1968 dodgecharger r/t 440 4 speeds

[fasteddie5250]

How many 1968 Dodge Charger R/T 4 speeds were made?

[Ghoste]

Not enough.


Actually just over 2700.

[fasteddie5250]

how many were 375 horse, 440 4 speeds? I have one.

[lloyd3]

The bigger question is how many are left ?

[Dans 68]

how many were 375 horse, 440 4 speeds? I have one.

Not enough.


Actually just over 2700.

  Dan

[1970Moparmann]

how many were 375 horse, 440 4 speeds? I have one.

All RTs had a 440.

[Charger-Bodie]

how many were 375 horse, 440 4 speeds? I have one.

All RTs had a 440.

Or Hemi.

[VegasCharger]

how many were 375 horse, 440 4 speeds? I have one.

All RTs had a 440.

Or Hemi.

Exactly

[Ghoste]

The 440 number was the one I used btw.  (imagine if they made 2700 Hemi 68's!)

[lloyd3]

It seems a little math was left out of this thread.  If "a little over" 2700 '68 R/Ts were made with 4-speeds, then subtract the number of hemis from that and you'll have your answer. Does anybody have the hemi production number for 1968 Chargers handy?  

[BB14404SPD]

VIN           Model                    Body Style           Remarks             Amount Made
XS29*8*   Charger R/T   2 DR S/HDTP                         17,584
XS29J8*   Charger R/T   2 DR S/HDTP   426ci 8 bbl             475
XS29J8*   Charger R/T   2 DR S/HDTP   4 speed manual     211
XS29J8*   Charger R/T   2 DR S/HDTP   Automatic             264
XS29J8B   Charger R/T   2 DR S/HDTP   426ci 8 bbl             22 (Canada)
XS29L8*   Charger R/T   2 DR S/HDTP   440ci 4 bbl             17,109
XS29L8*   Charger R/T   2 DR S/HDTP   4 speed manual     2,743
XS29L8*   Charger R/T   2 DR S/HDTP   Automatic             14,366

I found this on the net I do not know if correct.

[6bblgt]

there are some inconsistencies in the numbers in GG's "white books" that all stem from his interpretations of the "option & accessory reports"

4-speed '68 Chargers total per GG = 3,287 (of 92,470 US spec.)
HEMI = 211
440 = 2,743
383 4bbl = 259
383 2bbl = 74

3-speed '68 Chargers = < 0.1% built but some "known"
318 = 3 known
225 = 2 known

not concrete evidence but Automotive News & Ward's (back in the day) trade magazines show
total 1968 Charger production at 96,108 (includes Canada & Export sales)
4-speeds ~ 6,656 ** 3,369 unaccounted for by GG's numbers 

&
3-speeds ~ 2,228 ** all unaccounted for by GG's numbers

WAG: the info GG has/had access to was incomplete and/or difficult to read

[Bob T]

Interesting. I hadnt realised that 426 all got dual quads, I thought the standard fit was a bigger 4bbl.
Jeez, I bet the stock dual quad manifold goes for big bucks when you are looking for an original.

While we are at it Ghoste or BB1, what was the cfm of the dualies compared to the 4bbl standard carb - equated to a modern Holley 750 or similar?

[lloyd3]

Excellent numbers, thank you for that. Care to speculate on percentage of survivors? My guess is about 10%. Five percent wouldn't surprise me.

[Dans 68]

As far as percentages probably around 25%. I base this upon the number of the 383 4-speeds I have information on. 

Dan

[lloyd3]

That number seems high to me. Maybe 383 4-gear cars, but not R/T 4-gears. R/T cars in general had high attrition rates. Remember that I grew up in the 60s and came of age in the 70s & I got to watch most of this happen (sadly, I was a contributor to that attrition!). Mass-produced high-horsepower, combined with minimal rust-proofing, comparatively low-tech brakes & handling, and then....fairly rapid depreciation after they were new and you get 10% at most still remaining (as we're nearing their now 50th anniversary!). So, at 10% we're talking 2700 examples. That number still seems high to me, which is why I'm saying more like 5%.  If you told me that only 800 original R/T 4-speed cars were still registered and drivable, I wouldn't be the least surprised.  If I was a betting man, I'd guess the number was closer to half that.

Something else to consider: it might seem like there are lots of R/T (& even 4-speed) cars remaining, but I'd bet that from half to three quarters of them are clones.  Another thing to consider: how many are just circling the drain..... with no real hope of ever being restored to their former glory?

BB14404SPD - where did you get those numbers?  If that is the actual number of currently registered cars in the 50 States, I wouldn't be shocked.

[Mike DC]

  
The Charger R/T wasn't a Dodge Roadrunner.  It was more of a Dodge GTX - an "executive's hot rod" which meant they made a lot more automatics.


The R/Ts & 4spds had a high attrition rate for their first 20 years.  But they also had a higher restoration rate for the following 20 years.  

Nowadays the playing field between 318 & 440 project cars is closer to level than it used to be.  Everything unrestored is severely trashed.  VINs matter less to the everyday enthusiast after all the fraud.  But from about 1985-2000 that R/T VIN really gave a car higher odds of being saved.  That was a time when people still didn't put a lot into saving 318s by modern standards.  

