Up for auction is a lovely 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Six Pack. I am selling this car for a family friend who has owned it for over 20 years and driven it very little. It is a very solid and honest car. I would call it a "garage find", since it has been tucked away for so long, albeit always in a completely dry and climate controlled environment. It has also been started and driven around the neighborhood periodically to maintain it's excellent mechanical condition. It starts without fuss after a couple cranks and idles very smooth. I believe the ultra low mileage (under 57k) it's showing to be true. This car is ready to drive and impress as it sits, or is an ideal dry and straight candidate for an easy restoration to be perfect. The car was not cleaned or shined up at all before the pictures were taken. It was simply started, and pulled out of the garage. I am not a Mopar expert, but I do know cars. This one is amazingly clean, dry, straight, and complete. It runs and sounds sweet and appears just a few easy things away from being 100% correct as well. Please feel free to ask questions, and I will do my best to get answers.

Exterior: The paint is not original but likely an older re-spray. There is evidence of this in the trunk jamb, where some poor adhesion has led to flaking of the more recent coat. This is NOT corrosion related at all, and the pictures illustrate that. Overall it looks great when standing near it. Not perfect, however. There are some some minor scratches to be expected in older paint and one area on the drivers front corner showing faint cracking. There is a picture of this area, and it was the only one like it that I saw. There is also fading and wear below the gas filler. The vinyl top is perfect, and must have been recovered.

Interior: Carpet, doors and dash appear to be original and in excellent condition considering. The seats are so nice, I'm not sure if they are the original skins. Overall the interior presents really well , especially with the pistol shifter. It looks and smells clean, and has no glaring needs inside. The trunk area is stripped and will need paint/carpet.

Undercarriage: This car looks really good underneath. Nothing scary going on at all; straight frame rails and pinch welds, clean and dry motor and transmission, rust free pans and suspension components, etc. I took a pic of the inside edge of the rear fenders which showed some minor pitting in the metal. It does not look active at all, and was the only issue I saw worth noting. The rest was shockingly clean and rust-free. Brake lines look recent.

Mechanical: This Challenger runs great. It starts easy, idles smooth, and sounds beautiful with no ticks, knocks, whines etc. As with any vehicle that has not been driven regularly or for long distances over a period of time, it should be thoroughly gone through before being declared road worthy. The owner says the clutch is a little spongy, but that is the only thing he could think that it needs. Aside from that, the only reason it should be towed away is because it hasn't traveled far in a long time.

This is a really cool and special car given it's originality and condition.

Auto blog

FCA adds 88k Dodge Challengers to Takata inflator recall

Mon, Jul 13 2015

The Takata airbag inflator recall from FCA US is growing 88,346 vehicles larger in the US after the company's discovery of the faulty parts in the 2008-2010 Dodge Challenger. The affected examples have production dates between September 19, 2007, and October 29, 2010, and the coupes need the replacement components on the driver's side. According to chronology posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (as a PDF), the automaker was auditing the models covered under the campaign in July and "identified a population of vehicles that was inadvertently excluded." Initially, FCA believed these cars were using an unrecalled Takata inflator. The audit revealed that the affected cars indeed used a recalled version. As with the rest of the faulty parts, exposure to moisture can cause them to ignite too quickly during an airbag deployment and spray shrapnel at occupants. The problem has been linked to at least eight deaths worldwide and a vehicle fire in Japan. The Challenger wasn't previously part of FCA's 3.3-million unit national campaign or the subsequent expansion. According to FCA US the parts to complete the repairs in these Challengers aren't currently available. However, owners will be notified of the issue by mail starting August 14. They will receive a second notice when the parts become available. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Driver Side Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Rupture Report Receipt Date: JUL 10, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V444000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Potential Number of Units Affected: 88,346 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) DODGE CHALLENGER 2008-2010 Details Manufacturer: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) SUMMARY: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 Dodge Challenger vehicles manufactured September 19, 2007, to October 29, 2010. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture. CONSEQUENCE: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death. REMEDY: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Parts to remedy the vehicles are not currently available. Interim notices will be mailed to owners beginning August 14, 2015.

