This rusty 1970 Dodge Challenger parked for over 20 years has surprise under the hood

A rare 1970 Dodge Challenger that was left to rot away inside a barn for decades is hiding a nice surprise under the hood. 

Although the classic muscle car has clearly seen better days, it still has a fully functioning original V8 engine. 

Going into production in 1969 and first released in the model year 1970, the Dodge Challenger was an instant hit – with 77,000 units sold that first year. 

READ MORE! Man drove to Arkansas to buy rare 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A, but made a startling discovery

The Dodge Challenger has seen better days

Sales then slumped until a bit of a boom in 1973, but there are still plenty of examples of the cars out there. 

Sadly, many of them have ended up in similar conditions to this one, which spent years in a pole barn before being moved into storage and is now up for sale on eBay. 

With more than 20 years of neglect, the car is in pretty poor shape. Rust can be seen covering the Dodge Challenger’s panels, while its original soft top is no more.

Inside didn’t fare much better, either, as there’s more rust and a cracked dashboard. 

Interestingly, though, the car has a perfectly good four-barrel 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter)  V8 engine under the hood. 

The seller even included a clip showing the engine starting without a hitch. 

Although the engine isn’t original to this specific car, it is an original 1970 Dodge Challenger engine.

It’s actually quite a rare model

Not only that but while the average 1970 Dodge Challengers aren’t super rare, this one is a little bit special. 

According to Autoevolution, of the almost 77,000 Challengers produced in 1970, only 3,884 have a retractable top, like this one. 

Of these cars, 963 were R/Ts, and another 378 were slant-six, making this car one of 2,543.  

Its engine adds to its rarity, with only 2,157 droptops fitted with a 318 V8 and when we consider that it comes with an automatic gearbox, there’s a good chance it drops to around 1,500 units. 

The Dodge Challenger had three generations before the final car rolled off the production line in 2022. 

Fans of the car may be interested in checking out this Dodge Challenger concept car, which breathes new life into the classic. And there’s not a speck of rust in sight.