Dodge pulled out all the stops for 1968, telling its engineers to “do whatever it takes” to get the new Charger under 3000 pounds. The result was this “1 of 1” factory lightweight prototype. The patented “Power-Flow” quarter panels not only lightened the swoopy new Dodge, making it scream down the quarter-mile, but one Mopar insider exclaimed, “Not only does it go like stink… all that air really keeps my beer cold!” All joking aside, this 1968 Dodge Charger located in Pine River, Minnesota caught the eye (and perhaps the pant leg) of reader Scot D. If you’re looking at this and simply know it’s “the one,” visit the listing here on eBay and click “Buy It Now” for $6800.
Remember when you used to take your old plastic model cars and use your Dad’s lighter to heat up the plastic and make it look like they’d been in some horrible crash? Yeah; that’s pretty much what we have here. If that left front fender came from a green donor car, imagine what the original one must have looked like. The seller calls this fixer-upper “far better that most of what’s still out there,” which presumably refers to all the other ’68 Chargers in Pine River, Minesota. Be sure to factor in another $50 for that tetanus booster. I do love the five-slot wheels, the fat rear tires, and the six-inch rear shackles for that High School / Death Stalker look.
This angle distinguishes the ’68, with it’s four round tail lights, from the ’69 and ’70 Chargers which featured a full-width tail light bar. Normally I support folks on a budget willing to take on a rusty specimen that might cost more to restore than it will be worth, because some people see their dream car and know they will never spring for one that’s “done.” In this case, though, I’d find it difficult to give half the asking price even if this was my personal chart-topper.
The seller claims a 383 and automatic transmission originally filled this hole. Good news, though! The power steering system appears to be partially intact. “Shopping list: Everything… except maybe power steering.” Someone went through the trouble of painting the engine compartment (normally body color on a Mopar) black. As the next picture indicates, neither the black nor the Grabber EB3 Petty Blue / Basin Street Blue paint was likely original.
Now we’re seeing what’s most likely the original color, a lovely Burgundy. The seller does describe some structural as well as cosmetic rust. The pillaging of this car’s parts certainly did not stop with the engine compartment. I may be out of touch with today’s market, but ten years ago you could buy a decent 318 Charger for a little more that this car’s asking price, which would make a much better basis for a restomod or Pro-Touring car. Though sold as a parts car, this Charger will come with a Title. Between the rust and its missing nearly all its parts, who among you would make this into a vehicle again?
Send it to Europe and get some old world panel beaters to hammer a copy in “aluminium” .
Nice Write up Todd. What a mess of what was once a beautiful car. No thank you. I did the same thing with my plastic models! I would melt the front end and wrap around a tree branch.
I used to smash up my Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars with a hammer to give em that “accident” look. Man do I regret that
They certainly met their goal of making it lightweight.
No way, not even $680.
Is this the before or the after?
Hey, now… that bent taillight bezel is one of a kind! And who wouldn’t jump at the chance to convert their pesky floor shifted TorqueFlite to column shift?
Kidding aside, I’m thankful that I’m not really into Mopars and that there are enough Mustangs out there that nobody will ever have to resort to resurrecting a salvage yard reject that wasn’t all that special in the first place.
What a dreamer!!!! Haul it to the crusher.
Love a muscle car with a column shift. Lol
Again, same old thing. You got to start out cheaper than this. These aren’t exactly rare,( there’s 72 on Hemmings alone) and decent ones can be found for not much more. They can ask what they want, it’s not really that bad, but I just have to question where people get their prices for this stuff. Shows the power of the almighty TV.
Is this the car that battled with McQueens Mustang that caught 🔥👀🤠💰
JUNK! Crush it and buy a nice driver for under 20K. You would be money ahead and be driving today.
Those shackle extensions take me back,,,
I remember the shackles in the 70’s bought a 69SE 383 727 3:23 vynal top column shift and the same wheels on mine,for 500.00 in 1977 fix a few small dents sold it for 350.00 and this was in Northern California…..no rust what so ever not even the battery tray….how times have changed I have seen better parts cars…..bummer living in the rust belt…….
I love this site, you learn something new every day.
Next time I part out a car, after it’s stripped, I’m going to list it as an abandoned project and ask more for it than I originally paid.
Steve R
Need a good laugh today? Check out ” chief-many-mopars” (sellers) prices on his 183 “other items”.
Wow! Never seen so many nice projects listed all as parts or not working- yet described as working running some rust free Arizona cars n trucks. Seems they must all be salvage? High bucks some of’em too. Crazy!
This guy is building the nicest 68 charger on earth.
http://www.pro-touring.com/threads/106855-Modern-Bullitt-Charger-build
Looks like a job for GraveYard Carz and a fool with unlimited amounts of cash.
Mopar or No car, I’ll go with the no car on this one.
I’m walking. Yes indeed I’m talking, about this piece of junk… At least if you’re walking, you won’t be embarrassed about owning this.
Am I the only one who notices thst the trans tunnel appears to be crumpled, as well? This car is junk, and the seller has YUUUUUUUGE cajones for asking more then scrap value for this hunk of garbage.
Good eye! See the big tear just ahead of the crumple? Looks like more than a rust through to me.
Looking closer, there’s a seam running the width of the car just ahead of the tunnel. This cars been rebuilt before.
‘Grabber Blue’ ? That would be B3 Petty Blue , I believe it’s also referred to as basin Street Blue but I could be wrong as I’m a GM guy . ..Still Good write-up .
