1970 Dodge Charger R/T project: genuine XS29U0G 440 car with tag, Sublime paint code
Rough but real 1970 R/T with its tag and 727 for less than most base-car Charger projects bring.
1970 Dodge Charger R/T
Ended Why we picked it
American Steel Classics is offering a 1970 Charger whose VIN decodes as a genuine R/T with the 440 four-barrel (XS29U0G). The seller says it keeps its dash VIN, fender tag showing FJ5 Sublime paint and partial body VIN stamps, and that the date-correct 727 TorqueFlite is original to the car. It was built with black buckets, a vinyl top and the R/T tail stripe. The engine in it now is a non-original 440 truck core that needs a rebuild.
This is a full restoration or pro-touring candidate: the listing mentions extensive primer, filler and surface rust. Even so, a clean-titled R/T shell is the expensive part of a Charger build, and base 318 Charger projects have been selling for more than this.
The value check
When we found it, the seller was asking $29,500. Comparable cars in the same condition have sold for $41,500–$67,500, so the middle of the market is about $54,500. That put this car 46% under.
Charger project sales in the last year ran $41,500 (a 318 base 1969 project on BaT) to $67,500 (a 1968 R/T project on BaT); a real 1970 R/T shell at $29,500 is about 46% under that midpoint.
- 1969 Charger project (318 car), BaT May 2026, $41,500
- 1968 Charger R/T project, BaT Nov 2025, $67,500
- 1970 Charger R/T driver, Hagerty Mar 2026, $79,000
What to check
- Inspect lower quarters, trunk pan, rear frame rails, floors under the carpet and the rear window channel (a known rust trap under the vinyl top)
- Check cowl and windshield frame for rot, which is expensive to fix correctly
- Verify the VIN stamps on the dash, body and fender tag match the clean title
- Filler and primer hide damage; plan on media blasting before pricing the body work
- Engine is a non-original truck 440 core needing a rebuild
Making it drive like new
Strip it and decide early between a correct R/T restoration and a pro-touring build. For the latter, a subframe-connector and torsion-bar or coilover front kit (Hotchkis, QA1, Reilly), big Wilwood brakes, rack-and-pinion steering, a modern Gen III Hemi or stroked 440 with EFI and an overdrive automatic or Tremec would turn it into a real road car.
4 builders make a complete chassis for the 1966–70 Mopar B-body (Charger, Road Runner, GTX, Coronet). Compare them side by side, along with what it takes to stiffen the factory frame.
How it ended
The listing ended on Oct 9, 2026 with the car at $29,500. We don't know yet whether it sold.
What 1966–70 Mopar B-body (Charger, Road Runner, GTX, Coronet) cars sell for
| Condition | Sales | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project | 7 | $12,573 | $41,500 | $67,500 |
| Driver | 88 | $9,700 | $49,500 | $198,000 |
| Collector | 57 | $2,200 | $89,100 | $302,500 |
| Pro-build | 2 | $134,750 | $155,375 | $176,000 |
Recent sales
| Car | Condition | Result | Date | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 Plymouth Road Runner hardtop, 383 | Driver | $49,500 | Oct 24, 2026 | Mecum |
| 1969 Charger R/T | Collector | $78,100 | Oct 23, 2026 | Mecum |
| 1966 Coronet 500 Hemi | Collector | $80,000 | Oct 17, 2026 | Elsewhere |
| 1969 Plymouth GTX hardtop with a rebuilt 440 on a driver-grade budget | Driver | $38,739 | Oct 16, 2026 | Hagerty Marketplace |
| 1970 Plymouth Superbird with numbers-matching 440 and broadcast sheets | Collector | $181,900 | Oct 13, 2026 | Hagerty Marketplace |
| 1968 Dodge Charger custom | Pro-build | $176,000 | Oct 5, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 1970 Superbird | Collector | $240,000 | Oct 2, 2026 | Bring a Trailer |
| 1970 Road Runner hardtop 4-speed project | Project | $12,573 | Sep 30, 2026 | Hagerty Marketplace |
