Running Project: 1968 Dodge Charger R/T

After just 2 years in production, the Dodge Charger lost its Marlin-style appearance and got a redesign for the second generation, with the 1968-70 cars eventually becoming iconic and still some of the more sought-after cars from this great period in automotive history.  All three model years offered great body lines, but I’m a big fan of the ’68 as those round lights in the back give the B-Body a look from the rear that’s hard to beat in my humble opinion.  This 1968 Dodge Charger here on eBay is in Manahawkin, New Jersey, and it’s a project but a true R/T and running, with 13 bids raising the price to $28,000 so far, not enough for a sale as the reserve hasn’t been met, or you can own it today for $40,000 by hitting the buy-it-now button.

The fender tag is a bit worn in places and a few of the characters are hard to read, however, after enlarging it I think that 4th to last letter in the third row from the bottom is a T, indicating the car left Hamtramck, Michigan wearing Medium Green Metallic paint, which makes sense as some remnants under the hood and inside are still showing this color.  The VIN is much more legible, with the S indicating an R/T model and the L a 375 horsepower 440.

Somebody decided black would make the car look better on the outside, although the respray must have been decades ago with all those side chips present and plenty of other imperfections also showing, along with some rust peeking through in a few areas.  But overall, the body appears at a minimum decent, and at a fairly good starting point compared to many Chargers from this area that seem to be showing up in the marketplace as of late.  The seller says the car has never been apart, so even if there are some issues throughout to be dealt with at least most things are how they came from the factory.

One exception though is the engine, which is still a 440 but not the born-with component.  The seller doesn’t provide any information about the current big block such as a date code or where it came from, but he does tell us it’s running and that the Mopar will move under its own power, though with only two of the brakes functioning I wouldn’t make the car go very quickly or for more than a few feet at a time.

Most of the interior seems to still be there, but just about everything is going to need some sort of attention with the driver’s bucket paining my backside just thinking about sitting in it with that exposed spring.  I also found it interesting how the speedometer is corroded but the tic-toc-tach shows a completely different appearance, so maybe the latter has been swapped or perhaps there’s an entirely different reason.

Probably the best news here comes from down below, as the seller assures us the underside is super solid with no rot, no holes, and no repairs, so at least the restoration will begin with a nice platform to start with.  Considering the prices second-generation Dodge Chargers are demanding, I have little doubt this one will exceed the reserve or might even get snatched up at the forty-grand price tag.  What do you think is a better option here, riding out the auction or going ahead and putting this one in your garage right now?