Considering a 68 Charger. New to Mopar. Several Questions.

[Corellian Corvette]

Hello everyone!

I'm considering the purchase of my first MOPAR, and my dream car, a 68 Charger.

Always been a fan of the 68-70 body style, and I finally have the means to pick up a car.

Up till now I've been mostly a GM guy, with a 1966 Skylark as my daily driver and a 65 Olds 442 that belonged to my Dad that I've recently restored. I also have a 65 Mustang for fun. So I'm not really a brand loyal guy - I just love old cars! 

At any rate, since this is my first Mopar purchase, and it's out of state, I wanted to get some feedback and ask some questions in advance. I'm familiar with old cars so I know the basics (rust, accident damage, etc.) but I'm not familiar with the nuances of the Chargers.

FYI here's the spec on the car (per the ad)

Factory 383 car, non-matching numbers engine. Auto, runs and drives great. Good body. New $5500.00 Black paint, Red R/T stripes, new interior, new brakes all around. Magnum 500 wheels, new exhaust, bucket seats, custom wheels, dual exhaust, power brakes, power steering. This car needs nothing but a driver.

The car also has the conole, and apparently a factory tach (that's not working right now). The conosle has "seen better days" per the owner. No rust in the quarters or trunk it was all fixed before painting.

I'm not conerned about making some R/T clone or show car. I want a killer looking Charger with power that I can drive and enjoy!

Here are my (random) questions:

1. Any specific 68 parts that are hard to come by, that I should make sure are there? What parts are REALLY hard to find or expensive to replace?

2. Any things I should ask about the car that might infer something is wrong?

3. Since it's a 4-wheel Drum car, who makes the best, most straightforward disc conversion? I'm OK with drums in the back, but I want discs on the front for sure. I plan to dirve the car a lot. This is a must for me. I see SSBC and MP Brakes make conversions but often I know on the GM side there are specialty shops that have better kits.

4. What about suspension and handling? Whats the best source for Charger handling parts? These are torsion bar cars, right? Do they have sway bars? What's the best combination to get crisp, more modering handling. Again, not road-racing but a good, tight, modern feel.

5. I was told the car is a factor AC car, but is missing a lot of the AC parts in the engine. How hard is this to find and get back to working?

6. I love the looks of these cars, but I'm really a fan of the 69 style taillights. How hard is it to convert to the 69 lights? Is there a repro kit? Does it require cutting/welding? This is not a mandatory but I'd like to know how hard it is.

Any other thoughts or advice on the car would be great. I hope to be posting more about the car once I can convince the wife!

Thanks!

[JMF]

Hello and welcome, $5500 seems cheap-ish so I would find out more before parting with money, any pictures? Nowadays that price will only really get you a project car.

[Brock Samson]

 Good Choice! 
Welcome to the site.
at that price i'd wanna double my budget for a clean '68 Charger. but you might get lucky. 
Things to look for incl. HALPAG,, oops,.. I mean rust,.. yes rust.. rust,..  at the base of the rear wheel wells and rear window channel sides, Wiring not tampered anywhere with and a good dash pad to look at goes along way to having a killer car,.. get lots of pics..
 Beware v. Tops...

[262chargers]

Hello and welcome, $5500 seems cheap-ish so I would find out more before parting with money, any pictures? Nowadays that price will only really get you a project car.

He never said it was $5500, it says $5500 black paint job. 

[bull]

Hello everyone!

I'm considering the purchase of my first MOPAR, and my dream car, a 68 Charger.

Always been a fan of the 68-70 body style, and I finally have the means to pick up a car.

Up till now I've been mostly a GM guy, with a 1966 Skylark as my daily driver and a 65 Olds 442 that belonged to my Dad that I've recently restored. I also have a 65 Mustang for fun. So I'm not really a brand loyal guy - I just love old cars! 

At any rate, since this is my first Mopar purchase, and it's out of state, I wanted to get some feedback and ask some questions in advance. I'm familiar with old cars so I know the basics (rust, accident damage, etc.) but I'm not familiar with the nuances of the Chargers.

FYI here's the spec on the car (per the ad)

Factory 383 car, non-matching numbers engine. Auto, runs and drives great. Good body. New $5500.00 Black paint, Red R/T stripes, new interior, new brakes all around. Magnum 500 wheels, new exhaust, bucket seats, custom wheels, dual exhaust, power brakes, power steering. This car needs nothing but a driver.

The car also has the conole, and apparently a factory tach (that's not working right now). The conosle has "seen better days" per the owner. No rust in the quarters or trunk it was all fixed before painting.

I'm not conerned about making some R/T clone or show car. I want a killer looking Charger with power that I can drive and enjoy!

Here are my (random) questions:

1. Any specific 68 parts that are hard to come by, that I should make sure are there? What parts are REALLY hard to find or expensive to replace?

