BUYER’S GUIDE

1970 DODGE CHALLENGER T/A

BY MARK J. McCOURT • PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE HEMMINGS ARCHIVES ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERTA CONROY

ENGINE

Like the 10 (!) other engines available under the hoods of 1970 Challengers, the “J”-code V-8 is famously durable. Factory mechanical specifi cations for the T/A can be found online at the 1970 Hamtramck Registry, which hosts the original Technical Service Bulletins. Most parts needed to maintain or rebuild a six-barrel 340 are readily available, and Mopar specialists around the country have the expertise needed to bring one back to as-built or better.

TRANSMISSION

Because this Challenger was technically a combination of options fi tted to a base model, rather than an upscale trim level a la R/T, the close-ratio four-speed manual and three-speed TorqueFlite automatic exclusively used in the T/A were extra-charge items. Neither is troubleprone, and both are relatively simple for transmission specialists to service or rebuild.

INTERIOR

For all their performance, Challenger T/As are surprisingly accommodating and comfortable road cars. They were built to a price, though, so original materials didn’t always hold up. Replacement original-style interior parts including carpeting, seat foam and upholstery, headliners, and door/ side panels, can be purchased from reputable sources. Cracked dash pads can be restored, too.

THE FAMOUS QUOTE, “RACING IMPROVES THE BREED,” may be attributed to Soichiro Honda, but the sentiment has been universal since the earliest days of automotive competition. As high-performance machines, American muscle cars keenly bene tted from racing, both on the dragstrip and on the road-course circuit. From the inauguration of the pony-car era, the Shelby-tuned Mustang proved it was a racing force to be reckoned with, and that Ford inspired a host of rivals. In 1970, the Chrysler Corporation sold two racing homologation variants of popular models that allowed the automaker to compete in SCCA Trans-Am, as well as drive traf c into showrooms—the rarer of the pair was the Dodge Challenger T/A.

CHASSIS

New reproduction components (and some NOS items) can be purchased to restore suspension and braking systems, although purists may have to search if they want to maintain their cars’ numbers-matching and datecoded accuracy. Barry Washington’s Challenger T/A Registry website (see Resources, p. 42) contains helpful, in-depth authentication tips that include part numbers for T/A brake components, as well as radiator and rocker-arm number identifi cation.

BODY

Inspect prospective Challengers for rust and evidence of poor repairs in the cowl, fl oors, rocker panels, subframe rails, door bottoms, the base of the A-pillars, and in the rear quarter panels above and behind the wheels. Lift the trunk liner and inspect the metal, both inside and underneath. If a car has a vinyl roof, check it for bubbling. Fiberglass hoods can warp, even with the special lowtension springs used with the T/A (and AAR) hood; reinforcing that area underneath diminishes the effect.

PRODUCTION

Dodge reportedly built just over 83,000 Challengers in this model’s fi rst year, but the Trans-Amhomologation variant is believed to account for fewer than 2,400 of them. Sources indicate that around 1,400 T/As were built with twopedal TorqueFlites, the remainder being three-pedal four-speeds. This model was special enough to inspire a heritage-themed modern reboot, complete with black hood and body stripes, which remains available today in Dodge showrooms.

The Sports Car Club of America debuted its Trans-American Sedan Championship at Sebring, Florida, in the spring of 1966. This event divided modi ed production-car participants into “Under 2-Liter” and “Over 2-Liter” classes, the latter featured a rules displacement cap of 5.0 liters or 305.5 cubic inches. The “Sedan” descriptor was soon dropped, but by the end of the decade, pony cars were proving keen SCCA competitors. Following the Shelby Mustangs into battle were the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, AMC Trans-Am Javelin, Ford Mustang Boss 302, Mercury Cougar Eliminator, and Mother Mopar’s Plymouth AAR ’Cuda and Dodge Challenger T/A.

