1968 Charger parts

[moparnole]

you mean THIS tic-toc tach?

[WingCharger]

It's an automatic, can you think of any modern chassis that would fit under a gen. 2 charger?
As far options, i'm not sure, but I'm not entirely sure that the white interior came standard?

No. Chargers are unibody, which means the car has no removable frame. They are welded to the body as "subframes." The suspension is bolted to those.
What makes you think your car isn't a original white interior?

YEAH!! Tic-Toc-Tach!!!

[Troy]

That's got a rear defroster too.

Troy

[moparnole]

I mean that it came standard on Chargers.....

[WingCharger]

I mean that it came standard on Chargers.....

You could choose White, Red, Green, Saddle Tan, Black, and Grey with fabric inserts. Did your car have a original vinyl roof?
How about some engine pics?

[moparnole]

the sleeping beast, which inside probably beats a heart .....of pure arthritus

[WingCharger]

the sleeping beast, which inside probably beats a heart .....of pure arthritus

I see a 22in. Radiator, and that you have manual four wheel drum brakes. No power steering, and TWO COILS??
Also, your car wasn't originally equipped with A/C.

Since your car originally had a 383, you probably have a 8-1/4in. or 8-3/4 rear end. Here is a id guide. You need to figure out which one you have.

Is the 440 locked, or does it turn, or whats up with it? Also, are the rear brakes locked or the front?
Based on the condition of that 440, it might be a better idea to go for a 5.7L new HEMI...

[moparnole]

More than likely the 440 is indeed locked up, I dont know yet what rear end is under it, but i am getting some underneath pics of it either tonight or tommorow(maybe shouldnt have said that) ...or next week

[moparnole]

The brakes are locked up, I know they are locked up in the back, the front...I'm not sure, could be something else if not the brakes. But still, it seems good shape for sitting in a field for 20 years...

[WingCharger]

More than likely the 440 is indeed locked up, I dont know yet what rear end is under it, but i am getting some underneath pics of it either tonight or tommorow(maybe shouldnt have said that) ...or next week

Most guys will swear by the 8-3/4. The drop out chuck makes them easy to work on. If your car is going to be a daily driver, and you keep the 440, don't forget that a 440 is a big block! Your gas prices will go through the roof. If you keep it, you need a 26in. radiator, or you might overheat. You can find them for sale used on boards like this. Also, whatever the rear end is, a 2.76 open gear set will help you with gas mileage.
I think your car will have a 727 auto transmission, which is a great setup. It will need to be rebuilt, as will the rear end. If you want to free that engine up, there is a thread I will post a link to about people giving their best ways.

The engine being locked up could lock the car. Is the tranny in neutral?

Update:
Here is the freeing a stuck engine info:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,52566.0.html

[moparnole]

......................It MAY, or MAY NOT be in neutral, but I do plan on doing something else with the 440 and tranny (727, yes) possibly trade , or sell for parts, because as you mentioned, a 440 isnt exactly a Prius, but one of the new Hemis should set me up with decent mileage, instead of non existent with the 440.

[WingCharger]

......................It MAY, or MAY NOT be in neutral, but I do plan on doing something else with the 440 and tranny (727, yes) possibly trade , or sell for parts, because as you mentioned, a 440 isnt exactly a Prius, but one of the new Hemis should set me up with decent mileage, instead of non existent with the 440.

5.7L engines are nice in older cars. xvmotorsports makes a lot of parts to install them, including a adapter to mount a 5.7L to a 727. However, if you install a 5.7, you will need to convert your car to a floor shift auto, because the column linkage won't clear the 5.7. A couple of members here have installed these engines, and i'm sure you could get help from any of them. In fact, down in the clasifieds, somebody posted a 5.7L out of a 300 for sale in Pittsburgh. You could probably find one at a junkyard also.

TTI makes headers and motor mounts for the install.
I think guys use a Viper fan and shroud for cooling. You need several parts from mopar. Also, if you want the engine or mileage, keep the injection. Don't convert it to carburetor.

That passenger fender looks a little rough...

[moparnole]

Yea, may need to replace that fender........, or put a decorative pillow over it...no one will know

[WingCharger]

Yea, may need to replace that fender........, or put a decorative pillow over it...no one will know

Got to go out for dinner. Will post more when I get back.

Auto Metal Direct is your friend for metal body parts and glass.
Mancini Racing for suspension rebuild pieces and necessary chassis stiffening. (Most Guys Say Subframe Connectors Are GREAT!)
XV Motorsport's for 5.7 swap parts and other chassis stiffening.
Firm Feel Inc. for steering parts and a K-Frame strengthening service.
Just Dash's for dash restoration.
Redline Gauge Works for gauge restoration. (Autometer internals is a option to be installed in your gauges when they restore them.)
Legendary Auto Interiors for interior parts.

Got to go.

