1968 Charger Fender Tag & Broadcast sheet

[Weylan McAnally]

Hello Everyone!

I have a 68 Charger that has a Y9 Special Order fender tag code. It also has a Z8 Hood Performance Paint Treatment. I know Z8 is only supposed to be on GTX and Roadrunner, but here it is on a 68 Charger.

Does anyone know what this Hood Performance Paint Treatment looks like? Is is the same as the V21 option on the 69 Charger? I have attached pics of the fender tag and broadcast sheet.

 

[Don67Satellite]

Be sure to post in the Welcome Wagon and show us some pics of that Charger!

ENGINE: 440cid 4-bbl HP V8
TRANSMISSION: 3-Speed Automatic
TIRES: F70x14 Red Sidewall, Steel Belted
MODEL YEAR: 1968
BUILD DATE: March 01.
AXLE: 3.23 Rear Axle Ratio, Sure Grip
INTERIOR: Charger Trim Grade, Vinyl Bucket Seats. Black Interior.
PAINT: Bright Blue Metallic (Dodge), Electric Blue Metallic (Plymouth).
OTHER: Black (Dodge, Plymouth), Formal Black (Chrysler, Imperial) Upper Door Frame Color. Black Horizontal Accent Stripe.

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

ABC OPTIONS:
A1: 26in Radiator
D9: Front Disk Brakes
H1: Power Brakes
R1: AM Radio
S1: Air Conditioning
T7: Tachometer
X1: Tinted Glass (all)
Y6: Black Vinyl Top
Z8: Performance Hood Treatment (Roadrunner/GTX)

abc OPTIONS:
a6: Console
b4: Bucket Seats
h7: Fender or Hood Mounted Turn Signal Indicators
m6: Driver's Outside Remote Operated Mirror
u1: Sold Car When Built (Somebody Ordered It)
y9: Special Order


Nicely optioned car! A cursory Google image search returned photos like these but could not find a 68 with it. I'm sure the real Charger experts will chime in.

 

[chargervert]

My guess is the hood treatment is the black in the impressions where the hood turn signal indicators are on 68 and 69 Chargers.

 

[Don67Satellite]

My guess is the hood treatment is the black in the impressions where the hood turn signal indicators are on 68 and 69 Chargers.

Agreed. It's kinda interesting that when doing a Google Image search for 1968 Chargers, where you get literally hundreds/thousands of photos of them, that I can't seem to see a single '68 with that hood treatment.

Definitely popular in '69 & '70.

Could be a very rare option in 1968.

 

[Mopar Hunter]

Found this saying that 69 was the first year the V21 was available on the Charger. Spring of '69 release. I cant answer for the signal black out on the '68's but Im pretty sure thats how they came....

And i will admit V2 Hemi Orange and the V21 does make for a "Striking Performance Car"'

 

[Weylan McAnally]

Thanks for the insights, gentlemen.. I am thinking this is an extremely rare option - perhaps even a unicorn. I could not find a single fender tag with the Z8 code. I also could not find a single 1968 picture with the V21 type hood treatment.

The Z8 fender code is the sales code 508. As seen on the broadcast sheet, 508 is SPL Paint Treatment.

If any others have an insight on the Z8 fender tag code, I am eager to learn.

 

[Weylan McAnally]

Another coincidence is that my 68 Charger has the exact appearance package as described in the 69 bulletin. Black vinyl top, black interior, black bumblebee stripe. Add on the Special Order y9 and the Z8 Performance Hood Paint Treatment and we have the first ever Scat Pack optioned Charger.

 

[69Coronetrt]

Fascinating. Thanks for sharing

A common misconception is to compare between years. That can lead you down non productive and confusing paths. Things and meanings change year to year.
Let's focus on what could/may/did happen in 68 before we drift to 69.

The photo of the broadcast sheet is a little small. It would be helpful to us in assisting your quest if you could post a larger and easier to read sheet.
What is the history on the car? When did you acquire it? Where did it come from?

