With Mopar purists, it's OEM parts, correct color codes, and matching numbers or nothing. It's fine to customize a Chevy or Ford, but a Dodge must be restored to its original glory, according to the rules of the Pentastar cult. That being said, this custom 1970 Dodge Challenger convertible doesn't exactly suck. Rebuilt and customized by Allison's Rod and Customs and with a gorgeous interior from Pro Auto Custom Interiors, it has all the classic styling with the advantages of modern technology. It also has a Hellcat Hemi V-8 under the hood, which is definitely not a bad thing. This might be a custom job that Mopar fans can relax the rules to appreciate.
1970 Dodge Challenger Convertible Re-imagined From The Inside Out
YouTube creator and classic car fanatic Scottie D, got a chance to spend some time with a custom 1970 Dodge Challenger after it got a new interior from Steve Holcomb's Pro Auto Custom Interiors in Knoxville, Tennessee. Everything on the inside of this vehicle is covered in black Wollsdorf leather with blue stitching, making it luxuriously comfortable and eye-catching. Holcomb didn't just slap leather all over the place either, he built brand-new custom components like the dash, the center console, and the rear seat bench.
The iconic door panels were kept very close to the original design, though upgraded with leather and aluminum accents, plus power windows. The front seats are custom as well, but of a similar size and shape to the buckets that came standard on the Challenger. The convertible top is a black Stayfast top with a real glass rear window. Holcomb also made a custom leather cover for the gear shifter. It would have been cooler to have a Hurst Pistol-Grip shifter handle, but there's a reason why it got left out, and it's related to the engine and transmission that was put into this custom job.
1970 Challenger Gets A 2023 Hellcat
Allison’s Rod and Custom from Shelbyville, Kentucky did the resto and customization on this awesome Challenger and anchored everything around the 707 horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi Hellcat V-8 engine they dropped under the hood. To match the engine, a six-speed Tremec manual transmission was added, and that probably explains the lack of Pistol-Grip shifter as it is doubtful Hurst makes anything that would fit.
Due to the increase in modern power, everything else had to be upgraded as well. The ride was beefed up with a Magnum Force Transformer Modular Mopar front suspension and a Pro-Link rear suspension. It's also been unibody-linked and inside plated front to back to stiffen the convertible body. They upgraded to Wilwood disc brakes to make sure it stops as well as it goes. Additionally, the Challenger has a Strange Engineering built Dana 60 rear end with 3.73 gears.
Allison didn't mess too much with the classic styling of the 1970 Challenger, besides a custom grill and rear lights display. They did however mini-tub the rear to accommodate for the extra-wide Budnik custom wheels. They went with a metallic pearl blue paint job, which is close enough to a correct 1970 EB7 Dark Blue Metallic paint code to satisfy all Mopar sticklers. Rounding out this impressive build is a Billet Specialties Outlaw steering wheel.
1970 Challenger Convertibles Are Rare And Exquisite
According to Hemmings Motors, Dodge built 18,512 Challenger R/Ts in 1970 and only 963 of them were convertibles. Most of the convertibles came equipped with the 383 magnum V-8 and automatic transmissions, so 440s and 426 Hemis are incredibly rare. Even more so if they have a 4-speed manual transmission as only 149 were made across all engine options.
A factory correct Plumb Crazy Purple 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T convertible with a 426 Hemi sold at auction for $1.4 million, because it is just one of five ever made. Even "tribute" or custom '70 Challenger convertibles can fetch in the high six-figures. Matching numbers and all original parts don't matter that much because it is such a rare and desirable vehicle.
It is unlikely that the Allison custom Challenger was originally a HEMI four-speed, or even an R/T, because it would have otherwise been faithfully restored. Chances are, it was purchased with a mismatched motor. As sacrilegious as it sounds, during the gas crisis of the 1970s, a lot of muscle cars had their V-8s swapped out for wimpy, more fuel efficient, engines. A custom '70 Challenger with a 6.2L Hellcat is way cooler than a semi-correct restoration with a 198 Slant-Six.
A Custom '70 Challenger Mopar Fans Can Appreciate
While it would be awesome to have a one-in-five 1970 Dodge Challenger convertible, there are only five people who can claim that, and they probably spent more than what most people's houses are worth. Also, million-dollar-plus cars aren't daily drivers. It's almost pointless for a person of normal means to have a radically cool ride and not be able to show it off on the street. With this Allison custom, some lucky owner got a classic muscle car, upgraded with all the modern conveniences, that's going to turn heads no matter what road it burns down.
In a perfect world, all Mopar muscle cars would be restored to their original glory, but that's not always possible. It's not the worst thing that happened to put some power and performance into a Challenger that was probably already a Frankenstein mismatch of parts. It's a guarantee that even the staunchest Mopar purist would appreciate the upgrades on this stunning custom '70 convertible, when they sit in that plush custom interior and press the pedal to the floor, unleashing the Hellcat.