1970 Dodge Challenger

By now youve probably heard the term resto-mod thrown around in collector car circles. Its a somewhat awkward term that describes a car that has been modified while keeping a largely stock appearance. A resto-mod tries to capture all that is great about an original car, and enhances it with modern technology to make it faster, handle better, and stop shorter. It often includes a powertrain upgrade, some suspension tweaks, and maybe some interior upgrades while keeping the exterior mostly original. After all, its awfully hard to improve on the looks of a car like this 70 Challenger.To answer your first question, yes, its got a HEMI. Under that hood is a fuel injected 6.4-liter SRT-8 HEMI crate motor from Mopar Performance that cranks out 575 horsepower. The super-sanitary installation looks 100% factory, from the OEM-style wiring harnesses and connectors, to the HEMI coil covers, to the trick air intake with its own enclosed airbox. No matter what anybody may say, engine swaps like this are not easy projects, and making them look as perfect as this one does indicates first-class workmanship throughout. Wherever possible, OEM parts were used, and where custom items were needed, the parts are high quality. Theres a billet aluminum reservoir for the power steering system, a giant aluminum radiator, and a modern Wilwood dual master cylinder for the 4-wheel disc brakes that ties into the engines hydraulic power steering system. It breathes through a set of long-tube headers feeding a custom 3-inch dual exhaust system with Dynomax mufflers and original-style polished stainless steel tips. This car snarls and barks like a wild animal.That state-of-the-art engine is backed by a 5-speed manual transmission thats topped by a pistol-grip shifter. The deep overdrive 5th gear makes this car an outstanding high-speed freeway cruiser, while the short 1st and 2nd gears make for incredible, neck-snapping acceleration behind that big HEMI. Of course, the clutch, throwout bearing, and pressure plate are all new, too. Power is transmitted through a custom driveshaft to an 8.75-inch rear packed with a limited slip differential.The rest of the chassis is up to the task as well. Up front, theres a new tubular K-member that provides a foundation for the tubular upper and lower A-arms with coil-over shocks. A modern rack and pinion steering system delivers laser-like precision compared to the original steering, and a beefy sway bar keeps it level. The front brakes are giant 13-inch 2-piece vented rotors with aluminum hats clamped by aluminum Wilwood calipers. In back, there are track bars locating the live rear axle, another thick sway bar, and it is suspended by more adjustable coil-over shocks. It rolls on a set of black 18-inch Enkei wheels sporting aggressive BFGoodrich G-Force T/A radials, 245/40/18s up front, and 285/40/18s in back. These trick wheels sport a chrome insert that can be removed or installed in minutes, depending on the look you want. Check out the photos to see the wheels both with and without the insert.Personally, Burnt Orange is by far my favorite early Challenger color, and with the black R/T stripes on this car and the satin black trunk spoiler, it looks absolutely killer. The car has had a very high quality repaint with basecoat/clearcoat urethane, and it looks a mile deep. Even the underside and the floors are smooth and shiny, suggesting that someone took a lot of time to make everything right. The door gaps are straight and even, the chrome and stainless sparkles, and the glass is unmarkedthis is a perfect car. We had the same expert apply the decal package that does all the work on our show-winning restorations, and it transformed the car from mild to WOW! Inside, the resto-mod theme continues with a great mixture of old and new. The seats and upholstery have been recovered in original-type materials and patterns. Theres a custom center console that houses a Pioneer entertainment system with GPS navigation and a Parrot Bluetooth system, as well as switches for the rear power windows. The original dashboard has been stuffed full of modern digital gauges for an awesome high-tech look that lights up the interior like the cockpit of a fighter jet. The car is started using a big, red ENGINE START button to the left of the steering column, just like many popular high-performance cars today. It certainly doesnt feel like youre sitting inside a 40-year-old car when youre at the helm of this Challenger.To be honest, this is one of those cars that many of us would love to make our own. Original cars are somewhat subjective and if youre looking for an original car, youre looking for something specific. But if youre looking for a great-looking car that is a party to drive and will run with the nastiest of todays hardware, youd be hard-pressed to find a car more ideally suited to that than this Challenger. Combined with the unusual color and meticulous construction, you have a show-stopper that will be a hit anywhere you care to go, and a car that is an absolute weapon on the street. And if anyone asks if its got a HEMI, you can answer, Hell yes! as you dump the clutch and rocket out of sight.