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Weird things about my car

4speed68rt

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There is a few things about my car that are a little bit weird. My car is a real WS23 '68 Coronet R/T, 440 4 speed car. LL1 paint. I have owned the car for 30 years.
The first thing that doesn't make sense is the vinyl top. When I bought the car it had a white vinyl top on it. It was starting to deteriorate back then, but was mostly all there. The chrome trim strips and everything . I eventually stripped it off and underneath is mostly just a primer, not much paint except for up to the top of the windows on the a pillar and c pillar.
I assumed that it was a factory vinyl top, until I learned how to read the fender tag. I even had to unscrew the tag and clean it up real good to be sure, but it does not show there to be a vinyl top on this car from the factory.
I wonder if that was a mistake and they didn't mark it on the fender tag, or if somebody just added it later.
I was going to put a new vinyl top, but now I am not sure if I should.
The second thing is the engine stamp on the bottom near the oil pan is wrong.
It is a D 440 HP2, stamped on the top of the motor, but on the bottom it is stamped as a 383.
The third thing is the Tachometer. On the fender tag it says its supposed to be a clock with tach, but its just a tach. This is not a ralleye dash.

I found a build sheet under the back seat, and left it alone all those years, until recently and I carefully got it out and it is for a different car. Still a 68 RT, but a red car with an automatic.
I wonder if it was mistakenly put in wrong car or somebody changed the seats before I got the car.

One more is the Inland shifter on the 4 speed. This is a non console car. Did R/Ts come with inland shifters or just Hurst. I know that this isnt original to this car, but I think its cool and different.

Does anybody have any insight on this, or have weird things on there cars?

1478475436928.jpg 20210102_190010.jpg 20211130_184800.jpg 20210520_183439.jpg
 
Too much is made of those build sheets. Many original cars never got them, and some like yours got one from a different car. On the standard dash for an R/T you got a 150 MPH speedo, and optionally a clock, tachometer, or oil pressure gauge. You could only get one of those three.

The oil pressure gauge was probably more of a dealer installed thing, as it was more apt to be in a police package “K” car.
 
I guess mine got the tachometer. Thanks for the feedback, I have never heard that about the standard dash.
 
On the vinyl, time to be Columbo. If there was no factory paint, and the chrome holes have paint, I'd call it original.
Yours looks like an early build, so inland shifter should be correct. Does it have a reverse gear indicator light.
The weirdest part is the 383 stamping on the block.
 
No, it does not have a reverse gear indicator light. I like the way you think about being Columbo. All the evidence is there.
Yeah the block stamping is hard to believe. Thanks for the insight.
 
I see no vinyl top code on the fender tag. Odd that the roof is not all painted body color under the top. The workers were to build the car to what the tag said, no guessing or changes.

You have the tach code without the rally dash code so you got tach only. the optional rally dash would have come with all gauges. Plus the clock and tach combo. Your decoder is wrong.

the seats went into cars randomly. So there were at least two sets of white seats there and they went into the wrong car. When the seats were assembled the broadcast tweet was placed in the seat. So they new what to build for the day. The seat installers new what seats to install by color and style, but never checked the sheets to go in the correct car. Happened every day.

the car scheduled production date is 9-29-968 so it came with an inland shifter. They switches 1968’s to Hurst later in the year. And the hurst shifter cars would have a reverse lamp on the dash. You car shouldn’t have that lamp either.

the engine numbers are a mistake. Look on top of the engine block behind oil sender, next to the bellhousing, does it have the last 8 of the VIN stamped there? It should.


So the vinyl top and 383 engine numbers are 2 weird things, the others are normal. Neat car and colors!
 
I knew I came to the right place to find out all these things!! So many smart people.
There is a number stamped by the oil sender, but I haven't been able to read it clearly. There is not a reverse light on this car.
I get into the history and nostalgia of these cars as much as building and driving them. I like everything in the "original spirit" if possible.
Thanks for the compliment and sharing your knowledge.
 
the engine numbers are a mistake. Look on top of the engine block behind oil sender, next to the bellhousing, does it have the last 8 of the VIN stamped there? It should.
But the drivetrain serial #s started later on in the year..





If they are there, ,, this would be quite interesting
 
Like I said, I cant read them , but I dont think they will be the same as the last 6. The engine is 6 26 build date.

KIMG0964.jpg
 
Read this again slowly.

Back of the block by the bellhousing an oil sender.

should be on all 68’s with a performance engine.
 
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I got you, I was just showing the front pad so you know it is a 440. Its kind of hard to read with the glare. I am looking for the picture I took of the numbers by the oil sender...
 
The date on the bottom is june 21, which fits with the June 26 date on the top. The person stamping the bottom thought it was a 383 two barrel engine.
 
I see no vinyl top code on the fender tag. Odd that the roof is not all painted body color under the top. The workers were to build the car to what the tag said, no guessing or changes.

You have the tach code without the rally dash code so you got tach only. the optional rally dash would have come with all gauges. Plus the clock and tach combo. Your decoder is wrong.

the seats went into cars randomly. So there were at least two sets of white seats there and they went into the wrong car. When the seats were assembled the broadcast tweet was placed in the seat. So they new what to build for the day. The seat installers new what seats to install by color and style, but never checked the sheets to go in the correct car. Happened every day.

the car scheduled production date is 9-29-968 so it came with an inland shifter. They switches 1968’s to Hurst later in the year. And the hurst shifter cars would have a reverse lamp on the dash. You car shouldn’t have that lamp either.

the engine numbers are a mistake. Look on top of the engine block behind oil sender, next to the bellhousing, does it have the last 8 of the VIN stamped there? It should.


So the vinyl top and 383 engine numbers are 2 weird things, the others are normal. Neat car and colors!

Rally Dash was available in 68?
 
Yeah, I guess they all look the same from the bottom!! Here is a pic of the oil sender area... There is a number there, but I cant read it...

20210204_184854.jpg
 
Rally Dash was available in 68?
It was standard on the Super Bee, although that was a later addition to the lineup like the hardtop Road Runner.

I have seen 69 R/T’s with the rally dash “Charger dash”. It was optional that year, I’m not sure about ‘68. I’ve never seen a GTX with one.
 
So late 68 Dodges could have had a rally dash then? Or just Super Bees? R/T's?
 
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