1970 Dodge Challenger T/A Found in a Trailer Park Is a Rare Survivor

Also, because some of them were used for actual racing while others were neglected and forgotten in storage, there aren't many near-pristine survivors out there. This black-on-black example is one of the lucky ones and it comes with an interesting story.

Apparently, this car was also neglected for years. The current owner, who bought it back in 1999, says he discovered the muscle car in a trailer park, with grass growing around it. He persuaded the guy who had it to sell and now he's using it as a daily driver. Yup, the fact that this 52-year-old classic is not a garage queen is downright fantastic.

And even though it was neglected for years, it doesn't look like a barn find. The T/A survived the test of time and the elements rather well and it's in solid shape all around. Sure, it's been repainted decades ago and the gray T/A stripes aren't very visible because of that, but they're there and will probably come back to life with a bit of work.

Beyond this tiny issue, the T/A is in fantastic condition. The interior is basically pristine and the engine bay is impressively clean. And before you ask: yes, the 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) V8 Six Pack is a number-matching mill.

And there's even more good news coming from the transmission department. This Challenger is fitted with a manual transmission, which means it's one of only 989 T/As fitted with a three-pedal setup. The other 1,410 came with an automatic.

So what makes the T/A so special compared to other Challengers from the 1970 model year? Well, it was created as a homologation car for the Trans-Am series. On top of the stripe package, it also came with side-exiting exhaust pipes and a 340 V8 with a special setup.

The 340 was the only engine offered in the T/A because the race car was fitted with a similar mill. But while the Trans-Am Challenger was equipped with destroked 340, the street-legal T/A got a trio of two-barrel carburetors and an aluminum intake manifold.

Rated at 290 horsepower, the T/A was as aggressive as the Hemi- and 440-equipped Challengers, but it was fast enough to give the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 and Ford Mustang Boss 302 a run for their money.