68 Dodge Charger - Rare one ?????

[B-E&Abodylover]

Guys I haven't been that active on the forum but I a bakers dozen muscle cars and was just almost begged to take a 68 Charger off a guys hands so he wouldn't get fined from the local yokel city marshall trying to make a name for himself since he was newly appointed. This work is going to take a bit of work to even be a driver let alone a show car. Long story short a rust bucket BUT I checked the Vin number and the little sliver of fender tag that is left and as well the guy who I got it from thought it was great because it being a factory 4 speed car. I just wanted to know if any of you guys can give me a guess as if this car is a low production number Charger. The car is a 1968,383,4bbl,4 speed, factory A.C. car. Not even a guess as to try and document this car with no build sheet or complete readable fender tag. Anyone got any suggestions ???? As well does anyone know a place the does good trim refurbishment without burning a serious hole in your wallet. Just got a quote from a shop to refurbish the trim panel on a 69 Barracuda Fast back and it is not really in horrible shape so it does need any cutting or welding on it just a few dents removed, buffed and the trim stripe repainted, Quote was for $ 550.00. Jesus at that price it is going to take my breath away to have 80% of the trim refurbished (or replaced if I can find it) on a 69 Coronet (383,4 bbl,4speed) convertible.
Anyone got any suggestions or answers on that 69 Charger.


Regards
Ron

 

[old tired rebel]

Welcome Ron. Someone here can explain how to figure it all out.

 

[B-E&Abodylover]

68 Charger Pics

Thought you guys might like to see some happy snaps of this 68 I am questions about.

 

[68383GTS]

If it is a 383 4 bbl 4 speed 1 of 259 built

 

[426HemiCharger]

I know that unless you "knew somebody" there was no was the air came with a four-speed. The four-speed must be a conversion. If it wasn't then you are extremely luck to get such a car.

 

[69Coronetrt]

I know that unless you "knew somebody" there was no was the air came with a four-speed. The four-speed must be a conversion.

383 4 speed with A/C was available.
440 4 speed with A/C was not.

 

[68383GTS]

Yes you could get a 383 4 speed with air its not unheard of.

 

[B-E&Abodylover]

Fender Tag or whats left of it

Looking at most of the fender tag on this Charger is pretty much looking at a pile of rusty dust,but I can make out some of what's left of it. The sequence number on the bottom row to the far right is still discernable as matching the VIN number on the dash stamping (begining of the VIN is XP29H8B). The other numbers that can be made out are 411, 62, 486 and possibly but not 100% sure but it looks like 473 but it could be 418. I looked at the 4 speed hump and shifter assembly when it wasn't so freakin cold out and the hump itself and it looks original to the car. Generally when a conversion is made 1 way or the other (727 to 4 speed or vice versa) many times who ever swaps the humps doesn't bother to drill out the factory spot welds and spot weld the new hump in place in lieu of just fitting up the new hump and running a few stitich welds with a MIG welder or gas welding it in place. I've got a 71 Challenger that I know for sure was a four speed car but a previous owner must have decided to do some track time with the car and changed it from a 4 speed to a 727 automatic and then installed a set of Hurst Lightning Rod shifters and the hump for the auto was put in with sheet metal screws and liberal application of roofing tar (talk about a chore to get off).
I guess 1 of 259 doesn't make this a tremendously rare Charger but for the price of a tank of gas for the guy to bring it over and just unload it in my cul-de-sac couldn't be considered overpriced. Looking at the stock factory shifter makes me cringe a bit. I have driven a 68, in the past, that still had the original factory shifter in it and after driving it about 4 stop lights and 25 miles made me wonder why someone wouldn't immediately yank that slop box out and put in a Hurst shifter.
Thanks for the imfo so far guys

 

[detmatt1]

If the fender tag is still attached take it off and flip it over, you should be able to read the codes from the backside. I would consider 1 of 259 pretty rare.

 

[wingcarenvy]

It looks to me the firewall is a non air.

 

[426HemiCharger]

It looks to me the firewall is a non air.

Thank you. Finally someone besides me noticed.

