Phone Number 440-350-1480

Survivor. Its a word you hear a lot when dealing with collector cars these days. Theres been a resurgence in the appreciation for original, un-restored cars, ranging from that amazing 1911 Oldsmobile that was discovered still sitting on the tattered remains of its original tires and sold for $1.65 million, to more realistic survivors like, say, this heavily-optioned 1970 Dodge Challenger RT/SE with 18,788 original miles on it. Most enthusiasts will agree that a survivor carries its original power-train (it must be matching numbers), a good portion of its original paint and trim, and most of its original interior. Clubs are starting to recognize this growing trend with preservation classes just for these cars (for example, I think the Buick club insists that the paint be 85% original for a car to qualify for survivor status). This Plum Crazy Challenger is an ideal candidate for the guy who has already done the restoration thing and now wants to take his hobby to the next level.
Yes, a survivor is most certainly the next level in the collector car hobby. Anyone with a big enough checkbook can have a perfectly accurate restored car, but the supply of authentic, honest, original, un-restored vehicles is notably short, I dont care how much money you have. Investors are starting to recognize this fact and are attaching a great deal of value to it. That ancient Oldsmobile I mentioned probably wont get restored despite its admittedly geriatric condition, and its value will only go up from here.
Somewhat less fragile and far better preserved, and therefore much more fun, is this 1970 Challenger RT/SE. Packing a 4-barrel 383 and a TorqueFlite automatic, all of which are matching-numbers, of course, this is an excellent example of a true survivor no matter whose definition you use. Loaded with options like A/C and an overhead console, and fully documented with a window sticker and Chrysler Corporation Broadcast Sheet, this would be an amazing car in any condition, but with just 18,788 actual miles and in 96% original condition, it is flat-out astounding. Heck, it still comes with its original tires!
Options? Heres the fender tag, which is incredibly hard to read because its trapped under the original A/C lines (its just one option away from being a 2-tag car):
E63383-4 BarrelD32H-D A-727 TorqueFlite TransmissionJS29J = Dodge ChallengerS = Special29 = 2 Door Sports Hardtop
N0BN = 383 330HP 1-4BBL 8 CYL0 = 1970B = Dodge Main, Hamtramck, MI, USA198708Sequence Number '198708'FC7Paint Code: Plum Crazy Purple / In-Violet Irid
H5X9Trim Grade/Style/ColorH = High5 = Cloth and Vinyl Bucket SeatsX9 = Black
000Upper Door Frame: Full Door PanelB19Date Built: 11 / 19 / 1969119263Order Number: 119263V1XRoof Type OR Color: Full Vinyl Top BlackA01Light PackageA363.55:1 High Performance Axle PackageA62Rallye Instrument ClusterB51Power Assisted BrakesC15Special Sound Insulation Package 70s80C16Console w/ BucketsC26Over Head Roof ConsoletteC55Bucket SeatsG31Right Hand Outside Mirror - Manual / ChromeG33Left Hand Outside Mirror - Manual / ChromeH51Single Air /w HeaterM21Roof Drip Rail MoldingsM25Wide Sill MoldingM31Belt Molding 69-70N41Dual Exhaust w/o TipsN42Chrome Dual Exhaust TipsN85TachometerS83Rim Blow steering wheelV6WWhite Longitude Sports StripeY05Built to U.S. specifications2626 inch radiator
So yes, the paint is 40 years old. Concours it isnt, but for a preservation class its absolutely perfect. There are a few chips that have been touched up here and there, and one golf ball-sized spot where there was a repair and a repaint, but Id say that more than 90% of the paint on this car is original. It has a shine that looks as good as possible thanks to the expert ministrations of our detail shop. This car has never been disassembled, and all the panels are 100% factory steel, as installed by the guys at Hamtramck on November 19, 1969. The doors dont sag, the hood fits extremely well, and the trunk opens and closes without effort. Those white R/T stripes on the flanks are original and in outstanding condition front to back with no fading, checking, or peeling. Someone took VERY good care of this car.
Glass? Original. The windshield has some scratches and some signs that the wipers have been in use, but theres no damage. The lenses and badges are all original with no cracking or fading. All the stainless is original and largely ding-free. The front bumper is almost too nice, but theres no proof that it has ever been replaced. The rear bumper is definitely original, as are the optional exhaust tips underneath it. The black vinyl top is astoundingly good for an original car, especially one that has been in dry Oklahoma and sunny Tennessee since new.
The engine is a completely unmolested 18,788-mile original piece. The plugs are probably the originals, as are the wires. The air filter has been replaced, it has received regular oil changes of course, but everything else is very likely original equipment. Thats original factory Hemi Orange paint on the block, original black wrinkle finish paint on the air cleaner, and original decals still clinging to their original surfaces. Note the original hose clamps on a majority of the hoses, the original ground cable with orange overspray on itheck, even the heat riser tube is still intact. Are you seeing the picture hereIm using the word original an awful lot, arent I? We just installed a correct Mopar red cap battery, and despite being a 100% authentic reproduction, it just doesnt quite fit, does it? Give it time, which is all the rest of this engine bay has had.
How does it run? Very, very well. With 18,877 original miles, its low mileage for sure, but not ridiculously low like the 215-mile DeLorean we have sitting in the showroom. It has been properly exercised and maintained, keeping seals and gaskets supple and parts in proper working condition. Yes, the A/C is functional, maybe even with the original charge of R12 in it, I cant say for certain. My point is, this is a highly original, low-mile car, but it doesnt have all the issues that near-0-mile cars that have lived their entire lives in storage have. Its ready to drive, not just be a static piece of historical documentation that requires a restoration just to get it back on the road.
Underneath, yes, its dirtythey looked dirty three weeks after they came off of the assembly line. Spend some time out on the road and see how you look after 40 years. But Im going to start throwing around that word again: original. Original shocks? Yep. Original mufflers? Quite likely. Original brakes? Im pretty sure they are. These cars were not finished as pristinely as a restored piece would have you believe, and this car is evidence of the factorys processes, not a restorers skill. The floors are solid with no signs of perforation or damage, the sub-frames well-protected with ancient undercoating, and the mechanical bits are all present and accounted for ...For more information please call the seller.