version represented the heyday of these big, powerful street machines. Soon thereafter, stricter emissions standards impacted performance. That’s one reason that the 1970 and 1971 Challengers garner more attention today. The modern 2014 Challenger seeks to pay homage to the classic versions, and it largely succeeds. The 2014 R/T’s 376 hp, 5.7L engine is comparable, as is the SRT8’s supercharged 6.4L behemoth that’s capable of 470 hp.
Money Well Spent?
When it comes to muscle cars, the words “fuel” and “economy” are rarely used in the same sentence. Common consensus was that a Challenger with the 426 Hemi was good for about six to eight miles per gallon. So not what you would call a commuter car or daily driver.
But, in 1970 the base model Challenger cost just $2,851. The R/Ts started at $3,226, with the SE package adding $272 and a convertible top adding another $309. Ultimately, there were 18,868 R/T hardtops and just 1,070 convertible R/Ts produced. So the 1970 Challenger R/T with the SE package could be purchased new for around $3,500. After adjusting for inflation that would be a little over 20k in today’s dollars.
Too bad the modern version can’t pay homage to a vintage Challenger muscle car in terms of price as well!
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This actually answered my drawback, thank you!
That car is sweet. Wish I could afford it. If be after it. The very first car I bought in 1987 was a 1970 CHALLENGER SE. It was a little different then this one. It had the small back window. The slap stick shifter. 150mph speed, dash tach. Head consul that told if my door was not closed. Low fuel. I had a way different motor and transmission though. Mine had a 440 six pack and a 727 torque fight transmission. in the 1980s took it to the drag strip. I live in Utah. So the altitude put me back a second. But it was still very fast. At the Bonneville Drag Strip it pulled a 11,03 second quarter mile at 127mph. For a street legal car it was fast. Anyways I was picked up by the police for something and was in jail at the time. Someone stole my car. They wouldn’t let me report it stolen until I was released from jail, which was a week later. It was fast gone by then. I only ever seen one other like the one I had. I miss that car BADLY!!! I did but another 1970 CHALLENGER. But it was nothing to the one that was stolen. It had a 318 motor. Something I loved also was is see 300 Mustangs and Camero’s to every nice Challenger I’d see. That is a very nice car that was sold. Lol brings back allot of good memories.