What to do with my 68 Charger... ???

[Pastortom1]

I'd like opinions on my Charger..........I have a 68 383/727 non-R/T and the original motor is gone...has a 440 truck motor right now.

Since I can buy a tail panel now to replace the 68, and all the other parts are readily available, should I do a Daytona?..........or leave it as a Charger?

The worst part for me would be finding the front clip I'd need........but I have a bunch of nice 68 parts to sell toward the project.........

Whad'ya think? My wife would FLIP for a Daytona. What would you guys do?

:confused::grin::confused:

 

[ACME A12]

As it is the non-R/T variety...I'm thinking that a Dayclona sounds like the hot ticket...

:grin:

 

[Pastortom1]

Well, If I go ahead and begin to stockpile the parts, I'm gonna need a heap of help and advice so I don't repeat mistakes already made by similar builders.

Anyone else have some advice or suggestions on this 68?

 

[rolling_Thunder]

Daytona clones are hot - but even I wouldnt take a clone down to your local supermarket... driving wing cars is fun - parking them is not

if you've always wanted a daytona then build one... I was going to build a clone with my 68 Charger but the panels were not available before paint... oh well

 

[696pack]

It is your car do what you want. BUT, since you ASKED, I always thought that the Daytona/Superbirds were UGGGLY. The 68-70 Charger on the other hand is one of the best looking cars ever built. The Daytona add ons while they got the intended job done, they totally take away from the Charger's lines.

 

[69 Runner]

I don't know that I'd change the tail panel out, but if you want to clone a wingthing and have the $$$$$$$$$$$$ to spend, then by all means do it!

 

[evanbrendel]

hey to each his own but personaly i love the wing cars,,,,

 

[A383Wing]

You will need to find a set of good 1970 front fenders and a good hood....the 68 & 69 fenders & hood will not mate up to the nosecone.....

We did the Daytona Clone route....but I started with a 70 Charger 500...so hood & fenders were already there.....

I could go on & on....took me most of 3 years to put ours together...and that was all by myself, well, the wife helped...it's her car anyway.

The hardest part is getting the nosecone mounted correctly, and getting the headlights to open like they should.

It was a long process,, and the finished product is in link below

http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/showthread.php?t=1661

Bryan

Video of our headlights in operation is in link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cejlMddOoWs

 

[Pastortom1]

Well, explain the front clip to me........I know I need a 70, but are there fender extensions and a hood extension needed like the birds?........Or is this not needed for a Daytona?

 

['68-Charger-Guy]

If it was a '69 or a '70 I would say go for it and do a Daytona... But a '68, they look GREAT as born. I couldn't do it to a '68.

 

[A383Wing]

Well, explain the front clip to me........I know I need a 70, but are there fender extensions and a hood extension needed like the birds?........Or is this not needed for a Daytona?

You will need to cut and bend the lower front part of the fenders to make the lower valance mate up to it. No hood extension is needed for the Daytona, but you will need to modify the underside of the front lip. Structure re-enforcements will have to be removed and welded up. Hard to explain...'70 Charger hood and Daytona hoods are different, but you can make them look the same. We did everything to our clone except the rear window plug....we were running out of money & time to get car ready for the Aero Warrior meet at Talladega Raceway in 1999.....car drove from Washington State to Alabama and back with no problems.

I'll try and answer any questions ya got....I have lots of pics....but not of the car being put together.....

 

[Pastortom1]

Hey Wing, Can you post some nice pics of the finished product without the window plug?

I don't see that perspective in any of the pics.......I'd really like to see the outcome. :yes::yes:

 

[A383Wing]

Here are a few....

 

[bigblocksam]

it took me 5 yrs to build mine

 

[bigblocksam]

it's not easy to build . especially with working headlights . it's been the most rewarding project that i've ever built . Rene

[/IMG]

 

[hotrod98]

There are a lot of us out here to help you along. You would save a lot of time and money by leaving the back glass alone. It just depends on how accurate you want it to look. To the untrained eye, most people don't even realize that the back glass is different.
If you decide to move forward, contact me and I'll give you advice based on my experience.
You won't be disappointed when you pull into the local car shows and everyone goes nuts over your car. People will practically run off of the road trying to get a better look when you pass them on the freeway.
Here's my car so far. I haven't had much time to work on it lately.

 

[res1vw21]

I would do I love the wing cars!

 

[hotrod98]

Here's a couple of pics of a 70 clone that doesn't have the back glass conversion. Looks pretty good to me.
If I had it to do over again, I think I would leave my back glass stock. When I pulled the original glass, the sheet metal was totally rust free and the headliner and package tray were very nice. Seemed like a shame to not be able to take advantage of that.
You can cut the build time in half by not doing the back glass. And, you will save several hundred dollars as well. Find someone to assemble a complete working nose. You'll have to pay more, but then it's practically a bolt on deal.
You still have to alter the front bottom lips of the fenders and drill for the fender scoops.

 

[Pastortom1]

I love that color too.............Really nice.............That's the original pick for the 68 as-is......

After seeing these fine examples of standard back glass, and not wanting to force myself to build an "exact" replica, I might consider it. :grin:

 

[hotrod98]

I love that color too.............Really nice.............That's the original pick for the 68 as-is......

After seeing these fine examples of standard back glass, and not wanting to force myself to build an "exact" replica, I might consider it. :grin:

Stan Laurel said it best..."no one will be the wiser". People will be too busy checking out that nose and that wing to even notice the back glass.

Here'a a pic of a 68 that someone at least started on. Looks like he altered the back glass.