Anyone Familiar with this Dealer or this 1970 R/T

[erik70rt]

Check out this pic from the rear.  Look how off the rear bumper is.  This says to me that the car was dinged in the back and the repair was pretty badly done.  I know you can adjust the bumper a little, but not that much.  Opinions?

[70 Challenger Lover]

The rest of the metal and lines look okay. There is probably a little wiggle room in bumper brackets for adjustment. If not, that alone would not be difficult to fix. Worst case, bumper and rear valance come off and you hog out bumper bracket slots until you get the proper fit. Maybe the passenger bracket had some bend in it?

There are two possibilities here with this car: who ever painted it was in a hurry and didn't bother to fit everything nicely during the process or slapped it all together afterward without regard for adjustments. (I've seen that lots of times especially when the owner assembles painted items himself to save money). The other possibility is collision damage. If it was only one area of the car, then a distinct concern but on this car, someone pointed out gaps at front fenders. What are the odds that there would be major collision damage all around the car? I'm leaning toward amateur reassembly after painting.

I would not consider buying it unless it was put on a rack for underside inspection. If there really was major collision damage, you will see signs. Buckling, twisting, creases, areas flatted and straightened with hammer marks. Frame rails would definitely be affected. Hiding damage like this is almost impossible. To hide it, metal surgery would be needed and that is just as much work as doing the job correctly. You would also see welds at panel overlap edges rather than typical factory spot welds.

[anlauto]

Guys..guys....guys.....We're talking about a 1970 Challenger, that looks great, runs and drives, certified and ready to go cruising for under $40K....

There's nothing correct about the restoration, it's an entry level Mopar muscle car that some one can hop in and be proud of....and enjoy their first Mopar E Body...great gift for the wife....

Unfortunately these are the times we're living in....E Bodies are expensive.....sure it would be great if this car only cost $15K or if it was an OE Gold winner for only 39K, but those days are long gone, heck the paint job likely cost close to $15K picking apart the little details is rather cenacle at this point, even if it's been rebodied, is still a decent looking car for the price

[erik70rt]

I hear you, Alan, and I said the same thing earlier in the thread.  I know what my "standard" is and I want to make sure that if I do decide to buy, I'm not going to end up fixing all kids of metal again.  That's all. 

I like to get other people's opinions and thoughts because there's always someone who might spot something I miss or knows something I don't.   

[70 Challenger Lover]

I think Alan summed it up right. You won't pay the asking of 39k. Getting it for 31k is doable I'm guessing and you will not find many decent 70 Challengers at 31k.

The rear bumper thing is an easy fix on a Saturday afternoon. Have a buddy help you so you don't have to wrestle with the weight and risk a scratch.

If the front fender also needs adjustment, study the panels on it now before you buy so you will have an idea if it's an easy Fender adjustment or something where you're gonna be readjusting the entire front clip.

The heater box is really simple. It comes out easy and rebuilding one correctly takes only a couple hours. A local radiator shop can pressure test the heater core for you before reassembly. Mine checked it for free. Complete gasket set is fairly inexpensive.

[erik70rt]

OK - I took a good look at it over the weekend and got the story.  When he purchased it, it was partially disassembled.  he did his best to throw it together, but did a rush job so most of the panels aren't lined up.  The cowl was definitely replaced and the welds were pretty messy.  The driver's inner fender has some rust damage they painted over instead of fixing so it will need to be replaced.  The rest of the body looked great - just not aligned at all.  The trunk lid is a repop piece.  The hood is a '71.  Missing lots of small pieces, seatbelts, dome light, light bar, grill support brackets, etc.  All interior panels will need to be replaced.  The underside is very clean.  New exhaust from the headers back with fabricated exhaust hangers.  Luckily they didn't cut anything to hang it.  Missing all of the vinyl top mouldings since they took the top off.  Grille and bezels are incorrectly painted so they will have to be stripped and painted again.  All of the badging in it is modern stick on pieces for the new Challengers.  Does have the fender tag.  Originally B5 with a white top and no stripes.  Blue interior car.  Original 4 spd car.  It has lots of potential, but will not have the pedigree since the cowl was changed. 

I made him an offer and we are now in the negotiating phase. 

[challengermaniac]

The heater box is really simple. It comes out easy and rebuilding one correctly takes only a couple hours. A local radiator shop can pressure test the heater core for you before reassembly. Mine checked it for free. Complete gasket set is fairly inexpensive.

Good to know!