The 1970-1974 Dodge Challenger
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The Challenger project was first started in about 1965 as Dodge's answer to the pony car. Stylist Carl Cameron refined the car for some time, and, by 1968, they were building 1970 Challenger prototypes.
Finally, in the fall of 1969, Dodge finally introduced their E body (Plymouth’s was the newly enlarged Barracuda, which had been a compact A-body). With a choice of nine engines, from a slant-six Coupe (and, starting in February, a Deputy) to an R/T Hemi, and eighteen colors, the Challenger offered a lot of choice.
The E-body tag reflected current Chrysler Corp. body styles: the compacts were As, mid-size to large were B, and C and D were reserved for oversized Chrysler models. There is some evidence that the E-body Challenger and Barracuda were originally meant to be close to the A-bodies in size and weight, but that the muscle car mania prompted planners to require a larger engine. That decision brought in B-body components, eventually resulting in a car that was heavy, thirsty, and, while attractive, not known for its handling. [Challenger creation stories]
In the fashion of the times, the Challenger had two more inches of wheelbase than the Plymouth version; Dodge was below Chrysler but above Plymouth. The Challenger was made in both hardtop and convertible versions; there was an R/T (road and track) performance version and an SE luxury package, with leather seats, a vinyl roof, and the "formal styled" rear window. Base engine for the base Challenger was the humble slant six, but the "starter" V8 was the 340, producing a rated 275 hp (gross) and 340 lb-ft of torque at a low 3,200 rpm.
The R/T was the hot model, with a 383 cubic inch engine putting out 335 gross horsepower standard, and three optional engines: the legendary Hemi (425 hp but only 356 buyers), the more affordable 440 Magnum (375 hp with a single four-barrel carb), and the Hemi-challenging 440 Six Pack, with three two-barrel carburetors (sold to over 2,000 people, and featuring 390 gross hp and a stunning 480 lb-ft of torque at a very low 2,300 rpm).
A heavy duty TorqueFlite 727 automatic transmission was actually standard on the 440s and Hemi engines, with a four-speed manual as an option; people say that the TorqueFlite could outrun the manual, despite the latter’s Hurst pistol-grip shifter and bulletproof Dana 60 rear axle. A limited slip differential, which would be a coveted feature, was optional, but a heavy duty suspension was standard across the R/T line. It may shock modern buyers to know that even the Hemi was given 15-inch 60-series tires, which today are reserved to base model economy cars.
While the R/T had a standard dual-scoop hood, the functional scoops simply pushed air into the engine bay, rather than forcing it into the engine; for that, you need the "shaker" hood, which was essentially an attachment to the air cleaner that protruded through the hood.
There was also a T/A edition, named after the SCCA Trans American series; it was a street version of the racing car, using a 340 Six Pack and running at a rated 290 horsepower (gross); some claimed it was more poweful. On many of these Challengers, fiberglass hood was lifted off (no hinges), and the flat black color and fender pins gave the car a unique look. (Wendell Lane wrote: “my 1970 Challenger T/A had hood hinges, with lighter hood springs for the fiberglass hood, and dual hood pins up front.”)
The Challenger T/A was showy, with big stripes and dual exhausts with special outlets, but it was also a runner, with a special heavy duty "Rallye" suspension, increased rear-spring camber, different sized front and rear tires, and an engine that could do 14 second quarter miles. Like the Plymouth AAR E-body, it wasn't competitive in the series it was designed for; but the actual SCCA racer used a destroked 303 cubic inch V8.
Tom Murden mentioned that the Plymouth 'Cuda was an inch too short for Can-Am - the Challenger, being two inches longer, was raced in Can-Am, and the 'Cuda remained in Trans Am.
We have more information on the Plymouth version, the E-body Barracuda.
Trans Am Challengers
The Trans-Am Challenger was the race version of the normal street demon. About 2,400 were built to comply with the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) rules - the AAR Cuda was built for similar reasons. Sam Posey drove the real T/A. It had a destroked 303 cubic-inch LA (273-318-340-360) motor with a four barrel. The early-production T/As had a twin-scoop hood and a bumblebee stripe with the modified 340 six pak.
