A new member from Italy.

[bitstream]

Hi all!
I'm Enrico and I'm writing from Verona, northern Italy. Finally I got my '68 Charger rebuilt almost completely, it's a real R/T car bought in Ohio four years ago. Now it's ready for our tiny italian roads

Here some pictures:













Any advice and suggestions are well accepted!

[Back N Black]

Welcome!! Very nice 68, i'm a big fan of triple black chargers. 

[JB400]

Welcome to the group

[lukedukem]

i was just there back in may on vacation, we visited alot of cities in italy. it was during the 1000 MIGLIA we went to verona, they had nice cars there at that time. hated to leave but back to work. here is one of the classics i took a pic of when we were headed back to bus. i missed my car and this bought me some time till i got home to texas.
love you car. it will stand out there big time

luke

[polywideblock]

welcome      lovely  charger, bet it gets noticed over there   

[tan top]

 hello & welcome 

[bitstream]

I also got married with the Charger...



We have a little Mopar enthusiast in our family...



@ Luke: I live just half mile away from the place your picture has been taken. The 1000 Miglia (literally "one thousand miles") is a great endurance race where you can see the rarest european oldtimer, a thing for the rich people anyway

@ Polywideblock: indeed, it gets noticed over here as the US classic cars are pretty rare in Italy: the average Italian driver is concerned by gas consumption and parking troubles, so our "ferry cars" with huge displacements are "monsters" for the European standards. However I'm happy when I take a ride and the people thumb me up. Not the same when they say "If I were you I would paint it orange".

P.S. Sorry for my poor english!

[charge69]

Hello and welcome here! You have an awesome Charger and congrats to you for starting your "family" off right with a ride in the Charger! 

Your "English" is better than a lot of stateside regulars here!

[Dino]

Welcome!  Awesome car!

What's that steering wheel from?

[b5blue]

CIAO bitstream! 

[Ghoste]

It's a 67 woodgrain wheel.  Very very rare and costly to replace.  It's commonly called the "recall wheel" but it was never recalled, just delayed.  Before production started, fears that Ralph Nader would force a recall based on the orginal version caused them to halt it.  The first version had the horn activators as kind flippers which fit in that open space in the spokes.  The fear was that if anybody cut their finger because it slid off the horn activator and got caught between the flipper and the spoke then good old Ralphie might wade in.
After several months they just took out the flippers and used the hib as a horn button but by then it was near the end of production.  Approximately April I think.

[Dino]

It's a 67 woodgrain wheel.  Very very rare and costly to replace.  It's commonly called the "recall wheel" but it was never recalled, just delayed.  Before production started, fears that Ralph Nader would force a recall based on the orginal version caused them to halt it.  The first version had the horn activators as kind flippers which fit in that open space in the spokes.  The fear was that if anybody cut their finger because it slid off the horn activator and got caught between the flipper and the spoke then good old Ralphie might wade in.
After several months they just took out the flippers and used the hib as a horn button but by then it was near the end of production.  Approximately April I think.

I never knew that!  Thanks Ghoste! 

[Ghoste]

I had one in my 67 and was offered a 1k for it a few times.  That car was also a factory vinyl top car and factory disc brakes, those three options together made for one very rare car.

[bitstream]

Thanks Ghoste for these infos about my woodgrain wheel. So you think this wheel is correct and original, don't you? I was told not. As a matter of fact my car should has been built in the '67 according to the vin number which is XS29L8B1631XX.
Here is a picture of the fender tag: (I do have the broadcast sheet as well)

[Mopar Nut]

Welcome aboard Enrico!

Beautiful car and congrats on getting married.

[Bob T]

Welcome Enrico, sharp looking car you have there, headrests too!
Big fan of Black 68's here too, mines done driver duty on a few weddings too.
Put up a few more pics and some history of the rebuild when you can.


Bob in N.Z.

Interesting fact Ghoste, thanks.

[stripedelete]

Awesome!

[Ghoste]

I've never seen one in anything other than a 67 and damn few of those ( about 3 ) so while it is within the realm of possibility that they used up some 67 wheels in 68 models, I'm extremely skeptical.  If they did I would think it would be very early build cars only.  Your car is early, but if I'm reading that right it was made in October and I would expect to find previous year parts on something from August.
My gut feeling is that someone changed it out a long time ago.

[bitstream]

Thank you very much Ghoste!

Some pictures of the rebuild:

The cadaver


Work in progress


Paintjob


Again


Rebirth

[74Rallye]

Welcome Enrico. That's a great looking car.

What kind of comments do you get on your car in Italy?

[BananaDan]

Ciao Enrico!

[69rtse4spd]

Welcome & nice 68. .

[jfreakofkorn]

welcome to the show ....