A 1970 Dodge Challenger has made its way onto the Canadian market as a rebuildable car and presents an opportunity to own a classic American muscle car for an affordable price. However, there is one little twist for car lovers; this Challenger sports a 318 cubic inches V8 engine and not the high-performance ones that were available in the year of manufacture.
Classic Challenger With Much Needed Restoration Work
This particular Challenger is for sale as a relatively well-organized restoration project and includes AMD body panels, which may be useful when dealing with the corrosion and metal work involved in this restoration project. Many of the car’s components have been stripped out, but fortunately, they are part of the sale package.
Among the items stripped from the car are interior trim, bumpers, air conditioning units, and others that may be useful to a new owner restoring this vehicle.
This car hails from Burlington, Ontario, and non-Canadian buyers will need to take transportation costs into account for their restoration budget.
The 318 V8 Is The Disappointing Bit
The most talked about part is the one inside. This particular Challenger is powered by a 318 cubic inch V8 mated to an automatic transmission.
This was not a bad engine option when it was around; however, it is a well-known fact that the 1970 Challenger could have been had with a variety of powertrains. They ranged from a couple of V8s, including 440 Magnum Six-Pack with 390 bhp and 426 Hemi with 425 bhp.
Compared to them, the 318 is naturally going to disappoint car enthusiasts who are interested in building a real muscle car. On the other hand, it also makes this particular Challenger a bit easier to restore.
A Complete Car Would Ease The Process Of Restoration
The one good thing about this particular project is its completeness. Though the images may show corrosion and a lot of work to be done, the buyer will get quite a few disassembled parts with the car.
This would help the eventual buyer a lot in starting the process of restoration, but it is important that one gets to know what all is being sold, especially since the cost of restoration of a classic muscle car can easily add up very fast.
What is the Cost of This Challenger?
According to the listing, the cost of this car is CA$19,500, which means that the cost is approximately US$14,000 when using the exchange rate that is provided in the original article.
That price may appeal to some buyers if the condition of this car matches the description.
Our Take
The 318 V8 will be a letdown for those hoping for a 440 or Hemi powered Challenger, but this does not mean that the car is boring. On the contrary, what is really interesting about this vehicle is the possibility of restoring an authentic 1970 Challenger without beginning with a completely bare chassis.
The presence of all the components, restoration parts, and its reasonable price make it a very interesting project. The key question, however, is how much the costs of restoration will pay off in the end, particularly considering the fact that the car needs to be shipped from Canada.
It can still be considered an interesting project for anyone who loves the Challenger’s classic shape and wants to restore it.