William Fayling wrote: there were 989 four speeds and 1411 automatics made. You talk about early T/As having dual scoops, this is not factual. I have had the pleasure of seeing the first one built and it has T/A striping, fiberglass hood (single scoop), rear and front spoilers. 1,226 JH23H1B & 1,078 JS23H1B (RTs) were made in 1971 with 340-4BBl. [The Monstrous American Car Spotter's Guide does show an early T/A with the dual scoop hood. Would anyone else care to comment?]
Early T/As looked just like any other Challenger, and without the bold graphics and spoilers of later T/As, those cars surprised many at stop-light shoot outs. The T/A's 340 had valvetrain improvements, beefier heads, increased webbing in the mains, and other improvements.
1970 Dodge Challenger
| Dodge Challenger | 1970-71 | 1973 |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 110 | 110 |
| Length | 191.3 | 198.2 |
| Width x Height | 76.1 x 50.9 | 76.4 x 50.9 |
| Track (max) | 60.7 | 60.7 |
| Headroom, F/R | 37.4 / 35.6* | 37.4 / 35.6 |
| Legroom, F/R | 42.3/30.9 | 42.3/30.9 |
| Shoulder-room | 1971: 58.1 / 56.8 | n/a |
| Base tires | F70 x 14 (6 x 14) | 7.35 x 14 |
| Battery | 280 amp | |
| Alternator | 41 amp | |
| Trunk capacity | 8.6 cubic ft | |
| 318 axle ratio, manual | 3.23:1 | |
| 318 axle ratio, auto | 2.76; 3.23 opt. | |
| * Hardtop headroom: 38.2 / 36.4; hardtop shoulder room: 56.2 / 56.8 |
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The 1970 Dodge Challenger was a new car, in two series, the Challenger R/T and just-plain-Challenger; each series had a hardtop, convertible, and Special Edition, all with two doors. The Special Edition added a vinyl roof, formal roof-line with small rear window, leather and vinyl bucket seats, and various trim changes. An insanely wide choice of engines was provided - the 225 slant six, 318 V8, 340, 383 (two or four barrel, or Magnum), 440 (Magnum or Six Pack), and 426 Hemi. Three transmissions were offered, a three-on-the-floor, four-on-the-floor, or TorqueFlite automatic - with the shifter on the column or the console.
On the outside, the Challenger featured new, flush pull-up door handles, a new interior door lock recessed in the armrest, and high-back bucket seats with built in head restraints, or bench seats with folding center armrests in the Hardtop. Door glass had no vents and was curved; a Slap-Stik Shift Gate was sold with the console-mounted TorqueFlite. (Fourteen inch wheels were still available too). Optional on Special Edition was an overhead console with low-fuel, door-ajar, and seat-belt lights. Seats could be tilted and moved fore and aft, or up and down, all manually; it was counterbalanced with springs to make movement easier. A stereo tape player and cruise control were optional, along with power windows, FM stereo, rear defogger, and other luxury items.
Safety precautions included a collapsible steering column, two-piece door impact beam, and a box-section roll bar for rollover protection.
60-series tires were on 15 inch wheels, fairly aggressive for the time, as long as you got an engine beyond the non-Magnum 383 (such as the 340 or 383 Magnum); the 225, 318, and 383 non-Magnum engines came with 14 inch wheels. Tires (fiberglass belted) ranged from E78 to F60 (Hemi only). Wheels were 5.5 inches wide, except for the 340 and Hemi, whose wheels were 7 inches wide.
The Challenger R/T started with a 383 cubic inch V8, with a 9.5:1 compression ratio and 335 gross hp at 5,200 rpm; torque was 425 lb-ft at 3,400 rpm. The premium-fuel-only powerplant had a single four-barrel Holley carb, hydraulic lifters, overhead rocker arms, and dual, reverse-flow mufflers. The standard transmission was a three-speed floor shift with a 2.55:1 first, 1.49:1 second, and 1:1 third; cam timing was 268° intake duration, 284° exhaust duration. Heavy duty drum brakes were standard, along with a rallye instrument cluster (including tachometer, trip odometer, variable speed wipers, 150 mph speedometer, and oil pressure gauge); a bumblebee stripe or longitudinal tape stripe were optional, at no extra cost. Vinyal bucket seats with head restraints and a 3-spoke "simulated walnut" steering wheel helped complete the package.
The Challenger T/A, a street version of the Challenger campaigned in Trans Am and SCCA racing, was released late in Canada, and came with a special 340 engine with three two-barrel carbs (Six Pack), special heads, and a modified valve train. (More on the T/A coming soon.)
