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440 HiPo 4-Speed: 1968 Dodge Charger Project

While the general visage and turbine front wheels of this 1968 Dodge Charger in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas may recall a certain TV show, thankfully it’s one year too early to become yet another clone of said TV show’s iconic star. Offered for sale here on Hemmings, at “$26,000 firm,” it seeks a buyer willing to forgive the damaged hood (smashed open against the windshield during transport), non-original motor, and significant rust.

Many prefer the ’69 and ’70 tail-lights to these dual circles, but they do distinguish a ’68 from far away. Unless you drove something pretty stout back in the day, this is what you saw pretty quickly after a light turned green and this manual-shifted 440 Charger twisted up those slicks.

A similar ’68 Charger driven by a spectacled mob wheel-man (actually legendary stunt driver Bill Hickman) led Steve McQueen on a rousing chase in Bullitt. No matter your taste in cars, there’s something menacing about an all-black muscle car traveling at speed. The seller graciously includes a number of under-car pictures showing numerous areas of rust-through and corrosion-pitted parts.

Any shortcomings of this 1973-vintage 440 could be easily corrected with a few mouse clicks and credit card purchases. The lack of power brakes or steering combines with the monster slicks to suggest this Charger spent more time devouring straight-line posers than playing cat-and-mouse with Mustangs in the corners. Considering the NOM (non-original motor), hood, and overall condition, are you reaching for your safe to withdraw $26,000?

Comments

  1. Avatar photo Moparman Member

    I’m sorry, I would take the $26k and invest it into not so needy car! With the pricing on this car, (IMO) I think someone’s been drinking the Barrett-Jackson kool-aid!

    Like 45
    • Avatar photo bo bohannon

      Charger’s are great and everyone would like to have one, I did, but to enjoy them someone has to bite the bullet and bring them back to life. But to resurrect the dead, you must have a good starting position and $26k aint it. Forty-five hundred, ($4500) would be the max for this thing, and that would include shipping to me.

      Like 5
    • Avatar photo Jerry Brentnell

      here sits a poor charger that has the living snot driven out of it ! as much as I love chargers! but not orange ones thank you very much! my pockets ain’t deep enough to do a total rebuild on this me I drather have a 62 chrysler 300 H much rarer and better ride

      Like 3
  2. Avatar photo slickb

    well it hasn’t improved much sense last march….
    ( https://barnfinds.com/440-4-speed-1968-dodge-charger-r-t/ )

    Like 14
  3. Avatar photo dave smeaton

    There was a time when you could have picked up something like this for a GRANDE at most ,its really gotten crazy!

    Like 15
    • Avatar photo Howard A Member

      In the late 70’s, I bought a 1970 Charger, 383, 4 speed, much better than this, for $500.

      Like 13
      • Avatar photo stillrunners

        And in the late 70’s I bought a Hemi Road Runner 4 sp for $500 and towed it home with a tow bar with old blue…..those were the days !

        Like 5
  4. Avatar photo Robert L Davis

    would take over 60k to restore ir right so at 26k i dont think its worth it in the long run……

    Like 13
    • Avatar photo Mike. L

      Sorry Rob. Try doubling that if your paying a shop

      Like 2
  5. Avatar photo Chuck

    Nope!

    Like 7
  6. Avatar photo UK Paul 🇬🇧

    Same location, so assume same seller.
    It hasn’t sold in nearly a year shoukd tell them something?

    Like 12
  7. Avatar photo Steve A

    🤣🤣🤣
    Nuff said?

    Like 7
  8. Avatar photo Dave Mika Member

    Not hardly.

    Like 5
  9. Avatar photo Dave

    $2600, maybe. Too much work to do to fix everything.

    Like 12
  10. Avatar photo michael h streuly

    26k for that i dont think so.

    Like 8
  11. Avatar photo mike

    8-10 grand maybe…….

    Like 3
  12. Avatar photo Lucky strike

    5000 the most

    Like 4
  13. Avatar photo Philip B

    Geez…not again.

    Like 7
  14. Avatar photo pete

    good $25.00 fishing car

    Like 3
    • Avatar photo James

      Ice fishing car. You could sit in the bucket seats and fish through the rust holes!

      Like 1
  15. Avatar photo JagManBill

    in 80 I bought a 71 383 4 speed RR for $400. Nice looking, but was a piece of crap. Traded it 6 weeks later to a guy for a TR250 that needed a clutch. Only Mopar I have ever bought (Jeeps excluded). I think this one just has one too many zeros in the price and it would be ok. Numbers matching it might be viable if you already have a parts stash at around $12k to $15k.

    Like 4
  16. Avatar photo Tort Member

    Just crazy!

    Like 4
  17. Avatar photo Troy s

    That price is quite high, considering the condition of the ugly menace, but I can’t help imagining this ride years ago, at speed nearing a red light downshifting to second…with the exhaust rapping and popping in disgust…idling at the light with the whole car shaking in time with rough idle and loud loud Loud! Yeah, them were the days to enjoy cars like this where as any more it’s all about dollars and cents., or lack of it.

    Like 10
  18. Avatar photo Kenny Hepp

    The price is about 3 times the value of the car if not more( in current condition with non matching #s. Will take too much to restore to pay that much on front end, would never re coop costs

    Like 4
  19. Avatar photo ACZ

    Well, at least it’s not orange.

    Like 5
  20. Avatar photo Mark H

    The Dukes of Hazard show supposedly burned through 1-2 68/69 Chargers per episode – 147 episodes. The show car was a 1969, but as the supply of them got tighter, they were able to use ’68s by swapping taillights & grilles. Later in the series they had to use scale models and footage from previous episodes.

    Like 7
  21. Avatar photo Superdessucke

    I would have screamed like a turkey having its neck rung on the day before Thanksgiving if I would have witnessed that hood going up and ti its demise. That one part is probably worth more than my entire BMW M3 (E36)!

    Like 2
  22. Avatar photo Bill

    Boy that is a lot to ask for that price

    Like 1
  23. Avatar photo Hemidavey

    Restoration cost will exceed 125k if it needs floors, quarters, inner panels, etc. Chargers are one of the hottest mopars going, very limited parts supply on some Charger specific items equals high parts cost.

    Like 3
  24. Avatar photo Poncho

    Wow! After looking at the pics in the listing, this would be a scary beginning to a project. there is rust and scale on everything underneath the car. Til you get done scraping the rust, there may be nothing left.

    Like 3
  25. Avatar photo George mattar

    Drunking top much and watching top much Mark Woman. A close friend who makes very good money paid $5,000 for a similar Charger he drove home. Bought all new AMD panels. They, like all repo junk, dont fit very well. He is $49,000 into fixing this pile of crap and no paint yet.

    Like 3

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