Great, not another million-dollar Pro Touring car! Where are all the real street machines at? You know, the kind that the average working stiff can afford? We hate to break up the whine party, but you're looking at it. As the saying goes, appearances can be deceptive, and despite looking the part of a pro-built, mega-buck Mopar, Tyler Hunkele's '70 Dodge Charger isn't the product of checkbook engineering. To the contrary, it's the culmination of 10 painstaking years of pulling off savvy trades, swindling family friends, and getting down and dirty in the garage. The no-cost mentoring and advice of a very well-known yet generous car builder didn't hurt, either. Evidently, building a car that looks like a million bucks doesn't always require a million bucks.

Beyond the Charger's stunning good looks is a surprisingly back-to-the-basics parts combination that belies what its Pro Touring persona suggests. While purists may take issue with the dropped stance and big rollers, the B-Body retains its torsion bars, stick axle, and leaf springs. No fancy-schmancy independent rear suspension here. Under the hood is a good old-fashioned big-block and a four-speed manual, too. Gen III Hemis and overdrives needn't apply. Likewise, the sheetmetal is 100-percent stock, and Tyler even kept the vinyl top. Interestingly, a car that looks full-tilt Pro Touring on the outside is deceptively old-school on the inside.

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Although Tyler had no plans of intentionally building a master of deception, setting his sights high, then resourcefully adapting his restoration strategy as circumstances dictated, somehow spawned a machine that looks far more expensive than it really is. As a former Ford owner and the son of a Chevy man, it seemed unlikely that Tyler would cross paths with a Charger, however, experiencing Detroit's lesser makes up close made him realize how badly his heart pined for a Mopar. "My dad was a Chevy guy, and all my friends in high school had Mustangs, so I got one too. It was just something to run around with in high school, and I sold it when I went off to college," Tyler recalls.

Granted that both father and son had yet to own a Mopar, they both appreciated the ultra-aggressive lines of the Charger. "The two of us always talked about building a Charger someday. He liked the '66 and '67 body styles, but since I grew up watching Dukes of Hazzard reruns, I always loved second-gen Chargers," Tyler remarks. "After I got out of school, I started looking for a new project car. My dad and I hunted down a pretty rough '70 Charger in Pennsylvania. There wasn't a lot of good metal left in it, but we weren't too worried because my dad's friend from high school, Ken Elsesser, was a great body man that ran his own shop. Since it was an ordinary 318 car, we didn't have to worry about ruining something rare."

To say that the Charger was rough is a bit of an understatement. Maybe that's what the Hunkeles said to try to swindle their body man, but after nearly 40 years of brutal Northeastern winters, there wasn't much '70 Charger left. "The car was a shell. The quarter-panels were hacked out, and it only had one door," Tyler recalls. "Ken's Auto Body ended up replacing the quarters, floors, and fenders. The only original metal left is the roof, firewall, and framerails. Since I didn't have a ton of money to spend up front, we worked out a pay-as-you-go deal. Over the next several years, Ken worked on the car in his spare time."

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As the body work progressed, Tyler toyed with the idea of building the Charger into a Daytona clone. That soon changed after seeing a Pro Touring '70 Road Runner built by Steve Strope featured on TV. Much to his surprise, Tyler got some much-needed help from an unexpected source. "After seeing that show I fell in love with the Pro Touring theme. I started researching Strope's builds on Google, and read a bunch of magazine articles on his cars. Not all of the parts used on those cars were listed in the articles, so I emailed Strope asking where exactly to get various suspension and steering components. Email exchanges turned into phone calls, and he gave me tons of tips and advice to all my little questions. He told me exactly which companies to call and who to talk to. I was very surprised by how willing he was to help out a no-name like me who was just building a car in his own garage. He's a great dude."

With the body work nearing completion, Tyler got a move on collecting all the chassis and suspension components needed to pull off the Pro Touring transformation. Up front, he matched a set of Magnum Force upper control arms, drop spindles, and Sway-A-Way torsion bars with Eaton Detroit leaf springs in the rear. Bilstein shocks control the wheel dampening, while front and rear Hotchkis sway bars keep body roll in check. A set of Wilwood four-piston disc brakes provide the stopping power, and Toyo rubber wrapped around 18-inch Forged Union Laguna wheels stick it all to the pavement.

Since even Pro Touring cars don't live on handling and braking alone, Tyler wanted something a bit more potent than the wimpy factory 318 the Charger originally came with. He figured the big B-Body could benefit from a big dose of cubic inches and torque, too. As such, he looked right past a Gen III Hemi and built a 499ci big-block Wedge. He sought the help of Nick Wilson at Compuflow to piece together a stump-pulling combo based on a 400 block.