Like the other automakers who knew the halo bene t that came from campaigning cars that looked like ones consumers could buy, Chrysler of cially supported the racing of its E-body coupes. At least one of the two Challengers—the Ray Caldwell Autodynamics team ran the blackstriped Green Go #77 and #76— reportedly endured chemical milling, aka acid dipping, extreme weightsaving preparation for competition. Both cars were primarily wielded by the talented Sam Posey, who later admitted the Dodge entries were directed to play supporting cast to the ’Cudas run by Dan Gurney’s All American Racers team.

Race sanctioning bodies have long set rules that cars intending to compete have to meet to provide a level eld. When Chrysler committed the Challenger and ’Cuda to SCCA, the company was supposed to build 2,500 examples of each for public sale. The Challenger T/A option group code, “A53,” was an $865.70 upcharge over the basic $2,953 highline V-8 model, the total gure representing around $27,925 in today’s money. The street version of this car shared the racer’s special pin-secured berglass hood, ducktail rear spoiler, megaphone-tip exhausts, and rakish stance on staggered tire sizes. While 305 cubic inches was the top displacement permitted on track, the SCCA said that number could be derived from a de-stroked production engine; this was how the street car used a 340-cu.in. V-8. It’s believed 2,399 T/A’s, in addition to 2,724 AARs, were produced February to May 1970, but experts point out that the actual numbers were not documented by Chrysler. Both E-bodies were successful at drawing attention to the hot new Mopar models.

Ensuring nobody mistook the T/A for a lesser Challenger, this Dodge offset its color palette with lots of black trim, including the hood and decklid spoiler. Optional (at extra cost) front chin spoilers could complement the recessed grille and headlamps, while standard gloss-black-painted wheels wore bright metal trim rings and “dog-dish” center caps; same-size silver Rallye wheels could be optioned. Bold black fender decals included “T/A” and “340 SIX PACK” callouts. A body-color driver’s exterior mirror was standard, with matching bodycolor passenger’s side mirror optional.

WHATTOPAY

Low $45,000 Average $80,000 High $140,000

The snap-open fuel filler cap was standard, and unique to this model, the radio antenna was mounted on the passenger rear quarter panel when a radio was optioned. A secondary, screwed-in fender tag reading “TRANS AM” cemented this model’s provenance.

In the 52 years since Dodge marketed the original Challenger T/A, many of these multitalented muscle machines have been lost to crashes and corrosion. The serious monetary value real T/As command makes them ripe for forgery, explains Barry Washington, founder of The 1970 Hamtramck Registry and keeper of The Challenger T/A Registry. Numbers-matching examples bring the highest prices in Mopar circles, so in addition to checking for obvious, common condition issues, he recommends looking carefully for re-stamped engine blocks, transmissions, and even bodies: “Body numbers are sometimes cut out and welded into a ‘donor’ body, stolen or otherwise. Watch for counterfeit VIN tags, fake fender tags, window stickers, or any other bogus documentation. You want to know if a car has ever been reported stolen, or if its odometer has been reset.”

Barry continues, “If a Registry entry exists for the specific make and model of any car a potential buyer is looking at, send the Registry an email with the VIN and any other details before any money changes hands. I do my best to keep the dishonest in this hobby from taking advantage of any unsuspecting buyer, and it is a free service. I also have thousands of original items that car owners can claim, free of charge, just by proving legal ownership and that the car matching the item still exists. We also help original engines and transmissions return to their original cars.”

ENGINE

Under the matte-black hood with the bold raised “Scat Scoop” engineered to channel fast-moving cold air, an air cleaner assembly sits in a sealed housing, its orange top bearing a checkered-flag emblazoned sticker with the words “340 SIX PACK.” Removing the unit uncovers three twobarrel Holley 2300 carburetors with vacuum-operated secondaries that bolt onto an aluminum Edelbrock intake manifold. Under this is the heavyduty small-block Wedge V-8, whose iron block was cast with extra-wide main-bearing webs with extra material so the two-bolt main bearing caps could be replaced with four-bolt units if desired. The cylinder heads used on the T/A (and AAR) have unique offset holes for the intake pushrods, enabling the intake ports to be enlarged by performance engine builders. The triple-carbureted engine included a modified hydraulic-tappet valvetrain and a special camshaft actuating longer pushrods and adjustable rocker arms. Low-restriction dual exhausts with two-pass mufflers mount ahead of the rear axle and exit under the sills.

