1970 Challenger 440
Written by Keith Fudge

Talk about a truly “sublime” experience! This week Dennis Gage and Hemming’s My Classic Car stop at the Allenberry Resort Inn near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, for a great Mopar experience. Kent Olsen’s Mopar roots run deep for shortly after the day he was born, his family brought him home in a Mopar! Kent has proudly carried on the family tradition and today is the owner of a truly stunning 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T, complete with a potent 440 Magnum.

Talk about a head turner! From the Sub-Lime paint to the black accent stripes and the black-out hood, this Challenger demands immediate attention. As Kent took Dennis on a tour of this classic Muscle Car, we see that this restoration was a job well done.

John Balow at Muscle Car Restorations performed the work on Kent’s Challenger and the total project took approximately five years. Some of the distinctive features on the exterior of this R/T are the rectangular exhaust tips and the chrome luggage rack, and as we take a peek inside the trunk we also see that every detail is complete, right down to the Space-Saver Spare Tire!

The paint is 1970s Mopar all the way and this “Sub-Lime” treatment was one of the many “cartoon colors” offered during the year. The bold black striping strongly defines the lines of the car, and the R/T black-out hood indicates that something truly sinister is lurking beneath.

As Dennis and Kent move to the interior we see that the seats have been restored to OEM specs, and that this R/T has the standard Rally dash, Hurst “Pistol-Grip” four-speed shifter, and collapsible steering column; however, as Kent moved toward the front of the car, Dennis’s eyes began to light up as we were finally about to see just what was stored under the hood. When the hood pins were removed, Kent revealed a massive 440/4bbl Magnum engine that is breathtaking. The 440 Magnum was the upgrade engine as the base R/T came equipped with a 383/4bbl, and other power options for 1970 included the 440-6 pack (with the three 2bbl carbs), and of course, the 426 Hemi.

In 1970, the 440 Magnum was rated at 375 hp and this Challenger R/T could have been purchased off the showroom floor for a price of $3,226! Looking back, don’t we all wish we had invested differently? Finally, after looking the R/T over from back to front, there was only one thing left to do, hit the road!

As John, Dennis, and our crew traveled through the beautiful Pennsylvania landscape, we couldn’t keep from feeling the power of this Challenger as Kent ran through the gears. Toward the end of our ride, Kent made all our hearts beat just a bit faster as he depressed the accelerator and we felt ourselves melt into the seats! What a ride it was, and in what a beautiful place we experienced it. As we have said before--this trip was truly “sublime.” Way to go, Kent!