The Car…
It was the Zenith. The snow-capped, razor-craggy pinnacle. That’s where Mopar was in 1970 when it came to cool, fast, desirable performance cars. In Mopar linguistics, this is known as a Challenger R/T SE. When you look at the combination closely, it’s actually quite intriguing.
Formerly Alice Cooper’s personal 1970 Dodge Challenger 426 HEMI R/T S/E recreation, real date coded vintage dual-quad street 426 HEMI.
Full nut and bolt rotisserie restoration, factory “Go-Wing” car. Bumble bee stripe, rebuilt 727 automatic with factory slapstick shifter. Factory power windows, power steering, power front disc brakes, 6-way adjustable driver’s seat, overhead console, vinyl roof, small rear window option, Rally instrument cluster with 150 mph speedometer and 8,000 rpm tach, completely painted undercarriage and all new suspension components with poly bushings. Alice had autographed the steering wheel, passenger seat belt and the air cleaner. The car also features custom, “No More Mr. Nice Guy” body tags. This car was done right and runs amazing. There isn’t a place you’ll take this car and it won’t bring comments and a crowd.
The 1970 model had a deeply recessed grill set back behind the dual headlamps. The rear lights were contained with a full width unit, the center section of which was a large single reversing lamp with the name DODGE on it. Models with dual exhaust could have a rear valance panel with cut- outs for the chrome exhaust tips.
The R/T came as standard with the power bulge hood fitted with hood pins (locating fore and aft not across the hood). The large power bulge really gave the impression of a large engine underneath and contained two air intakes which were not connected directly to the air filter.
The special Edition model had a plastic filler panel bolted around the rear window frame and a smaller window fitted. The join was hidden under a vinyl top. Most of the fancy trim pieces (Moulding group A) that were optional on the other cars came as standard on the SE.
All Challengers could have a stripe that ran the full length of the car under the body line. It could be had at first in black, white and red, later in green and blue. After March 11th 1970 it could also be had in chartreuse or magenta. Challenger R/T came as standard at no extra cost with strip or with a PAINTED ‘Bumblebee’ stripe around the back end. The side stripe in this case had the R/T logo cut into it and the bumblebee stripes were available in black, white, red, green and blue.
Alice Cooper (The Godfather of Shock Rock)
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damen Furnier February 4, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spans over five decades. With his distinctive raspy and a stage show that features guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, deadly snakes, babydolls, and dueling swords, Cooper is considered by music journalists and peers alike to be “The Godfather of Shock Rock”.
The original Alice Cooper band released its first album in 1969 but broke into the international music mainstream with the 1971 hit “I’m Eighteen” from their third studio album Love it to Death, which was followed by the even bigger single “Schools Out” in 1972. The band reached commercial peak with the1973 album Billion Dollar Babies.
