Abandoned ’68 Dodge Charger Roars to Life After 35 Years: Wicked Wednesday Presented by the All-New Nitto Recon Grappler™ A/T
Patina Dodge Charger sat without an engine or transmission for 35 years. Today it is ready for burnout duty.
The 1968 Dodge Charger is beloved by many. Classic looks and great performance are a couple of its key charms. However, as much as it is loved, it is not unheard of to come across an abandoned Dodge Charger. But even an abandoned Charger is worth being brought back to life. This particular example is a one-owner example which is good. But it has also sat for 35 years in a shed without an engine or transmission which is not so good.
This week’s “Wicked Wednesday” presented by Nitto features this long-lost Dodge Charger. The car was purchased by YouTuber Westen Champlin. He posted a video on his channel of the entire revival process. Everything from getting a 440 big block out of a motorhome to the first time the car moved under its own power in 35 years. It is all here for us to watch and enjoy.
Gotcha Day
The video starts with Champlin looking over the car as it sits in storage. It is missing the engine and transmission. And the interior is shot and there is some rust. However, the body is pretty straight, and all things considered it doesn’t look too bad. Can a 1968 Dodge Charger ever not look cool? Once it is back in the shop the first thing to do is draft up a game plan around what it will take to make this thing run again. Step one is find an engine. Well as luck would have it Champlin has a 1979 Winnebago that happens to have a 440 big block in it that is not really doing anything at the moment.
Fire Up the Kuboda
Champlin goes about removing the engine from the Winnebago in typical Champlin style. He fires up the Kuboda Skid Loader and sets upon the old motor home like a lion tearing apart its prey. Eventually the engine is ripped free. However, Champlin might have been a bit overly enthusiastic when it came to removing the engine. He notices that the transmission is now cracked. So, the Dodge Charger will have a new engine, but it won’t be able to go anywhere. That is OK because Champlin is a pretty resourceful guy. He manages to find a transmission and a pallet full of parts that he needs to get this abandoned Dodge Charger back together.
It Lives!
Champlin had his work cut out for him with everything that needed to get sorted to get this car on the road again. But within just a couple of weeks he addressed the engine, transmission, cooling system, brakes, battery, alternator, and carburetors. That does not make this a show car. Not even close. The fuel system is still a bit wonky. The lights don’t work, the wiring isn’t really done, and so on. And of course, nothing cosmetic on the car has been touched at all. But this is not about shiny paint and wheels. This is about getting this beast on the road. The good news is after a little cajoling the big 440 fires up.
Horsepower, Smoke, and Burnouts
Now that it is running the next logical thing is to get the car out on the road and to do some proper burnouts. One thing is for sure, the car sure makes good noises. For an engine that got ripped out of an old motorhome it sounds surprisingly sweet. And it does actual, proper burnouts for the first time since Ronald Reagan was in office.
Later Tater
All the car needs now is a name. “She looks like a bad potato so I’m naming her Tater.” Says Champlin. Checkout the video below to see how Tater was brought back to life. We are not sure what is planned next for this old and abandoned Dodge Charger, but we hope to see a lot more of it.
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