2. Any things I should ask about the car that might infer something is wrong?

3. Since it's a 4-wheel Drum car, who makes the best, most straightforward disc conversion? I'm OK with drums in the back, but I want discs on the front for sure. I plan to dirve the car a lot. This is a must for me. I see SSBC and MP Brakes make conversions but often I know on the GM side there are specialty shops that have better kits.

4. What about suspension and handling? Whats the best source for Charger handling parts? These are torsion bar cars, right? Do they have sway bars? What's the best combination to get crisp, more modering handling. Again, not road-racing but a good, tight, modern feel.

5. I was told the car is a factor AC car, but is missing a lot of the AC parts in the engine. How hard is this to find and get back to working?

6. I love the looks of these cars, but I'm really a fan of the 69 style taillights. How hard is it to convert to the 69 lights? Is there a repro kit? Does it require cutting/welding? This is not a mandatory but I'd like to know how hard it is.

Any other thoughts or advice on the car would be great. I hope to be posting more about the car once I can convince the wife!

Thanks!

Welcome!

1. '68 specific parts include grill, taillights and marker lights (and related sheet metal), console top plate, four speed shifters (sometimes), dash plastic, seat covers, seat belts, ash tray (sometimes), fan shroud and some other odds and ends. The '68s are closer to being the same as the '69 than they are to the '70. If you like the '69 taillights with the '68 grill better I'd suggest you wait until you find a '69. It's a lot easier to replace a grill than a tail panel.

2. All the rust is gone? That's the first thing I'd check for and I'd ask some real specific questions about the body work. How much did he spend on that part of it? What metal was replaced?

3. Pretty much every company that makes disc brake kits for Chevy and Ford makes them for Dodge. There's an SSBC group buy going on right now: http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,6455.0.html

4. Firm Feel makes a lot of good updated suspension parts, so do many other companies. Yes they do have torsion and sway bars in front.

5. I'm under the impression that A/C parts are not very easy to find but I've never had to search for them.

6. See #1

[Arigmaster]

Welcome back from the "DARK SIDE" and enjoy yourself here. Lots of really great people here...

AL

[Todd Wilson]

5. I'm under the impression that A/C parts are not very easy to find but I've never had to search for them.

An original AC setup is getting harder to find. AC car heater cores are also getting hard to find. One other option is to get an aftermarket kit and bolt on a sanden compressor. Then he would only have to worry about a condensor and evap core.


Todd

[41husk]

I like SSB conversion but if you can get a sdisc set up from a 72 it will bolt right up and is much cheeper, thats what I did with my 68,  Make sure the grill is intakt,  Finding a good 68 grill will set you back a few bones.  Good luck with your car!

[Corellian Corvette]

Thanks for the help - all is appreciated.

I've gotten several more pictures during the day. The exterior looks beautiful. Inside needs some work  

I'm experienced working around cars - from just cosmetic fix-ups to near frame offs. (you can see some of my cars at www.albertpenello.com)

I hate the frame off but I'll do it if I have to.  

The guy is asking $22K for the car.  Chargers go so fast. I've seen awesome ones for $15K and P.O.S. for $35K. $22K seems fair and the car looks nice. it's a BB car which is important to me, as is auto. I like that it's got the interior AC parts; I don't care if the engine AC stuff is original I just want to be able to get something I can hook up and get working.

What I really want is a car with a nice body, no rust, that I can drive, enjoy, and fix-up. I don't want to wait 2 years to strip the body down, so this car seems to fit the bill in terms of what's been done. I haven't been this excited in a long time.

So far I can see that the wiper motor is missing, which is no biggie. Otherwise I don't know what to look for in the engine compartment.

I love the black-on-black. My #1 pref would be Hemi Orange over Tan (general lee style) but Black is my #2, and Dark Blue #3. Best thing about black interior is it's easy to match

I've attached some of the pictures he sent. Love to get more opinions.

[Corellian Corvette]

Here's another interior shot.

[Todd Wilson]

From what I can see of the interior all that can be solved with some work and the checkbook.


Outside of the car looks to be nice. I would look underneath it.


Big thing would be to make sure its not full of bondo.  The rear half of the car can be replaced with aftermarket sheet metel but the front half with the exception of the valance is all going to have to be original parts found if it needs fenders.


Since you are entering the Mopar world we will forgive you but there are no frame off restorations with a Mopar like this.   They dont have frames!   


www.chargerfever.com



Todd

[bull]

It's missing the rear window trim in that picture. If he doesn't have it it won't be impossible hard to find but probably not cheap. The interior looks like it will be pretty easy to finish. Much of it is being reproduced or can be refinished such as the dash plastic. As long as your top plate isn't too pitted you'll be ok. Nice '68 top plates and console lids are impossible to find cheap but the console itself (plastic shell) is being reproduced. $159 for blems on Ebay or $225 for no blems. But the blems don't look like blems from what I've been told by many members here. The paint looks good from here but again, watch out for the rust.

[Mike DC]

 
The shaping of the driver's side lower quarter panel, back behind the rear wheel along the bottom . . . not bad, but to my eyes it looks a little bit "off."

