In a sea of Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers, Chevelles, and Darts, there’s nothing quite like a second-generation Dodge Charger. It’s competitive and refined, brutal and elegant, sinister and fair.
It also goes beyond the surface. The second-generation Charger was Dodge’s workhorse of choice on the functionality front, and saw the culmination of all of its most productive efforts at the height of the horse wars. Even with the trendy Hellcats and Demons hogging the exhibit today, nothing matches what happened all years ago.
It is an icon in every sense of the word. In both the history books and the big screen, the Dodge Charger is a force to be reckoned with and will be one of the most iconic, if not the most iconic, cars to ever come out of Detroit.
All in 1968, when Dodge introduced Coca-Cola’s bottle structure style. For many, the second-generation Model 68 from the first year is a dream car. Unfortunately, the passage of time has drastically reduced the number of clever examples left, leading to costs and the chances of owning one for many.
I recently had the opportunity to drive a fully restored 1968 Dodge Charger R/T. Almost everything, right down to the inspection marks, is as it would have been the day the car left the finish line. It’s far from an overly sumptuous restomod luxury that we’re all too used to seeing. It’s also not the best example of a neat private luxury car with all the boxes checked. This is a rare example of genuine muscle. Driving it is brutal, unforgiving, and requires a lot of effort, but mastering it is a pleasure like no other.
Right away, some of you may wonder how dare I call this genuine muscle when it doesn’t have a Hemi. Long before marketing groups smeared it to describe anything with a trace of competitive styling, it was related to American cars with a high-performance V8 under the hood, rear-wheel drive, and little else. Nothing was used that didn’t help bring in cigarette butts.
The Charger, in general, isn’t the most faithful in this regard. The 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner, on the other hand, is an example of a natural muscle car with very few amenities and only two engine features to paint with. They were flashy cars designed to rival the Ford Mustang, with editions available for maximum all-purpose purposes, few of which were true R/T cars. However, this Charger is just as raw and action-ready as a factory option. edition will be.
Of the 92,000 Chargers produced in 1968, 17,000 were functional R/T versions, and just over 2,700 of them were supplied with a 440 and a stick. This is one of them. It is also supplied with optional manual brakes and manual guidance as a factory option. This is hard mode on wheels.
Although it doesn’t have the coveted elephant under the hood, the 440 is a true low-revving freight train, and you’re simply not aware of its strength when you drive it. The inclusion of a heavy-duty suspension and a Dana 60 with 3. 55 speeds in the rear keeps it all in combination when activated.
This car underwent a show recovery in the early 2000s. The original owner had painted the B5 car blue and the second owner, knowing how rare 1968 R/T Chargers are, decided to return the car to its original color. The Champagne Gold color is the JJ1 Gold color from the factory, it matches almost perfectly.
The recovery is almost meticulously precise and only the interior remains intact. Looks-wise, everything is as it is and very much like how Dodge originally released it to the world. Again, even inspection marks on parts such as brake drums and throttle recoil spring are present. These are inspiringly beautiful paintings, of which the builder will be incredibly proud.
That’s not to say everything is factory-accurate. Upgrades were made where they made sense. The 440, for example, was rebuilt and outfitted with .030 over Keith Black slugs, and though the cam, intake, and exhaust were left stock, this will make a difference in power. It’s also been upgraded to an electronic ignition system. Though, it is a factory-style unit that you’d find on 1973 model year cars.
Inside, the audio formula has been updated with a non-original head unit fixed to the rear of the dash. Last but not least, the car sits on non-original wheels and tires, which are much larger than the undersized combination that comes with those cars.
The first time I drove my private 1969 Dodge Charger it was a messy experience. My legs were shaking as years of excitement had built up to this point. It was physically tricky to get the car, let alone focus on all the sensory cues as butterflies filled my abdomen and my brain raced to a million positions at once.
I relived that moment as I handed over the keys to that car. The difference is that it’s a pivotal piece of history. The effort not to mess it up is immense. However, this sensation did not last more than a few seconds. When I started On the Move, the amount of effort it took to drive the car drowned out everything else.
The car doesn’t have any filters. This doesn’t fool you. It’s about softening anything out to make you feel more confident or like a driving force greater than yourself. Every gear change, every braking, every turn, the smoothness and protection of every action rests only on your shoulders. It’s as if it’s the weight of the work that pushes you back in your seat, not the force of the engine. Although it may seem overwhelming at first, true happiness awaits us. The truth of what it takes to drive this car intensifies your senses, completely merging you with the machine.
The beautiful roar of the 440 staggers through the uncertainty. It will continue to curl up and bend the gravity opposite you. Your only option is to give in to its force as it drags you into the deep waters. When you do, the unheard-of exhilaration of commanding the old warhorse sets in, complemented by the sounds, smells, and strength of days forgotten through the fashionable world.
