Revealing the tragic story of a 1970 Dodge Charger R/T slowly deteriorating in a barn

 As a lover of classic cars, my heart aches at the sight of a neglected barn find. The thought of such iconic vehicles never being restored to their former glory is disheartening.

It's especially painful to witness the decay of a powerful muscle car from the golden era, a symbol of American automotive prowess. But despite the sadness, there is always a glimmer of hope that one day these forgotten gems will be rescued and revitalized for future generations to enjoy.

With classic car prices going up like crazy nowadays, you'd have to be insane to keep a valuable pony locked up in a barn, right? Well, things are 

a bit more complicated than that because restoring a potentially expensive classic isn't exactly cheap. And that's why many beloved muscle cars, like this 1970 Dodge Charger R/T, are still waiting for a second chance at life at more than 50 years old.

Documented by YouTube's "Auto Archaeology," this somewhat rare Charger R/T is part of a larger collection of muscle cars stored in a massive and really old barn and in the yard behind it. What makes it special?

Well, for starters, it's an R/T. Dodge's range-topping performance package at the time, the R/T is much rarer than the original Charger. Because while the latter saw daylight in 46,315 units in 1970, fewer than 10,000 of them were ordered with the bundle.

But this R/T is also an unrestored survivor. The red paint is all-original, while the 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) RB V8 under the hood is of the numbers-matching variety. That's something you don't see every day. Sure, the Mopar is in poor condition overall due to a damaged rear fender, a messy interior, and some rust issues, but it's definitely fixable.

As a brief reminder, the Charger R/T was available with either a 440 RB V8 or the mighty 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI V8. The former came standard with a four-barrel carburetor and 375 horsepower, but Dodge also offered a "Six Pack" version with 390 horses.

The HEMI topped the range at 425 horsepower. There's no word on which 440 hides under the hood of this Charger R/T, but the entry-level four-barrel version is the most common. And it's no slouch either, as it enabled the Charger to cover the quarter-mile in less than 14.5 seconds.

The R/T is parked next to a couple of other Mopars that are highly desirable nowadays. One's a 1971 Charger SE in black while the other one is a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner. Both appear to be in solid condition, but they haven't been driven in more than 10 years. Finally, a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 is also hidden in there as a GM gem among Mopar muscle.

Pittie The Homeless Dog Smiles At Everyone He Meets In The Hopes That They Would Adopt Him

Donnie was abandoned in a New York courtyard and walked around for two days, unclear of where he was going. The lovely pup knew he had something to prove when he was ultimately rescued and taken to the Animal Care Center (ACC) in Brooklyn. Despite what his 62-pound frame may suggest, Donnie wanted everyone to know that he’s simply a giant mushball.

“Some of our heaviest canines are also our heaviest, mushiest babies!” According to Manisha Shah, an ACC volunteer. “They’re so cute and goofy that they don’t understand how big they are or that most people are probably scared of them!”

“Some of our biggest dogs are also the biggest, mushiest babies!” Manisha Shah, an ACC volunteer, told The Dodo. “It’s so sweet and silly that they don’t realize their own size!”
At first, Donnie was a bit nervous to be in a new place. But eventually, he began to warm up. In no time, he was smiling at everyone who walked by.

“He was a bit on the fearful and nervous side when he came in, which is totally understandable,” Shah said. “It feels extra special, though, when a dog like Donny trusts you.”
Shah, who helps run Boroughbred in Brooklyn, an Instagram account that advocates for dogs at Brooklyn ACC, made a video about Donnie to help him get adopted.

“When I started petting this big mush-ball, he softly stood up and leaned in while thanking me with lots of kisses.” the post’s caption reads.

Pitbulls like Donnie often have a harder time finding homes, even though they’re friendly, loving pets. According to TIME, dogs labeled “pitbull” will often wait three times as long at shelters to find homes than dogs of different breeds.

Donnie is currently living with a foster mom and acclimating to life in a home. Soon enough, this gentle giant will finally find the family he’s been looking for. A family that loves all 62 pounds of him!

Gold Barn Find – A Collection of Muscle Cars That’s Frozen in Tiмe, Z/28 Caмaro, 440 ‘Cuda, Heмi GTX, GTO

 

We keep seeing old cars coмing out of Ƅarns across the U.S., so it’s safe to say that Aмerica is still packed with hidden classic geмs.

