This Restored 1970 Challenger R/T Is Far More Than Just A Cool Ride
Grab your tissues: This story of a beautifully restored 1970 Challenger R/T really tugs at the heart-strings.
Richard Schmidt’s 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T hasn’t always been on the road. In fact, it took a 40 year hiatus from shredding tires before being restored just over a year ago. But its story is about more than just another restoration. The car is a rolling memorial to his late wife.
Richard began talking to Kitty while he was stationed in Vietnam. As pen-pals, they grew quite close, and upon returning home, they were finally able to meet. They were married soon after, and for Richard’s birthday, he wanted to buy a new car. Kitty had one condition: it had to be a convertible. To them, this Challenger R/T ragtop was an obvious choice.
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Richard and Kitty drove the car all over the U.S. before setting it aside to prioritize their growing family. Shelving a restoration project is never easy, but for Richard Schmidt, he had little choice in the matter. He always promised to get to it “eventually.” That turned into a few decades of waiting.
Sadly, Kitty was diagnosed with cancer in 2008, and fought all the way to 2013 before losing her battle. With the Challenger still unfinished, Richard’s three children worked together to get the R/T restored, and planned a surprise unveiling.
At 2015’s Muscle Car and Corvette Show, Richard was presented with his finished Challenger, complete with a few new performance modifications as well. Wearing the license plate “MIS U KIT,” Richard says the Dodge will never be sold. It will stay in the family as a way to remember the woman he loved so much.
