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1970 Dodge Charger R/T in Hemi Orange Looks Stock, Hides a Nasty Surprise Under the Hood

Introduced in 1966 as a sporty coupe to slot between pony cars and personal luxury vehicles, the Dodge Charger quickly evolved into one of the hottest muscle cars available in the U.S. By 1970, the Charger looked notably meaner and had already spawned the NASCAR-spec Daytona.
1970 Dodge Charger R/T 6 photos
Photo: Lou Costabile/YouTube
1970 Dodge Charger R/T1970 Dodge Charger R/T1970 Dodge Charger R/T1970 Dodge Charger R/T1970 Dodge Charger R/T
The R/T was the hottest of the bunch. Available in Mopar's iconic high-impact colors, the Charger R/T came standard with the massive, 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) Magnum V8. The mill generated a solid 375 horsepower in base trim, but the Six-Pack option increased output to an even more fetching 390 horsepower.

But Dodge didn't stop there. The R/T was also available with the mighty 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) Hemi V8. The race-spec engine was underrated at 425 horsepower and 490 pound-feet (664 Nm) of torque and turned the Charger into an absolute beast at the drag strip.

Come 2021, and Hemi-equipped 1970 Chargers are hard to find, but here's a stock-appearing Mopar that proves you don't need a 426 to drive fast. This R/T was originally fitted with the base 440 V8, but when the engine went bust, the owner opted for an aftermarket mill. One that's based on the legendary Hemi but it's larger and packs more oomph.

Specifically, this Hemi Orange R/T draws juice from an Indy Cylinder Head crate engine that displaces a massive 512 cubic inches (8.4 liters), bigger than anything Dodge offered from the factory. And bigger is better in this case, as the powerplant cranks out 600 horsepower and 585 pound-feet (793 Nm) of torque.

That's an extra 175 horses and an additional 95 pound-feet (129 Nm) to play with compared to the factory-built Hemi Charger. Not bad, right?

If you're not familiar with Indy Cylinder Head, it offers a wide variety of beefed-up engines. Its catalog includes mills based on the Gen II and Gen III Hemi, as well as 440 V8s of the B and RB variety.

They also prep engines based on Mopar 360-cubic-inch (5.9-liter) LA and Magnum small blocks. They can be had in both naturally aspirated and supercharged forms, with displacements of up to 572 cubic inches (9.4 liters), and output of up to 1,200 horsepower.

But the really cool thing about this R/T is that it's a stock-appearing vehicle. It looks like a perfectly restored 1970 Charger R/T with absolutely no hints as to what lurks under the hood. Unless you pop it open or fire up the Indy V8, of course.

Because once you hear it rev, which happens at the 6:30-minute mark in the video below, you'll know you're not dealing with a run-of-the-mill Charger R/T. Now crank up the volume, hit play, and enjoy the burble of a fantastic crate motor. You should also enjoy the pristine condition of this Charger, which won an award at the Woodward Dream Cruise.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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