White or Brown Hurst shifter knob

[BB14404SPD]

Hello,

This is my first post. I ran across this forum due to a search as to what wheel covers came with my Charger. Thanks to the forum I was able to identify that it left the factory with the dog dish hubcaps. I have always wondered what Hurst shifter knob came with the car originally. I have read that early production cars came with a white knob. Mine had a faded white knob but not a factory style. The Charger has a build date of April 18. I have the build sheet and the fender tag. It does have the brown rim blow steering wheel. The fender tag has two extra metal tags one that I cannot read and one with 16 on it. I would like to know what that 16 is.  I decoded the fender tag as follows:

CAR: Dodge Charger R/T 2 Door Sports Hardtop
ENGINE: 440cid 4-bbl HP V8
TRANSMISSION: 4-Speed Manual Floor Shift
TIRES: F70x14 Red Sidewall, Steel Belted
MODEL YEAR: 1968
BUILD DATE: April 18.
AXLE: 3.54/3.55 Rear Axle Ratio (Dana60 or 8 3/4), Sure Grip
INTERIOR: Charger Trim Grade, Vinyl Bucket Seats. Black Interior.
PAINT: Monotone Black Paint.
OTHER: Black Upper Door Frame Color. Stripe Deleted.

MOLDINGS:
25: Drip Rail Moldings
30: Body Belt Moldings
78: Wheel Lip Moldings

ABC OPTIONS:
A1: 26in Radiator
D9: Front Disk Brakes
H1: Power Brakes
P6: Rear Seat Speaker
R1: AM Radio
X1: Tinted Glass (all)
Y6: Black Vinyl Top

abc OPTIONS:
a6: Console
b4: Bucket Seats
m6: Driver's Outside Remote Operated Mirror
u1: Sold Car When Built (Somebody Ordered It)

I look forward to doing a lot of catch up here as there is a lot of good info here. I will use the search as to not ask questions that have been asked over and over.

[tan top]

hello & welcome    sounds like a nice charger !! would love to see some pictures some time  
i don't really know much about 68 codes & stuff ,
think you should have a hurst shifter & should have  a white knob  , the woodgrain effect is for 69 & later i think   but not sure  

[Richard Cranium]

The Inland shifter was used through 1968. The Hurst came out in 1969. I'd skip the Inland & go with the Hurst.

[tan top]

The Inland shifter was used through 1968. The Hurst came out in 1969. I'd skip the Inland & go with the Hurst.

oh right , was thinking that  the inland shifter was an early build 68 model cars with a SPD of late 67  only & would have been replaced by april  68  built  68 models with a hurst  

*** edit ****  just  added a few dates for what i was thinking Before you posted Steve  & we must of posted at the same time 

[XS29J8]

The Inland shifter was used through 1968. The Hurst came out in 1969. I'd skip the Inland & go with the Hurst.

Richard, I enjoy your posts but you know enough to be dangerous about 68 Chargers!    The Hurst shifter for an April built 68 Charger is correct and my May built 68 has the Brown Knob on the HURST Shifter ...........    

Cheers,
Steve

[Richard Cranium]

I stand corrected, but at least I was half right.  

[Troy]

Cool! A triple black 68 R/T 4-speed (with disc brakes and a rear speaker too).

I'm not sure what is correct for the shifter knob BUT I went with a white one because there isn't any other wood grain in a 68 interior. My original 68 R/T 4-speed was built in January so it still has the Inland shifter with black knob.

Troy

[Dans 68]

...My original 68 R/T 4-speed was built in January so it still has the Hurst shifter with black knob.

Troy

Your Jan '68 had the Hurst shifter as original equipment? I had always thought that late March/Early April was when that changeover started. Nice factoid.

Dan

[Troy]

...My original 68 R/T 4-speed was built in January so it still has the Hurst shifter with black knob.

Troy

Your Jan '68 had the Hurst shifter as original equipment? I had always thought that late March/Early April was when that changeover started. Nice factoid.

Dan

Whoops! I was concentrating on "Hurst" but I meant to type "Inland". I fixed my post. I have a Hurst with a white knob for the other car.

Troy

[hemi68charger]

The Inland shifter was used through 1968. The Hurst came out in 1969. I'd skip the Inland & go with the Hurst.

