First-generation Challenger is pretty and powerful

"Whaddya mean I can't drive it?!," complained a perturbed Scott Swaydrak. Here he was with cash in hand, ready to purchase the 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A parked in front of him. A quick spin around the block in Glenview seemed to be a natural request.

The year was 1978 and the seller, a man in his late 20s, didn't want to be hasty in handing over the keys to an 18-year-old.

The seller purchased his rare racer new at Grand Spaulding Dodge in Chicago and later sold it to another "young kid," Swaydrak recalled.

"I remember seeing the car go down my street with no hood and dual quad carbs sticking out," Swaydrak said. "That guy eventually ran out of money making shoddy modifications and sold it back."

On this second go-round, the original owner was going to be more cautious on where his cool ride went. Swaydrak, who now lives in Hawthorn Woods, still wanted the Challenger - with or without a test drive.

The determined Mopar-lover plunked down the dough and drove the car home, parking it next to his 1969 Charger R/T. It didn't take long for him to learn he had to be careful with the new and very powerful acquisition.

On just his second day of ownership, Swaydrak avoided a collision while on his way to get new license plates. While stopped at a red light at Devon and Milwaukee avenues in Chicago, the driver of a high-revving Javelin pulled along side looking for a race. Egged on, Swaydrak grabbed the massive pistol-grip shifter and moved it to what he thought was first gear. Turns out, he had just put the transmission in reverse.

"Good thing there's a reverse light on the dash that caught my attention," Swaydrak said. "If I had stomped on the gas I would have totaled it."

He soon got the hang of driving the T/A and most nights could be found parked at Super Dawg in Chicago or Flukey's in Niles. A "quickie" restoration was performed in 1982, which mostly involved peeling off the white vinyl top and spraying on new paint. Shortly thereafter, a rep from Monogram Models spotted Swaydrak cruising through Morton Grove and connected with him about using his car to make a 1/24 model.

Through the rest of the decade, the vehicle sat parked in his grandmother's garage. The enthusiast had the Dodge out a few times to area cruise nights in the '90s but "it was looking pretty tired."

With the dawn of the millennium, Swaydrak came to the conclusion a full restoration was in order, realizing if he didn't do it at this time, he probably never would. The overhaul was started in 2003 and completed five years later.

The bodywork had taken a beaten throughout its stint on Midwest roads, necessitating replacement of the trunk floor, passenger floor pan and rear quarters. Just like before, Swaydrak couldn't pull himself to add the vinyl roof back on.

"The white looked like a mistake when paired with the sinister black graphics and Rallye Red paint," he said. He kept all the pieces should a change of heart arise, so a vinyl top can easily be installed.

One thing he won't change his mind on is letting go of the T/A. Turns out, seller's remorse has never left that original owner. Swaydrak ran into him at a recent show and found out he still lives in the area, in Lake Villa.

"His wife came up to me and said, 'You have to sell him that car back. It's all he talks about.' "

• Share your vehicle's history with Matt Avery at auto@dailyherald.com.