Although I love classic cars regardless of brand and nameplate, barn finds make me a bit sad. And that’s because I know most of them will never get the restoration they deserve. And needless to say, it’s even more upsetting when the vehicle in question is a muscle car from the golden era.
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? Well, for starters, it’s an R/T. Dodge’s range-topping performance package at the time, the R/T is much rarer than the original Charger.
Because while the latter saw daylight in 46,315 units in 1970, fewer than 10,000 of them were ordered with the bundle. 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.
The R/T is parked next to a couple of other Mopars that are highly desirable nowadays. One’s a 1971 Charger SE in black while the other one is a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner. Both appear to be in solid condition, but they haven’t been driven in more than 10 years. Finally, a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 is also hidden in there as a GM gem among Mopar muscle.
But will these cool muscle cars from the golden era make it back on the road? Well, the guy who owns them also runs a shop so chances are they will be brought back to life. And hopefully, it will happen sooner than later because I just hate seeing 1970 Chargers rotting away like that. This R/T needs to roam the streets and burn rubber at the drag strip ASAP!
