Unrestored 1978 Dodge Challenger Features the Plaidest Interior That Ever Plaided
10/19/2021
It'll be tough to find another car quite like this 1978 Dodge Challenger listed for sale on Hemmings.com. Granted, it would be tough to find another running 1978 Dodge Challenger at all, let alone one that hasn't succumbed to rust and neglect. But to find one still wearing its sundown stripes and with an interior positively covered in plaid, well, that's rare. The paint looks tired, and there's some damage around the taillamps that needs attention, but the car is unmodified and has a five-speed. From the seller's description:
Completely original and left untouched, hopping in this Challenger is like stepping back in time. With a 2.6 liter engine and 5 speed, manual transmission, this car runs and drives like it just came off the lot in 1979. It passed our driving test with flying colors and would absolutely make an excellent daily driver. The body is in good shape, with no major damage or rust. There are some slight scuffs on the driver side, rear fender (see pictures) but that’s about it. Original orange paint, stripes and top are all in solid condition. The trunk space is clean and dry. It even comes with a spare tire! The upholstery inside is as cool as it gets. Plaid on the door panels and seats looks awesome. Slight weather wear in the backseat is all in this otherwise nearly flawless interior. Original overhead console is still functional, the original am-fm radio still works great too. This is a mechanically sound car that is ready for anything.
1978 Dodge Challenger
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Boosted Powertrain
At the heart of this SVT Lightning is its iron-block 5.4-liter SOHC, 16-valve V8 with a supercharger and an intercooler. The blower helped it deliver 380 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque in 2001, up some 20 horsepower and 10 lb-ft from the ’99 and 2000 models. The Eaton supercharged engine delivered peak boost of 8.0 psi and the engine featured an 8.4:1 static compression ratio, down from the standard 5.4 V8’s 9.0:1, which was rated at 260 horsepower and 350 lb-ft.
Power reached the rear 18-inch cast aluminum-alloy wheels via a four-speed automatic, an aluminum driveshaft and a beefy 9.75-inch, limited-slip rear axle with an acceleration-friendly 3.73:1 final-drive ratio, another upgrade for 2001. Car and Driver magazine reported a 0-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds and a quarter-mile in an E.T. of 13.8 seconds at 104 mph—impressive numbers for a 4,600-pound truck. Top speed was a drag-limited 142 mph.
A Truly Sporting Truck
Trucks generally require a suspension that can handle a full load in its bed while also providing competent driving while empty. But if you fancy one designed to a sports-car standard, then something has to give. In the case of the second-gen Lightning, Ford dropped its payload capacity to a mere 800 pounds. A standard 2001 F-150 Styleside carried a 3,180-pound payload rating, while an F-150 Flareside was rated at 2,005 pounds, some two-and-a-half times the Lightning, which featured the short-bed Flareside body. Towing capacity, likewise, was reduced from 8,800 pounds to 5,000 in the Lightning. But the Lightning’s strengths were never its payload or towing capacities, but it’s ability to perform like a sports car.
As a 21st century performance vehicle, however, the second-gen Lightning was also equipped to handle. A half-inch drop at the front was accompanied by SVT-specific coil springs and Bilstein shocks along with an exclusive 31-mm solid anti-roll bar. SVT’s influence continued at the rear with Lightning-specific five-leaf springs and a 23-mm solid anti-roll bar. The Bilstein setup at the rear included the right-rear shock staggered toward the front of the truck to reduce axle hop under heavy acceleration. The four-wheel antilock disc brakes were cribbed from the three-quarter-ton F-250, with 12.1-inch front rotors at the front and 13.1-inch discs at the rear.
As the years go on, fewer and fewer clean, unmolested low-mileage examples are out there, which is why this 2001 Ford SVT F150 Lightning now on Hemmings Auctions caught our attention. Showing just 5,525.5 miles on its odometer at the time of submission, it is said to be in “mint” condition and have an “immaculate” finish in the seller’s words. No modifications are noted to any part of the vehicle. The 18-inch factory alloys don’t appear to have any curb rash, though the Goodyear performance tires may be original. About the only deviations from stock are the tinted windows.
The latest electric-only F-150 Lightning is certainly a quick vehicle in its own right, but this 2001 edition from the engineers at SVT was built for excitement, not range. It was made with an old-school muscle-car vibe along with modern handling and braking. Which Lightning would you look good behind the wheel of?
Take a look at this second-gen Lightning on Hemmings Auctions before the bidding ends.
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