FCA and Peugeot reportedly agree on merger

Wed, Oct 30 2019

Citing a Wall Street Journal report, the Detroit Free Press says "Fiat Chrysler and PSA Groupe have agreed to merge." The Journal reported on talks between the two car companies only yesterday. It's said that Peugeot's board met yesterday to approve the deal, FCA's board met today, and an announcement could come as soon as tomorrow, Thursday. Both automakers have released statements, but neither company has released any information beyond admitting to ongoing talks. If the merger happens, the combined entity would become the world's fourth-largest carmaker with a $50 billion valuation, slotting in behind Toyota, the Volkswagen Group, and the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi alliance. Among the merger options possible, "an all-stock merger of equals" is the one analysts and Moody's seem to give the best grade. The reported merger would come about four months after FCA walked away from merger talks with Renault. FCA said the French government scuppered those talks over the role of Nissan in a reformed entity, but there were also brewing issues with French unions, and ongoing turmoil among Renault and Nissan leadership thanks to continuing fallout from ex-CEO Carlos Ghosn's arrest last year. FCA makes most of its revenue in the U.S. and rules Italy, while Peugeot is the second-best-selling automaker in Europe with its own brand in France and Opel in Germany. The two companies already have a partnership in Europe making vans, one that FCA CEO Mike Manley has spoken highly of. Among the list of obvious benefits in a potential merger, FCA would get access to Peugeot's small, modern platforms, $10.2 billion in cash, and electrified and hybrid architecture developments, the latter especially important to FCA as those are fields where it lags. Peugeot would get much easier access to the U.S. market, and the money-printing brands Jeep and Ram. A merged carmaker would have combined sales of nearly 9 million a year, based on 2018 results. By comparison, both Volkswagen and Toyota sell over 10 million cars a year, while the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance almost 11 million. Peugeot CEO Carlos Tavares has proved he knows how to do turnarounds and mergers. After leaving a position as Carlos Ghosn's right-hand man in 2012, Tavares took over Peugeot in 2014, navigated a bailout from the French government and China's Dongfeng Motors in 2015, and turned PSA into a regional powerhouse.

Question of the Day: Most heinous act of badge engineering?

Wed, Dec 30 2015

Badge engineering, in which one company slaps its emblems on another company's product and sells it, has a long history in the automotive industry. When Sears wanted to sell cars, a deal was made with Kaiser-Frazer and the Sears Allstate was born. Iranians wanted new cars in the 1960s, and the Rootes Group was happy to offer Hillman Hunters for sale as Iran Khodro Paykans. Sometimes, though, certain badge-engineered vehicles made sense only in the 26th hour of negotiations between companies. The Suzuki Equator, say, which was a puzzling rebadge job of the Nissan Frontier. How did that happen? My personal favorite what-the-heck-were-they-thinking example of badge engineering is the 1971-1973 Plymouth Cricket. Chrysler Europe, through its ownership of the Rootes Group, was able to ship over Hillman Avanger subcompacts for sale in the US market. This would have made sense... if Chrysler hadn't already been selling rebadged Mitsubishi Colt Galants (as Dodge Colts) and Simca 1100s as (Simca 1204s) in its American showrooms. Few bought the Cricket, despite its cheery ad campaign. So, what's the badge-engineered car you find most confounding? Chrysler Dodge Automakers Mitsubishi Nissan Suzuki Automotive History question of the day badge engineering question

1970 Dodge Challenger R/t 440 Six Pack- Clean, Dry, Straight And Very Honest Car on 2040-cars

Dodge Challenger for Sale

Auto blog

FCA adds 88k Dodge Challengers to Takata inflator recall

FCA and Peugeot reportedly agree on merger

Question of the Day: Most heinous act of badge engineering?