Beautifully Restored 1968 Charger 440 R/T Came from a Field

Beautiful Car, Great Story

Those who have visited Urness Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep in northern Oregon most likely recognize this gorgeous slice of vintage Mopar muscle. That's because the Bright Red beauty sits right inside the dealership, greeting all of those who visit. But this stunning '68 Charger 440 R/T also carries a fascinating story, one brought to light in this recent Hot Rod feature.

Photos courtesy of Hot Rod.

Field Find

The owner of both the dealership and this Charger, Tim Urness, found the car abandoned in a field not far from his home. Sitting alongside a '70 Cuda and '70 Charger R/T, this poor old '68 was just sitting on top of some logs in pretty terrible shape.

Photos courtesy of Hot Rod. 

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Sitting Around

According to the seller, the Charger was originally owned by a military member in California, who gave it to his father. But after his dad decided to get a new car, the Charger just sat. That is until 2001 when Urness convinced the owner to part ways with it.

Photos courtesy of Hot Rod. 

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Total Disassembly

Urness proceeded to completely disassemble the Charger down to every last nut and bolt. He made a list of everything that was missing or in need of replacement, and then media blasted the car at his brother-in-law's shop.

Photos courtesy of Hot Rod. 

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Near Disaster

Everything was going fairly well until a historic snowstorm in 2005 collapsed the roof of the shop. It was two weeks before anyone could even get to the building to see if the Charger was OK. Thankfully, a nearby welding table played the hero and kept the imploding roof from reaching the previous muscle car.

Photos courtesy of Hot Rod. 

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Whole Again

From here, Urness decided to take his car to the Smith Brothers, experts in vintage Charger restoration, for completion. After wrapping up all the bodywork, the Smiths ordered everything that was missing from this abandoned ride needed to make it whole again.

Photos courtesy of Hot Rod. 

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Slight Mods

Next, the original engine was completely rebuilt and fitted with like Keith Black pistons, an Edelbrock carb, and Mopar Performance cam and ignition. The original block, heads, and intake were retained, along with the A833 four-speed transmission, which was rebuilt to factory specs.

Photos courtesy of Hot Rod. 

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Stock, Mostly

After applying several coats of Bright Red paint, the crew started work on the interior. They utilized many stock components here as well but added a few pieces from Legendary Interior to complete the job.

Photos courtesy of Hot Rod. 

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Hiding the Mods

This is not a Concours-type restoration by any means, but you'd be hard pressed to tell. Pop the hood, and you'll find exhaust manifolds, hoses, clamps, and valve covers that are correct for this year Charger.

Photos courtesy of Hot Rod. 

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Unmatched Results

The end result of all this hard work is one of the most beautiful Chargers you'll ever see. And needless to say, Urness is quite pleased with the outcome.

“The Smith Brothers Restoration helped to restore the vehicle using their encyclopedic knowledge of Chargers. It was under their guidance and talent that they assembled all of the loose ends to keep the project pure. Their help was invaluable in this endeavor, and I cannot say enough about their skill, knowledge, and friendship.”

Photos courtesy of Hot Rod. 

>>Join the conversation about this classic 1968 Charger 440 R/T right here in Dodge Forums.

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