As a lover of classic cars, my heart aches at the sight of a neglected barn find. The thought of such iconic vehicles never being restored to their former glory is disheartening.
With classic car prices going up like crazy nowadays, you’d have to be insane to keep a valuable pony locked up in a barn, right? Well, things are a bit more complicated than that because restoring a potentially expensive classic isn’t exactly cheap. And that’s why many beloved muscle cars, like this 1970 Dodge Charger R/T, are still waiting for a second chance at life at more than 50 years old.
Documented by YouTube’s “Auto Archaeology,” this somewhat rare Charger R/T is part of a larger collection of muscle cars stored in a massive and really old barn and in the yard behind it. What makes it special?
But this R/T is also an unrestored survivor. The red paint is all-original, while the 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB V8 under the hood is of the numbers-matching variety. That’s something you don’t see every day. Sure, the Mopar is in poor condition overall due to a damaged rear fender, a messy interior, and some rust issues, but it’s definitely fixable.
As a brief reminder, the Charger R/T was available with either a 440 RB V8 or the mighty 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI V8. The former came standard with a four-barrel carburetor and 375 horsepower, but Dodge also offered a “Six Pack” version with 390 horses.
The HEMI topped the range at 425 horsepower. There’s no word on which 440 hides under the hood of this Charger R/T, but the entry-level four-barrel version is the most common. And it’s no slouch either, as it enabled the Charger to cover the quarter-mile in less than 14.5 seconds.
It’s the question on every classic car lover’s mind: will these iconic muscle machines from the golden era ever see the light of day again?
Thankfully, the owner of this impressive collection not only has a passion for these cars but also runs his own shop, giving these beauties a real shot at resurrection. With the clock ticking, we can only hope that these rare gems will be restored to their former glory and hit the open road once again.
The 1970 Charger R/T is an absolute standout, and it’s high time this beauty is freed from its barn and let loose on the streets, leaving a trail of burnt rubber in its wake.
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