For the next owner of this 1968 Dodge Charger, a lot of the hard work has been done. The rust that had developed over the years has all been addressed, and it has a healthy V8 sitting in the engine bay. The owner is candid about this classic and fully understands that it isn’t a big-dollar car as it currently stands. However, with a bit of time and patience, there’s no reason why it couldn’t be. The owner has decided to part with the Charger, so he has listed it for sale here on eBay. It is located in Holden, Louisiana, and the bidding activity has been quite spirited. Fifty-one bids have pushed the price along to $19,850 in this No Reserve auction.
The red paint that the Charger wears doesn’t appear to be original. There is some obvious evidence that the car has received an amateur repaint at some point, and this shade does not show on any of the color charts from the period. I can see a couple of glimpses of green, but I’m not sure which version it is. The Charger has previously received new floors and rear quarter panels, and its rust problems now are pretty minor. There is some filler in the lower quarter on the driver’s side that will need attention, but the rest of the exterior looks good. The news underneath is just as positive. The floors have been replaced, and the original frame rails are said to be good from end-to-end. The fitted grille is from a Coronet, but the owner includes the correct grille in the sale. Some of the trim and chrome will require attention, but the tinted glass looks good.
When the Charger rolled off the production line, its engine bay housed an H-Code 383ci V8. That beauty would have been pumping out 330hp, but it is also a distant memory. In its place is what the owner believes is a 400ci unit, but he doesn’t appear to be that sure about it. To be honest, I’m in the same boat. So hopefully, one of our knowledgeable readers might be able to shed some light on that. We know that the V8 is backed by a TorqueFlite transmission, while the Charger also features power steering. The specifications of the V8 are unknown, so we can only guess the sort of power it might be producing. We do know that the vehicle runs and drives, but the owner has only had it out on the road once. Some small details will need to be addressed before the buyer could use it as a daily driver. These include tightening the shifter because it is sloppy. The power steering also needs a new belt, and I would probably treat the car to thorough inspection before I attempted any long journeys.
The Charger’s interior has been cobbled together, and it will need some work to return to its former glory. The bucket seats aren’t original, but the rear seat is. The owner might choose to find a set of genuine buckets, but regardless of which way they jump, the back seat will need a new cover. The dash and pad look reasonable, although various aftermarket gauges are hanging in different locations. The owner includes a new carpet set in the sale, but I can’t help but think that the shopping list will be reasonably long before this one is finished.
The owner of this 1968 Charger is realistic, and he admits that this isn’t an $80,000 car. He also believes that it is not a basket case worth less than $20,000. If it were numbers-matching and meticulously restored, it is a car that could threaten $60,000 on a good day. It isn’t either of those things, but I would be surprised if the bidding ended below $25,000. This auction might be worth watching closely because if it does sell for less than that figure, someone could be scoring themselves a bit of a bargain.
500 Grille?
Yep…..and 69 fenders he does state the Coronet grille but doesn’t mention the fenders. Like he said lots of cars still going across the water to new homes.
’69 500 nose clip, to be exact.
The better question is what happened to the car that donated the front clip?
I’m afraid I see a lot more bondo then the seller is letting on to.
It looks like the owner was trying to make it a 1968 “500” model . As stated it has 1969 front fenders. POOR fitting of hood to Fender. I would like to see a good clear picture of the instrument panel as I would guess that the I/P came out of some LOW LINE Coronet from 1968 meaning no circular gauges or tachometer. The buyer still has to address the rust issue on the lower rocker panels and no mention or pictures of the trunk area. Steering wheel is some aftermarket piece .Thanks but “NO THANKS I will pass
Why instrument panel? Would someone change that out? The reak looks like a Charger.
After I’ve looked at this again, I’d run in the other direction. Anybody notice the missing heater core?
Why does any car before 1976 command such astronomical prices? It’s like the market has lost it’s mind. It’s almost as if people, who have no experience in the cost(in time and money) of restoring these things want to pay top dollar on the hopes that after restoration they’ll somehow be in the black. It’ll never happen at these prices.
If you can’t do the bulk of the work yourself, forget it. If you do the work yourself, you’re essentially working for less then minimum wage, meaning you need to do it as a hobby, period.
This is a big ask money wise.
The car deserves a lot of help and that cost a lot also.
Nice, but way too much.
How is this a “big ask”?
This is a no reserve auction that started at $100, so far there have been 59 bids spread out among 18 bidders, that demonstrates there is substantial interest in the car. Whether it deserves it or not is another question.
Steve R
Sorry man, in my mind the current bid is the ask…and for this one it is just to me, too much of an ask. I think the saying may be a regional/cultural thing.
The car just seems to need a lot more than I would have time or resources for where the current bid is but that’s just me.
The front grill and nose of a 68 Charger is here, and of course everywhere else on the internet.
https://classiccars.com/listings/view/994237/1968-dodge-charger-for-sale-in-san-luis-obispo-california-93401
What a turd, I’ve owned a lot of chargers over the years and have parted out better ones than this .
Without having the full VIN, it’s anyone’s guess what this Frankenstein was when it left the factory. I wouldn’t make an offer without seeing the VIN first.
It’s originally a 383 4 barrel car
Good luck with that “Frankenstein !
Adam Clarke, no reader, no matter how knowledgeable, will be able to shed any light on what engine is in this thing. There’s just nothing there that will enable an “ID”.
It does appear in the picture of the engine compartment that the current occupant started out “dressed” in Corporate Blue, which makes it a 1970 or later engine (the original ’68 B and RB engines would have been turquoise, even the high performance versions, except for Hemis), so the seller’s contention that it may be a 400 is plausible.
To figure out what engine it is you have to look at the boss next to the distributor for the stamping of the year and engine size.
definitely need to get rid of the traction bars because they do not work on Chryslers you need a pinion snubber.
That’s a lot of money for something you have to outsource a lot of parts for especially the fenders and the motor if you want to go with a period correct one.
Concerning a 400, the number 6 and the number 8 cylinders are transposed in the firing order, as compared to firing orders of all other Mopar V8’s. Perhaps that could help identify which motor this Charger has
I like the way it looks with Cargars, does that help…
Not really. What’s a Cargar?
Well duh, a Cargar is a wheel you put on your cra…
Reminds me of the Johnny Cash song ‘One piece at a time, Like it or not, this hodge podge of of a Charger will bring pretty good money.
Whether or not its worth it, is irrelevant. This is a second generation Charger and everyone want’s one. Even the ones sitting in a field for decades with no floors or engines are being dragged out and brought back to life.
Want a second gen? The cost of admission to this club is high.