Manual guidance means you’d better be able to use that boat-sized idler, especially at low speeds. There is no sway control or hydraulic assist on the clutch. The brake pedal is as hard as a rock and there’s no ABS that can save you if you can’t combine grace and strength when applying it. Let’s not say this is long before the days of traction control. It’s hard, but that’s his good looks.
I’m not going to make driving this car something it’s not. Even if you overcome all the user input issues, it’s still a 1968 Dodge Charger. It’s not the most elegant thing in the corners, and it probably wouldn’t impede it all of a sudden.
You also don’t need to jam the throttle in a straight line to enjoy what this car brings to the table, though. The factory tune has this engine absolutely humming at any speed. There’s no lugging or struggling to get it moving if you’re in too high of a gear. If you want to, you can throw it into fourth and plug around windy back roads with no problem. And at highway speeds, it absolutely floats.
From experience I will tell you that it is a dream to drive those cars with force guidance and decent brakes. But that’s not the point of this model. It has abandoned its comfortable edges in favor of simplicity and more sensible speed, which it does. Awfully good, actually. It’s when you use it that you become aware of your limits when it comes to braking and orientation. It takes a special combination of courage, brute force, and a dash of stupidity to dance over the limits to which this device can take you.
The raw, raw nature of this car is precisely what makes it so special. Once you get into the groove of steering wheel, modulating brakes, and rowing competently, you’re a master of machines. The demands it places on the driver Create a captivating experience that you probably won’t find anywhere else. Even if you could emulate this real driving with anything else, not being surrounded by the Charger’s iconic sculpted sheet steel would make it even less special.
The internal is largely a product of its time. There’s no navigation formula to get lost in, and there’s no learning curve for anything internal that doesn’t allow you to move forward. That’s not a bad thing at all. It only increases your connection to what matters.
It’s a beautifully designed cockpit that features the legendary Rally dash. While that piece might seem pretty standard from a modern standpoint, the large circular speedometer and clock paired with your water temperature, oil pressure, and voltage gauges are a big step up from the large sweeping speedometer dashes typical of the era. Interestingly enough, this particular model did not come with a tachometer. That means knowing when to shift gears is dependent entirely on feel and sound.
Unlike modern cars that shape the dashboard around the driver and clutter the driving area with all sorts of controls, it’s a flat, sterile panel that spans the entire width of the vehicle. Everything you need is obviously visual and within reach. Of course, “everything” in this case includes only a few elements that are commonly aesthetic pleasures that you can glimpse when you’re at a traffic light. The only switches that are actually touched are those on the headlights and the windshield wiper motor. This car doesn’t have air conditioning, so even the air conditioning is as undeniable as it deserves to be.
The wrap-around seating is also very well designed, but they are very fundamental in nature. There are no braces, lumbar or strength controls. These are seats and they look great. And while this car has a center console, it’s only there to look at. It doesn’t double as an armrest and you probably wouldn’t buy much in it. So it’s actually a smart thing to be pretty.
The second-generation Charger is 17 feet long and therefore offers plenty of interior space. Still, it feels comfortable and not too big. Even my private car with a basic interior is comfortable; Add a back seat and car doors with armrests, like the one offered by this one, and you’re good to go.
The interior of the car disappears and disappears as you drive. It doesn’t become a truth until you’re on the top road, shift up the gear, and just hum. But once you get there, it becomes something special. The lack of complexity contributes to the appreciation of what you’re driving.
Driving vintage cars is an incredibly special experience. As soon as you get behind the wheel, your view of the world changes. Instead of being just another shapeless mass circulating in traffic, you become an individual traversing time and space with purpose.
In fact, the visual aspect of this car takes this into account, but there’s a lot more to it. Today’s cars are incredibly comfortable. The benefits of being set up in such a way that anyone can get behind the wheel come at the expense of personality.
You probably can’t pass the keys to this 1968 Dodge Charger to just anyone. The first time you get behind the wheel of a vehicle with manual brakes, manual steering, or manual transmission is pretty intimidating, let alone when they’re all stacked with a 440 running it all. But learning to command it is an honor. The procedure for mastering this suit is almost akin to a sacred rite, making the moment you can competently pilot it a religious awakening. You may not get it with a car designed to make your life easier.
The funny thing about this car is that it belongs to a guy who lives in the same rural Pennsylvania domain that I call home. In fact, he owns an asset less than a mile and part of the home from my formative years. roads leading directly to the old farmhouse, directly to the driveway where I began the recovery of my own 1969 Charger. He would walk past her and engage in a verbal exchange while I worked on my car. His call is Mark and he have become a personal friend of mine that I really appreciate.
The first time I saw this car was when I first got my learning permit. I was driving along with my mom when the golden 1968 Dodge Charger appeared on the road. Its presence, even from the other lane, left a massive impression on me and fueled my passion. That experience helped me stay motivated prior to pulling my Charger from the field I found it in just about a year later. I never thought I’d get the chance to drive it regularly, let alone get to write about it for work. But here we are. Believe in your dreams, kids.
Do you have any tips or queries about the Charger 68? You can get it here: hank. ohop@thedrive. com
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