RKM Built Magazine Featured Charger 500 Pro Touring Indy 451 V8 5 Speed PS A/C

SUMMARY

$280K, 2,600-hour restoration
Awarded Custom B-Body First Place at the Mopar Nationals
Featured in Mopar Enthusiast Magazine
451 cubic inch Indy Cylinder Head V8 / 550 horsepower
Tremec TKO600 5-speed manual transmission / Strange Dana 60 rear axle / 3.54 gears
Legendary leather seats / Custom Auto air conditioning / Kenwood audio
Heavily upgraded suspension / Power rack-and-pinion steering / 4-wheel power disc brakes
Sale includes: Restoration photos / Restoration receipts / Mopar Enthusiast feature
PPG paint / Lamborghini Millennium Silver accents
18 and 19-inch Forgeline wheels

As we all probably know, there's a basic formula for creating a show stopping pro-tourer. The root of the equation is usually a popular classic from the muscle car era. Once you find that root, you add a large amount of time, talent and vision. Then you reflect the difference of those variables in the amount of capital leaving your bank account. And eventually, you get a solution that, without compromise, is much greater than the sum of its parts. This stunning 1970 Dodge Charger is a textbook example of excellent application of the pro-touring formula. Built by the craftsmen at Best of Show Automotive, it's a magazine-featured, national award winning super star that's just as capable at the autocross as it is on the show field. And, thanks to Indy Cylinder Head power, five Tremec gears and a fully modernized suspension, it offers one lucky owner several new ways to enjoy every sunny weekend!

BODYWORK/TRIM

The beneficiary of a 2,600-hour, $280K restoration, this broad shouldered MoPar has been carefully crafted with an equal emphasis on performance and aesthetics. Once stripped, the car's body was fully E-coated the newly christened fuselage was worked to excellent fit and finish, branded with a new school Charger valance script and fitted with a Lamborghini Millennium Silver grille. Once detailed, that sleek profile was dressed in black PPG base, buried in glossy clear and accented with Lamborghini Millennium Silver stripes. And today, the car rolls as a collection of appropriately planar lines that inspire an array of mirror-like reflections!

ENGINE

What do you do when you have a sweet Detroit icon that needs a heart transplant? You call the fine folks at Indy Cylinder Head and order something akin to this Charger's 451 cubic inch Street Wedge V8! Thanks to its seasoned block, Eagle crank, Eagle rods and high quality Wiseco pistons, this Dodge moves to the tune of 550 horsepower and 500 lb./ft. of pavement-scorching torque. At the top of the proven powerplant, a custom-milled air cleaner forces wind in to a proven Proform carburetor and dual-plane Indy intake. At the sides of that intake, Indy 440-EZ-1 heads hang shaved valve covers over coated, long-tube headers. At the front of those headers, a color-keyed MSD Pro-Billet distributor sequences spark through 8mm Taylor Spiro Pro plug wires. And in front of those wires, a Billet Specialties Truetrac system spins modern power steering and modern AC between a big aluminum radiator and polished CSR water neck. Aesthetically, the Harley-Davidson Copper mill provides an excellent contrast to the car's sleek Lamborghini Millennium Silver engine bay. And details like polished fluid reservoirs, an SSBC brake booster, braided Earl's fluid lines and custom fastener bezels cement its status as a well-blended piece of timeless mechanical art.

DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION

As you can see in our photos, that "sleek" engine bay incorporates trick Lexan fenders that provide a tantalizing peek at this Dodge's heavily reengineered chassis. Throw the car on a lift to mirror that peek and you'll find a custom, hand-fabricated front-clip that wraps an aluminum crossmember in Shelby Series 1 spindles, Shelby Series 1 control arms, a splined sway bar and dyno-tuned dynamic F1 shocks. Opposite that clip, a Strange Dana 60 axle spins sporty 3.54 gears behind a polished inspection cover. That pumpkin turns thanks to a tough Tremec TKO600 5-speed. Stops are provided by a quartet of power-assisted GM discs. Turns come courtesy of power rack-and-pinion steering, which makes excellent use of quality heim joints and sturdy subframe connectors. The aforementioned headers push charred dinosaurs through big TTI pipes, which hang an X-shaped crossover in front of throaty Flowmaster mufflers and polished stainless tips. And power hits the pavement via color-keyed Forgelines, which spin 235/40ZR18 Michelin Pilot Super Sports in front of 295/35ZR19 Michelin Pilot Super Sports.

INTERIOR

Swivel this Charger's solid-closing doors and you'll find a tastefully restored interior that's strategically backed by quality Dynamat insulation. Front and center, leather Legendary buckets complement a factory vinyl bench. In front of those seats, a clean dash frames original telemetry and controls for Custom Auto air conditioning in B/E&A bezels and a B/E&A pad. Below that dash, a traditional console centers a TKO Pistol Grip Shifter inside fresh wood applique. Below that console, clean carpet floats Charger-themed floor mats. At the sides of that carpet, stylish door panels are 100% factory. The driver spins a polished and wood-trimmed steering wheel. There's a spacious trunk that hides an Optima gel cell battery. And a hidden Kenwood CD player supplements the beautiful soundtrack provided by the Indy Cylinder Head big block.

AWARDS

First Place Custom B-Body at the 2009 Mopar Nationals

PROVENANCE

A vintage Operator's Manual
Restoration photos
Restoration receipts
A copy of the car's feature in Mopar Enthusiast Magazine

The pro-touring movement was founded on trading unwanted compromises for unbridled capability. With its fully upgraded suspension, quick-shifting Tremec and stout big block, that's exactly what this Charger excels at. The addition of conveniences like power steering, disc brakes, air conditioning and a modern stereo simply sweeten the deal. Looking for the perfect solution to the pro-touring formula? A Mopar like this '70 Charger 500 is the perfect answer!