 

[Weylan McAnally]

Fascinating. Thanks for sharing

A common misconception is to compare between years. That can lead you down non productive and confusing paths. Things and meanings change year to year.
Let's focus on what could/may/did happen in 68 before we drift to 69.

The photo of the broadcast sheet is a little small. It would be helpful to us in assisting your quest if you could post a larger and easier to read sheet.
What is the history on the car? When did you acquire it? Where did it come from?

It came from the Houston area. Rust bucket that has been reskinned. Original frame rails, doors fenders, core support and trunk stamp.

Here is a blow up of the relevant parts of the broadcast sheet. You will notice on the top line beginning with 499 there is a box 4 to the right with a 50 and an 8 below. That box is labeled as SPL Paint Treatment. That 508 is the sales code for Hood Performance Paint Treatment for 1968.

On the bottom line you will see the SPL Codes section. There is a box with 699 Special Order with a 9 below. This corresponds to the y9 Special Order Code on the fender tag.

Please let me know your thoughts.

 

[69Coronetrt]

It came from the Houston area. Rust bucket that has been reskinned. Original frame rails, doors fenders, core support and trunk stamp.

Here is a blow up of the relevant parts of the broadcast sheet. You will notice on the top line beginning with 499 there is a box 4 to the right with a 50 and an 8 below. That box is labeled as SPL Paint Treatment. That 508 is the sales code for Hood Performance Paint Treatment for 1968.

On the bottom line you will see the SPL Codes section. There is a box with 699 Special Order with a 9 below. This corresponds to rhe y9 Special Order Code on the fender tag.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Codes are not always the same across model likes. What 508 meant for a '68 RR/GTX may be something totally different for a Charger. Unless I had supporting documentation, I would NOT presume they means the same thing as another make, model or year. You need to find out what 508 means for a 68 Charger.

699 may or may not be related to 508. Don't make assumptions. Find supporting factory documents. IF it was an additional cost item, it would be listed on something like a window sticker or invoice.

 

[Weylan McAnally]

Codes are not always the same across model likes. What 508 meant for a '68 RR/GTX may be something totally different for a Charger. Unless I had supporting documentation, I would NOT presume they means the same thing as another make, model or year. You need to find out what 508 means for a 68 Charger.

699 may or may not be related to 508. Don't make assumptions. Find supporting factory documents. IF it was an additional cost item, it would be listed on something like a window sticker or invoice.

Where might a person find a window sticker or invoice for a 68 Charger?

Where can a person find factory documents on the 68 Charger?

As I understand it, sales codes are specific. On the GTX, 508 was a black out rectangle between the two hood grilles. On the Roadrunner, it was a black out on either side of the middle of the hood. 508 on a Charger must be related to hood paint. It would not be related to any other part of the car.

The questions are

1. What was the paint design for the 68 Charger with the Z8/508 code?

2. Are there any other 68 Chargers with the Z8/508 code?

I looked through over 400 68 Charger fender tag images. Not a single one had any Z code.

 

[RemCharger]

Was there a little blackout treatment around the turn signal indicators on those?

 

[Weylan McAnally]

Was there a little blackout treatment around the turn signal indicators on those?

That blackout hood turn signal treatment was on many 68 Chargers . None of the over 400 fender tags I have reviewed for 68 Chargers has any Z code. Pretty sure that eliminates the turn signal as a possibility.

If anyone has a Z8 code on their 68 Charger fender tag, I would be grateful to see it.

 

[69Coronetrt]

Where might a person find a window sticker or invoice for a 68 Charger?

Where can a person find factory documents on the 68 Charger?

As I understand it, sales codes are specific. On the GTX, 508 was a black out rectangle between the two hood grilles. On the Roadrunner, it was a black out on either side of the middle of the hood. 508 on a Charger must be related to hood paint. It would not be related to any other part of the car.

The questions are

1. What was the paint design for the 68 Charger with the Z8/508 code?

2. Are there any other 68 Chargers with the Z8/508 code?

I looked through over 400 68 Charger fender tag images. Not a single one had any Z code.