It should be a crime to ask this much money for a delapadated piece of crap like this!
Zombie Apocalypse – powered by Mopar & Porsche, brought to you by Barn Finds.
Rated ‘R’ – for Rust.
Not fast and definitely not furious. What a turd.
At least the seller has a sense of humor by thinking this is a car.
Another over priced pile of junk.
You said that the color grabber blue is on the inside fender wells! I highly doubt that its grabber blue, it was exclusive to the Mustang! Back in the 60s Ford had several grabber colors they were exclusive to the Mustang! That is the only way you could get a grabber color! !
Not to be pedantic, but I think Grabber Blue was exclusive to Mavericks, not Mustangs.
I am sorry, but you are very wrong! I am a very old Mustang guy! Not many Mustang guys as old as me still around! I know the history well! I have 12 in my garage all mint to excellence condition! Starting with my original Cobra to my 2012 Coyote! I think that you are just figuring that because the Maverick had a Grabber edition you assume that the grabber colors went with it! Not so, the grabber colors came out in the 60s Mavericks came along much later and they never offered grabber colors for them! My 2012 is in fact Grabber Blue!
If you want to just Google it! You will see that there was grabber green, grabber yellow, grabber orange, and grabber red! I think that I covered them all? I might have missed one I am not sure!
I’ll skip the exclamation points but he’s right. Idk if the Grabber collors were exlusive to the Mustang but they were a Ford thing.There were Grabber Mavericks but I think they referred to a model not colors, although Grabber colors may have been available as well. Had a white ’75 or ’76 Grabber Maverick for a bit, it was fun.
Thanks Wrong Way and others, for the correction on the Grabber blue. I learned about these colors before the Internet and Google, and fell into a bad habit of referring to all those in-your-face hues as “Grabber.” I fixed the piece above. Here is a paint card showing the EB5 Basin Street aka “Petty” Blue http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=24792.0;attach=36993;image
and here is link to the Ford Grabber colors… http://bit.ly/2F9eBGa
I just can’t seem to send a picture of my Grabber Blue Mustang? I don’t know why! If it came through good! This is my 2012 which I drive the Most of my other 11 are out of town in a garage in the country! I will send you 11 more nice pictures when I can get out there! My 427 Cobra is a original that I bought new! First year blue and white! I have all from a 64 1/2 to 2012! All GT’s except for the Cobra! I am almost 80 years old! My grandson will benefit one day! Have a great day! Todd
A lot here depends upon how technical you want to be. When the color was used on a Ford product it was called Grabber Blue, Grabber Orange, etc. The exact same color was also used on Mercury products however when used on a Mercury the color was called Competition Blue, Competition Orange, etc. Same color, two different names.
For the record the Maverick was introduced in late 1969, the same time that these colors were being used by Ford.
I’m sure I’ll hear back on this one. Everyone saying to crush it/junk it/scrap it, I gotta disagree. No classic should be destroyed. They don’t make em anymore. People who own cars such as these just need to get a bit more realistic about them. If they can’t/won’t restore it themselves, at least give the car a chance and let it go to someone who is willing to undertake such a huge project/money pit for a reasonable price so it can live again. Just my opinion for whatever it’s worth.
Steve I agree with you, but this price is totally off the wall! At least put a price that makes sense! Just sayin, have a great evening!
I agree, it still is a ’68 Charger. Besides, everybody ( including me) are all bent out of shape on the price, but we rarely see the end result. Asking $6,800 now, in 3 months, sold for a grand.
Not this seller, it will sit and sit. Look at his other listings, current and completed. He generally has close to 200 items listed and has 4 sales over the last three months.
Steve R
Actually, they do. #Dynacorn. Usually not in favor of a rebody, but this is toast.
The only thing scarier than seeing this at a stoplight drag back in the day ,
Would be seeing it on a trailer behind you headed 4 home now🙂..!
Where does the owner figure that this is worth even half…of what he’s
Asking…..???🤣..Let’s see….no eng/trans..check !…no interior..check !…most trim missing..!check..!
Horrible body damage…rust..!!check and double check..😅..
Man…,I need some of that owners medication…!!🤣🤣
Trout Motors and scrap yard, largest junk yard in upstate New York, this car the way it sets, $185.00 and it may be less. This vehicle is JUNK.
We had the Fiat cut-away the other day. Here’s the Dodge version.
Road Kills 68 Charger that Friburger picked up was mint in comparision to this one & it was just rolling shell. I’d run & run away fast from this one.
Road Kills 68 Charger that Friburger picked up was mint in comparision to this one & it also was just rolling shell just a much better one than this .Not sure what he paid but dont think it was much they dont have any budget on that show.. They put a 440 in it from a motorhome that I think they paid more for than the Charger. I’d run & run away fast from this one.
Can you say “too far gone” boys and girls?
In this day n age ‘too far gone’ only apply’s to ones desire n pocket book . . .
I don’t think that to far gone is the issue! It’s the rediculous price that’s being asked!
Even Mad Max would dump this one. Not even enough left to hold a flamethrower and 80mm cannon…
The main point is not so much the condition it’s the rediculous price
How cool would it be to drive it like that! That exposed rear quarter looks like Gus from Breaking Bad after the explosion….
The only thing missing is…everything
The only thing missing is…everything..if my name was Matt Dirt I’d take it