Classic cars used to be new cars, and some like this Dodge Challenger weren’t that old when they got parked up for good. This one was only 15 years old or so when it went off the road in about 1984.
Since then, it has sat in around, entering its final resting place of this barn in 1997, 26 years ago.
As a 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A, this muscle car is from the homologation run of less than 2500 vehicles that Chrysler produced the year before to compete in the SCCA’s Trans-American Sedan Championship.
The resultant car was loud, proud and valuable today to collectors, and this one deserves the chance to fire up once more courtesy of YouTube channel Hagerty’s ‘Will It Run?’ series.
How Much Is A 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A 340 Six Pack Worth?
The Dodge Challenger T/A’s engine was a 5.6-liter ‘340’ V8 rated at 290 hp with 345 lb-ft, although sources say that this was conservative, and power may have been up at around 350 hp. For the competition car it was the same engine, de-stroked to 5-liters, but it made more power.
Sending power to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission, the Challenger T/A could manage 14-second quarter miles – it also looked good too. Even in the dim light of the barn in the video, it still looks eye catching in yellow with the black contrast trim. The black carbon fiber hood that came with hood pins and the scoop up top as well as the ducktail spoiler up back hint at its origins and purpose.
Graphics on the side remind us that it’s a Six Pack, as it came with three double barrel carburetors – nowadays it’s all direct injection, but this would have been an awesome machine in its day.
1970 Dodge Challenger T/A 340 Six Packs are worth an average of $95,000, but with around 2400 made, you wouldn’t think they would be affordable. As around 1400 were automatic cars, the remaining 1000 manual machines are very valuable.
How To Start Up A Barn-Find Muscle Car
Our host, who has previously gone over abandoned cars, carrying out work in order to start and drive them, opens the hood and begins his simple process.
He mentions that a lack of coolant is not necessarily an issue when starting up a car temporarily (but not driving it or leaving it on for long periods of time). In any case, there is coolant in the radiator and as such, the engine likely won’t have frozen.
The engine moves manually at the crank, so he starts with the spark plugs, removing them, replacing them, and sending penetrative oil into their housings to get the engine a little lubricated. A new battery comes in and the starter works well. A check by plugging in one spark plug into an ignition lead shows a spark – good news. Then it’s fuel into the top of the carb via a Red Bull can to see if it starts from the fuel in the bowl.
This Dodge Challenger resists starting for a long time. With a new fuel line bypassing the normal line, a cleanup of the electrical wiring, and a carburetor rebuild involving some scrubbing, the engine fires up. Simple, yet time-consuming work over two days and in 30-degree Michigan freezing weather pays off - and it really drives.