Individual Mopar barn finds are cool, but it all becomes even better when a big building opens up to reveal an entire stash. And when the said collection includes rare gems from the golden muscle car era, it's pretty much barn-find heaven. And that's exactly what you're about to see here.
Documented by barn find enthusiast "Auto Archaeology," this small collection of classic Mopars is hidden somewhere in Michigan. The owner has a few rare rigs to brag about, starting with a 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A.
A one-year gem, the T/A came to be out of Dodge's desire to race the Challenger in the SCCA Trans-Am series. Contemporary regulations required a race car based on a road-legal vehicle produced in a certain number of units. Thus, the T/A was born with a unique engine and appearance package.
Powered by a 340-cubic-inch (5.6-liter) V8 fed by a trio of two-barrel carburetors, the T/A broke cover with a suitcase-sized air scoop, a matte-black fiberglass hood, and side-exiting exhaust pipes. Rated at 290 horsepower, the Challenger T/A hit showrooms to take on the Ford Mustang Boss 302 and the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.
Dodge sold 2,399 units, and the example you see here is one of only 989 equipped with the four-speed manual gearbox. This T/A also flaunts a rare color combo of a Lemon Twist exterior and a tan interior. Even though it may look like a wreck, this T/A is getting restored to its original specifications. The owner spent about 20 years gathering parts, so this T/A will be back on the road soon.
The owner also has a 1969 Plymouth GTX parked in this building. This one's in far better shape and packs a numbers-matching "Coyote Duster" under the hood. Yup, I'm talking about the four-barrel 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB-block V8. Granted, it's nowhere near as rare as the HEMI version, but any GTX that's still running and driving today is a big win, with so many of them rotting away in junkyards.
Speaking of B-body cars, the collection also includes a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Six-Barrel. No fewer than 36,861 Road Runners were sold that year, but just 1,815 examples left the assembly line with the 390-horsepower engines. And just 651 were two-door hardtop models like this one. And whether it's a four-speed or automatic, we're looking at one of only 429 or 222 units made.
The last Mopar worth mentioning is one of the rarest 1970-model-year Barracudas out there. It's not a million-dollar HEMI, but it's one of those Plymouth you probably won't see anywhere else anytime soon. Not only is it one of only 2,501 convertibles built that year, but it also packs a slant-six mill under the hood.
Sure, it's the most undesirable engine ever fitted in E-body cars, but this combo is as rare as they get. That's because only 238 drop-tops were ordered with the 225-cubic-inch (3.7-liter) slant-six that year. Exactly 223 went into standard Barracuda models, while 15 were fitted in Gran Coupe trims. Our host doesn't say whether it's a three-speed or an automatic, but the former was made in just 65 units.
Granted, this Barracuda isn't very valuable, but it's a rare gem that should be returned to public roads. Check them out in the video below, and let me know which one's your favorite.
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. Full profile
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