Safety features included dual channel brakes, padded instrument panel, day/night rearview mirror (standard on R/T), seat belts in all positions, and an energy absorbing steering column.
According to a contemporary brochure, legendary record-setting drag racer Don Garlits said:
They watched the whole pony car thing develop, then built their own super-tough version... the Challenger R/T. Compact like a Dart. Wide like a Charger. Just the right size for anyone who likes his own personalized backyard bomb. Dodge should sell a million of ’em. Challenger and especially Challenger R/T are young people’s cars with young persons’ price tags.”
1971 Dodge Challengers
For 1971, as in 1970, the Hemi was in the R/T lineup as well as the 440, and the standard 383; new was the light but high-performance 340. There were no R/T ragtops, but there were 340 ragtops that were essentially similar, except for the emblems and the R/T VIN code. As one would expect, the grille was changed.
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By the same token, you could order a 340 R/T look-alike with a shaker and a go-wing, and most of the R/T paraphernalia, without the higher insurance premiums.
The main difference in the 1971 SE was the back window, which grew to normal size. There are rumors of '71 T/As, but they had a 340-4 barrel. The 383 was detuned to 300 hp, the base 440 was no longer available, and the 440 Six-Pack was now 5 hp lower. Sales were dramatically lower in 1971, despite being the Indy 500 pace car — or perhaps because the pace car crashed into the press box. Production was a mere 30,000 units or so.
1972 and onwards
In 1972, there were big changes. The R/T, ragtop, T/A, and SE vanished, along with the Six-Pack, and another new grille showed up (the “sad faced” grille). However, the Challenger Rallye was introduced, and the 340 was still around, albeit with less power. The Hemi was gone, leaving the 240-hp (net) 340 as the power leader, but the 318 showed up with 150 hp to provide a more realistic base engine than the slant six (which was still around for 1972, but not 1973.) Full production was down to just over 26,000 units.
1973 brought huge bumper guards and lost the slant six and gunmetal grey color but gained the new 360 (245 hp net). Production rose to nearly 33,000. The 318 was now standard, as were vinyl front bucket seats with headrests; a floor-mounted 3-speed manual transmission; front and rear ashtrays; heater/defroster; day/night mirror; concealed two-speed wipers; dual horns; various mouldings; and energy-absorbing steering column. Those who wanted a passenger side mirror had to pay for it.
By 1974, there were two engine choices: the 318 and somewhat more powerful 360, which was only available in 1974; it replaced the 340, which ended in 1973. Production was a mere 16,000 units, and the Challenger was not available for 1975; but its name appeared on a Mitsubishi import.
In its short life, the Challenger turned out to be one of the best-looking cars produced in the muscle era, and is today highly sought after. Its sales were probably never satisfying for Chrysler, which had invested quite a bit in the Challenger and Barracuda — rather than in the A-body — probably because buyers found the interior space to be rather small for what was a fairly large car, critics slammed the handling, and because the muscle-car market dried up rapidly with insurance company premium hikes and, later, gas shortages.
1971 Dodge Challenger pace car
Click here for our detailed section on this car.
A detailed Dodge Challenger history
John Z. Delorean took the Tempest, a mid-sized Pontiac, and spawned the GTO. What was different about the GTO (a name blatantly ripped off Ferrari, an acronym for Gran Turismo Omoglata) was its image. Delorean added an appearance package and created a success.
The 1964 Daytona 500 was an absolute shut-out, thanks to Chrysler’s Tom Hoover. A new hemi engine based on the 426 street wedge was finally available to the general public so the Coronet R/T could do battle with the GTO.
The stylists at Dodge and Plymouth started a project in the last quarter of 1967. Empowered by G.M.’s big engine ban in their flagship pony cars, Camaro and Corvette, Bill Brownlee’s team wanted to put the big hemi in the next generation of the Mopar pony cars.
Hurst was subcontracted by Chrysler in 1968 to hand build fifty Darts and Barracudas with Hemi power. These cars were unique, delivered with the big motor, 7x14 steel wheels, grey primer, lightened Dodge A-100 Van seats, Lexan glass, straps for window mechanisms and little else. Something had to be done.
Bill Brownlee’s team began to design the Dart GT and Barracuda successor. Carl Cameron penned the winning draft. Engineering took over from there. The Challenger and its cousin the ‘Cuda relied on shortened B-body underpinnings for corporate convenience.