 

[8WHEELER]

 
The shaping of the driver's side lower quarter panel, back behind the rear wheel along the bottom . . . not bad, but to my eyes it looks a little bit "off."

 

  or it could just be the angle, and the fact there is no wheel well trim, I would look very close at it.
Also if you like the look of the stripe on the car, you will need a new one it is about 1/2 inch to far forward.
Us real charger lovers notice little things fast. The interior will need attention for show quality, but most
everything can be bought at this point, restore the dash, get the seats pulled tight, and small things, it
just takes money    good luck, black 68's are great looking cars........

Dan

Dan

[Big Lebowski]

  He might take 17k try checking the completed listings on E-bay, Just click 1968 Chargers, then click completed listings. I check them all the time. You see what sells, what doesn't, and the obvious shill bidders on crack, etc.

[Corellian Corvette]

Thanks for all the feedback.

I took the plunge today and bought the car. I paid $21K for it including shipping up to CA. We'll see if that ends up being a good deal or not. 

Since I'm in WA state and the car is in southern CA, it's impossible for me to look the car over directly, so I decided to take the gamble. Plus, good Chargers are rarely for sale up here, and the ones that are fall into 2 categories - rust buckets and Microsoft millionaire points cars. I don't think I've seen a non rusted 'driver' since I've lived here.

The guy sent me dozens of pictures, some before-and-after shots, and pics of the undercarriage. I asked about bondo and he said when they painted the car they took off all the old bondo and pounded out the metal pretty good so there is very little body filler (he claims).

The only flaws he mentioned (only one of which really concerns me) is that the previous owner had fixed the trunk with a flat metal piece instead of a shaped trunk floor. This doesn't worry me since that can be fixed pretty easily even with a painted car.

The part I'm a little more worried about is the rear window trim. He said he has the pieces, but when they fixed some rust around the rear window and had the car painted and the window put back on, the trim doesn't fit. He said there isn't enough space on one side to get it on. He's not sure if the window was put back incorrectly, or if they used too much metal in the repair. This has me a little concerned.

At the end of the day, I know I'm taking a risk, but I'm SO in love with the 68/69 cars and since I know my way around fixing old rides, there isn't anything that can't be repaired. Unless the underneath of the car is completely cancerous (which it didn't appear in the pictures) then it's all just time, money and love.

I just picked up a bunch of assembly, wiring, and restoration books of ebay. And a couple of Mopar magazines to read on my business trip. I'll be posting many questions over the next few days as I prepare parts for the car's arrival. Looking forward to participating on the forums! 

[Gilbert Charger]

Welcome fellow '68 owner,BTW you might want to consider changing you nickname now.

[bull]

Welcome fellow '68 owner,BTW you might want to consider changing you nickname now.

Corellian Charger doesn't have the same ring to it but more apropos for this site. Good luck with the new Charger. Lost of people here will be happy to help you out. If the body work and paint are as good as he says then $21K is a good deal. Usually body shops ask to keep the glass so they can make sure it fits when they replace any metal around the window channels. Apparently they didn't do that. A good body shop should be able to make it work and there are plenty of Washington members around here that can point you in the right direction. Where are you located?

Are you going to the Charger meet in Kent now? ------> http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,11496.0.html

[is_it_EVER_done?]

Congratulations on your new toy. I'm sure you will find owning/restoring a Mopar will make you very poor, very fast.   On the plus side, even the most exotic Corvette parts will now seem like a bonafied bargain!

Just so you know, you don't have a tic-toc-tach (factory tachometer), it is just the standard clock. I point this out so that you don't go mad trying to make the "tach" work.

Good luck. It's like dating a supermodel as far as expense and time investment goes (without the "benefits"), but for some reason we all continue to do it, and love it!

[Corellian Corvette]

"Corellian Corvette" is a Star Wars reference - it's the name of the Blockade Runner in the beginning of Episdoe 4 with Princess Leia on it that gets captured by the Star Destroyer.

The fact it's also a car reference is a bonus

Regarding that clock - how hard is it to replace it with a tach?

[Brock Samson]

WELCOME!
a fun to wash.. 

[chargerboy69]

"Corellian Corvette" is a Star Wars reference - it's the name of the Blockade Runner in the beginning of Episdoe 4 with Princess Leia on it that gets captured by the Star Destroyer.

The fact it's also a car reference is a bonus

Regarding that clock - how hard is it to replace it with a tach?

As a total Star Wars nerd I picked up on your name right away. Its great. Keep it. In the cantina sceen Han brags about outrunning the Corellian Ships in the Falcon. . . Anyway, welcome to the board. Good looking Charger. . Here is a picture of my Chargers plate. . .

[Corellian Corvette]

NICE!!

Funny that we both have black chargers with red stripes! Love to see more pics of your car!

[cudacharger]

Congrats on your purchase.....you'll be very happy you did!

[Corellian Corvette]

I'm sure I will! What are you doing to get that rake up in the back of your cars? Shackles?