build your NEW - practical * "DREAM" * daily driver - 1970-'71 E-body

[RUNCHARGER]

My DD truck tagged out at $65k. A Hellcat Tagged out at $70k but they suck for towing. Lots of young guys in my area bought new Hemi cars and drove them a winter or two, but looking back yeah I'd buy a Wedge motor and pocket the 15% upcharge for a Hemi, not knowing what the future held.

[YYZ]

 @anlauto raises some good points, but 15" rubber could give way to snows on 14" rims and let's not forget a few well placed bags of sand in the trunk for traction...

The evening I picked up my first E-body near the Michigan border, a heavy snowstorm blew in so my first driving experience in an E-body ragtop was full-on winter.  It was surprisingly decent overall, though 318/auto made it a bit more tractable.

Going back to '70, an alternate would be a loaded 440-4bbl 4 speed sunroof Challenger, with SE trim, similar to the ones restored by Alan for bps.  But I might go with one of the less common colours such as A4 buffed silver metallic, T2 etc. 

[JH27N0B]

Living here in the snow belt, an E body never would have been a great daily driver.  When I was in college, I worked in a machine shop part time, and a coworker of mine told me how he bought a brand new 440 6 pack Superbee!  Shortly after he bought it, it snowed, and he backed out of the driveway and put it in first, and couldn't get it moving! As soon as the streets were dry, he immediately traded it in on a FWD Eldorado!
When we had a "second chance" of sorts, I bought my first new car, an '09 Classic R/T, blue, 6 speed.
But I've used it as a fair weather driver, park it for winter etc. I never would drive it in salty roads.
Assuming I am a young guy in summer or early fall of 1970 not interested in "babying" a car and needing a year round daily driver, I'll get a '71 Challenger R/T, 340, 4 speed, 3.55 sure grip, in B5 blue.  Power steering, power disc brakes, AM FM, elastomeric bumpers, black cloth insert seats, and a second set of wheels and tires, snow tires that is.  And I will take it to Zeibart for their full rustproofing treatment before winter!
If I was a bit older and wiser, in that time period, with a few bucks in my bank account,  I'd get a V code Challenger convertible but garage it, and buy a beater for wet and snowy days.

[Flatdad]

I probably wouldn't have bought one when new, based on their build quality compared to other models. They're really cool now, but back then they'd seem cheap and rattly on the inside.

But, playing the game, here's what I'd pick:

1971 Challenger, base hardtop
340-4bbl
Bench Auto
A/C
Dual Painted Mirrors
AM/FM with cassette
Undercoating
2.76 Suregrip
Single Rear Speaker
Rear Defog
Body Side Protective Molding
Magnum 500's
Either White Interior or Cloth Insert
Some dark exterior color to hide dirt
Tinted Windows If their was enough money left in the budget

[chargerdon]

You want practical daily driver??   

My FIRST new car when i was 21 and out of college was a base Challenger with the std slant six, and 3 on the floor.   By the listed that would have been $2851...  It also had i think what was the "radio group" which included AM Radio, PS, deluxe wheel covers for another $198.   

That brings the total to $3049 add to that dealer prep and transportation and it stickered at around $3150.   I got the dealer to discount it $200 so i paid around $2900.   I was in the dark green metallic with beige interior.     I loved that car !!    Wish i still had it !!   It got right around 20 mpg in daily driving...   and of course gas in 1970 was around 29 cents a gallon.  Even at only 145 hp since it only weighed around 3200lbs it was peppy enough for a daily driver.

Ok... my current driver is a 2008 Sebring Convertible (here in NC get to put the top down often), which i bought used for $5500 so cant do the times 8 thing.....   

BUT...  if i do multiply $2900 x 8 i get $23,200...   and believe it or not, a dealer down here still has a leftover 2019 challenger SXT.   It stickers at $31375 but with factory discounts and dealer $4,000 discount it is available for  $22,575 !!   Yes, its a base SXT with "only a V6" but that V6 today has 305 NET HP, and an 8sp auto, and is a fully loaded car...  Air, Power driver seat, cruise, 20" tires...etc etc...   10 times more features than the 1970 !!    Its only drawback is that it gained about 800 lbs over my 1970.  Dodge claims it will accelerate 0-60 in 6.6 seconds...hell..thats faster than the 340's were back in the day !!   Its a helluva bargain !!   At 72 i dont have to worry about leftover depreciation as i would probably never sell it !!

[anlauto]

and believe it or not, a dealer down here still has a leftover 2019 challenger SXT.   It stickers at $31375 but with factory discounts and dealer $4,000 discount it is available for  $22,575 !!   Yes, its a base SXT with "only a V6" but that V6 today has 305 NET HP, and an 8sp auto, and is a fully loaded car...  Air, Power driver seat, cruise, 20" tires...etc etc...   10 times more features than the 1970 !!    Its only drawback is that it gained about 800 lbs over my 1970.  Dodge claims it will accelerate 0-60 in 6.6 seconds...hell..thats faster than the 340's were back in the day !!   Its a helluva bargain !! 

You mean like this....This is my wife's year round "daily driver", she bought it in 2017 and yes I think it's worth every penny..

[dodj]

I just recently bought the most expensive vehicle in my life. My DD truck is a 3500 Cummins which tagged out at $82,000.
With the $10k in 1970 I would have gone with a Challenger convertible A66, 4 sp, rallye susp, console, rallye gauges, A/C, and a longitudinal stripe, hood pins, 3 or 4 locking gas caps, and spring the extra 11 bucks for the hi output alt.
With the left over $ I'd put a down payment on a house.


Wondering though. That truck I bought had loads of 'dealing' room. I paid $20,000 less than msrp. How much dealing room was there in 1970?