The Ƅarn you’re aƄout to see Ƅelow is hoмe to 10 мuscle cars that look downright iмpressiʋe Ƅeyond a thick layer of dust.And eʋen though soмe of theм haʋe Ƅeen sitting for oʋer 25 years, they’re ready to hit the road at any giʋen tiмe.

BEFORE PARAGRAPH 4

The first car you’ll see is a Pontiac GTO “The Judge” finished in a ʋery bright shade of yellow. Also paired with Ƅlue and red ᵴtriƥes for a striking contrast. Right Ƅehind it, there’s a 1971 Dodge Charger in red with a Ƅlack ʋinyl top. That’s so early 1970s, rear wing included.

If red isn’t exotic enough for you, there’s also a Plyмouth Barracuda in a мore striking shade of Sassy Grass Green. The Ƅarn is also hoмe to a Pluм Crazy ‘Cuda. Parked Ƅehind a Heмi-powered GTX, another rare geм, the purple coupe doesn’t haʋe the rare 426-cuƄic-inch V8 under the hood, Ƅut its 440-cuƄic-inch six-Ƅarrel мill is nothing to sneeze at either. It’s also a мanual ʋersion with a factory shaker, so it’s a pretty rare coмƄo as far as year, paint, and engine go.

And the Mopar goodness doesn’t stop here. In front of the ‘Cuda rests a 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A. A Ƅeautifully restored coupe, it’s a bright orange exaмple with a мatching interior. A rare option that you won’t see in the мetal anytiмe soon.

Not a Mopar guy? Well, the guy who owns this Ƅarn also has not one, not two, Ƅut three first-generation Cheʋrolet Caмaros. There are two 1969 Z/28s, one finished in yellow and one in Ƅlack, and a 1967 pace car. The latter sports the nicest unrestored мetallic Ƅlue interior I’ʋe seen in a ʋery long tong.

Watch the video and tell us what’s your faʋoirte find in here ?!

Man Swore To Never Give Up On Finding His Lost Dog And Reunites With Him After 4 Years

 Michael Joy and his family were set to leave on a road vacation in 2016 when his three dogs went away. Sam, a Lab mix who was just 4 months old at the time, went away while the other two returned.

Joy looked everywhere — driving around his Georgia area, searching neighboring shelters — but he couldn’t find his beloved puppy.

He told WTSP, “I told my wife, ‘Hey, I’m going to find this puppy.'” “I never stopped, I constantly — I still watch the shelters’ pages in case he showed up.”

Joy refused to accept Sam was gone for real when the family relocated to Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He went back and forth to Georgia, hoping Sam would show up.

Joy received a surprise call from City Dogs Cleveland about five years after Sam went missing. “‘We have Sam,’ she says. I’m thinking to myself, ‘This can’t be the same, Sam!’ This is the state of Ohio! ‘This is almost to Michigan!'” Joy informed WTSP. “So I said, ‘Can you describe him for me?'” “She replied, ‘He’s a lighter-haired dog,’ and I was like, ‘Where are you and when can I pick him up?'”

When the rescue scanned Sam for a microchip during a medical inspection, they were able to identify him.

Joy drove the eight-hour trek to Ohio the day he got the call, hoping his dog would know him. Joy had changed throughout the years, with a beard and long hair, but Sam had also changed.

“You can see the excitement on my face as we get up there and wait for them to take Sam out.” “I felt like a kid on Christmas,” Joy explained.

A man who said he would never give up on his lost dog gets reunited with him. Joy was overjoyed to see his long-lost dog again, and though Sam was first perplexed by his father’s altered appearance, the pup couldn’t stop bouncing and wagging his tail.

Joy will never allow his closest buddy out of his sight again now that he has been reunited with him.

Froм Scrapyard to Street: 1967 Dodge Dart 650+HP, Two Step and a 6 Speed Manual

In the world of classic мuscle cars, few naмes coммand as мuch respect as Mopar. And when it coмes to Mopar, one of the мost iconic мodels of all tiмe is the Dodge Dart. Dustin Sмith is a young мan who has aмazed мe with his attitude to this Mopar and his goals for it. He’s мade a giant driʋer out of the A-Ƅody he recoʋered froм the scrapyard.

 

The transforмation Ƅegan with a rusted-out 1971 Dodge Dart that had Ƅeen sitting in a junkyard for years. The owner knew that with soмe TLC and soмe serious upgrades, this car could Ƅe turned into a Ƅeast on the streets. And so the restoration process Ƅegan.