Production for the new 1970 model year cars commenced Friday, August 1, 1969. The first Challenger Convertible that rolled off the line came with a one-off factory option. The yellow jacket appearance package.
The 1969 Dodge Yellow Jacket whetted the public’s appetite for the upcoming 1970 model-year Challengers that would be available in September. Painted a pearl white, it featured a enduro-style bumpers similar to the Pontiacs. It had pop-up headlights, and taillights that directly foreshadowed the later production Challengers. The styling was unique as well, featuring a removable targa-style roof, seating for only two, and a deck lid that reached up to the headrests, similar to the early sixties Thunderbird roadsters.
Somewhere in transit, the Yellow Jacket got a massive scratch in its pearl paint. It was repainted a honey-gold color, received a slight restyle and would reemerge in the 1970 Show Season as the Diamante (a name later taken by Mitsubishi). Steve Juliano owns the Diamante now, and has since repainted it back to the original pearl white color.
The Dodge Challengers hit the showroom floors in Fall 1969 with much anticipation. With nine engine choices and a variety of eighteen colors, this car had something for everyone. There were the Special Edition Challengers that had an overhead console and a rear window that were unique to the SE models. There were the R/T models that made everybody on Woodward squeamish, big and little engined Challenger Convertibles (151 had the hemi), the Deputy Coupes for the most frugal consumer (the largest engine was the 383 4 barrel, the rear quarter windows were fixed, it had a different interior), and starting in the Spring of 1970, the T/A model. Chrysler expected to sell 200,000 E-bodies — each year.
The Challenger Trans-Am was a street model manufactured to meet SCCA homoglation requirements (a certain number of retail models had to be made for the car to be considered “stock.”) Sam Posey drove the real T/A in the Sport Car Club of America races, and his car was powered by a 303 LA-series V8 monster.
Production started March 10, 1970 at the Hamtramck Plant. Code A53 was reserved for about 2400 buyers in America and 118 in Canada. A pre-trans am Challenger does exist with the Trans Am motor and the JH23J VIN code, and it is a Challenger 340 with a dual scoop hood and the bumblebee stripe.
What set the A53 Package apart was that the engine was a modified 340 (beefier rods, four bolt mains, special exhaust manifolds, the Edelbrock intake and three dual throat Holleys), hemi suspension, the fiberglass hood, tape stripes the spoilers, and the special exhaust (California cars received the down-turned rear exit dual exhausts). Other physical deviations include hemi Challenger front fenders for the meaty E60 series Polyglas tires. The Trans Am was the first car to be produced with different front and rear tire sizes.
The fender tag on the Trans Am cars will have the A53 Package, a separate fender tag that will say “TRANS AM” on it, and was built only at the Hamtramck plant. The T/As only came with black steel wheels or Rallye Wheels. If full face wheel covers or Road Wheels are on that car, someone put them there.
A second special Challenger manufactured in 1970 is the Western Sport Special. It was mid-year option package available to (obviously) western regions.
In 1971, the Challenger received a minor facelift, most notably in grille and taillight treatments, and the addition of dummy brake cooling slots on the R/T models. The Special Edition Model lost the smaller rear window. The Trans Am and Deputy were dropped. A retouched ad showing a 1971 T/A does exist, most likely a means for Chrysler to get rid of extra parts. The 440 four barrel was also dropped from the R/T line up.
Big changes were in store for the 1972 Challenger. The six cylinder, 440 triple-carb, and Hemi engines were dropped, along with the R/T, SE, and all convertibles; the Rallye replaced the Challenger R/T. The big engines were dropped due largely to poor sales, exacerbated by high insurance costs. A few 1971 Challengers were converted into 1972 convertibles for the T.V. Show “Medical Center” starring Chad Everett.
The Challenger now had the same body styling that would be virtually unchanged until its demise in 1974. The grille was the down tuned “sad mouth,” the taillights were taken from the Diamante show car, and the turn signals were rectangular, and can be viewed from any angle.
Challenger production ceased in 1974, a choked incarnation of what ruled Woodward Avenue in the early part of that decade. Rising fuel and insurance prices contributed to the Challenger’s demise; sales were far below projections and having a unique body gave Chrysler a net loss. The name was resurrected in the late seventies to be slapped on a Mitsubishi built compact and in 2008 for a visual clone of the original, the Challenger SRT8.
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