Welcome to my homage to what I feel is the coolest car ever made, the '68 Charger

1968 Dodge Charger
Manufactured in Hamtramick, Michigan
440ci V8 4bbl Carb (originally a 383)
727 Torqueflight automatic transmission
Mopar performance ignition
Headers with 3" exhaust
Centerline Convo Pro wheels
Sony Xplode sound system

The long sordid history on how I came to get the Charger

I guess my interest in Mopar goes all the way back to when I was a baby. My Dad and Mom used to take me to all kinds of drag races, and my Dad had a 68 Dart with a Hemi shoehorned into it that he dragged all the time. Mopars were the weapon of choice for my Dad and his friends back in the musclecar days (and now, for that matter). Even though I was primed for serious Mopar addiction, somehow, it didn't really take hold of me until after I got married.

I had motorcycles as a kid, and largely ignored cars altogether. The only 4 wheeled vehicle I would consider was a truck, so when I turned 12, I decided to get one. Since I was only 12, I could only afford a junker. I discovered a 73 Dodge that had been rolled in an accident and decided to restore it. Unfortunately, I never really grasped the amount of work that would take, and while I worked on it quite a bit, I never seemed to get ahead on it.

When I turned 18, my Dad stumbled on an add in the local paper for a couple of 73 Satellites for sale along with a 350 chevy engine for $550. We bought them, and one of the Satellite's became my ride. A 440 was installed, and while the car was cool and very clean, it just didn't capture my heart. Once I got married, I started to really gain a strong interest in Mopars again...almost like waking up to it for the first time. During this time, I wound up seeing the movie Blade. It had been so long since I had seen a Charger that hadn't been done up as GL (since I was a little kid), and I fell in love immediately. I studied up on the car, and the more I learned, the more I loved it. It quickly rose to the top of my favorite cars of all time list, and the 68 became my goal.

I eventually found a 68, 50 miles from my house in a salvage yard. It was a complete disaster...a true basket case. The yard owner had no fender tag, the engine was a seized up 383, and half the parts were missing...to say nothing of the rust. He wanted $2,000 for it. I knew I didn't have the time, experience, or money to build that car...so I passed. I set out to build a RR clone out of my 73 Satellite, but I still had my old truck, and now with the resources to get it painted, I decided to finish it first.

So what does the truck have to do with the Charger? The paint/body guy that was working on my truck had actually stumbled on the Charger in the junkyard, bought it and began work on it for himself. On one of my usual "nag" trips to the body shop, I discovered the Charger out back. He had put on new 1/4's and put a 440 in it, and was well underway with it's restoration. I was shocked to see it there, and jokingly told him that if he ever wanted to get rid of it, give me a call. As most paint and body guys do, he got tired of the car after he finished the body and paint. I sold my Satellite to my Dad and borrowed a little cash, and I bought it from him for $2,500. I drove it back home in the dark with terrible steering, little brake, and no functional dash lights or speedometer. It was bliss. I will never forget it.

The condition of the car when I brought it home:

The grille was split completely in half and the grille trim was destroyed.

The dash was in complete disrepair. None of the gauges worked, and the finish was horrid.

The headliner was shredded, door panels and vents were missing and replaced with tin panels.

I immediately began work on the dash, thinking I could get some lights in and functional, but it took on a life of its own. It wasn't long before I had the entire dash gutted and repainted.

The gauge cluster was another issue. The clock next to the speedometer was worthless. I started about restoring the gauge faces and added an aftermarket tach. I also refinished the faceplate with some careful painting, including the raised white lettering above the switches.

The grille on this car had been a victim of some sort of accident and was split in half from the top passenger side, all the way to the bottom of the driver's side. It took several months to locate good grille trim, and a good month to repair and restore the grille itself. We fixed the radiator bracket and fender fit while the grille was removed. Serious cutting and welding to get it right.

The 440 looks better and runs better than it did when this pic was taken. Points were replaced with a Mopar electronic ignition. I have to get some updated underhood pics.

The grille came out really nice. It used to be a serious weakness on the car, but it is a strength now.

The interior took major work and serious long nights, but it turned out great. The headliner was a major undertaking, but turned out great. The Sony stereo fit perfect, as did the speakers in back, and the package shelf looks better than factory.

The exterior of the Charger isn't in too bad shape. The guy I bought it from kind of rushed it and put some funky graphics on the hood and tail, but it looks real good for a driver. At some point I will take it back down to bare metal and re-paint her. At the moment, I am still too anxious to get her back on the road. As soon as the snow melts, she's back on the highway. Here she is on a sunny day:

And finally, a pic of the car with the truck that started it all...

The truck just needs assembly now. I will make a page for it when it's done. In the meantime, I plan on working over the 440 next. A supercharger or blower are my current goals.