Slant-Six 1970 Challenger R/T Convertible HEMI Fuelie Is the Plum Craze of the Year

First, let’s clear the air about that confusing (and possibly infuriating) statement in the title: the car in this story is a HEMI – and the callouts on the shaker hood leave no room for error on the displacement argument. The engine under said air-grabbing air filter cover is the real deal hemispherical-heads 426 cubic-inch (7.0 liters) powerplant. But it’s not the dual quads that send gas to the dome-shaped combustion chambers; four throttle bodies have replaced the eight-Venturi fuel-and-air mixer.

However, the soft-top Dodge was born as a blue-collared Slant-Six, one of just 378 made in the Challenger’s inaugural year. But let’s call it what it is – you can’t sport a muscle-car-confronting nameplate like ‘Challenger’ and bring 225-cube (3.7-liter) six-pot to a big-block gunfight. Hence, a very limited production slot was allocated to the small, economical, cheap-to-maintain, and tough-as-nails leaning one-tire-fire engine.

In all seriousness, the 225 inline-six was a sturdy and reliable engine that required minimal maintenance to outlast the cars it came in. But a Challenger was a pretentious name, and six pistons wouldn’t cut it. After all, the E-body was explicitly designed to withstand any of Mother Mopar’s blocks, from the 198 Slant-Six in the Plymouth Barracuda to the 440 Magnum in the Dodge Challenger.

A convertible HEMI would be among the rarest factory-built E-body Dodges in 1970, with nine units assembled at Hamtramck, Michigan, for the model year. The closest a car nut could get to that unicorn stud would be – without knocking at the front doors of Fort Knox – to build one. OK, excellent plan, but said gearhead would need a car to start building on. And, since the convertible Challengers are relatively low in numbers, it’s hard to believe someone would willingly sacrifice a V8 over an I6 to convert it into a HEMI.

The car in our story started as a 225 I6 with a three-on-the-floor manual. The engine currently residing between the front fenders is a date-correct Gen-II HEMI mated to the coveted four-speed manual transmission and a Dana 60 rear. True to the Mopar creed of ‘high-impact color for muscle power,’ the Light Green Metallic original paint has been veiled by the current shade of purple. Better known to gearheads as ‘Plum Crazy,’ the shade was available as an optional extra for the Dodge. In Plymouth’s catalogs, it was known as In-Violet.

This fuelie of a HEMI Challenger (pardon the expression, GM and Chrysler loyalists) also proceeded to roll Mother Earth under its wheels, wearing green vinyl bucket seats and a white power convertible top. During a conversion work, it respawned as the 426, with a black interior, black top, a Shaker hood scoop, power steering, and dual exhaust.

The half-breed Challenger did come from the factory with power brakes, but the fronts received discs instead of drums and a heavy-duty front sway bar. To fully honor the performance ranks of the Challengers of 1970, this tribute born from a humble Six was decorated with the Road/Track medals of distinction. Black longitudinal stripes, a center console sporting the Pistol Grip Hurst shifter, the Go-Wing-style rear spoiler, hood hold-down pins, high-torque starter, Flowmaster dual exhausts with cross pipe, and R/T exhaust tips.

The car has been a star at three past auctions, in 2016, 2018, and 2022, but the only sale occurred at the Mecum Indy 2018 when it exchanged hands for $84,700. Not too bad for a replica with a Slant-Six family secret, is it? To fully pay homage to the R/T emblem and its Scat Pack pledge of allegiance, the woodgrain steering wheel proudly sits in front of an instruments cluster with the 150-mph speedometer, 8,000-RPM tachometer, a multifunction gauge, and an electric clock (this last feature reportedly appeared on the original car that served as a body donor).

The aftermarket Stewart-Warner gauges for water temperature, battery voltage, and oil pressure sit below the radio, and the odometer currently reads 43,614 miles (70,175 km), but the total mileage is unknown. Since it acquired it, the current owner added some 700 miles on the clock (1,126 km). If you look at the gallery or the attached video, you’ll notice the car sits a little lower than a bone-stock Challenger’s regular stance, thanks to its lowered suspension.

The car is currently offered for sale, but the high bid of $40,000 is probably not the right price; with five days left for a new owner to come up with the correct amount, there is still hope that this car can move on to its next caretaker.