426 HEMI CHALLENGER RT.........The Earth Moved......
Discussion
A bit more info, The Beast was a 70 Challenger RT SE 426 Hemi. She was was Alpine ? White with a Red interior. And ime sure an Auto.
She had been bought new in the USA in 1970, by the same guy my Dad bought his Ghibli from a year or so later. This guy was a Big Petrol head and had the money to indulge himself.
He hardly used that Challenger, my dad shipped it over here in i think August 72. My first memory of it was hearing this Awesome noise outside, when i got to the pavement i just couldnt beleive my eyes.......The best looking car i had Ever seen. But huge compared to the Mk2 Cortinas and my mums 3 Litre Capri.
I remember starting at my new School in Loughton few weeks later and coming out into the School drive and seeing the back end of that Challenger. The other kids were Green with envy. I Was very popular at school the next day !
She had been bought new in the USA in 1970, by the same guy my Dad bought his Ghibli from a year or so later. This guy was a Big Petrol head and had the money to indulge himself.
He hardly used that Challenger, my dad shipped it over here in i think August 72. My first memory of it was hearing this Awesome noise outside, when i got to the pavement i just couldnt beleive my eyes.......The best looking car i had Ever seen. But huge compared to the Mk2 Cortinas and my mums 3 Litre Capri.
I remember starting at my new School in Loughton few weeks later and coming out into the School drive and seeing the back end of that Challenger. The other kids were Green with envy. I Was very popular at school the next day !
At that point in time owing ANY performance American car would have seemed like a impossible dream. Did he keep it for long? - Not living too far away from Loughton I'm surprised I didn't know of the car. I remember often driving up to the west end and seeing exotica like Vettes and the odd Mach 1. I doubt if very many people back then would have realised what this was - in fact even a 'cooking' Challenger wit a 2 bbl 318 cu in would have been enough for most people. Three or four years later one of the 'crew' (some on here will know off) Russ Ward ran a maroon 440 Challenger (RT I believe) - beautiful and simple lines. At the time I had a '68 Rambler Javelin http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/roscobbc/O...
Did you by any chance send the second pic' to a magazine many years back as I'm sure I remember someone asking for info' on it? What sticks in my mind is the small rear window, rare SE...
Forgetting that, I'm another who was corrupted by Vanishing Point whilst still young and have always thought the Challenger to be the ultimate in muscle; with the 426", doubly so.
Forgetting that, I'm another who was corrupted by Vanishing Point whilst still young and have always thought the Challenger to be the ultimate in muscle; with the 426", doubly so.
Thanks for posting these pictures; I remember the second one being in 'Street Machine'. Looking closely at the first picture I can see that it had the seldom equipped 'body side protection mouldings'. I have asked practically everyone I know who is into Mopars and none remember this car....
Thanks for the replys, Yes, Street Machine mag, circa 1986.
My then 21 year old uncle often rode in it and as a mechanic did some work on it, including fitting lots of fan belts.
One day they were pulled up at a set of traffic lights on the Nth Circular road. A Honda Four pulled up alongside and made it very clear he wanted to drag ....
My dad looked at my Uncle and cooly said " Put your belt on, ile show this s o a b.....
At the next set of lights the incredulous Honda rider said that he had never yet been beaten by a car ......
Muscle and Performance cars were bad news in early 73, I remember riding in it to Kimberley Rd in Nth Chingford to visit his doctor Mr Mckenzie Brown who was also a car enthusiast ( he had a Rover 3500S and was the Race event Doctor for the West Essex Car Club ) and he nearly bought it .
In early 73, My dad bought a V12 E Type which was far more practical , the Challenger could be a nightmare on narrow suburban roads. So reluctantly it had to go...
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According to my Uncle my dad sold It to an American Car Dealer at Wembly. The only Dealer in Yanks that I have managed to find was " Simpsons " of Wembley. I keep meaning to try to get every 1973 Copy of Autocar and Motor as they used to advertise in both of those Magazines.
Simpsons don't apear to have been very profitable and I beleive they closed in the late 70s. One of the then Directors may remember it ? If I could find him .
The other Big dealers at that time were I beleive Cliff Davis ? Of the Goldhawk Rd.
