In 1984, the owner of this Dodge Charger drove the car into a garage, and that is where it remained until May of this year. It has emerged into the light of day, blinked its eyes, and is ready for someone to now own and enjoy a truly low-miles classic. If this car grabs you as much as it grabs me, then you will find it located in McDermott, Ohio, and listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has been pretty vigorous, with 9 people pushing the bidding up to $35,000, although the reserve hasn’t been met.
The Charger is essentially original, but it did undergo a repaint back in 1980. This has held up well now for 39-years, which tends to suggest that it was done to a pretty high standard. The vinyl top is original, while all of the chrome and trim looks to be close to faultless. The original factory wheels are clean, and have no issues, while close examination of the photos tends to indicate that this is a Charger that is free of any rust problems.
Under the hood are the original 383ci V8 and automatic transmission. You also get power steering and power brakes to make life that little bit easier. Bringing the car back to life has taken a little bit of work, but it does look like it has been done properly. The owner has fitted a new master cylinder and brake hoses. The car is also fitted with a new fuel tank, the carburetor has been rebuilt, new tires have been fitted, and the fluids and filters have been changed. The result is a car that now runs and drives. The owner doesn’t actually specify how well it performs either of these feats, but after 35-years of inactivity, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there are still a few minor bugs to be ironed out of the system. The owner also states that the Charger has only covered 59,402 genuine miles, and I hope that he is able to verify this. Otherwise, this is a car that is ready to hit the road and put its 290hp to good use.
When I look at the interior of the Charger, if I really want to get seriously into nit-picking, I have noticed some wear and discoloring of the carpet, especially close to the driver’s side kick panel. That really isn’t a lot to pick in an original interior in a 51-year-old car. The headliner looks good, the upholstered surfaces look first-rate, and the rear seat doesn’t really look like it has ever been used. The column auto adds a bit of versatility to the car’s seating arrangements, meaning that it would be conceivable for the Charger to seat 6-people. Not only does the Charger feature factory air conditioning, but the factory radio/8-track player is fitted to the dash. I wonder if the “.38 Special” cartridge that is in the player at the moment comes with the car.
The spotless presentation of the Charger continues right through to the trunk. This isn’t one of those cars where the owner claims that the spare has never been on the vehicle, but it does look nice and clean, with the original jack even being held in place by the correct spring.
I look at this Charger and ask myself what’s not to like about it. There isn’t much that I don’t like about it, except that it’s too far away from me to buy it. The color combination is stunning, it looks like it is solid, both physically and mechanically, and it is extremely original. The reserve hasn’t been met at this stage, but something tells me that this is likely to change fairly soon.
Wow! The first sentence of this post makes me say wow! I don’t have it in me to put up a car like this for 35 years. I hope that the Seller profits handsomely and has no regrets. Really beautiful car that takes me back in time
What is really amazing is that by 1984 the car was in this condition, most were rotted away by then. Having such a great paint job in 1980 made no economic sense at the time so this was a truly loved car, yet 4 years alter it gets put away for almost two generations? Again, to hear more of the owners story as to why this car exists today would be interesting. Also, the storage must have been done correctly, I bet the cylinders had oil in them and it sat on jacks to keep rodents away, plus moisture was also not let near it. It would be interesting to see what other cars the seller put away, if any. I recall not buying a 1971 Challenger RT 340 4 speed around 1980 that had this exact color scheme. It was a really low mile example that a rich guy had bought for his wife and she didn’t like it. Eventually got traded into a Chevy dealer for a new Corvette and that dealer had it in the showroom. The original window sticker had been put back in place and that was the asking price. The price was absurd for the time, even if it only had like 14 or 15K miles on it and it presented absolutely new. The dealer and I spoke, I was a little interested in it though as married with a small child at the time it made no real sense to buy it. I offered less than half the sticker and got a real quick “…no”. Adjusted for inflation that sticker would have only been 10 or 12 grand in todays dollars, yet to me it seemed like a real grab for money on the dealers part. He knew what he had, even then. Next time I was there it was gone, didn’t have the heart to ask what it sold for, didn’t want to be disappointed. A time machine would be so helpful sometimes. Of course, then you might be too busy to deal with “important” stuff like this as you would be trying to prevent WW2 or something. Might be best to leave history alone and just do little fun stuff like this. Have to think more about that.
NotSure
An acquaintance of mine pulled his, one owner, 1970 383/4 spd. RoadRunner in his garage to do a tune up. That was in 1986. It’s still sitting there today. If cleaned up, I believe it would look as good as the feature car. When he’s asked when he’s going to get it out he will only say “Someday”. I guess that’s the way some people are.
What a car! I’m not a fan of the vinyl roof but I could live with this one. The automatic on the other hand……
Too bad that it’s a white hat special. I’d rather a 4 barrel carb. I had a 4 barrel 383 charger in high school. My uncle was the original owner. It didn’t run and my dad traded the family’s 10 year old Gremlin for it. Hit the gas and you could smoke the tires for days. Still amazed I survived that car in high school.
35k ain’t gonna cut it!
I’d much rather look at this machine than the dozen or more roached out forest finds we’ve been bickering about for months. At least this one is not split in two, or being held together with baling wire/tow straps. So where are all you MOPAR guys now? Lay down your $35k and stop driving up the prices of yard art Chargers/Challengers/Cudas/Satellites.
This car was Repainted in 1980.
Looks like they did a nice job repainting it!
