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Real 68 Hemi Roadrunner help

19 69 GTX

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Ok I'm excited I'm going to look at a 68 Hemi Roadrunner Tuesday. Suppose to be a real Hemi car. I'm pretty sure fender tag is absent and build sheet. The vin is correct for a Hemi Roadrunner J code obviously. What else can I look for besides the vin matching the core support and rear drip rail on trunk gutter. Never owned a Hemi car I'm sure there should be be torque boxes as well plus a Dana. Are the torque boxes just on front of leaf boxes not the back. It has a Dana not sure if it's original or not. It's doubtful it's the original engine as well. There is some talk about it being built by Keith Black back in the day. It's set up for drag racing right now but it's not been back halved still original frame.

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Believe nothing of what the seller claims, rather a personal inspection by a knowledgeable, competent professional.
 
If you see any body numbers that match the vin on a 1968 then return home without the car.
 
68 body stampings match the order # on the fender tag; not the VIN......... and since you have no fender tag.....
 
If you like the car then buy it, but don't pay a penny for the fact it is a Hemi car. Even if you had paperwork and a fender tag, it still requires a complete inspection by someone that knows what they are looking at. Re bodies with welded in body numbers do happen.
 
"Just drive away Rene .. you won't see me underneath your car..."
 
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pay for a very cool hemi car....... after all; it is a J code

just don't pay collector car money...... although someone did pay for some pretty nice stuff

I wouldn't throw it out of bed :steering:
 
I'm no hemi car expert. But that car looks like it was resurrected from a skeleton of a body because of its vin number. It's a cool car. But it has none of the collector appeal of being a factory hemi. Even the leaf springs look like monoleafs. Without some kind of racing pedigree I wouldn't pay any more for it than a regular plane jane roadrunner with a crate hemi in it. Just my 2 cents.
 
I'm no hemi car expert. But that car looks like it was resurrected from a skeleton of a body because of its vin number. It's a cool car. But it has none of the collector appeal of being a factory hemi. Even the leaf springs look like monoleafs. Without some kind of racing pedigree I wouldn't pay any more for it than a regular plane jane roadrunner with a crate hemi in it. Just my 2 cents.
Agree about the collector appeal. The value of this car is in the components and workmanship. The significance of the J code is debatable when so much of the car has been changed.
 
Agree about the collector appeal. The value of this car is in the components and workmanship. The significance of the J code is debatable when so much of the car has been changed.
When the question of the car being an actual J code has not been authenticated.
 
It should have torque boxes on the rear spring front mounts and flat reinforcement plates on the rear where the shackle mounts are located. Also the pad where the pinion snubber contacts should be reinforced. Here are pictures of these on my ratty unrestored J code '68 GTX.


torque box.JPG
rear gusset.JPG
 
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Ok so I know this is a loaded question. Let's forget the J code and put a value on it as just a Roadrunner/satellite/belvedere. If the car is in great shape , paint wise, body and interior what's ball park value. I'm usually pretty good at it but would like a few opinions this time. Thanks again
 
If you see any body numbers that match the vin on a 1968 then return home without the car.
So it's not like a 69 in that regard. So I have nothing numbers wise to confirm anything correct
 
Ok so I know this is a loaded question. Let's forget the J code and put a value on it as just a Roadrunner/satellite/belvedere. If the car is in great shape , paint wise, body and interior what's ball park value. I'm usually pretty good at it but would like a few opinions this time. Thanks again
Perhaps look at it from this angle. If you were to obtain a halfway decent body, take it down and do metal & paint. Re-do the interior, upholstery, etal. Add the engine/drivetrain that's in it now. Plus all the undercarriage/suspension, etc. What would be your total cost ? Then... compare that number to what the seller is asking. And only you can decide if that car is worth it for you.
 
It looks like it could be a fun car. I would likely just value it as a descent B body with a hemi in it and pay no extra for provenance or authenticity MINUS about 10 grand for all the ‘smalls’ you’re going to have to correct from butchery and poor build quality, just based on the way the fuel line is run may indicate how decisions we made for the rest of the build.

If there’s no build sheet, no fender tag, and quantifiable way verify if it’s a true hemi car you have to assume it isn’t. A dash and vin is easily changed from car to car. Not saying the seller did, just saying its not that hard to do.
 
That car is so far from original, it is just a beautiful B body with a nice engine and build.

J code means nothing to me, without documentation and numbers to match. Unfortunately 68 is a bad year that way.
 
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