[BB14404SPD]

That number seems high to me. Maybe 383 4-gear cars, but not R/T 4-gears. R/T cars in general had high attrition rates. Remember that I grew up in the 60s and came of age in the 70s & I got to watch most of this happen (sadly, I was a contributor to that attrition!). Mass-produced high-horsepower, combined with minimal rust-proofing, comparatively low-tech brakes & handling, and then....fairly rapid depreciation after they were new and you get 10% at most still remaining (as we're nearing their now 50th anniversary!). So, at 10% we're talking 2700 examples. That number still seems high to me, which is why I'm saying more like 5%.  If you told me that only 800 original R/T 4-speed cars were still registered and drivable, I wouldn't be the least surprised.  If I was a betting man, I'd guess the number was closer to half that.

Something else to consider: it might seem like there are lots of R/T (& even 4-speed) cars remaining, but I'd bet that from half to three quarters of them are clones.  Another thing to consider: how many are just circling the drain..... with no real hope of ever being restored to their former glory?

BB14404SPD - where did you get those numbers?  If that is the actual number of currently registered cars in the 50 States, I wouldn't be shocked.

I just googled how many 68 dodge charger r/t were made.

[lloyd3]

BB14404SPD: Thank you for that. I also misread your post and confused hemi 4-gears with 440 4-gears. 211 does sound a bit low.

Mike DC: You're absolutely right. The Chargers were on the opposite end of the Mopar spectrum from the Roadrunners (more adult buyers than first-timers). Automatics were made at about 10 to 1 to the 4-gears, and then the 4-gear cars got used very hard.  Every conceivable stupidity was visited upon them, and the carnage was substantial.  I looked for many years to find one that wasn't too-badly beat up and I'd bet that mine has still seen plenty of abuse. 

[six-tee-nine]

Interesting. I hadnt realised that 426 all got dual quads, I thought the standard fit was a bigger 4bbl.
Jeez, I bet the stock dual quad manifold goes for big bucks when you are looking for an original.

While we are at it Ghoste or BB1, what was the cfm of the dualies compared to the 4bbl standard carb - equated to a modern Holley 750 or similar?

Werent the Hemis rater at around 1300 cfm.

[Bob T]

Interesting. I hadnt realised that 426 all got dual quads, I thought the standard fit was a bigger 4bbl.
Jeez, I bet the stock dual quad manifold goes for big bucks when you are looking for an original.

While we are at it Ghoste or BB1, what was the cfm of the dualies compared to the 4bbl standard carb - equated to a modern Holley 750 or similar?

Werent the Hemis rater at around 1300 cfm.

Yes, I think you are right. I was reading an article tonight in NZV8 about a guy I know with a 65 426 4speed Coronet and factory spec on that was 2 x 650 cfm.
Cheers though.
So then, what was the rating for the 440 Magnum carb, close to 750? Just wondered.

[StoneCold]

[mightywing7]

Thanks for reposting this chart StoneCold.  I remember seeing this once before.  I do have a question on its accuracy after I saw the numbers of the Seat Belt options (for center-rear), since it accounted for just 2.5% of total Chargers produced (if I'm reading it correctly). I would have guessed that center-rear seat belts would have accounted for a much higher percentage since every one I came across had them.

Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack this thread.  I just wanted to insure the data that we are using is accurate. 

[Ghoste]

Yeah, I thought they were standard equipment myself?

[F8-4life]

The 68 440 Rt charger numbers are interesting. Showing a ton of autos vs 4sp cars.
Even the 1968 gtx had more even numbers according to the gtx site, with more 4 sp cars at 9,771 and auto cars at 6,902.
Interestingly coronet rt numbers look more like the charger rt.
For whatever reason plymouth made alot more 4 speeds.

[lloyd3]

Bob T:

Factory carburation for the 440 4-speeds was the 4428s Carter AVS. Depending on who you read, it was either a 780 or an 800 CFS sized carb.  From what I understand, it was the biggest AVS model Carter ever made. Later Carter (and Edelbrock aftermarket versions) such as the Thermo-Quads were quite a bit bigger. I had a good friend who picked up a ex-State Police Fury II that had a monstrous Thermoquad on it's 440 motor. Something like 1200 CFS?

[Bob T]

Thanks Lloyd. Cheers.

A friend had a Q jet in his 454 and said although the secondaries were bigger, the primaries we're smaller than a 750 so he reckoned it was fairly economical until you stood on it.

[Ghoste]

If I had to guess, Plymouth had a stronger following with the drag race set than Dodge.  Like Ford and Mercury somewhat.  The Dodge was a little more money and typically selling to a slightly older slightly better off driver, especially so with the Charger.  Factor in that the automatic was a no cost option on the RT and I'm not surprised by it at all really.

[Nickrc3]

383 2bbl w/4 spd.= 74

WOW, I own one, but unfortunately cannibalized it as a teenage forty years ago! She now sports a 440-6bbl.

The Charger R/T wasn't a Dodge Roadrunner.  It was more of a Dodge GTX - an "executive's hot rod"

Absolutely correct, Mike DC. Many publications at the time also referred to the Chargers and GTX's as the "Gentleman's musclecar". Roadrunners and Superbees were "poor man R/T's" - no padded door sills, minimal stainless, chrome, less standard options, etc.