Introduced in 1969 on the then-new E-body platform, the first-generation Dodge Challenger was a big hit, moving nearly 77,000 units in its first year on the market. And while it may seem rather common, the 1970 Challenger lineup included a few rare gems.
Nearly 73% of the cars were ordered in standard trim, leaving only 18,512 R/T models. Most of the latter left the assembly line with the 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) V8, and just 6,231 units were specified with the larger 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB and 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI mills.
The HEMI is arguably the rarest 1970 Challenger, with only 356 examples made. Just 60 were also ordered with the SE package, and only nine were convertibles. The 440 Six Pack version is also rare at 2,035 examples, while the regular four-barrel 440 found its way into 3,840 vehicles.
But Dodge also built a small-block gem that saw daylight in limited numbers. I’m talking about the Challenger T/A. Developed to homologate the Challenger for the SCCA Trans-Am series, the T/A was available for only a few months in 1970. And its short stint on the assembly line resulted in only 2,399 street-legal models being built and sold.
The T/A packs several unique features, including a low-restriction exhaust system with side-exiting pipes, a larger air scoop, a fiberglass hood, and a heavy-duty suspension. The stripe package is also unique to this car, as is the 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) V8 with a triple two-barrel carburetor setup.
An upgrade over the more common four-barrel 340, the Six Pack layout gave the T/A 290 horsepower to play with. And even though it’s nowhere near as powerful as the big-block cars, the T/A has a solid advantage in terms of curb weight and handling.
Come 2023, the T/A is one of the most desirable versions of the 1970 Challenger. And while many cars are still around as restored gems, some are rotting away in junkyards and barns, often missing vital components. The Sublime green example you see here is one of them. But unlike other abandoned T/As, this survivor got a second chance at life, and it’s roaming the streets again.
Documented by YouTube’s “Auto Archaeology,” this T/A spent most of its life off the road. According to our host, the Challenger was parked for unknown reasons sometime in 1977. So that’s only seven years on the road and more than four decades in storage.
Parked with a four-barrel carburetor instead of the Six Pack setup, it remained in storage in Memphis and Arkansas until 2022. That’s when the car was sold and dragged out of its barn. And surprisingly enough, the T/A emerged in surprisingly solid condition.
Sure, the Sublime paint has faded away, and the black vinyl top is long gone, but the body is straight and almost rust-free. There’s some rust on the trunk floor, but it’s an easy fix with a regular Challenger pan, which is relatively easy to find.
The engine bay was empty at the time of the rescue, but the car still had the original block. And even though the Six-Pack carb was gone, it came with a period correct unit. The driveshaft, air cleaner, automatic gearbox, and the original wheels (which are very rare) were still with the car.
Speaking of which, the automatic makes this T/A one of 1,410 vehicles built with this drivetrain combo. The vinyl top decreases that number even more. It’s unclear if it came with a V1G gator grain top, but if it did, it’s one of only 33 T/As built like this.
But the really good news about this Challenger is that it has since been revamped and put back on the road. It hasn’t been restored just yet, but it’s not a solid survivor that’s no longer rotting away in a barn. And that’s a win in my book.