 

[B-E&Abodylover]

AC or Non AC

Firewall that is on this car at this point in time is definetly not for an A.C. car and whomever has done any work on this car in the past has a hodge podge of parts and pieces stuffed in the passenger compartment trunk and engine bay from 68, 69 and 70 Chargers AND an Oldmosbile. The weather here is a little warmer here today so I poked around and unloaded some of the stuff inside it to see what I have inherited. Got both a 68 and a 69 grill for it. Lower quarter panel patch pieces with the rectangular side marker lights that is definetly not for this car, a power seat track, the reverse facing side scoops with the R/T badging from a 70Charger R/T, 3 air cleaners (1 of which I know is off of a 69 Oldsmobile that came equipped with ram air that was ducted from under the bumper), pair of seat headrests and an intake setup for 2- 4 barrels with a paper tag on it marked 383, what looks to be a set of valve covers off possibly a big block Chevelle and 2 sets of heads (both completely stripped down). That is about as far as I've gotten digging through the larger stuff. The only thing that would hint at this car being an original A.C. car was the guy who dragged it over here mentioned that the guy he got it off of told him when he started working on the car that it was setup for A.C., what is left of the fender tag and in the trunk was dash controls, compressor,condensing unit, under dash air plenum. Hard to determine on this car what is what on it. I haven't put it up on a lift to check out the under side of the thing but there is every nearly every color in the Mopar book on the sheetmetal of this Charger (Black,Red,2 shades of Green,Blue and Orange so far). Best find I have come across so far are 2 rally dash clusters that are in excellent condition and a door, actuator and hood trim strip off of a 70 "B" body N-96 air grabber hood.
I'm not sure if Govier can provide me much in the way of history of this car strickly based upon the VIN number. I have heard he has a boat load of build sheets so he might possibly have one for this car. I have never asked anyone but does anyone here know if anyone else offers the same documentation services as Govier ??? and if there is anyway to do much in the way of documenting on one of these without a build sheet or decent fender tag.
Thanks for the comments so far from you guys.

 

[426HemiCharger]

Do you have the buildsheet? If so look for code "411". Oh the dash pad also does not have AC vents.

 

[B-E&Abodylover]

Haven't come across a build sheet so far but this thing is crammed full of stuff including much to my chagrin a very large snake skin which for here in Georgia is nothing new. I just hope it's owner moved on to more comfortable digs after he shed it. At any rate even though this car was pretty much hauled over here and dropped off it is going to the stable after I clean it out and mark everything and await it's turn in line. I've got to go pick up a 70 Charger R/T in the Kansas City area when the weather breaks and get started on it. Another one that the present owner managed to lose the build sheet AND fender tag over the years and just doesn't have any interest in doing anymore restoration work on. So I guess here will be another one I am going to have to see about digging up the documentation on if it is possible.

 

[detmatt1]

Did you try flippin' the fender tag over??

 

[Propwash]

If the fender tag is still attached take it off and flip it over, you should be able to read the codes from the backside. I would consider 1 of 259 pretty rare.

Neat trick...Thanks for posting Matt

 

[Dans 68]

If the fender tag is still attached take it off and flip it over, you should be able to read the codes from the backside. I would consider 1 of 259 pretty rare.

It is very rare (I have one) and, at least to me, very desirable. Out of approximately 74,886 XP's made only 333 were 4-speeds; 259 were the 4-bbl and 74 were the 2-bbl. In '68 there were 17,584 XS's (R/T's) made and 2,954 were 4-speeds. Try to get the fender tag numbers listed. From what you have already listed it is a 4-speed (tag code 62), built April 11 1968 (tag code 411). That is a car worth saving. :yes:

Dan

 

[696pack]

Thank you. Finally someone besides me noticed.

That is NOT what you said.

"I know that unless you "knew somebody" there was no was the air came with a four-speed. The four-speed must be a conversion. If it wasn't then you are extremely luck to get such a car.

As others have stated, the 4 speed was definately available with the 383-4 and factory A/C. You were referring to the 4 speed being a conversion.

 

[696pack]

Just for clarification, the picture above of the fender tag is NOT the one for the subject post. When I first saw it I thought is was until I went back and looked that the member names. it is a 1970 car and the coding is completely different then the 68 cars.

Yes, 383-4 4peed cars are rare and with factory A/C will add to the rarity and desirablitiy. However, there are no production figures available to tell us how many of this combination were built.

It being the highest h.p. available with 4 speed and A/C does make it something.

 

[detmatt1]

Just for clarification, the picture above of the fender tag is NOT the one for the subject post. When I first saw it I thought is was until I went back and looked that the member names. it is a 1970 car and the coding is completely different then the 68 cars.

Yes, 383-4 4peed cars are rare and with factory A/C will add to the rarity and desirablitiy. However, there are no production figures available to tell us how many of this combination were built.

It being the highest h.p. available with 4 speed and A/C does make it something.

Sorry 696pack, I didn't meen to throw you off course with my fender tag, I was just trying to drive home my earlier point. I wonder what became of the car?.