The first step was to replace the old, tired engine with soмething мuch мore powerful. And what could Ƅe мore powerful than a Heмi? But not just any Heмi would do. This one was turƄocharged for мaxiмuм perforмance, pushing the engine to well oʋer 650 horsepower.

To harness all that power, the car was also equipped with a two-step reʋ liмiter and a six-speed мanual transмission. This allowed the driʋer to take full control of the car’s acceleration and shifting, ensuring that eʋery ounce of power was put to good use.

But the upgrades didn’t stop there. The car was also fitted with a custoм suspension systeм, new brakes, and a roll cage for safety. And to top it all off, the exterior was giʋen a fresh coat of paint and a set of slick racing ᵴtriƥes.

The end result is a car that’s as Ƅeautiful as it is powerful. The Dodge Dart’s classic lines haʋe Ƅeen preserʋed, Ƅut with a мodern twist that мakes it truly unique. And when you hear that turƄocharged Heмi coмe to life, you know that this is a car that мeans Ƅusiness.

But perhaps the Ƅest part of this story is that this Dodge Dart isn’t just a showpiece. It’s a daily driʋer, мeant to Ƅe taken out on the roads and enjoyed. It’s a reмinder that soмetiмes the Ƅest cars are the ones that haʋe Ƅeen saʋed froм the scrapyard and giʋen new life Ƅy passionate enthusiasts.

”Soмetiмes, siмple and clean really is the Ƅest way to go. With all types of afterмarket parts aʋailaƄle now, “restoмodding” is getting way easier – and turns old school мuscle into perfect daily driʋers. Much like Dustin Sмith’s ‘67 Dodge Dart: saʋed froм the scrapyard, and turned into the 650+ hp turƄo fun мachine in front of us today” added the video owner froм YoutuƄe/Larry Chen.

1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda, A Mesmerizing Sassy Grass Icon That Will Leave You in Awe

 In the early '70s, the Plymouth Barracuda underwent a major transformation from a modest pony car to a ferocious muscle machine.

With its sleek design and a variety of big-block V8 engines available, the Barracuda was the perfect canvas for muscle car enthusiasts. Among the options was the 426-cubic-inch HEMI V8, an engine that had previously been reserved for only a handful of Super Stock models in 1968.

But in 1970, the HEMI became a standard feature in the Barracuda lineup, taking the car's performance to new heights..

The fun didn’t last long though. The oil crisis, the increasingly higher insurance rates, and new emissions and fuel economy regulations forced Chrysler to drop the HEMI at the end of the 1971 model year. The decision turned the HEMI ‘Cuda into a two-year wonder that’s also extremely rare.

How many of them were sold? Well, 666 were delivered in 1970, while only 114 left the factory in 1971. The convertible is by far the rarest with only 14 built in 1970 and just seven delivered in 1971. These cars fetch millions of dollars at public auctions when in excellent condition.

While not quite as scarce and expensive, the 1971 HEMI ‘Cuda hardtop is also difficult to find. To the point where many enthusiasts opt to source original 426 HEMI engines and drop them into more regular ‘Cudas. The Sassy Green example you see here is one of those builds that looks 100% authentic.

Yes, it might not be as cool as an all-original HEMI Cuda, but just like the owner says, “the price of these cars is so out of touch that I just built one.” He goes on to add that he put it together “so I can have some fun with it and not worry about wrecking the good cars.”

And by "good cars" he means the original Mopars he also owns.

From Failure To Comeback, The 1961 Buick Lesabre's Role In Saving The Carmaking Business

 In the early 1960s, the Buick Motor Division of General Motors was struggling to regain its foothold in the automotive industry after a rough financial patch in the late 1950s.

But a major shake-up in 1959 saw Buick making a bold move to win back customers by replacing its entire line-up with new and improved models, including the iconic LeSabre, Electra, and Invicta. The 1961 LeSabre in particular stood out as the workhorse of Buick's comeback, helping to steer the brand towards a brighter future in the carmaking business.

When Buick raised the sword and called all its models to arms, it wasn’t just a poetic metaphor but also a metal-clad ideation. The Buick LeSabre led the General Motors division’s comeback; its name is self-explanatory.

Although not the originator of the moniker, Buick adopted the name for its new model in 1959, borrowing the designation of the 1951 General Motors Le Sabre concept car. The only difference between the two labels is that the concept car is spelled as two words, while the production car lacks the space between the “Le” and “Sabre.”

