1970 Dodge Super Bee Has It All: Big-Block V8, 4-Speed Manual, High-Impact Color

Originally designed as a race-spec engine, the HEMI hit drag strips and NASCAR ovals in 1964, but it was outlawed a few months later because it wasn't available in production models. Chrysler acted accordingly, and the HEMI found its way into dealerships for the 1966 model year.

And even though it was offered in nine different Dodge and Plymouth nameplates and remained in production through 1971, the engine saw daylight in limited numbers. Actual figures are unknown, but Mopar experts agree that Chrysler built 9,000 to 11,000 units. That's 1,500 to 1,833 engines per model year on average. Spread it over several nameplates, and you get hundreds or even tens of examples. Rare indeed!

But as much as I love the mighty 426, a golden-era Mopar doesn't necessarily need one to stand out. Give me a numbers-matching big-block V8, a four-speed manual, and a high-impact color, and I'm good. Add color-keyed dog-dish wheels, a white, and an Air Grabber/Ramcharger hood, and I'm over the moon. This 1970 Dodge Super Bee definitely fits the bill.

Spotted at a local car show, this Super Bee rocks a 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) big-block V8 under the hood. And that means it's not exactly rare. Dodge sold 15,506 units for the 1970 model year, and most of them left the assembly line with the 383. Specifically, only 36 got the HEMI, and 1,274 were equipped with the 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB, leaving 14,196 383 cars out there.

But it's not all that common either. Many of these cars were abandoned in junkyards. What's more, some of those that survived lost their original mills. Yup, this Super Bee has a numbers-matching engine to brag about. In addition, it mates to a four-speed manual, so it also provides three-pedal and row-your-own fun.

It's also the result of a rotisserie restoration, so it's spotless inside, out, and under the hood. And I know most of you are fans of the popular Plum Crazy purple paint, but I'm crazy about the FJ5 Sublime green adorning this hardtop.

Making things that much better, it's paired with white "Super Bee" stripes and a white interior. And even though I don't have any numbers to run by, I'm pretty sure this color combo is actually very scarce, mainly due to the white stripes.

This Super Bee is what all Mopar barn finds hope to become, and it's a classic muscle car that could win prizes at any Concours d'Elegance. Check it out in the video walkaround below.