First-Gen Charger Built to Blast Down the Bonneville Salt Flats at 200 MPH
Special 1968 Charger is not only a racer and a cruiser, but it’s also a machine chock full of memories for its owner.
When most think of Dodge Charger models from the 1960s, they probably envision mean, street-pounding muscle machines, or perhaps the villain played by the Charger that starred in the legendary film Bullitt. However, this particular 1968 Charger – owned by a fellow named Jimmy Shine – takes a very different route, as it’s been modified to not only be some sort of street-legal driver, but also, a machine capable of hitting 200 miles-per-hour at the iconic Bonneville Salt Flats. In this video from the exhaust-makers at MagnaFlow, we get a bit of backstory on this wild creation, and it’s truly fascinating.
Shine originally built this 1968 Charger a whopping 18 years ago before it disappeared and then reappeared roughly three years ago. When he reacquired it, the vintage muscle car was a classic 20-footer, but looked a bit rough up close. He went in and fixed it up and got it looking presentable, but the itch to drive it on the salt flats wouldn’t go away. Regardless, for some time, Shine simply used the car to cruise around town and meet up with his like-minded buddies.
Meanwhile, Shine continues to improve his beloved toy, giving it all sorts of cool details that most will never even see, such as the rocker shafts located underneath the valve covers. He simply loves to tinker with it himself after hours, and then tell his wife about what he did each particular day, even if she has no clue what he’s talking about – which is something that many of us can certainly relate to, without a doubt.
Regardless, for Shine, this 1968 Charger is about more than cruising around or blasting down the salt flats at insane speeds. “There was something very special about this car,” he said. “A lot of it I forgot about. It was 18 years ago, and the people that worked on this car – the crew, the team we had – you know, they’re gone now. There are certain parts…just working on the car that brought back a lot of memories which I had totally forgotten about. I got to relive that, and that’s really what makes cars very special.”
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