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1 Of 2743: 1968 Dodge Charger R/T

1968 was a special year for the Dodge Charger with a new muscular body that solidified the performance image that Dodge was going for. It was also the first year for the 426 Hemi in the Charger, although this is a 440 example. The R/T badge stands for Road/Track (not Road and Track) and has been added to many of their high performance cars over the years. This beautiful 1968 Dodge Charger R/T hides its headlights but proudly displays the R/T badge on the front grill. You can find it here on craigslist in Columbus, Ohio.

The 1966-1967 Chargers had a fast back design but in the 1968 the designers switched to a flying buttress design.  This design feature along with the the curves over the fenders gave these muscular cars a distinctive coke-bottle look. In 1968 there were over 17,000 Charger R/Ts produced and most had “Scat Pack” strips at the rear, although those could be deleted at no charge.  This car doesn’t have those stickers applied although it has new black paint so someone would have to review the build sheet to know for sure if this car had them.

This car has nice interior although the driver’s seat is much cleaner than the passenger’s and is probably recovered. It is a four speed manual and has a respectably clean dash.

The R/T Charger either had the 426 Hemi or two variants of the 440 V8 (three 2-barrel carbs or a single 4-barrel). This car had the 4-barrel and now has a newer Edelbrock carb fitted. The other notable feature from a genuine R/T car is the Dana rear axle which is easy to identify with the D-shaped differential cover.

There it is, looking cleaner than I’d expect with Cherry bomb glass packs and some coils of wire zip-tied to the differential. If anyone has any idea what those are for leave a comment!

The Chrysler Historical Collection states that there were only 2743 Charger R/Ts built in 1968 with the 440 and the 4 speed. That makes this a fairly rare car since that number will be whittled away by many of the performance muscle cars ending their lives early wrapped around telephone poles. The Hemi powered cars are certainly the most desirable but the owner is asking a healthy $68,000 for this 440 powered Charger.  Is this car worth the asking price?

Comments

  1. Avatar Steve R

    The first year of the R/T was 1968, the Hemi was available in the Charger prior to that. The 3×2 wasn’t available until 1969 but only in Road Runners and Super Bees, it became available in the Charger in 1970.

    Steve R

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    • Avatar john dump

      Overpriced EVEN WITH a 426 Hemi
      The “wires” look like air shock lines

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      • Avatar Jay

        Yes those are laid lines for the air s hocks. Way over priced.

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      • Avatar Bob

        Thats what I thought

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      • Avatar Gene

        Most definitely air lines for rear airshocks.
        Did have same on 73 road runner.

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  2. Avatar jimbunte Member

    $68,000. My goodness.

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    • Avatar Billy

      I remember when these were less than $1000 in this condition. Would’a, should’a, could’a.

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      • Avatar DOMINICK TOMAINO

        In Dec 1967, I ordered a green on green, Charger R/T, loaded with every option available..
        It took 7 weeks to get delivery because the factory was closed for Christmas holidays..

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    • Avatar Superdessucke

      I like these but at 68 large is somebody going to really drive it as intended?

      My friend had a ’67 GTX with the 440 and a 4-speed and 3.91 gears back when they were $3,000 cars. Driving it as intended, as I vividly recall and will always remember, entailed the thing whipping side to side as you banged into the next gear and hung on for dear life to the wheel. Once it caught you’d blast forward like you were fired out of a cannon. It felt like you were about to crash for a second or two after each shift but it never did and you kept going. It was crazy!

      I doubt I’d want to risk the precious steel at this price though. And that’s the kind of thing that built these car’s legend. Too bad that with these prices, nobody under 50 remembers that.

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  3. Avatar Rabbit

    I don’t think those are coils of wire……They look like hoses for air shocks, and those really look like Gabriel Hi-Jackers. You can see the boots under the dust covers.

