Project Challenger moves on

By: Chris Beattie - Words & Photos

Date: 23.12.2022

It seemed like a good idea at the time. But as Challenger chump Chris Bettie confesses, sometimes life just gets in the way

It was around five years ago that, while drinking with a mate in a bar on the Gold Coast, it occurred to me that my life was far too uncomplicated, pleasant and even sensible. Plainly something needed to be done, we agreed! So, we thought we’d take a look at online cars for sale ads and before we knew it we were both rocketing down the coast to Coffs Harbour to check out a ’70 Challenger (the only one to have btw) that "needed a bit of work". A bit like saying London needed a bit of a tidy-up after the blitz, as we came to discover.

The thing had lain in a paddock since Noah’s little boat-building project and had rust on its rust, some of which had actually become part of the local biosphere judging by the dark brown stains in the nearby soil. The body looked like it had been used for target practice and was really a giant case of tetanus in search of an unwary wanderer. Enter me …

The current owner had apparently started a renovation project with the best of intentions – as we all do, of course. But then life had intervened, an unplanned kid was about to complicate things and money was suddenly in short supply. Until we turned up.

Being the keen and skilled negotiators that we liked to think we were, we eventually departed the scene as accomplished idiots. I was now the unwary owner of my second 1970 Dodge Challenger SE.

And so Project Challenger was born, much to the amusement, and eventually utter horror of great mate Max ‘Oh no, not you again!’ Hayes of Vintique Moto fame in the inner Melbourne suburb of Collingwood, who got the build underway.

"I reckon keep the tyres and throw the rest out. And then throw the tyres away, too," suggested Max unhelpfully, while I jumped on the Web of Misery and slowly went broke over the following year or so. As Max had presciently suggested, apart from the floor pan, front chassis, and a few strengthening trusses and braces, the rest of the Dodgy Dodge (another nickname) was consigned to the scrap bin, while brand new everythings were now winging their way from the US to Melbourne.

The plan had always been to chuck away the 318 small block and puny driveline and replace it all without something loud and obnoxious. We toyed with the idea of a late model Hemi, played around with a very rare 400 cold weather big block (still have the block) and even had a mate who races offshore powerboats consider selling me a 9-litre V12 1000-plus hp Lambo (by Chrysler) donk coz it seemed like a good idea at the time. Can’t say for sure, but I believe alcohol may have been involved. Again.

But life intervened, with me fleeing the Dan-inflicted misery of COVID Lockdown Central after one-too-many arrests and weirdly relocating just a bit to the north of Coffs Harbour on the Tweed Coast.

So, what started out with the best of intentions now languishes in search of a loving new owner to take it to the next level.

It’s now all there, including new tinware, a T/A fiberglass bonnet, refurbished interior panels and a bunch of other assorted new bits. You can see the whole build history up to now here.

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