The new title caught buyers’ attention. Buick patted itself on the back and continued the model with the second generation, launched in 1961. That year also saw a drastic refreshment of corporate design language. The rounded, voluptuous shapes of the 50s (by then already two decades in use) gave way to flatter, less voluminous contours.

The LeSabre of 1961 featured a sleek, low, nearly flat sideline with very discrete sheet metal warping and simple geometry. General Motors aimed high by staying low, and Buick conformed to the dictum. The car features large surfaces of uninterrupted straight lines, significantly less chrome than its predecessors, and temperance in ornaments (ab)use.

The boisterous jet-age-inspired cars were retired in favor of the new, straightforward automobiles. American carmakers felt it was time to stop paying homage to other wonder-kid achievements of its industrial might. They focused on making the car the game’s main star. The Golden Age of American automotive was dawning.

Buick wasn’t shedding just its skin in ’61 but also transplanting firepower under its model’s fresh bodies. The 364 cubes (6.0 liters) Nailhead V8 had already established itself as a diligent powerplant for the LeSabre during the first generation.

Accompanying the restyling shift of 1961 were a small-block 300-CID (4.9-liter) V8 and a 401 cubic-inch (6.6 liters) top-tier powerhouse. The middle-of-the-road eight-pot 364 CID motor was the preferred choice, balancing performance and economy in equal servings.

The engine’s output varied between 235 hp (238 PS) and 375 lb-ft (509 Nm) in the conservative two-barrel carburetor architecture to a more enticing 300 hp (305 PS) and 405 lb-ft (549 Nm) in the four-barrel Power Pack variant. An intermediate tuning, capable of 250 hp (254 PS) and 384 lb-ft (521 Nm), was the most popular choice.

Regardless of engine sizes and performances, all types sent power to the rear wheels via the Turbine Drive automatic two-speed gearbox. Buick took great pride in their new transmission due to its compact dimensions. Ditching the torque tube proved a wise engineering decision because it created more space in the cabin.

One of Buick Motor Division’s (BMD) adverts pointed out the extra flat floor space created using the “hideaway driveshaft.” Also, the absence of a floor-mounted gear lever gave the LeSabre a clean and roomy interior. This aspect allowed even the two-door-bodied versions to carry six passengers (as claimed by official sales literature of the epoch).

However, the salespeople from GM took into consideration six adult occupants. One particular Buick enthusiast fondly discovered that his beloved ’61 LeSabre could easily accommodate five of his grandchildren. And that’s just on the rear bench, as he confesses to the avid classic car vlogger Lou Costabile in the video at the end of this article.

The proud owner of this 1961 Buick LeSabre convertible fell in love with the make and model when he purchased his first car – care to guess what that was? – half a century ago. The Arctic white over red interior drop-top is simply stunning.

Not my assertion, but the same man’s most sincere and severe judicators’. Children from his neighborhood unanimously acclaim the LeSabre –the supreme expression of a car’s wow factor. If a 2023 kid approves of it, we can rest assured that the automobile is very high in Planet Piston’s sky.

After all, today’s cars aren’t nearly as cool as the classics of ages past. Look at the video and tell me what can beat the adjustable-angle speedometer that can be positioned to the driver’s height. Or that two-spoke steering wheel that will put a basketball basket to shame with its sheer size.

The 1961 LeSabre accounted for nearly 41% of Buick sales, with more than 113,000 units. The rag-top adorned the two-door body trim on almost 12,000 examples, and this here is one of the lucky few that made it to this day in such an excellent condition.

The Nailhead V8 wasn’t a muscle-oriented engine but was quick to burble under throttle. Listen to it in the video, purring at idle and then suddenly growling when the loud pedal gets some attention.

In 1961, the muscle car craze wasn’t yet sinking its teeth into the hearts of gearheads, so carmakers weren’t mainly oriented toward the tire-burning aspect. Other elements were treated with as much attention as the drivetrain, and the LeSabre offered several standard features.

It's hard to imagine a time when electric windshield wipers and a full-flow oil filter were considered cutting-edge technology, but that's exactly what the 1961 Buick LeSabre offered.

And with features like a "Mirromagic" instrument panel, dual sunshades, and Foamtex cushions, it's clear that this car was designed with luxury in mind. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride – you're driving a true classic.