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    • Avatar Hide Behind

      Best Hemi and 440 was 67.
      ON street it was a toss up between Hemi and 440 6-pack Hemi or 440 not tri-power.
      1967 440 HEADS ARE WHAT MADE 383 Roadrunners true 98 mph quarter mile cars.
      These charger 500s rare today, it is said Dukes of Hazard destroyed ,100+ of them.
      DAMN THINGS CORNERED LIKE A MISSISSIPPI RIVER FLAT BARGE.
      Dive into Corner and pray you came out other side.
      Rattling like inside tin canand the hardest shifting sloppiest 4 spd you could find.
      Cheap interor, lousy radio, springs in seat left ya with a waffle butt, unless bench.
      Rugs so thin with almost no underpads.
      ist out by rear sails before 7 yeRs, damned body flexed like a straw.
      DAMN wish I still had one.

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      • Avatar Steve

        This isn’t a Charger 500. Dukes of Hazzard also did not use Charger 500’s.

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      • Avatar Steve

        front of a 69 500

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      • Avatar john dump

        383 roadrunner 15s 1/4 mi

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      • Avatar Superdessucke

        That’s true dump but I wonder how much of that has to do with lack of traction. With the aforesaid GTX, it felt like you spent about 4 seconds of a given quarter mile blast with the tail wagging back and forth before it regained traction. Fun yes but I’m not sure that was the fastest way to get down the strip.

        And then of course launching it was hard because it liked to spin the tires. That’s what show offs like to do with them now (and too often end up losing control because they can’t countersteer). But as I recall when we wanted to go really fast with it or stoplight race it it was a huge unwanted PIA.

        I think with modern tires a 383 Roadrunner would probably be mid-low 14s? A 440 car would easily be in the 13s.

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    • Avatar GREGORY POLLACK

      That’s what I see also

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    • Avatar Bear

      you are right, I had a pair on my chev. SS

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  4. Avatar Swami

    $68k?? Put the pipe down.

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  5. Avatar Kevin Lee

    The zip tied coils are plastic air shock hoses, a common thing found on old muscle cars, hot rods. This is a big, beautiful car! I used to drive a parts cleaner route, and a customer had a building with several old Mopars , including a Charger that looked just like this one. Lining the walls were motors, mostly big blocks and even Hemis!

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    • Avatar glen

      So many cars are missing the original engine. People like the guy you are mentioning, may have an engine that could/ should be re-united with those cars. An online database set-up would allow anyone who wants to sell an engine out of a vehicle, to provide the numbers off the block. A simple search could locate the missing engine. Yes I’m dreaming this would ever happen, just a thought.

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      • Avatar jimbunte Member

        It’s a great idea, Glen!

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      • Avatar Hide Behind

        there are many old mopar sites both buyers and sellers of every part with mopar.
        list of correct year engine an other parts also on sites. lots of mos and old stock out there. beware do cheapo mexican stuff junk.
        think they made rezz parts out of used tin cans.

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      • Avatar glen

        Thanks Jimbunte.

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  6. Avatar elrod

    Certainly one of the most beautiful muscle car bodies ever designed. With 6 pictures and 3 full sentences of info, I will be rapidly sending my envelope stuffed with 68k no questions asked.

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  7. Avatar john from ct

    $68K seems more than all in, given the condition. Looks like a few changes in a somewhat messy engine compartment.
    Overall looks like she’s been ridden a good way, and then dressed up in a new coat. One would be smart to check suspension, steering, etc for wear.

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  8. Avatar lawyer George

    Oh. I see the problem: The Charger is a 1968 model year and seller planned to price it the same the clearly insane price of $68,000.00. There can be no other explanation.!

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    • Avatar lawyer George

      There is a sentence missing. The text printed said ” seller planned to sell if for the same price as the year, which still would have been clearly insane, so the ad would read Charger 1968 for 19,6800, but in his haste he accidentally hit 68 rather than 19. There can be no other explanation.

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  9. Avatar Chris

    I would love to get some mopar expert opinions here. I have a 68 r/t 4 speed charger with an orange engine. This charger is claimed to be numbers matching and also has an orange engine. I have been told by a lot of mopar “experts” that orange was not used until 69. Most of the documentation supports this but I have seen a few articles that say some 440s were orange. Just curious if anyone has seen this.

