Wicked Wednesday: 1968 Dodge Charger Dirt Track Racer Gets Thrashed
Dodge Charger dirt track racer has not raced since 1974, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still take a beating.
We all love the 1968 Dodge Charger. We write about it often as these cars have been modified for big power, restored to like new and even used in movies. The 1968 Charger has done it all. That includes a little dirt track racing. That is exactly what this old Charger did. This was a Dodge Charger dirt track racer from the 1970 through 1974 seasons when it was finally retired. It might sound nice to be able to retire after only five years of working but this car put in some hard years.
This week’s “Wicked Wednesday” is all about this old Dodge Charger dirt track racer. Today it uses Ford power and sits on a Lincoln Town Car frame. But it still has that iconic 1968 Dodge Charger body. Well, what is left of it anyway.
This might be the rattiest Charger out there. Dylan McCool now owns the car, and he recently posted a video of it on his YouTube channel. In the video we get a detailed history of the car. But, on top of that we get to see McCool beating the living hell out of it. Despite his best efforts this old dirt track racer takes everything he can throw at it. Let’s check it out.
First Impressions
McCool arrives at the airport where he first lays eyes on the Charger. His plan is to take it on a 7-hour, nearly 350-mile drive home. When you look at it, you would not think it would last 7 minutes let alone 7 hours. Remember the car in the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles that burned to the ground and then was driven on the highway?
Well, imagine it was a Dodge Charger. But the guy he is picking the car up from assures him that all the stuff to make the car legal works. The headlights and turn signals all work. It even has the original steering wheel so there is one point for originality. That might be the only point as there is not much of the original car left. But who cares, it is time for a road trip.
Road Trip
Well, the car sounds pretty good. And apparently the heater and air conditioning work. Which is a good thing because this car is about as airtight as a slice of Swiss cheese. The car even has a working radio. What more could you ask for?
Maybe a set of seatbelts would probably be good, but you can’t have everything. And despite its looks the car made the trip without any breakdowns and without killing its passengers. Although the hood did split in half and had to get strapped down. But hey that can happen with any car, right?
A Little History
This car was bought new in 1968. Looking at this car it is hard to imagine it was ever new, but the original owner drove it for a couple years. In 1970 it was involved in an accident, so it was taken off the road. That is when it was converted to a dirt track racer. It competed until the end of the 1974 season.
At that point, the car was parked in the junkyard where it sat for decades. In 2018 the car was purchased and rescued from the junkyard. The body of the car was placed on a 2002 Lincoln Town Car frame. The car also took the 4.6L V8 from the Lincoln. From that moment on the car was used for some burnout and donut fun.
Back Home
McCool and his newly acquired Dodge Charger dirt track racer eventually made it back home, and it was time for some testing. And by testing we mean drifting on some gravel roads. The car looks right at home in this environment. It was easy to slide around but it made McCool a bit nervous at times. We can’t forget this is a 2002 Lincoln Town Car underneath after all. But the car behaves well and puts a big smile on his face. When you buy a car all you want is that big smile and McCool has it.
Off-Road
McCool now takes the Charger off the road completely and slides it around an open field. Again, the car looks fantastic in this environment, and we are sure it is a huge amount of fun. McCool pushes it for quite a while, but the old girl finally has too much and begins to overheat. He cooked a fuse and the radiator fan quite working which caused the overheating. It was an easy enough fix, and the car was back on the road, and in the dirt again.
Video
If you like cars with some patina, then you are going to love this. The video below is a must watch because it is has a classic Dodge Charger dirt track racer doing classic Dodge Charger dirt track things. It is the rattiest looking car you will likely ever see but that doesn’t matter at all. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And watching this thing slide around in a field is simply beautiful.
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