Very nice Charger… The 1 thing I don’t like about eBay is the bidding process. I always think there is shill bidding going on with a lot of these nice cars. It keeps the price up to and I think when people see many bids that they think it must be a great deal because so many are bidding. But shill bids are a concern for me on eBay. Otherwise what a great looking car.
Great car out of my leage, bit for that kinda cash, buckets 4 speed and at least a 440, maybe keep the 383 on the stand , never to run again.
It does look like a good looking car. Too bad too many people with too much money always bid them up too high for the little guy.
Wouldn’t mind this one being in the garage (if I had space).
I like the round tail lights the best on the 68!!! Great looking car!! 35 grand and the reserve still not met!!! Someone’s going to pay up!!!
WRONG WHEELS…..but nice car.
What are the RIGHT WHEELS?
Magnum 500s?
Wheels look great to me.
Those are magnum 500’s
’68 Chargers didn’t have trim rings , the whole entire rim was chrome. Later years, ’69 & ’70 & beyond had trim rings
@ Stillrunners: You beat me to the punch, I was going to point that out, too! :-)
The RIGHT wheels for any 1968 Mopar with that type ate – YES – the solid chrome wheels without the beauty rings that came out in 1969. Both are optional wheels for the years….
Any while I’m at it – the dual snorkel air cleaner has lost a snorkel – hehehe….
I love seeing cars like this.can not afford em but nice to look at
This is almost how I would’ve built one if able. Hope the seller gets good money. Wish the people who wanted to drive them could afford them.
Now at 35,300 and reserve met…
Good looking Charger, whether they’re the right wheels or wrong wheels. 383/auto is just fine for most folks then and now, price wise it makes me sick when I think of a few of these I passed on years ago. Who knew.
Maybe it was put away so The Dukes of Hazard production company wouldn’t get it. They used up hundreds of 68’s and 69’s over the run of that show.
Plate code for wheels is steel painted. 7.75×14 white walls. This car had wheel covers. The road wheels in picture are 69 and newer. 68 road wheels did not have trim rings. The rim would have been chrome if ordered. 2.76 rear axle. Power brakes and power steering. AM radio. No tape. Air cond. Drum brakes. All tint glass. Car was light blue metallic. The Y, 6 under it is Black Vinyl top, code being 306. 61 is 383, 2 bbl. 5 is Torqueflite.
Well, there ya go. The man knows his stuff. The car would have been better with a 318, better balanced. Perhaps Chrysler should have offered a 4BBL 318 outside of CA to compromise on the performance, yet use regular gas (like this did) and have good insurance rates. A 318 like that with a stout dual exhaust would have gotten me to sign on the bottom line.
I can forgive the wheel change and the addition of the tape player , they were probably done when the car was still a driver . The cars weren’t going for crazy prices back then , and if you wanted to make your car more “valuable” you added options . I used to scour the junkyards looking for year correct optional parts for my Duster 340. I installed bucket seats , an automatic floor shift and console , factory AM-FM radio and the sport mirrors all from same year Dusters which hurts the originality value now , but when it was only 5 – 6 years old you wanted it to look like a higher line car.
“Better with a 318” said only one man -ever !
And let’s take all those horrid Hemis out in favor of the much more practical slant 6.Love the practicality of the column shift,but real muscle cars have the shifter on the floor, whether self shifting or manual.Super 68 Charger,worth 35-40k .
If I had won the billion dollar lotto months back I would have made a public appearance at a high end auction to buy a sparkling Hemicuda. Then announce to the world that I was going to yank the numbers matching elephant engine and pop in a 225, just to make a statement that for every car lover there is an engine. So many of you go with the crowd thinking big power is where it is at and make fun of us more practical guys. Some of us like to think for ourselves and do what is best for us. What makes my 318 comment wrong? Might be wrong for you, but right for me. Live and let live.
Back when these cars were new car guys/girls wanted the big motors as bragging rights. Gas was cheap, and if you wanted to race it the big motors usually won. Back then I had my heart set on a ’66 Satellite Street Hemi but since I was only 18 years old I needed my Dad to cosign the note for it, all was good until the salesman queered the deal when he announced that “You know that that 426 is a Racing engine” I wound up with a 383″ 4 bbl automatic. Loose lips sank my ship that day.
I own a 64 Hemi car,70,and 71 440 cars ,and a 64 Dodge ironically called a 440 which currently houses a 318 (but not for long ).I don’t have to win the lotto to enjoy my very non practical muscle car collection,here in the real world. .The 68 Charger is the quintessential musclecar,(even to this bowtie guy),the 318 is anything but muscular.Live and let live is fine,my friend,as long as you are dreaming anyway .
Right ?
So tell me, why were there so many sixes and small V8s? Muscle cars (called super cars in my day) were pretty darn rare. Were we all just plain ignorant? Equip your car(s) any way you wish, but a small standard engine will never be a let down for me.
Just appraised a ’68 Charger yesterday in New Mexico that may be for sale if his deal falls through. Not as nice as this one but pretty nice overall. Needs some TLC. If interested: wmikosz@comcast.net. I’ll put you in touch with the owner if it becomes available.
When some one claims original…..it shouldn’t be that obvious it isn’t….enough said. Sorry,,,,but I love chrome magnum’s….have run them on most of my cars….
BF write-up says it is running a 383. E-bay ad says it is running a 440 .Hmmm… Not being a Mopar expert, could someone point out the visual differences? I like the looks of this car and if my pockets were deeper, I just might bid on this. But, I would want clarity on the engine. Yes, I would search for a few good upholstery shops and let them bid on reupholstering both seats to original pattern and material. So many cars!! So many choices!! So little cash:(