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    • Avatar Erik

      Just look on the passenger side of the block just above the oil pan the VIN number will be stamped in it this will tell you wether it is org. or not

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  10. Avatar Gunner

    This would be more of my selection:

    https://boise.craigslist.org/cto/d/1970-dodge-charger-t-number/6358166720.html

    For a lot less money, and IMHO, a better car.

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    • Avatar john dump

      Still overpriced…wheres the Hemi?

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  11. Avatar JW

    I like the 68’s for the round taillights but 68K is a bit much.

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  12. Avatar Dan

    A friend here years ago had a ’66 Hemi Charger, tried for years to buy it, so no 1968 was not the first year for the hemi in them, just the first year of a Charger R/T….coronets had an R/T in 1967..

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  13. Avatar ccrvtt

    Unquestionably one of the 2 or 3 best designs of all time. I prefer without the black vinyl top but they look good either way. The purple ’70 mentioned is far closer to reality in price and condition. I doubt that it will fetch $68K, but as P. T. Barnum said…

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    • Avatar TD

      Hi mate

      The mustang would be one of the others.. what’s your other bet?

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      • Avatar TD

        Oh hang on I see… corvette.
        Yes agree

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  14. Avatar Jason

    The “coils of wire “appear to be airlines to the air shocks

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  15. Avatar Nick Maher

    The HEMI was available from day one in the Charger though the R/T model didn’t start until 1968 as on this model.
    The HEMI was the only available optional engine until 1970 (if the standard 440 Super Commando was not enough) when the 440+6 became an additional optional engine. The 440+6 was not an optional engine in 1966 through 1969 in any Charger.

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  16. Avatar Loco Mikado

    Not that it is particularly pertinent but you could order a similarly equipped Dodge Coronet. A very good friend of mine bought a used 1968 Dodge Coronet with a 383 HiPro 383, 4 spd and bench seat, gold exterior-black interior in 1971 for $1,600. It was the ultimate sleeper and as an added bonus cheap to insure as it was listed as a v8 with a stick shift transmission. It was a good car but then he traded it in on a 1971 Dodge Challenger in 1974 which IMO was not nearly as good as his ’68 Coronet.

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  17. Avatar Christopher Schroyer

    Those are definitely air shock lines

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  18. Avatar the chucker

    Someone still thinks it is 2007.

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  19. Avatar lawrence

    If you know mopars – 68 up – had the VIN stamped into the engine and trans – there are people that might have that/your engine – and they post those vin #’s motors trans for sale. Mopar owners in ture post the VIN’s looking for the matching # motor/trans for their car – that’s usually if it is a rare car – most likely a Hemi or Six Pac. You don’t have that with GM or FOMOCO.

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    • Avatar CATHOUSE

      Sure they do. The federal government mandated that all manufacturers VIN stamp the engine and trans starting in 1968.

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    • Avatar glen

      Good to hear, I didn’t know that.

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  20. Avatar Motrbob

    Somebody is reading too many comic books…………

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  21. Avatar Steven S.

    I have to admit I do admire everones comment on this car & a beautiful car indeed it is. In fact” a rarity I say to own one. Have you tried contacting j.Lennor??

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  22. Avatar T Mel

    Typos seem to be getting more frequent in these write-ups.

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    • Avatar Steven S.

      Cheers for that mate, knowing that I’ve caught ones attention. I’ll pop back & celebrate with a few more pintes & give you my personal opinion on muscle cars.
      Have a good one mate.
      Cheers

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  23. Avatar William

    I think he’s about 35k overpriced.

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  24. Avatar Puddintang

    Looks like a “Bullit” car. These cars looked good but didnt handle very well unless you were going straight like at the Track or Strip. Back in the ’80’s could have bought it around $3500. These old muscle cars are way overpriced.

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    • Avatar Duke808

      The 80’s are long gone. A lot of them have died since then. That’s why people ask that kind of money they do. Parts are expensive. Own one and you would know that.

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  25. Avatar Brian Q.

