I have been surfing your site for a few years now but never had a Mopar (unless you count a Commer camper van or a Chrysler/Hillman Avenger or AMC Pacer!) so hadn't joined the club. A few months ago I decided to take advantage of the weak dollar and finally fulfilled my dream of owning a 68 Charger. As I write this it hasn't yet arrived in the country but she is exactly what I was looking for.
I didn't want show winning paint and I didn't want anything modified. I just wanted a really ratty but honest moonshine running spec Charger. And this is it. Bar a shot trunk floor and lower rear quarter the body is very sound and straight. The original light green paint is still there under a weird brick burgundy repaint that is now flaking off. As a consequence it looks gnarly.
I bought the Charger via Ebay in San Diego and the current owner is a true gent. He traced a lot of its history and has helped get it shipped off etc. It transpires that the car is a numbers matching big block, 383ci, 330HP (H code) engine with a 4 barrel carburetor with 4-speed Hurst manual transmission. Real bare bones spec too. No power brakes, windows or steering.
I have no intention of repainting the car, just replacing the rear sheet metal, drowning it in waxoyl and enjoying it. I will sort out the interior with a new vinyl kit and headliner, but that's the easy part of a restoration.
According to a lot of data and Ozzie the previous owner there were only 259 of this configuration 68 Chargers ever produced.
If anyone is interested then here's a shortened version of what Ozzie told me about the car before I bought it.:
'Taking into account how many are no longer on the road, and how many are no longer numbers matching, there can only be a handful of these specified Chargers 100% original still in existence. This car still even has its original black & yellow plates and has current California registration.
The current mileage on the car reads 31,956 miles, and I am reasonably sure that this is the original true mileage on the car. I believe this because of the good condition of the drive train and the fact that the car still has possibly its original or second set of tires. These tires still show useable tread, but are quite aged. Two of the tires are Daytona Radial XS II’s and have date codes of YCLH HCN327 and YCLH HCN397. The other two are Dayton Thoroughbred’s with date codes of YCLH H67298 and YCLN H67258. Decoding these, the 2 tires ending in 327 and 397 were produced in the 32nd and 39th week of 1967 or 1977 and the other 2 were manufactured in the 25th and 29th week of 1968 or 1978.
The original exterior color is FF1 Light Green Metallic and the interior is C6X black. At some point, for whatever reason, the original owner painted a deep burgundy which has since faded to a dull brick or brown. This paint job seems quite inferior, without primer, as in many places you can see the paint peeling off to reveal the original metallic green.
I purchased this car in June of 2005 with the intention of restoring it to its original configuration. As far as I can trace the history back, this Charger was parked since 1986 by the original owner up in the San Francisco. In 2005, it was traded in by the grand son of the original owner for a big block 67 Corvette at a Corvette shop in Northridge, CA.
I purchased it from this shop in June of ’05. When traded in, the shop owner was told that the car was stored under a carport, and it is evident that the rear end was protruding and subjected to rain. A majority of the rust on the car is limited to the back section behind the rear window. The trunk lid has some surface spot rusting, but the major rust is concentrated in the trunk floor and the rear lower quarters which are in need of replacement. The gas tank was pretty badly rusted, I have purchased a brand new correct gas tank, which has been treated and black crinkle painted to protect the exterior. I also have a new fuel sender unit. There is also some rust around the rear window and the sail panels. The front floors are in very solid condition and so are the rocker panels. The rear floor is also in decent condition but in one spot, there is a small hole rusted through from water having pooled for a long period of time. This rusted area can be cut and replaced, but for a little more, it might be better to simply replace the section.
The undercarriage is in good condition, with the exception of a small section in the front of the driver side frame rail, by the front wheel. Mud had become impacted in a small section and over the years two 2 inch holes had rusted through. I have completely cut away the infected metal, have cleaned the surrounding areas down to metal, and am in the process of having the frame rail repair welded in the next few days. There are some minor dents and dings around the car, but there is no accident damage to the car whatsoever.
The rear and side glass is all good, but the windshield has a noticeable crack. I have a spare good windshield which can be installed following body restoration.
The interior was pretty worn and the carpets and rear seat have been removed. The car did not have front seats when I bought it, but I have since purchased correct ’68 seats from a parted out Charger. These seats are in great shape and are the same light green as the original color of this car. The headliner has been removed but all the bows are still in place.
Since purchasing this Charger, I have acquired the items in the following extensive though not complete list:
New gas tank and sender unit (Northcoast Musclecar)
New off the shelf Edelbock Carburetor (the original is still going with the car)
New front and rear valences (Columbia Parts)
Heavy Duty R/T rear leaf springs with new bushings (Summit Racing)
Heavy Duty R/T torsion bars
New ’68-’70 Charger tinted windshield
’68 Charger front bucket seats with headrests
New ’68-’70 fuel cap bezel
Set of new ’68 Charger side marker lights
New set of ’68-’70 Charger window felt (8 pieces)
New ’68 Charger interior screw kit
Secondhand grille
The Torq-Thrust wheels in some of the photos were just loaners so the car could be driven and do not come with the vehicle. New tires will be mounted on the original Rallye rims.
This classic Charger is rough but very sound and street ready and legal. For a full, frame off restoration, understand that this Charger will need substantial effort. Do not assume that a restoration will be quick and cheap. There will be a great amount of time involved and there is much needed cosmetically.'
So.....by the beginning of July it will arrive in Britain and I'll fit the new gas tank, start de-rotting it with correct panels and get this bad boy on the road.
Hope you guys enjoy it. If by miracle I can, I will get it to the Mopar Nats and for the first time I can enjoy the show in an actual Mopar. ALL HAIL THE RAT LOOK!
Thanks
Jonny
At the docks waiting to be containered up....
that is sweet and all there Neely, keep us posted mate 
