1970 A66 Go Mango Challenger Dealer Demo! Current pics!

[benlavigne]

Last weekend, I was attending one of the last car meets of the year with my 71 Challenger R/T, and this 70 Challenger rumbles in... I recognize the owner, a friend of a friend, who actually was also interested in my 71 when I bought it lasr year.... After looking the car over, I jokingly ask if he'd like a shot at the 71 again, maybe a trade???. My 71 is a ''driver, looks very good in B5, but was assembled from used parts, and not as per the buildsheet, color, interior, etc... and definitely non-matching... To my surprise, he's interested in the 71, and after a few days we come up with a number of $ for me to add to do the trade and I jump on the chance!

Meet my new car, a 1970 A66, automatic, 10-year old restoration in it's original Go Mango color!
The car looks amazing, paint and body work are flawless, as is the interior... What made me jump on it is the incredible list of options on it, verified by the excellent build sheet that accompanies the car. It was ordered as a dealer demo for a local dealer, Tracy Automobile, with over 30 factory options! Some notable ones:
Hi-Impact Go Mango color
A66 package
Auto trans
Road Wheels with RWL tires
A44 Louver package
A45 F&R spoiler package
A01 Light package
A04 Radio Group, AM-FM stereo, rear speakers with fader, three-speaker dash
A36 Performance Axle package, 3.55 gears, 26'' rad, PS cooler
A62 Rallye dash
V1X vinyl top
M05  Door edge gards
J45 Hood Pins
Power windows
Rim-Blow steering wheel
6-Way seat
Buckets, console
C15deluxe seat belts with dash light
Tinted windows
Power disc brakes, etc....
Being a local car, I managed to track the original owner's son through Facebook, and he shared a few pics from 1973, we'll meet later so  I can get good scans of the documents he's kept after his dad passed away in 2012. He had purchased the car in September 1970, after the dealer had it as a demo since June, and had to sell it three years later when all of the 35 $125.00 payments were done (a copy of the sale document is with the car). It must have been special to him, as he'd kept the original keys on dealer keytag, plates, and other documents, and it made a big impression on the son, who is still holding on to them... He had a couple of opportunities to buy it back, but timing was never right.
On these 1973 pics, tires were switched to whitewall Michelin radials, and a trailer hitch was added... The son doesn't know if the spoiler was reversed from the factory, but doesn't think his dad would have done it...
Next: The hard life of a used Challenger in the 70's and 80's...

Ben

[RUNCHARGER]

Incredible car. Nice photos, I like the way it was sitting in the shots, The T-bars were set just right.

[anlauto]

What's with the backwards spoiler ? A Quebec thing ?

[Cuda Cody]

Great story and those are some cool photos!! You got a great car.

[6bblgt]

 

[Husk Challenger]

Congrats Ben! This 70 is a great car!

[750-h2]

Great car with a great story!

[js27]

Beauty-Best of Luck.
JS27

[JS29]

  I like it!!!

[RJChallenger]

  Great story. You sound as excited about the car, as the first owner did.

[Cudagirl3406]

Cool story and I stand by "when you least expect it...!"  CONGRATS!   

[Brads70]

Congrats, cool car glad you found a jem! Is Alan right about the spoiler on backwards? Looks like it?
What engine does it have? 

[340challconvert]

Congratulations on your swap for the A66 Challenger
I am a big fan of the A66 Challengers, owning an A66 convertible myself.
That is one loaded out A66. Really happy for you on this!

[318Stroker]

Congrats, cool car glad you found a jem! Is Alan right about the spoiler on backwards? Looks like it?
What engine does it have? 

It's a 340 4 barrel. The A66 package code was for a 1970 Challenger with the 340. They were a JH23 or JH27, non R/t car.

[benlavigne]

... So you are asking: What does the car look loike today, is it a survivor that has lead a pampered life befitting it's pedigree?

Ah, the late 70's, early 80's, when nice Mopars were cheap and plentiful... and customizing was the rage, Street Freaks, Street Machines, even in Quebec, modifying muscle cars was the rage, and after the car got into a little accident in the left front corner while at the hands of owner no.3, he decided to give it some custom touches... and the car went into Bodyshop Hell for almost 10 years, finally coming out in the mid-80's with these wild flares, side pipes, and two-pane sunroof! A few of it's original options had disappeared by then (Rim Blow, AM-FM), but amazingly the drivetrain was left completely untouched, as was most of the interior.
By the time it was out, the Street Freak movement had died down, and with 52 000 miles on the odometer, the car was rarely taken out, and was mostly hidden for the next decade...

Next: Finally restored!

Ben