Musclecars went upscale in 1970 (considered by many to be the pinnacle year of the genre). In addition to redesigns in both the GM and Ford lineups, Mopar introduced the Duster and Challenger, released newly redesigned Dart and Barracuda models, and increased option lists across the board. For fans of horsepower, the 440 Six Pack introduced in mid-'69 could now be had in many body designs and was considered, at that time, to be an economical alternative to ol' King Kong-the 426 Hemi.
The Charger R/T SE model was the upscale version of Dodge's swoopy, second-generation B-Body. The SE (Special Edition) included a vinyl top, a wood-grained dash, hood-mounted turn-signal indicators, and a special interior-light group.
When Jerry Benfield, the service manager at Walter Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep in Lenoir, North Carolina, picked up this car in 2001, he thought it was pretty unique. Then he began to get, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story.
It began with young Gordon Garland of Ft. Collins, Colorado, in early 1970. Gordon decided he wanted a Charger instead of the '69 340 Dart Swinger he owned. So he went over to Markley Motors in town and began checking off the boxes. His Charger R/T would have the SE package for looks, and a 440 Six Pack engine with the Super Trak Pak option for go, (this included the Pistol Grip-shifted four-speed, Dana 60 rear with 4.10:1 gearing, and heavy-duty cooling accessories). The Dodge could not get A/C because of the Six Pack, but Gordon did get the rear-window defroster and the six-way driver seat; he deleted the tach/clock gauge from the dash, and also opted out of the standard rear stripe and the '70 hood blackout treatment. The exterior color would be black, but the interior would be the same blue vinyl that was on his Swinger-the only such RT/SE color combination built that year. With the trade-in, the monthly payments on $5,016 were still a big $125 a month in 1970 dollars, plus insurance on a musclecar.
The new car did give him some trouble, burning through several alternators and needing an early engine rebuild due to a factory screw-up. By 1973, the payments had gotten to be too much, and Dodge ended up repossessing the car. It turned up for resale at a big factory repo auction in Florida and went through two other owners before Jerry got it. Jerry bought it from the third owner, who also lived in North Carolina. At that point, he says the car was in fair condition, and he began amassing the parts to put it back together.
Though running, the engine came out and received a clean-up with an .030 overbore, a fresh cam, and a mild tune on the carbs. The body was turned over to Jimmy's Paint and Collision in Granite Falls, North Carolina, where a fresh shade of midnight pigment covered the panels, and a new vinyl roof covering was installed. The combination of a black car with a blue interior is a love-or-hate deal depending on the personal tastes of the observer.
Jerry began asking different people about the car, and it turned out Gordon (the original owner) thought it might still be around, as well. Several months after Jerry made his purchase, the two caught up with each other and finally talked on the phone.
"He kept asking me things about the car, and I was a little defensive, since I really wanted to keep it," Jerry says with a grin. "He asked me things like, 'Is it a tach delete? Can you see where the trailer hitch was welded on?' Of course, as I looked for all that stuff, there was no question this was the car he had ordered."
Gordon sent Jerry a letter documenting the purchase and use of the car, and has since made some pleasant attempts to buy it back. Jerry has decided to hang onto it for the time being.
The Charger R/T would last another year before going by the wayside, while the SE would carry on as a part of the Charger mystique until the model died in the late '70s. For both Gordon and Jerry, 1970 has become a special year indeed.