One has to search various sources. Signing up for the Charger sites or Facebook groups would be a good place.

508 on a Charger must be related to hood paint. It would not be related to any other part of the car. Don't make the same mistakes others make. Don't make assumptions based on facts not in evidence. Focus on one make and model. Find the proof to support your assertion.

I looked through over 400 68 Charger fender tag images. Not a single one had any Z code. Based on a 1% or less installation rate, with an average distribution of sample, one should expect to find about 4 other cars in a sample size of 400. At 0.05 rate, one should find 2 others.

 

[Weylan McAnally]

One has to search various sources. Signing up for the Charger sites or Facebook groups would be a good place.

508 on a Charger must be related to hood paint. It would not be related to any other part of the car. Don't make the same mistakes others make. Don't make assumptions based on facts not in evidence. Focus on one make and model. Find the proof to support your assertion.

I looked through over 400 68 Charger fender tag images. Not a single one had any Z code. Based on a 1% or less installation rate, with an average distribution of sample, one should expect to find about 4 other cars in a sample size of 400. At 0.05 rate, one should find 2 others.

I am on 5 Charger FB sites plus Bbodies Only. So far nobody has any answer.

Broadcast sheets are broken down by category. If Z8/508 is a hood paint treatment for a GTX or Roadrunner, there is near zero possibility that it could refer to a different part on a Charger. As for proof finding, so far no Charger owner has ever seen this Z8 code on their car.

This is obviously not a common fender tag or broadcast sheet. This is a mystery that may not be solved if it is a unicorn.

 

[69Coronetrt]

I am on 5 Charger FB sites plus Bbodies Only. So far nobody has any answer.

Broadcast sheets are broken down by category. If Z8/508 is a hood paint treatment for a GTX or Roadrunner, there is near zero possibility that it could refer to a different part on a Charger. As for proof finding, so far no Charger owner has ever seen this Z8 code on their car..

Because? Don't assume. 508 on BS is simply listed SPL. PAINT TREATMENT. It says nothing about a hood. That's just where RM/RS cars got coded for their treatment.

508 on R* cars could be different than 508 on X* cars and both could be different that what was on a Chrysler C body.

All we know from the BS is special paint treatment. That marking, by itself, gives us NO indication as to what that means. We need to go to other factory documents to match it up.

I'm not challenging what the car codes, I'm challenging the logic that because one thing was a certain way, it HAD to be a certain way for another car when no supporting documentation backs up that thinking.

 

[Weylan McAnally]

Because? Don't assume. 508 on BS is simply listed SPL. PAINT TREATMENT. It says nothing about a hood. That's just where RM/RS cars got coded for their treatment.


508 on R* cars could be different than 508 on X* cars and both could be different that what was on a Chrysler C body.

All we know from the BS is special paint treatment. That marking, by itself, gives us NO indication as to what that means. We need to go to other factory documents to match it up.

I'm not challenging what the car codes, I'm challenging the logic that because one thing was a certain way, it HAD to be a certain way for another car when no supporting documentation backs up that thinking.

I understand your logic, but disagree.

Are there any other codes on the entire BS that code for different parts of the car in the same box? I cannot find one. That is the logic that is being applied. I have seen multiple lists of sales codes.for Mopars. The 508 code is always for hood paint. If the code were different for a Charger, somebody would have discovered it in the past 54 years. At least I would hope so.

Finding factory documents for this Z8 code is most likely a fool's errand after 54 years. I will continue to investigate and hope I can find the needle in the haystack.

Thanks for your input. It is appreciated.

 

[Mopar Hunter]

Have you looked for that kind of information on the 1968 charger registry?

 

[Weylan McAnally]

Have you looked for that kind of information on the 1968 charger registry?

Yes I have. You will notice in the chart that none of the Chargers listed have a "Z" code listed.

 

[Don67Satellite]

Z plot thickens!