Richard, I enjoy your posts but you know enough to be dangerous about 68 Chargers!    The Hurst shifter for an April built 68 Charger is correct and my May built 68 has the Brown Knob on the HURST Shifter ...........    

Cheers,
Steve

I agree, The Hurst came out in the '68 model year. I've never seen a factory white shifter knob on a hurst, at least in '69. All the '68 Chargers, 383 or 440, with the hurst-style shifters I've come across have had the woodgrain ball.

[John_Kunkel]

The '68 parts book shows both the white and the woodgrain Hurst knob with no specifics as to what used what.  

[BB14404SPD]

I know that's the dilemma I face. No code for the knobs in the broadcast sheet.  The steering wheel is wood grain and I like the white knob so I am sticking with it. Thanks to all of you and I look forward to future discussions. I am in the process of trying to get it restored. I am at a stand still. I live about 30 miles from restorations by Julius. 3 hours from West coast Mopar. Or just take it apart by myself and send it to AMG's body shop. I know I want Dale Reed to build the 440 and rebuild the 4 speed. I would rather have one place to the whole job. I need the trunk floor replaced. May have pin holes in the roof as the vinyl top is bubbling. I have 4 to 5 years to restore it. The Charger will be my son's graduation gift.

[bull]

The beauty of it not being specified is that you can choose the one you like.

[FlatbackFanatic]

Welcome!! good luck with the resto. You have one lucky son.

[BB14404SPD]

I know I schooled him well to love Mopars. My Daughter wants my truck. A 05 QC Flame Red SRT-10. She is 10 so she will have to wait.

[Dans 68]

I looked through my photographic collection of 4-speed '68 Chargers (mostly XP's), and out of a small sample of 24 Hurst shifted cars qty (12) had the brown balls, qty (4) had the white balls, qty (5) had the after market Aluminum Hurst T-shifters and qty (3) had an aftermarket wood pistol grip.     Just a little food for thought....

Dan

[Richard Cranium]

I looked through my photographic collection of 4-speed '68 Chargers (mostly XP's), and out of a small sample of 24 Hurst shifted cars qty (12) had the brown balls, qty (4) had the white balls, qty (5) had the after market Aluminum Hurst T-shifters and qty (3) had an aftermarket wood pistol grip.     Just a little food for thought....

Dan

What, no blue balls? 

[BB14404SPD]

Yes I wish there was a way to narrow it down. I was told that early production Chargers received the White Ball. In your finding can you check build dates maybe that is the clue.

[Dans 68]

Yes I wish there was a way to narrow it down. I was told that early production Chargers received the White Ball. In your finding can you check build dates maybe that is the clue.

It is a difficult question to answer as the Hurst shifters, upon which the shifter handle balls are used, were "not" installed until later in the production line, generally starting in Feb/Mar in 1968. But I have R/T's with scheduled production dates of Nov 10th and Dec 26th that have a white shifter ball, which means that the Hurst shifters were installed a lot earlier than generally thought. Perhaps this is only on some R/T's (performance) that this happened. Or perhaps the shifters were changed out at a later date. I'm pretty sure that we will never know for certain (unless we get a much larger sample of 4-speed '68 Chargers with fender tags). 

Dan

[Dans 68]

...and just for laughs for the qty (4) Hemi 4-speeds that I have a SPD track like this:

SPD                   Shifter/Ball color
Oct 25, 1967      Inland
Feb 2, 1968        Inland
Mar 6, 1968        Hurst/brown ball
Apr 12, 1968      Hurst/brown ball

Dan

[John_Kunkel]

FWIW, the part number for the woodgrain ball is 2950213, the white ball is 2585565.

The 25xxxxx number would seem to be the earlier version but it's shown as a late addition to the parts book; the 29xxxxx woodgrain knob carried over into the '69 model year and is the only one listed in the '69 parts book.  

[BB14404SPD]

That NOS woodgrain ball is $200 if you can find it. The reproduction does not gives it any justice. I will stick with the white ball till I find out different. Does anyone have a extra tag screwed on the top corners of their fender tag? I have two, one I cannot read the second has a 16. Wish I new what it meant. Also did you guys have a Charger Registry? I register my truck with the viper trucks. I want to do the same with the Charger.