Wicked Wednesday: ’68 Dodge Charger Is a Land Speeder Destined for Bonneville Salt Flats
Land speed car project started 18 years ago with the goal of hitting 200 mph. After missing for 15 years, it is back as a street legal racer.
We feature a number of Mopar performance vehicles on these pages. A drag car is a fairly common subject. We also like the occasional barn find. And of course, the over-the-top SEMA builds. But what we have here is 1968 Dodge Charger land speed car.
And a car that is designed to set land speed records is a whole different animal. It takes more than just big power to set a speed record. And this car was well on its way to its target of hitting 200 mph when it suddenly disappeared for more than 15 years. Now it is back, and it has quite a story to tell.
This week’s “Wicked Wednesday” is all about this 1968 Dodge Charger land speed car. The car is owned by Jimmy Shine the man behind Shine Speedshop in Orange, California. He began working on this exact car 18 years ago. He managed to get it up to about 180 mph in an unauthorized test run on a dry lakebed.
Then the production company that owned the car at the time decided to shelf the project and the car disappeared. Now it is back in the hands of Shine. Shawn Davis from AutotopiaLA paid Shine a visit to discuss the car and its history. This visit is captured in a video recently posted to the AutotopiaLA YouTube channel.
In the Beginning
We all love great cars. But when a great car has an equally great story it makes it all the more special. This car is a 1968 Dodge Charger that started life with a 318 cubic inch V8 hooked up to an automatic transmission. Shine got the car via the production company he was working with for a television show. The goal of the car was to hit 200 mph. Early one morning on the way to Las Vegas, Shine and his crew spotted a dry lakebed with no one on it. The car was unloaded and got four runs in before the cops chased them off. The car hit about 180 mph that day. Turns out that is the only time the car ever got to run. The production company shelved the show and the car disappeared.
15 Years Later
Shine was bummed but life moves on. About fifteen years later his agent calls him and tells him that he has the car. The engine was gone but it was the same car. Shine bought the car. That was about 2 and a half years ago. Today the Dodge is a street legal land speed car. Parachute on the back, aerodynamic moon caps on the wheels, the whole deal. On the street this thing turns heads to say the least. But this car is about more than just turning heads. It still has a mission as a land speed car and is setup accordingly.
Pedigree
The story of this car continues with its pedigree. Many well-known folks in the racing and hot rod community were involved with the original car. Dick Landy, and Pete Chapouris both played a part in the creation of the original car. They are no longer with us, but Shine wanted to be sure they were honored with the car and how he finished it.
The engine block came from Keith Black. The 426 has been stroked out to 494 cubic inches. It is making about 510 horsepower on pump gas. It has a 9-inch Ford rear end, coil overs all around and Wilwood brakes. And skinny tires. The tires look almost out of place until you remember that this is a land speed car designed to run on the salt.
Mopar Approved
Time to hit the road. Not everyday that you see a land speed car in traffic and this one certainly makes an impression. At a light a fellow Mopar driver stops and gives the thumbs up. This car is Mopar approved.
It looks great on the street and sounds even better. But it has super long gearing. It is a land speed car after all so the gears are geared for that. Pardon the pun. No matter, the car is still a total blast on the road. It is a special car with a special story, and it is tough to beat that combo. Check out the video below for all the details.
Join the Dodge Forums now!
