Watch What It Takes To Get A 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A Running After 30 Years

Nov 03, 2023

We all love a good muscle car barn-find. These videos explore the challenges of turning neglect into nostalgia with an iconic classic.

Old Muscle Cars are resilient machines, even if they are tucked away in some barn and unable to start. I am sure you look at listings on Facebook Marketplace or ClassicCars.com and think, "This is a sweet deal". Then you ponder that thought for a minute and wonder, "but, what if it turns out to be a turd?" Chances are, if the chassis and body are not riddled with rust, you will have a good chance of getting that car running again.

Read on to see this 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A 340 Six Pack come back to life in a few simple steps. The video from Hagerty's "Will It Run?" series shows how a 25-year-plus neglected car can easily be revived. The beauty of an internal combustion engine is in its simplicity of only needing three elements to run: air, fuel, ignition. Lubrication can arguably be thrown into that mix as well. As long as corrosion has not seized the motor, you should be able to fire it up without a complete teardown.

The T/A decal on 1970 Dodge Challengers stands for Trans Am. Dodge designed the Challenger T/A to run in the Trans Am series of races as well as SCCA competitions. Street models wear the Challenger T/A 340 designation, and pound the pavement with a 340 cubic-inch carburetted V8. Challenger T/A's that saw competition use were de-stroked to 302 cubic-inches to compete in the same class as Chevrolet and Ford cars.

It is believed that Dodge produced 2400-2500 examples of the 1970 Challenger T/A. 340 Six Pack engines get their name from the use of three 2-barrel carburetors mounted one in front of the other. A look at the bare intake manifold resembles a six-pack of cans.

This 5.6L V8 engine is rated at 290 horsepower and 345 pound-feet of torque, but speculation alludes to a number closer to 350 ponies. Top speed of the 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A is approximately 135mph.

The first steps to resurrecting a car that spent 30 years in a barn are basic. Pull the oil dip stick to check oil level and condition. Take a look under the radiator cap for coolant. Put a breaker bar on the crankshaft bolt and attempt to turn the engine by hand. If these items pass, move on to a few more in-depth checks.

Remember, ICE engines run on air, fuel, and ignition. Look for obvious obstructions in the intake's air filter and, in this 1970 Dodge Challenger's case, the carburetors. Remove the spark plugs for a visual inspection. Clean up battery terminals and battery cable lugs. We would also recommend having a new battery on hand as it will likely be necessary.

A car sitting this long likely has less-than-ideal fuel. Remove the hose from the engine that comes from the fuel pump. Remove the old fuel with the pump if the system still works. The Challenger T/A in the video was not able to do this. Show host and engine builder Davin Reckow ends up using an electric fuel pump, moving fresh gasoline, to ensure the engine fires up before diving deeper into replacing any components.

With the spark plugs removed, a small amount of penetrating oil is sprayed into the combustion chambers to give the piston rings a better chance of not binding on the cylinder walls. Davin disconnects the ignition coil to ensure no spark is initiated when testing to see if the Challenger's starter motor can turn the engine. A visual inspection through the spark plug ports allows for a compression and oil blow-by check.

Reinstalling the connection to the ignition coil allows you to check for spark with the plugs out. If the Dodge Challenger in the video had issues at this step, they would have to dig deeper into the distributor for a possible bad cap and/or rotor.

So far so good. Time to add fuel. This is the point where an empty Red Bull can comes in handy as a fuel jug. Davin adds a little fuel to the center carburetor, only to realize it needs a good cleaning and rebuild. Then, the electric fuel pump is activated and the engine starts. It unfortunately cannot keep running though, without addressing more issues that arise.

Related: Barn Find 1968 Buick LeSabre Convertible Fires Up After Sitting For 30+ Years

Before attempting to drive away, you will want to check tire condition. Fill them up, and hope they hold air. The tires on the 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A prove the 340 Six Pack is ready to roll, but not before replacing a relay that kept it from firing up again.

While swapping in the new relay, Davin also cleans up all the electrical connections and grounds. These are simple low-cost items to address when getting an old car started after sitting forever. Everything lights up again, and the Challenger starts right up.

As Davin pulls out of the barn, the Dodge keeps stalling. He chalks this up to a possible vacuum leak at the intake manifold. The Challenger T/A eventually rolls out to make its way into Davin's shop for further teardown and diagnosis.

Related: This Rare 1 Of 1 1971 Dodge Charger Super Bee 440 Six Pack Is A Great Restoration Project

A much-needed detailing of the entire car makes you wonder if it is the same 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A 340 Six Pack that left the barn in the first video. The bright yellow paint, along with the black hood and side decals, now pops! Bye, bye 30 years of barn dirt.

The Challenger's dusty gray interior turns into a vibrant black beauty from thorough shampoo treatments and vacuuming. Davin's detail team also cleans up the engine bay quite nicely. With all the debris removed from the top of the engine, Davin can dive into the remaining issues.

Related: The Grandpa Of Hemi Engines Gets The Teardown Treatment

Digging deeper into the engine bay confirms theories, and reveals critical parts needs. The intake manifold indeed has a failing gasket affecting vacuum. The fuel system is absolutely trashed. These relatively inexpensive and easily replaced items solidify our stance that you should not be intimidated by that too good to be true barn find.

Replacing the intake manifold gasket also led to cleaning up and rebuilding the other two carburetors for a completely revitalized system. The more extensive job of replacing the fuel tank, pickup assembly, and mechanical fuel pump may drive up the cost on this 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A, but totally worth it in the end.

Davin takes the 340 Six Pack Challenger on the road for a successful drive. Take the knowledge from this article and the two associated Hagerty videos to your next project purchase. You will save money on a neglected muscle car, and ride away with an iconic classic.

Sources: Hagerty

Nyle is an automotive enthusiast that has dabbled in drag racing, off-roading, and track days. He works on his own rides for the satisfaction of the drive after. The diversity in his garage starts with a supercharged Subaru BRZ for track days, and then includes his wife's Ford Mustang Mach-E, their Jeep Cherokee XJ for camping and off-road adventures, and a Chevrolet Bolt EV. During his day job Nyle helps people acquire the equipment they need to brew beer on a commercial scale.