Mottled and red like a bad sunburn, this 1968 Dodge Charger R/T in Las Cruces, New Mexico can still draw a crowd despite its rough appearance. Offered as a true R/T (Road/Track) here on eBay, the rusty muscle car needs work, but hopefully the dry climate helped preserve it. Someone showed pity on the once-flashy Dodge by rebuilding a (presumably non-original) 1968 V8, 440 cid (7.2L) just like the original. As we go to press, a single bidder has pledged $9500 for the opportunity to test their skills and/or credit card limit on this red rocket. The lucky buyer gets a fresh grille assembly as well.
The tail stripe apparently accelerated surface rust on this Texas-plated classic. Circular tail lights appear only on the ’68, the first year of the second-generation Charger. Roof trim supports the seller’s description of a black vinyl top.
Fresh paint in the engine compartment rolls out the red carpet for the freshened 440. Watch that radiator support when you roll the big 440 into place. I owned and painted an engine compartment just like this on my ’66 Dodge Coronet. The mighty B-Body underpinned a long list of sweet muscle cars. A new engine wiring harness comes with the sale, and the lack of a fender tag adds interest for mystery fans.
Maybe our Mopar experts can comment on whether this mill resembles an R/T spec 440. If one thing can help you overlook an automatic transmission, it’s torque. Even later 440s offer plenty of grunt to fry the tires.
This story may have a happy ending some day, but only after the interior gains a complete replacement. Luckily you can dial or click up everything needed for this car, but precise original equipment parts might put your piggy bank on a diet. This car may have sat in a junk yard or otherwise been stripped of parts. Fast forward a decade or so and suddenly Mopar Madness makes that old carcass worth a second look. Would you take a gamble on this one?
“By the nicest one you can find.”
Words to ever live by.
Make sure the price is right, but buy the nicest one you can find.
That’s going to be *a lot* of work.
$9500??
I see a $500 junker here…..
Can’t tell about the motor. Too many parts missing.
That said, the difference between us and Mark Worman is that he owns the factory assembly manuals for the cars he restores. To do this right requires a complete teardown ( the good news here is that it won’t take much!) and rotisserie the body. Putting it back together correctly requires time, money…and the assembly manuals.
I am amazed at the level of interest in the 2nd generation Dodge Charger. And…the prices they command even for the unrestored, tired ones is remarkable. Part of me wants to see what my original 1968 Charger R/T, original : paint, interior, engine, even the spare tire that I have owned since 1976 would go for. I dont want to get anybody’s hope up, so maybe I should just leave my own curiosity alone…..sorry.
The best way not to hit the radiator support is flatten the front tires, I dropped a 427 in a Chevelle all by myself without touching a thing, but needed another person to line it up with the mounts. But I’m sure more than a few here already know to dump the air !
I’ve read on some of my Mopar forums that ironically, the later 70’s 440 blocks that were used in motorhomes and the like are actually stronger due to improved webbing, and therefore many prefer them to earlier blocks if you want to build a 440 hipo motor for a NOM car.
Actually the later 440 blocks have the same architecture as the earlier 440 blocks. I think you’re referring to the earlier 400 low deck blocks. Particularly the #230 and #630 castings. Those had the stout main webbing castings.
And the newer have less nickel content. Lower compression.
Cast cranks.
No, they didn’t put 400s in motorhomes in the late 70s
Ignore my reply below. Here is the data: https://www.440source.com/blockinfo.htm
Nothing can help me overlook an automatic…
Flatten the front tires? Hopefully you’d be using an overhead winch,which moves front to back and side to side, otherwise the cherry picker/engine crane would crash the lower control arms unless it has a really low profile,even retracting the front legs won’t allow enough front to back movement before colliding,underneath. Also would be right on the verge of flipping over. Best thing I’ve found when using my floor model cherry picker is to extend the legs as usual to compensate for the load,shorten the chain, lower into engine bay, support engine by other means when its 6-8inches from home using stands,fabricated brackets etc, unhook and lengthen chain back to intended length,raise off supports, lower into mounts,presto,she’s in and no scratches on anything from install. Before you guys bust my balls,lol, I was sharing what has worked for me over the years,not trying to sound Mr. Ace Mechanic of the year by any means.😁
My son raises the front. But first unbolts the K member from car with engine still on it. Then lifts the car. Complete drivetrain now just rolls out from under car.
As far as the engine goes I can’t get a clear view of the valve springs to see if they are double springs & also I detect what appears to be blue paint on the right side of the block near the bottom on the right side.
Prices of 68 to 70 Chargers in this messed up condition are equaling or in some cases passing that of rough C2 Corvettes. Insane. We bought these cars in high school for $1,200 in 1973. In almost new condition.
well, they were still kind of new in 1973 , now they are 52 years old and there a lot less of them now !
Someone either threw in a starting bid for his pal, or we as a country are drinking way to much alcohol, and that dam opioid problem has overtaken men of a certain age, it’s a Junker w no body tag
Yes George ,your comparison with mid-year Vettes is a good one .Both cars are absolute ICONS of the era,and as such ,project cars sell for a disproportionately high price compared to drivers ,and finished projects.
Hey Joe,as a Mopar guru ,can you tell me what front end I should use in my 68 Charger Hellcrate project ?