    The 426 Hemi was offered from 66 thru 71. So once again look up the facts before you open it to the public.. Some of us gear heads know this stuff because we have a heart for American muscle cars like the Dodge Charger. Did you know Ford also had their own motor that would have given the Chrysler NASCAR World a run for their money , but Chrysler got NASCAR to ban Fords motor from their racing circuit. It would have changed the whole picture for Chrysler BIG TIME

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  26. Avatar Steve

    If I won the lottery I would have this car and the Bullitt Mustang so me and my buddy could chase each other around town. Kinda unfair, though, as mentioned above, trying to keep up with the ‘stang in curves/ corners in that Charger would be like chasing it in a tugboat.

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    • Avatar Troy S

      Stunt drivers took those two cars out before filming and “played around” a bit. It was quite the other way around. Mustang couldn’t hang with that black charger at all.

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  27. Avatar randy

    Extra air shock line coiled and zip tied to brake lines should of trimmed it to fit.

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  28. Avatar Mickey Dorsey

    My first new car was a 69 Charger, 383, 4 speed. I congratulate myself on styling taste now, but sold it with less than 20K miles because it was a piece of junk. Everything rattled or leaked, drum brakes warped, clutch slipped, filled up with water when I went thru a carwash. But it ran like a scalded cat. I got it up to 135mph once…fastest I’ve ever been. I agree the styling was wonderful and they look good standing still and going straight.

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  29. Avatar PLMBRDON

    Who puts airshocks and Canadian tire glass packs on a $68,000.00 dollar car? Nice car but way over priced. I’d check everything closely on this car!!

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  30. Avatar Fran

    Crazy only thing crazier would be the person who buys it!

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  31. Avatar Tony C. Australia

    A big problem with air shocks is that when the car leans or ‘rolls’, say to the left in a turn, the air is forced over into the right shock which then lifts the right side, this causes even more body roll than with ordinary shocks. The way to eliminate this is to separate them from each other with 2 lines and 2 valves instead of one, that way one side doesn’t interfere with the other and the body rides flatter. Been there, done that and it works!

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    • Avatar DonC

      Hey Tony! I’ve never heard of anyone plumbing the two together. Does someone really do that? I put air shocks in my ’70 Challenger , but with separate valves, and loved them!

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      • Avatar Tony C. Australia

        Hi Don, I’ve seen kits with only one valve in them, could never work that out, my ’77 El Camino only has one valve on it from the factory as standard equipment ? I had a ’73 308 Holden Statesman with dash controls and a gauge, plus a compressor under the hood, I could adjust the shocks on the highway for height and level, great for towing a heavy trailer, etc.

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  32. Avatar GREGORY POLLACK

    Correct separate lines to each shock and never use traction bars on a mopar

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  33. Avatar Davey

    $68k? This guy is on glue

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  34. Avatar Jon Sherman

    WAY OVER PRICED! Cut the price by a third a least

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  35. Avatar SuperSport

    pretty sure that chargers came with hemi’s before 68.

    “1968 was a special year for the Dodge Charger with a new muscular body that solidified the performance image that Dodge was going for. It was also the first year for the 426 Hemi in the Charger”

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  36. Avatar Patty

    We had a 70 R/T Charger in mint condition,except for the engine. It was stolen from near a Navy base in Rhode Island. A few months later it was found stripped. Just the shell was left.

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  37. Avatar lonnie93041

    Wish I still had my 70 Hemi Orange 383 Charger. Bought it in 1980 from a friend for two hundred bucks in good condition. Traded it for a 68 Les Paul gold top guitar with a whammy bar (just like Pete Townshend’s) from my bro in law. I told him the condition was that it must STAY IN THE FAMILY. Traded it to his brother for a car that got better mileage without telling him my conditions. He sold it to a collector. Easy come easy go.

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    • Avatar DonC

      Hey Lonnie…..them thar be how the Hatfields & McCoys git started!

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      • Avatar lonnie93041

        I didn’t get mad but I never let him forget it!

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  38. Avatar Chris

    I see they are down to 55k. That is not far off if the car is as represented. These B bodies bring the dough.

    Like 0

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