'68 Starlet : greeting from France !

[JPM]

Hi everybody,
My name is Jean-Paul Milhe, I'm 47 years old and I am French.
I own a 68 Charger that is the one who was showed at the Dodge area of the Salon de l'Automobile of Bruxelles in 68, introducing the model to Europe.
That explains how it is configurated, 318ci V8, automatic trans, power disk brakes, power steering, white bucket seats with center console, woodgrain wheel and a rare optional sunroof that has been badly removed by a precedent owner (the same that put non period perfect rallye wheels on it).

I'm looking for pictures of this car at the Salon de l'Auto in Belgium in 68, this is why my friend Sébastien (the french Daytona project) told me about this forum.

Here is some pictures from the first day I picked it up to my old speed shop, Bullit Racing (my associate was a fan of Mustang). It was in 2002.

[XS29L9B2]

great car for a good guy 

[JPM]

great car for a good guy 

Your english is not so bad... 

[XS29L9B2]

it s very difficult to write for me

[JPM]

it s very difficult to write for me

It doesn't matter, eveyone can understand whith a little effort...  

[charger Downunder]

Wow a 68 sunroof car. Do you have the fender tag. Welcome

[moparnation74]

Interesting story and ride.  What is the story on the white coronet?

[Ghoste]

Welcome to the group.

[XS29L9B2]

welcom to this so cool groupe

[six-tee-nine]

Hello and welcome.
I am one of the few guys here that lives on your side of the atlantic.


I did'nt even know the Charger was offered over here. I know that there are export codes and that there is a original 1970 Charger 500 sold to the Netherlands. But I never figured you could order the Charger over here at a dealership back in the days.

It does make sense tough since there were no European Cryco models around back then You find alot of slant 6 valiants over here.
These days we see Lancia Voyagers on our roads and rebadged Chrysler 300's. Probably the best Lancia's on the road ever, since they could'nt seem to engineer a decent car themselves.

Anyway, great story on the car and probably one of the few original import coded cars still around

[JPM]

Wow a 68 sunroof car. Do you have the fender tag. Welcome

Sure I have !



X - stands for the Charger model line
P- Premium Price class. These are the baseline Chargers
29 - 2 door sports hardtop (fastback Barracuda, Charger or Challenger SE)

41 - 318 2-bbl

5 - 3-speed automatic (most applications)

44 - F70x14 redlines steel belted

112 - january 12, 1968.

*****

5 = drip rail moldings
0 = body belt moldings
8 = wheel lip moldings

A - 4 = 3.23 ratio
X - blank = non sure grip (single spin)

C - Charger
6 - vinyl bucket seats
D - white & green

F - Light Green Metallic (roof)
F - Light Green Metallic  (body)
1 - monotone paint

UBS : W -

***

9 = front disc brakes
1 = power brakes
8 = rear window defogger
1 = AM radio
7 = tachometer

***

a : 6 = console
b : 4 = bucket seats
m : 6 = driver's outside remote operated mirror
w : 7 = build to spec's for Export

[Brock Samson]

welcome! 

[moparnation74]

Do you have a build sheet?

[six-tee-nine]

Cool, the tag below the fender tag shows the Vin # make and model and build date in Dutch. I recon these plates from alot of cars from back in the days. That could mean this particular 68 was put into traffic in Belgium probably trough a dealeship.

The 318 makes sence, they wanted to show the car on display so a 6 cilinder was a no go but a V8 with a large displacement would be also a no go sice the majority of Europe only drove 1200cc Volkswagen Beetles back then

[XS29L9B2]

nice 

[jww426]

En vitesse monsieur!

[charger Downunder]

You should see if you can find some original pics of your car at the motor show.

[Homerr]

UBS : W -

Continuing to the right, there is a grouping of letters "UBS". The "U" is for upper interior door color, "B" for buffed paint and "S" for the stripe or accent color.

http://www.drivinithome.com/mopar-fender-tag-decoding/

So a white upper door frame.

[6bblgt]

Very interesting!!
Do you know the dates of the Salon de l'Automobile of Bruxelles?  I wonder if the location of the sunroof is forward compared to the factory '69-'70 versions - can you share the dimensions & position of the movable panel?

Can you share the full VIN - XP29F8B257xxx? or is it earlier?

WOW!! It would've been stunning when new. 

& it would appear at least 3 sunroof '68 Chargers "factory" built  4-speed w/o console, CAR (center arm rest), auto w/console

[JPM]

Cool, the tag below the fender tag shows the Vin # make and model and build date in Dutch. I recon these plates from alot of cars from back in the days. That could mean this particular 68 was put into traffic in Belgium probably trough a dealeship.

The 318 makes sence, they wanted to show the car on display so a 6 cilinder was a no go but a V8 with a large displacement would be also a no go sice the majority of Europe only drove 1200cc Volkswagen Beetles back then

In 68, some Mustang were assembled in Holland too, in reply to the high demand. They weared special fender tags too, that were screwed on the right inner front fender.
And the Shelbys were sold by Claude Dubois in Belgium, the unique official dealer for Europe.

[kokxville]

Very cool story 
I know that some e-body cars were build back in the day at the Chrysler plant in Rotterdam,but this is new for me.

[JPM]

UBS : W -

Continuing to the right, there is a grouping of letters "UBS". The "U" is for upper interior door color, "B" for buffed paint and "S" for the stripe or accent color.

http://www.drivinithome.com/mopar-fender-tag-decoding/

So a white upper door frame.

"Continuing to the right, there is a grouping of letters "UBS". The "U" is for upper interior door color, "B" for buffed paint and "S" for the stripe or accent color. "

Thanks !  

[Cncguy]

You will never see body lines that sharp on a restored charger. I think it's how thick we make the paint that rounds them up

[JPM]

Very interesting!!
... I wonder if the location of the sunroof is forward compared to the factory '69-'70 versions - can you share the dimensions & position of the movable panel?

How I explained in my first message, the sunroof has been removed by the precedent owner : a flat sheet of metal, too much welding and he ruined all the roof...  
I didn't got the parts to repair and the sunroof was not a priority for me... So, I started to repair it with a '71 Mach One Mustang insert (the new roof panel was not available in 2002)
I will buy a new roof in the future, and will repair mine in the rules of the art (it's one of my businesses)...

[Dino]

Hmmm showing that big hole I wonder what it would look like to have one of those full length tinted glass roofs in there like Mercedes and the likes.

I grew up in Belgium and never knew Chargers were sold over there.  My dad had an old Plymouth before I was born though.