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1968 Dodge Charger motor identification problems!

G

goodoleboys383

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I have a 68' Dodge Charger we thought it was a 383 V8 but the ran the dash VIN tag on Oleride.com and it said the car was a 318 car! We have looked in different places on the motor for the engine tag but cant find it! Where are the engine code located? How can I tell which motor the car has in it? Thanks
 
Big blocks have the distributor in the front. They will also have the engine size on the passenger side of the block ie. "440-4" or something of that nature.

Small blocks have the distributor on the rear and the engine size is listed on the front of the block on the driver's side under the cylinder head.
 
Thanks for your help! I couldnt figure out if the car was a big block 318 or 383! I heard they made a 318 big block and the trim tag said it was a 318 so i wondered if the site was wrong and if had a 383 or a 318 big block!
 
F is the vin tag code for a 67-69 318. SB's The engine size is also listed on the RH side of the block. The 383's have the displacement on a machined pad under the distributor on the RH side. The 440 has the displacement on top of the block near the middle by the intake.

Joe
 
goodoleboys383 said:
Thanks for your help! I couldnt figure out if the car was a big block 318 or 383! I heard they made a 318 big block and the trim tag said it was a 318 so i wondered if the site was wrong and if had a 383 or a 318 big block!
Click to expand...

Its not a big block 318, its a wide block. Polyspherical head. And the distributor is still in the rear.
 
68 charger never had the poly.

sounds like someone took a smallblock car and swapped a big block in.
 
I have been to many different decoding websites and ever one ive been with the exeption of 2 or 3 has said the car is an original 383 car! Is there a reliable website to get on to decode the vin tag? I havent got around to looking at the engine code yet!
 
goodoleboys383 said:
Is there a reliable website to get on to decode the vin tag?
Click to expand...

Yes and you are already on it.

XP29F8*123456 is a 68 Charger with a 318. * = B for built at the Hamtrack plant and G indicating it was built at the St. Louis plant.

XP29G8 is a 383-2bbl car

XP29H8 is a 383-4bbl car
 
Mine say XP29G8! So it was a 383 like we originaly thought! Thanks you have been alot of help 69Coronetrt!
 
goodoleboys383 said:
Mine say XP29G8! So it was a 383 like we originaly thought! Thanks you have been alot of help 69Coronetrt!
Click to expand...

Codes change from year to year. Most online decoders are unable to pick up those nuances and that's why people get false returns.
 
Guess the previous owner was tired of the poor mileage and dropped a 318 in or blew up the 383 and couldnt afford to rebuild or find another at a good price. Who knows.

Would be a shame if the trim tag was swapped.
 
Will you have to take the motor out to see the engine code? Because we can not find it by just look on with the hood up or lookin from under the car!
 
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