The 340-cubic-inch displacement is technically 339.4, measured from the 4.04 x 3.31-inch bore and stroke. With a 10.5:1 compression ratio, the high-winding V-8 makes an advertised

ABOVE: The T/A’s 340 was topped by three two-barrel Holley 2300 carbs with vacuumoperated secondaries, bolted on an aluminum Edelbrock intake. The fiberglass hood’s “Scat Scoop” channeled cold air into a sealed housing.

BELOW: While the 340’s unique adjustable rocker arms can only be found used or NOS, most everything else this special V-8 needs is available.

PARTSPRICES

Air cleaner lid, Six Pack..........$125 Brake disc rotor ......................$108 Door skin ................................$230 Leaf springs, heavy-duty lower (pair)..........$165 Muffler straps (pair).................$60 Radiator ..................................$522 Seal, fiberglass hood to radiator........................$50 Trunk spoiler decal...................$13

(yet commonly considered underrated) 290 hp at 5,000 rpm and 345 lb-ft of torque at 3,400 rpm.

DRIVETRAIN

Engine output is sent to the Sure Gripequipped 8¾-inch differential through either a Hurst “Pistol-Grip”-stirred A-833 close-ratio four-speed manual or a heavy-duty 727 three-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission. A 3.55:1 nal drive was speci ed, although 3.91 was optional. These components are famously durable and readily rebuildable as needed.

SUSPENSION AND BRAKES

Because SCCA racing emphasizes handling as much as straight-line speed, this Challenger also uses special chassis components. The upgraded Rally suspension got a larger-diameter front (.95-inch) and new rear (.75-inch) anti-roll bar, Hemi-spec .92-inch front torsion bars and repro led asymmetric rear semi-elliptic leaf springs, and heavy-duty telescopic shocks. Steel wheels measuring 15 x 7-inches originally mounted bias-belted Goodyear Polyglas GT tires: E60-15s ran in front, taller G60-15s were used in the rear, and an in atable Space-Saver spare stowed in the trunk. Behind the wheels are power-assisted 11.04-inch front disc and 11-inch rear drum brakes, the discs clamped with grippy semi-metallic pads. The standard steering setup was a 24:1-ratio manual recirculating-ball rack, while quick 12:1- and normal 16:1-ratio steering boxes utilizing power assist were available.

The “A53” Challenger T/A option group code included important upgrades to the driveline and exterior, but the basic interior was largely unchanged. Replacement materials can be obtained from numerous vendors.

BODY AND CHASSIS

Like all other Challenger hardtops (the T/A was not available in convertible form), this variant used Chrysler’s respected unit-body construction. Factory rustproo ng measures under two coats of epoxy primer and two coats of acrylic enamel paint (20 colors were offered by year’s end) were suf cient for a time but would eventually succumb in harsher climates. The ever-popular Challenger is beloved by the aftermarket, and both full and patch replacement panels are readily available to cover the car’s typical weak areas.

INTERIOR

Because the T/A was built off the basic highline trim, standard interior appointments were sparse, and most niceties were optional extras. Upholstery was vinyl, although a cloth-and-vinyl pairing and vinyl/leather front buckets were available. The Rallye dash, with its comprehensive instrumentation, was optional on the T/A, but many examples used the standard gauge cluster. Air conditioning was not available, but three of these homologation specials are known to have been built with a sliding sunroof.

CONSIDER THIS

Classic.com has tracked 1970 Challenger T/A sales over the past ve years and notes the lowest recorded auction sale in that time was $48,250, while the highest was $198,000. As this was written, that site considered the “average” T/A value to be $83,916, although it listed a declining benchmark price of $81,136. Perhaps that makes now a good time to buy, rather than sell, a Challenger T/A.

URCES

0 HAMTRAMCK REGISTRY ck-historical.com

GREAT GIFTS FOR YOUR GEARHEAD THIS Father’s DayJUNE 19, 2022