Barn find cars are automotive artifacts. In many cases, little is known about the car, how it ended up stashed away, or why. But sometimes, there’s a history that, when uncovered, is as cool as the car itself. In rare cases, that history is of a one-owner car that is a beloved family member.
That brings us to today’s video of a barn-find 1968 Dodge Charger. Owned by Larry, who just turned 80 years old, it’s a one-owner car that’s sat in a garage for 16 years. The 1968 Charger is an iconic vehicle for its presence and because of its role as the car driven by the henchmen in the movie Bullitt. It’s also a neat coincidence that this Charger was stored in Tennessee, the same state where the Bullitt Mustang was stashed away until it was reintroduced to the world.
Painted B5 Blue, this Charger is well-optioned with a vinyl roof, bucket seats, and console. The body has an incredible patina and is almost rust-free, thanks to living in a state that hardly sees snow. Ironically, the only damage to the body occurred during a pair of snow storms, including a dent in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen, and a small scrape from the side of the garage.
Sadly the owner suffered a stroke in 1995, and the Charger was parked in various places, including outside, for a period of time. Until then, it was maintained religiously with regular oil changes and maintenance. Even after his stroke, the owner would go start it on occasion to keep it running and thinks it would run and drive with a few repairs.
With a new battery, new points, and fresh gasoline, the Charger coughs to life for the first time in years. The meticulous maintenance is evident because the car still has 75 psi of oil pressure at idle. After swapping out the tires and repairing the drum brakes, the Charger seems eager to return to the road.
Dylan and his team spent two long days getting the Charger running and driving. The effort is worth it to hear the unmistakable idle of a Mopar V8 and the joy of the family who has held on to the car for all these years.
