1970 Dodge Challenger History

On Friday, August 1, 1969, the first ever Dodge Challenger rolled off of the assembly line for sale as a 1970 model year. The production Challenger, as mentioned, was based on the same platform as the Plymouth Barracuda, but had a wheelbase two inches longer to allow for more interior room. It was offered in both a hardtop and a convertible, with three trim lines available; the base model, the R/T (Road and Track), and the T/A (Trans America). The base model and T/A were only available as hardtops, so the only convertible that could be ordered carried the R/T options. The base model and R/T model hardtops could be upgraded with the SE luxury package, which included leather seats and a vinyl roof with a smaller "formal" rear window. The base model Challenger's came equipped with a 225 cubic inch inline 6 cylinder which produced 145 horsepower, but a 340 cubic inch V8 was offered, and that engine was much more powerful, offering 275 horsepower @ 5000 rpm and 340 lb-ft of torque @ 3200 rpm. The R/Ts came standard with a 383 cubic inch V8 which produced 330 horsepower, but for those who felt the need for speed, three performance engines were offered. The first two of the optional engines were both 440 cubic inch V8s, one being a topped with a four barrel carburetor, which built 375 horsepower @ 4600 rpm and 480 lb-ft of torque @ 3200 rpm; the second of the 440 cubic inch engines was packed with a trio of double barrel carburetors, labeled the "440 6-pack", which built 390 horsepower @ 4600 rpm and 480 lb-ft of torque @ 2300 rpm. The big dog of the Challenger engine lineup was the engine that American manufacturers would try to copy for years, and it is still one of the most desired engines of all time. That engine is, of course, the Hemi. It was "only" 426 cubic inches, but it made 425 horsepower @ 5000 rpm and a whopping 490 lb-ft or torque @ 4000 rpm. The Hemi option included several heavy duty upgrades as well, and cost an additional $1,228 and due to the huge price hike, it was only chosen by 356 buyers in 1970. Both the of 440 cubic inch options, and the Hemi came standard with a 727 TorqueFlite automatic transmission, but for those who demanded the most of out their new Challenger, it could be ordered with a four speed manual topped by a pistol-grip Hurst shifter and a Dana 60 axle packed with limited slip 3.54:1 gears and an option of 4.10:1 gears, instead of the standard 3.23:1. All of the R/Ts included heavy duty suspension, and if the either of the 440s or the Hemi were chosen, 15 inch wheels wrapped in a 60 series tire were included. The R/Ts came with a dual hood scoop setup, but these scoops did not feed directly into the engine. However, for only $97, the Shaker hood scoop option could be ordered. The Shaker scoop was actually mounted to the engine itself, and poked through a large hole in the hood, providing direct air to the engine. Power Steering and front disc brakes were available, but were only offered as options on the R/T and base model. The other trim line was the T/A package, which was offered just to comply with the rules of the Sports Car Club of America's Trans American Sedan Championship, as the SCCA requires a certain number of cars to be sold to be considered a "production car" for their series. The Challenger T/A street car came packed with a 340 cubic inch motor with a "6-pack" of its own, and Dodge advertised the engine as building 290 horsepower @ 5000 rpm and 345 lb-ft of torque@ 3400 rpm, although it was dyno proven that the 340 6-pack actually made around 350 horsepower. The T/A featured a matte black fiberglass hood with a massive oval air filter smothering the 3 two barrel carbs. The T/A also had a special high-flow dual exhaust system which traveled to the rear axle, but then doubled back and exited in front of the rear wheels by means of two huge chrome exhaust tips. The T/A came equipped with either the 727 TorqueFlite automatic or Hurst-shifted four-speed transmission, with either 3.55:1 or 3.90:1 gears, and the option of either manual of power steering. Front disc brakes were standard, and a heavy duty "Rallye Suspension" was standard, including increased camber of the rear springs, which elevated the tail enough to clear the rear rubber. The T/A featured a thick black trim stripe that ran the length of the car, along with a subtle, molded wing spoiler. One of the unusual notes about the T/A, is that it was one of the first production cars to offer different size tires in the front and back, with E60x15 fronts, and G60x15 in back. Unfortunately, the T/As were not very competitive in the SCCA T/A series, and the street model under steered badly at high speeds, so it did not make for a very popular car from that aspect, although it did turn out mid-14 second quarter mile time, which was very good for that era, especially from a small block car. But even with the fine quarter mile time, and mean appearance, Dodge removed itself from the SCCA series after 1970, and dropped the T/A option. Read more about the 1970 Dodge Challenger