1970 Dodge Charger That Sat Parked for 36 Years Looks Like a 1969, but There Is a Catch!

Sam labels himself as a "day-to-day petrolhead, TV presenter, compere, car salesman and car buying addict!" And says he is struggling with FOMO, which is the fear of missing out. That is why he buys and sells just about anything to fuel his addiction.

His latest project is a 1970 Dodge Charger that sat parked in a makeshift garage, built in a yard in the United Kingdom. So, Sam flew halfway around the world to see it and take it home. He just couldn't stay away. Besides, he has worked on Chargers before, rebuilding them and sending them back to the road. And his number one project is putting back together a NASCAR-powered Dodge Charger in 2019. He took that one on a road trip across America, with his father in the passenger seat.

Now, the Charger is quite a challenge because it is like a puzzle with missing pieces. He needs to fix some, find some, buy some. It is going to take time, money, and a lot of patience.

Last week, after we published the feature on the 1970 Dodge Charger that Sam purchased in the UK, comments from readers poured in saying it was, in fact, a 1969. We did explain in that previous feature that the car was in pieces when its former owner, Tim Cummings, received it from his father. He took on the project, hoping to build it, but he eventually gave up.

Sam met him five years ago and purchased the front end of the Dodge Charger. So Tim came up with some improvisation to make the car look complete. However, it has never been completed. In 2024, Sam went back and purchased the entire car.

The model currently sports 1969 Dodge Charger wings and grille, because the original ones are on Sam's dark red 1970 Charger, as he purchased them from the same seller in 2019.

Tim did a lot of work around the engine bay, cutting and welding, and generally making room for another engine and for a different front end. He also installed a panel in here, designed to keep the water and dust out. But eventually, it had the exact opposite effect, keeping moisture in. That is why everything is rusty under the hood. That engine is a 440-cubic-inch Mopar big block, but the Charger rolled off the production line with a 383.

Sam is now trying to figure out what he has, what is missing, and what doubles he has, planning to sell the latter to make money for what he needs. One of the special components that they have is the speedometer and odometer scaled in kilometers, which is quite rare.

They have several boxes with so many components that the seller never got to put on the car. They find sun visors, an interior rearview mirror, the original gear shifter knob, parts of the dashboard, brake cylinders, and even number plates. The original seat belts are also in there. He is happy to find a part of the windshield chrome trim, the only one that was missing at the front.

Sam is making a list of everything they need to buy to get the Charger running. They are going to need some belts and hoses, a carburetor, and a distributor. He is also missing a windshield wiper, the bonnet catch, the chrome grille trim,

It is a car that does not have an air conditioning system, so they are off the hook with fixing that one. The hood is also in great condition. But Sam is going to rip off the entire front end and put on a 1970 one.

He is planning to put bucket seats and a roll cage on board, a supercharger, and paint it black. Converting the Dodge Charger into a Fast & Furious replica is his first option. He has done it before.

He also got the idea of painting it orange, putting a "01" on it, and turning it into the General Lee, but that doesn't actually match his 1970 Charger plans since the Duke boys' Charger was a 1969.

He has also considered turning it back into a metallic green Dodge and going as close as possible to the original car. But before anything else, they need to get it running.

Regardless of the route he is going to take, he said, in the previous episode focusing on his new/old yellow Charger, that one day, he hopes to take Tim on a joy ride in his former car.