There's a running joke amongst GM and Ford fans that Chrysler's "MOPAR" acronym, which is short for "Motor Parts", actually stands for "Most Original Parts Already Replaced". Pretty funny. However, in the case of this rattle can 1968 Dodge Charger for sale up here in Cleveland, Ohio with an eye watering asking price of $15,000, it's true. The engine, transmission and interior have all been replaced.
For reasons that are but a mystery except to those who value such things, buyers of classic cars prefer to buy cars that are "numbers matching", where a car has the same engine and transmission it was originally manufactured with. The term "numbers matching" stems from the serial codes on the engine and transmission matching the serial code on the car itself. On the market, a numbers matching car is worth more than a car that's had its engine or transmission replaced. Even if the replacement is debateably an improvement over what the car came with originally, the car is valued less. This car came from the factory with a high performance 383 cubic inch, 4 barrel V-8. Argue all you want that the 440 was a better engine than the 383. Most MOPAR fans would beg to differ.
There are exception to the rule of numbers matching, of course. For example, where a car has been fully restored or "retro-modded", the notion of "number matching" matters less if it at all; particularly with regards to "retro-modding". Retro-modding, or "retro-modification", a practice that was verboten years ago, is the practice of taking an old car and fitting it with modern running gear while keeping the car looking as close to "factory" as possible. In the case of our '68 here with a 1970 engine, it's more like the modification was "period correct" as opposed to a retro-mod. It also begs the question, "what happened to the original engine"?
With regards to the interior, the ad claims it's from a 1970 Charger as well although it doesn't say if it was from the same car the engine came from. With regards to "numbers matching", we've never seen the term applied to anything other than the power train so it makes us wonder why that really matters at all. We see here that these front buckets look as though they've recently been reupholstered and done so professionally. That's worth at least something. The back seat looks as fresh. Note the crack in the top of the dash near the glove box. That'll be a pretty penny to replace.
The story of the Dodge Charger is a star crossed one. Dodge dealerships dismayed that they didn't have something to sell in the burgeoning new "pony car" segment that began in 1964 lobbied Chrysler for a sporty car for their showrooms as well. However, rather than selling a rebadged Plymouth Barracuda, Dodge was given a fastback coupe version of their stalwart "mid size" Coronet sedan. Sales, to put it mildly, were middling. They improved somewhat following a redesign for 1968 but the market for large, sporty, two door cars has never been strong. Another redesign for 1971 did little to improve things. Dodge rebadged a Chrysler Cordoba clone as a Charger for 1975 finally putting the nameplate to pasture half way through the 1978 model year. A front wheel drive K car derivative appeared from 1981-1987. Ironically, harkening back to the days of Daimler-Chrysler, the best selling Charger of all time has been the most recent Charger, a four door sedan based loosely on the Mercedes Benz W220 platform, which debuted in 2006.
Like other "MOPAR's" of similar vintage that sold just as poorly when new, the popularity of these Chargers has soared over the last thirty years. What were once pariahs of insurance companies and gas pumps have appreciated in value to the point of being, frankly, absurd. Case in point, our backyard rattle can sprayed, non numbers matching 1968 Charger here with an asking price of $15,000.
No doubt the owner is basing his asking price on Haggerty.com's value of $14,900 for 1968-1970 Chargers in "fair" condition. "Fair" being the lowest rating that Haggerty has for classic cars; from a value stand point anything that they would evaluate any lower not being money well spent. We can't believe a professional appraiser would say that this car is in "fair" condition. There's an ass for every seat but some cars are harder to sell than others.
We'd be hard pressed to believe that our '68 here will sell for anywhere near the asking price if the owner is truly motivated to move it like they say they are. While these are the most desirable of the first three generations of Chargers, we wouldn't spend that kind of money on this car. Even at half the asking price we'd have a hard time with it. A third of the asking price seems more appropriate. Even then, at that price, you're still getting a 1968 Charger with most original parts already replaced.
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