My then 21 year old uncle often rode in it and as a mechanic did some work on it, including fitting lots of fan belts.
One day they were pulled up at a set of traffic lights on the Nth Circular road. A Honda Four pulled up alongside and made it very clear he wanted to drag ....
My dad looked at my Uncle and cooly said " Put your belt on, ile show this s o a b.....
At the next set of lights the incredulous Honda rider said that he had never yet been beaten by a car ......
Muscle and Performance cars were bad news in early 73, I remember riding in it to Kimberley Rd in Nth Chingford to visit his doctor Mr Mckenzie Brown who was also a car enthusiast ( he had a Rover 3500S and was the Race event Doctor for the West Essex Car Club ) and he nearly bought it .
In early 73, My dad bought a V12 E Type which was far more practical , the Challenger could be a nightmare on narrow suburban roads. So reluctantly it had to go...
.
According to my Uncle my dad sold It to an American Car Dealer at Wembly. The only Dealer in Yanks that I have managed to find was " Simpsons " of Wembley. I keep meaning to try to get every 1973 Copy of Autocar and Motor as they used to advertise in both of those Magazines.
Simpsons don't apear to have been very profitable and I beleive they closed in the late 70s. One of the then Directors may remember it ? If I could find him .
The other Big dealers at that time were I beleive Cliff Davis ? Of the Goldhawk Rd.
Hi Timopar, no go for it , ime desperately hoping ithe Beast has survived , but If it had then it would surely have turned up by now ? For Years I had thoughts of it being in Sweden and being drag raced.
Being an RT SE it must be incredibly rare and my dads pal apears to have loaded it with Options, he was a Very discerning guy , who loved his cars.
Somewhere I Still have the spare set of keys......
Being an RT SE it must be incredibly rare and my dads pal apears to have loaded it with Options, he was a Very discerning guy , who loved his cars.
Somewhere I Still have the spare set of keys......
Here is the link Richard, fingers crossed!
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?C...
I'm studying these pictures closely; do you remember it having the 'Scat Pack' Bee decals in the back corner of the rear side windows?
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?C...
I'm studying these pictures closely; do you remember it having the 'Scat Pack' Bee decals in the back corner of the rear side windows?
Edited by TiMopar on Friday 7th September 14:40
That is one thing that I don't remember . What I do vividly recall is that the front seat belt ( pass side shoulder strap ) was mounted Very high, it used to cut a cross my ear. I would have been 11 then and was reasonably tall for my age by then.
I can honestly say, that if I could have Any car, then it would Just Have to be that Challenger. A Muir SV in Lime Green, runs Very close though !!
I can honestly say, that if I could have Any car, then it would Just Have to be that Challenger. A Muir SV in Lime Green, runs Very close though !!
You may find this thread interesting; it contains a 70 Hemi Cuda which is also 'missing in action' over here (Limelite green, white vinyl top/ interior).
http://www.rodsnsods.co.uk/forum/history-archive/g...
http://www.rodsnsods.co.uk/forum/history-archive/g...
Ok, thanks , will check that Cuda story out.
In the early 80s , someone I had the misfortune to know, bought a 70 Challenger 440 Auto in red . One night as he came back from somewhere, he was hit hard on the right front side by a Chrysler Alpine. It pushed the right hand door post back. I remember going round to see it sat in the street.
Ins co wrote it off and I think it was scrapped. Trajic really as today it would have been rebuilt .
In the early 80s , someone I had the misfortune to know, bought a 70 Challenger 440 Auto in red . One night as he came back from somewhere, he was hit hard on the right front side by a Chrysler Alpine. It pushed the right hand door post back. I remember going round to see it sat in the street.
Ins co wrote it off and I think it was scrapped. Trajic really as today it would have been rebuilt .
A Challenger RT story (albeit a 440 cu in) - late 70's en-route to Santa Pod in my '68 Javelin 343 and absolutely flat out at an indicated 120 mph one of the other cars was a maroon with black decals 440 cu in Challenger RT with a few mods (I remember it had headers) the guy driving (Russ Ward) pulled alongside me, waved to us, hit the load pedal, the front gently lifted and he was GGGGGGGGGOOOOOOONNNNNNNEEEEEEEE, just leaving me standing!
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