Dirty Dodge: 1968 Dodge Charger R/T
Update 10/18/11 – This barn find ended up on eBay and bidding just ended at $12,600.
Authenticity is one of the most important things to look for when buying a classic muscle car. Many muscle cars have been modified to resemble one of the rarer and more sought after high performance versions of the car. But once in a while someone comes across a true high performance version. Well reader Lucas sent us his recent barn find, a true 1968 Dodge Charger R/T he found in a Colorado barn. He even included photos of the identification tag to verify the authenticity of his Charger.
We’ve seen a lot of base model Chargers that have been turned into R/T clones, some were even barn finds, but we haven’t seen many really R/Ts with their original paint and drivetrain. Lucas’s car is a true XS29L car, which identifies it as an R/T model. The QQ1 paint code tells us this car was originally painted Bright Blue Metallic and without seeing the car in person appears to be the color the car currently is painted. That being said we would still look this car over thoroughly to make sure. We would also try to dig up some more history on the car. At this point we know the car was originally sold at Skyline Dodge of Denver and that it’s been sitting for the past 10 years.
The Charger R/T came standard with the 440 V8, but the Hemi 426 was available as an option. While it would be amazing if this car had come with the Hemi, we are glad to see that the car’s original 440 is still in place. Just looking at the engine we can tell it’s going to need some work to get it running again. The 440 might not be as popular or powerful as the Hemi, but it’s still an impressive engine that produces considerable power. After this engine is rebuilt we would expect it to produce around 375 hp and an impressive 480 pounds of torque.
This car’s stay in the barn hasn’t been an easy one. The car was covered in bird droppings and had some dead birds and a box of Decon in the interior. It appears that most of the pieces are still with the car and are original, but the car is definitely going to need some work to be road worthy again. From what we can tell the interior is one of the most pressing areas and is going to need a lot of upholstery work done. There is also some rust in the left quarter panel and a few spots in the floors. Currently, Lucas plans to clean the car up, get it running, and hopefully find a new home for it with someone who will appreciate the car’s patina. If you’re interested in possibly buying the car and want more information, contact us and we will pass along his email and phone number.
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Comments
how much do you want for the charger rt,1968,and is it all there and what about rust is there a bunch
like to find a good barn find chevrolet fan 100% but this is my interest like barn finds lol
The Charger will be going on ebay here soon and would like to get north of $10K for it. The rust is minimal…small spot in floor, trunk and L quarter. Will need full resto but is a VERY valuable car finished.More pics here: http://s1176.photobucket.com/albums/x332/USAClassics/Charger%20Barn%20Find/
What’s the story on the Dodge Dart sitting next to it?
I like the Dart next to the Charger too. Like ot know more about it. Is there anything like a barn find?
Does anyone know when punctuation ceased being used?
Is it being sold by the guy that owns the barn. Or is it some flipper that found it in the barn and only wanted it to turn around and flip it for more money? These guys ruin the hobby when they do this.
i agree with nordek, shame when these guys find barn finds for a couple hundred buck and then do nothing to it and try turn it around on e-bay for several thousand.
you both sound like socialists, good on someone that finds gold, so if you found it, you would,nt sell it on ebay, camon, stop flappin ur gums before ya shift into 1rst.you sound like a hypocryte
take heart nordek! i was watching barrett-jackson in las vegas the other day and FULLY RESTORED cars were selling for 20-30k and as far as rare cars they sold a 68 rs/ss camaro 396 for 26k so, take heart maybe the price of cool cars still isn’t out of reach for us poor guys.
If it wasn’t for some of us keen on searching out and bringing this kind of stuff to the marketplace, it would not be available to you. It would just keep going down hill towards an eventual parts car. There are a lot of us car hobbyists that enjoy finding, doing some light cleanup/repairs, and then putting on ebay for the serious “checkbook restorers” to do what they enjoy most. IMHO. :)
Some folks like to keep them for fun. A trip to the carwash, some basic maintenance and needed parts, then drive the snot out of them as intended. All but one of my vehicles were found under similar circumstances. All made great drivers.
Right now, we are soaking the cylinders in WD40 in anticipation of getting it started this next week. It was stored with the spark plugs out of it so we are keeping our fingers crossed. We have completely restored a Charger before (see https://picasaweb.google.com/lukeaction/1969DodgeCharger440?authuser=0&feat=directlink) but have several other projects underway so we are prepping this one to go to someone that is ready to take rare car in very original condition and put it back on the road.
Miracle Oil is way better than wd-40, Just my 2 cents. it penetrates and may prevent a broken ring or galled cylinder. I do know for a fact that you never use wd-40 on guns, it turns into a varnish like gunk that has to be scrubbed out with a brush.
I wouldn’t start the engine before inspecting the cylinders. Being stored with the plugs out means the cylinders could be pitted. That could equal broken rings and severe damage. BTW, thanks for finding this gem. Make a few bucks and go get some more!
Yes, of course. The engine work is being handled by our in-house mechanic that has over 30 years of experience with classic, rare and unique vehicles. The goal is to get this car to the next owner with as much information as possible so that they know what they are taking on. See our other inventory at http://www.thegallerydenver.com.
The Charger is confirmed matching numbers and the engine still has the original paint on it. The car is being offered for sale to the highest bidder here: http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5574971043&toolid=10001&campid=5336858830&customid=&icep_item=270829882947&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg
so,what other cars were in this shed?
I was only in the shed once and it was dark and dirty. However, I know that there was a 71 Duster (rough), a 1969 Satellite 440 (restorable) and a 1968 Coronet (rough). There was also a running, driving 69 Roadrunner which I have pics of. Email me at [email protected] and I can send those pics to you.
Meh, its not the more sought after 1969 model which is in high demand 10:1. Still cool though.
My ultimate Charger would be the front of a 1969 (split grill), rear of a 1968 (sexy round tail lights) and doors with the R/T vent from a 1970.
As for finding and flipping… why not? I’d rather a car go to someone that is passionate about buying their dream car and building it correctly rather than some guy thats into Hondas getting his hands on it and taking short cuts, bodging it up and ruining it for life. So the seller makes a quick buck, so what. At least he brought this car out of the barn where it was to continually rot and now it has a chance to meet the road again.
Some guys are just jealous they didn’t find it and make a quick buck first. Boo Hoo.