Panther Pink 1970 Challenger Convertible Is a Surefire Head-turner
Hemi power from a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 makes this auction piece Mopar vert a comfortable, yet powerful cruiser.
Driving something like a 1970 Dodge Challenger is a fantastic experience, as this is one of the cars that helped shaped the early muscle car era. The only problem with driving a classic Mopar muscle car is that the old school engines can be finicky, so while they provide gobs of power, they are nowhere near as reliable as modern engines.
This leads many people to swap out older, carbureted engines for late model mills with fuel injection and while flipping through the vehicle listings for the upcoming Mecum auction in Las Vegas, Nevada, we came across this gorgeous 1970 Dodge Challenger convertible. The Panther Pink-and-black exterior surely draws loads of attention while the 5.7-liter Hemi from a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 provides plenty of power as well as more drivability than the original engines.
Unfortunately, there is very little information provided in the details, but these pictures provide plenty of details of their own.
Classic Design, Inside & Out
This 1970 Dodge Challenger appears to be Panther Pink, but it could be a unique shade of pink from outside of the original color palate. When we consider the gloss black paint on the hood and trunk, it is clear that this car has been fully repainted, but it appears to be a close match to Panther Pink. The raised portion of the “power bulge” hood has been painted bright pink to match the body, with modern Hemi badges on the hood where the original engine callouts would have been.
This ragtop Challenger also has a black canvas top and an era-correct luggage rack on the trunk. Frankly, it is odd that they kept the luggage rack, but it definitely adds to the classic look. The details do point out that the rear end, shocks, gas tank, rotors, calipers and drums are all chromed, but we don’t get to see any of that in the pictures.
The only real modernization on the exterior comes from the torque thrust-style wheels which are definitely larger than any stock wheel on a 1970 Challenger, with all four rollers wrapped in high performance rubber.
On the inside, this 1970 Challenger is mostly original in its look, but it does sport an aftermarket steering wheel, modern gauges and a racing-style shifter in the original slap-stick console.
Dodge Ram Power
While the majority of this car looks relatively original inside and out, the under-hood area is a whole different story. This 1970 Challenger is powered by a 2005 5.7-liter Hemi and based on the throttle body placement, it appears to be from a Dodge Ram 1500. Provided that is accurate, this engine would have delivered 345 horsepower and 375 lb-ft of torque, with that power being sent towards the rear wheels by means of the truck’s five-speed automatic transmission.
While that isn’t a tremendous amount of power, this engine is likely far better for cruising than any of the original engines and unless we are talking about one of the big block options, this modern Hemi packs better performance as well.
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