[Daytona R/T SE]

That Charger is five years and $50,000 away from moving under it's own power. That's if you can do a huge amount of the work yourself.  Do you have that kind of scratch?  Do you have something else to drive in the mean time?  Do you really think that when it's done you are actually going to drive a 45 year old car every day? Seriously, would you even want to? The front end of that thing has dropped down. Does it have a broken torsion bar? More than likely the torsion bar cross member has rusted out from sitting in the field for 20 years, I'm sure the rest of the car is pretty rusty too...front and rear frame rails, floor pans, rockers, trunk floor, fenders, quarters, etc.etc.etc. It's going to need it all...

What you want to do is possible, but you need one of two things to pull it off-

1. A butt-load of cash

2. Huge amount of knowledge,tools, workspace and experience to fix it yourself, and you STILL need the butt-load of cash...(Ok that last one is five things, but you get the picture)

From the looks of the car, I'd say walk-no RUN away fast as you can...

[Troy]

Ok, guys, this is becoming a private conversation and not all of the information Wing is giving out isn't exactly the best. You can't exactly put a modern "chassis" under that car and trying to do so will be cost prohibitive. Work with what you've got - it has a lot of strong points.

Overall, interior colors for a 68 are:
Gray, Light Blue, White & Blue, White & Green, White & Gold, Green, White & Tan, Tan, Gold & Black, Turquoise, Red, Silver & Black, White & Red, White & Black, Black, and Gold
I don't know that Chargers came in every one of those combinations but they were available. That car appears to have a white interior (although the dash pads look green?).

You can build two 440s for what it costs to retrofit a 5.7 Hemi - especially if you already have a 440. You can also pick up 383s for cheap and it will bolt right in where the 440 was. If you really want a 5.7 I have one that I will sell and I've done a lot of research on the swap. You better have a fat wallet. The XV stuff does away with the EFI and uses a carb. My 440 gets about 10 mpg. However, it would take me about 5 years to offset the cost difference between it and a Hemi. A member here dropped a 5.9 Magnum and overdrive trans in his Cuda and gets 26 mpg for less than half of a Hemi conversion. My 318 cars average 20+ mpg and many people get 18-22+ with a 383 so, again, keep all your options open.

The standard radiator for a 440 car without A/C was a 22" (my R/T has one if you'd like to see). Swapping to a 26" is a bigger deal than adding another row to a 22" radiator (the hole in the radiator support is too small) - but doing it like the factory will work too.

If the car was a 383 originally it should have had an 8 3/4 rear. Most likely it also had 2.76 or 3.23 gears (depending on 2 or 4 barrel carburetor).

There's lots of great info here and many people willing to help. Most will tell you that this isn't a "cheap" endeavor though. I drove a 68 Charger all the way through high school so it can be done.

Troy

[69charger2002]

those frame rails are DEFINITELY shot at least in front, so make sure you realize how much is involved there when trading(i still think it's worth trading for an 89 supra), just know that even with a fresh motor/tranny and brakes, interior etc. that car still may be far from SAFELY roadworthy.
good luck with your project if you trade!   
trav

[Troy]

After looking at the pictures...

that's a major project! In addition to what else has been said, there's a baseball size hole in the *top* of the fender. I bet everything under it is wasted too. Still, the parts on that car are worth more than an 89 Supra so maybe use what's left to build another (hopefully one that's more solid). I agree, there's no way that thing will be a "driver" any time soon and if you're going to have to scrape up pennies to even get it you're heading for disappointment. I hate to say that but it's very easy to get discouraged on these cars and sooner or later you're just going to want something to drive.

Troy

[moparnole]

Thanks for the info, as for something to drive, we have a 1979 ford Ranger, that my Grandma is always saying "That thing needs driving!!!" so its looking like she may get her wish.
Do you think that selling off the 440 and tranny would be a semi-good idea, so the inards of the car could get worked on? (I have a 360 and tranny we used to run at the local irt track before it shut down, but its not like it would be going anywhere anyway)

[Troy]

A locked up 440 and trans won't get you much (maybe enough for one front fender). The 360 would be ok but is it a race engine?

Troy

[moparnole]

It was a race engine, used in pure stock, but you know racers.... its not stock. I cant remember us using it all that much, because we wond up switching motors.

[Troy]

Tough to say - although I'd say the least of your worries at this point is the drivetrain.

By the way, if you don't mind, can you get the VIN and fender tag (in the engine compartment on the driver's side inner fender) information for the Registry? I'd love to see how it was optioned. Thanks.

Troy

[moparnole]

I am getting pics of the fender tag, underneath (joy) and the floorpans,  hopefully tomorow.
Also, just throwing this out there, would it be plausible to put suspension from a Viper under it, just a thought....

[Troy]

I am getting pics of the fender tag, underneath (joy) and the floorpans,  hopefully tomorow.
Also, just throwing this out there, would it be plausible to put suspension from a Viper under it, just a thought....

With enough money, you can do anything. The Viper has an IRS out back so there's a challenge already. The Viper is also a lot lighter so you'll have to do a bunch of math to get the spring rates where they need to be. An degree in engineering wouldn't hurt (for the knowledge or the cash). I do believe I've seen someone do it though (maybe it was a Challenger?).

Troy

[moparnole]

What would you recommend as far as suspension goes?