Bored to 4.375 inches, the motor uses an Eagle 4.150-inch crank, steel rods, and JE 10.0:1 forged pistons. Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum cylinder heads and intake manifold provide the air supply, while a custom solid-roller camshaft actuates the valves. Exhaust exits through a set of Hedman long-tube headers and Flowmaster mufflers. Tyler estimates output at 550 horsepower. In keeping with the old-school vibe, torque is channeled through a A833 four-speed manual trans, which he acquired in a trade for some spare parts.

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While stretching a buck always ranked high on Tyler's priority list, sometimes showing restraint wasn't always about saving money. "This isn't a $100,000 pro-built car so I didn't want to build something too flashy. I wanted to keep things basic," Tyler explains. "Something Steve Strope always says is that just because you can do something doesn't mean that you should. You got to do what works well for the car to achieve the goals you have in mind. Because the car is so big, I went with a black vinyl top to break up all the green. I thought adding a chrome lip to the black wheels would accent them nicely without looking too flashy. That's why all the black parts on the car—like the vinyl top, wheels, and grille—are outlined in chrome."

As with the rest of the car, Tyler had some very specific ideas on how to update the interior without making it too modern. "I love the look of basic old-school interiors, so I wanted to keep it that way. I upgraded the upholstery to leather, but kept the same pattern as the factory vinyl seats," says Tyler. "I hate when people cut up the factory dash and put a modern stereo in it. With the help of a friend of mine that does custom wood work, we built a custom mini console located between the seats to mount the head unit."

Since finishing the car last year, Tyler has logged a bunch of miles on the Charger cruising the streets and hitting up shows. Next on the agenda is putting the suspension to the test on the autocross. Regardless of the arena, bystanders will probably be shocked to see a million-dollar Pro Touring machine getting beat on out in the wild. Little will they know that despite its deceptively high-profile looks, it was actually built by a father and son team on a real working stiff's budget!

See all 31 photos Inspired by a '70 Super Bee Tyler saw in Popular Hot Rodding, Tyler decided to paint his car green. He originally planned on black or gray, but his body man refused.

See all 31 photos The no-nonsense big-block produces tons of torque without breaking the bank. The FiTech EFI system offers great drivability, simple installation, and performs easy cold-starts.

See all 31 photos Although Tyler toyed with the idea of making the interior a bit more modern, he listened to his elders and kept things original. According to those elders, a pistol-grip shifter is an absolute must!

See all 31 photos Among the many tips Tyler got from Steve Strope was installing a set of Eaton Detroit leaf springs to achieve the stance he was after. Strope has built so many B-Bodies that Eaton carries a special "Strope spec" spring.

See all 31 photos Custom mini-tubs make way for the huge 335mm-wide rear tires. Ken Elsesser started the body work, but due to health issues, could not finish it. Tyler brought Jim Vescio of Muzzy's Grafix on board to finish the job. Jim added the black tail stripe as well.

Fast Facts

1970 Dodge Charger | Tyler Hunkele | Akron, OH

Engine

Type: Chrysler 499ci big-block

Block: factory 400 block bored to 4.375 inches

Oiling: Melling oil pump, Milodon pan

Rotating assembly: Eagle 4.150-inch steel crank and H-beam rods; JE 10.0:1 pistons

Cylinder heads: ported Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum castings with

2.140-/1.810-inch valves and 88cc combustion chambers

Camshaft: custom mechanical roller (specs classified)

Valvetrain: COMP valvesprings, Harland Sharp roller rocker arms

Induction: Edelbrock Performer RPM intake manifold, FiTech throttle-body

EFI system

Ignition: MSD billet distributor, coil, and 6AL ignition box

Exhaust: Hedman long-tube headers, custom H-pipe, dual 3-inch

Flowmaster mufflers

Cooling system: Mopar Performance water pump, Griffin radiator

Built by: Nick Wilson

Drivetrain

Transmission: Chrysler A833 four-speed manual; McLeod twin-disc clutch

Rear axle: Dana 60 rearend, 3.73:1 gears, limited-slip differential

Chassis

Front suspension: Magnum Force upper control arms and 2-inch drop spindles,

boxed factory lower control arms, Sway-A-Way 1.03-inch torsion bars,

Hotchkis sway bar, Bilstein shocks

Rear suspension: Eaton Detroit leaf springs, Hotchkis sway bar, Bilstein shocks

Brakes: Wilwood four-piston discs, front and rear



Wheels: forged Union Laguna 18x9.5, front; 18x12, rear

Tires: Toyo Proxes R888 275/35R18, front; 335/30R18, rear