My dad being a Mopar guy always carried a ballast resistor and points and condensers in the glove box just in case .hell in the Trunk he had a milk carton complete new water pump belts and alternator fuel pump tools .his daily drive to work was 100 miles round trip and there was a state game area that he had to pass through totally void of civilization for a 10 mile stretch .so if anything broke he was on his own to fix it and get to where he was heading.many times his being prepared saved his hide on the side of the road .that little Plymouth valiant gave our family many years of service before it rust out the front torsion bar on the driver's side .he put the old girl down on the back side of our pasture and got a nice little Aspen wagon.he liked to keep it simple and modest when it came to his mode of transportation for us .he is gone now but he left us fond memories of way back then. 😌
I have only 3 things to say. Awesome video! Awesome trip! And Awesome car!👍 myself the 68 has always been my favorite, but the 69 is too, so what did I do, I got one of each! Then unfortunately sold them both, thinking I could buy more back in the future, I even had a 70 too. By the time the charger bug hit me again the prices were so far out of my range I knew I'd never be able to have one again, at least I have the old photos and memories.......
@@DeadDodgeGarageany day is a good day when you can get a charger...... I was working to get my car.......59 new Yorker.... Kinda of a C body guy Close to getting it..... that was until.....I ALMOST TURNED INTO A CONVICT.... a Nepo managers daughter wanted to fight me.....!!!; SOOOO....there was that
Hi Jamie, I thought I'd give you my thoughts on the Chargers. First, I've always wanted a '68 Charger I think they're the most beautiful model year. I admit the '69 you drove cross country is a beautiful example and the fact that its a rust free example is tempting. As far as engine I'd go with a 360 built with plenty of power and it'll drop in place no sweat. When I got out of the Army I looked long and hard for a '68 but never connected with one I would buy. People beat the he'll out of muscle cars back in the sixties. I found a '69 Plymouth GTX Hemi that had been abused but I could see the possibilities there so I bought it. Dual quad 426. It was a rust free dent free example too. It had the usual scrapes and dings one would expect. Although I loved that car, I wished it was a '68 Hemi Charger. Whatever you decide to do ill be watching. Good luck on your choice!!!
Not all - that’s why we look for cars that belonged to responsible people and ideally were never sold, or taken apart. The more original, the better. I think the real point here is that these things were just cars, not the amazing collectibles we have come to revere them as today. I’m sure the same has been true for many, many types of car over the years. But I will say, some muscle car owners knew they had something special, and made at least some effort to preserve their pride and joy.
Beautiful car and really cool journey too! Thanks for taking us along. For what it's worth...I would overhaul the 318 and keep it with 2 ideas in mind. To maximize the performance while adhering to the constraints of regular pump gas and maximizing fuel economy; say 300hp/20mpg. Think of how great that would be on a road trip and I truly believe it's attainable. Keep up the great videos
I have a car that does 50 to the gallon,i prefer to drive my big block charger,its about smiles per gallon not miles per gallon,if you have never driven one you will never know😍😍@@fastinradfordable
I almost have no words, but I do. What an adventure, when I was younger than you, I had similar ones, but that was the late 70's and cars like that were cheap and disposable- not anymore. At least it was a non-numbers matching 318. Personally, I throw in a disguised 360 and (almost)nobody will be the wiser. Looking forward to finding out what puked inside the engine. Cool video Jamie...an adventure that you will never forget.
Right there with you. A trip like that used to be just another day. Now it’s the kind of craziness that thousands dream of… I’m a lucky guy. Very much looking forward to finding out. I am thinking head gasket, but we’ll see. I certainly won’t ever forget this. Thanks, Ralph!
Wow. The oldest - and longest - video I've watched of yours yet! Man, I love that thing. Not that its going to make any difference to the outcome this late in the piece, but in answer to your questions at the end: Yes, if I had access to a 360 (or a 383 and felt like dicking around with the a/c bits to get the 'right' engine in there), I'd bore it out and balance pistons and crank, drop a mild cam in it, build it with the right parts to keep it strong, port and polish the heads and then drop that in the engine bay, but ditch the teeny carb in favour of one that helped it breathe easier and gave it fuel when the engine wanted it, chuck big headers on it if it doesn't have them already, along with 2.5" pipes either side with a cross-over (for the same reason), chuck a decent electronic ignition in it (but always carry a spare dizzy - or points and condenser at least - in the boot), do the other little things that the shakedown run made obvious and then just drive it until the wheels fell off. Now, would I sell my numbers matching '68 for the instant gratification of just having to build an engine before I could be out in something that looked that good? That's a tougher call. The answer is.....well, yes. Yes I would. If I can build the engine I want to put into a car I already like exactly how it is and can have that up in running in WEEKS instead of MONTHS, yes, yes I would. BTW, you're not the only one who yells at the GPS woman. I call her Amy....after a particularly annoying girl I remember from school who would always wait until you got four words out before SHE started talking. Every. Damn. Time. And then she would remind you of the plainly obvious 5 mins later....and again when you were in the middle of DOING what she had been talking about. She just wouldn't shut up! But anyway, that was a great watch, mate. Sad the 318 didn't quite get her home but it still had some pep for a 7-cylindered beast! All the best.
It was amazing. It was also pretty intense and very tiring. Can’t wait to do it again. But glad to be home. I love the color. Everybody I met on the road agreed. Haha.
Hi Dead Dodge Garage, I just found your YT channel. What an amazing video this is !!! I loved it. America is a beautiful country. Nice you sharing it in this video. I am looking forward to your other video's. Still got a lot to view. Thank You so much !!! Greatings from the Netherlands !!!
I love this video, loved the journey. It tugs at my heart strings as the 69 is my favorite car of all time. I had two of them in my twenties but didn't have they money to fix them up like I wanted. Eventually had to sell them when I had kids. I long for that car and would do about anything to get another one. The yearning is strong and seeing this one and the 68 just makes it so much worse. All the best to you, Brotha. Love from Northern California!
1st, cant wait to see the 318 teardown, dying to see what happened. As for an engine, 360 magnum long block, slight cam and make it look somewhat like the 318. That car is gorgeous!
Me too… that will be interesting. I am very much expecting a fire ring blown straight up into crankcase. I don’t know what causes it, but I’ve seen it before. The only tricky part with Magnum would be getting (or drilling) heads that accept the LA intake pattern, so I can use a factory 4 barrel intake and mount the AC. Not undoable, but an extra annoying step.
Gorgeous charger. I used to drive that exact route commuting between KC and Seattle for a couple years...many familiar sights on your trip. Once did it in a 75 Grand Ville convertible...seized a wheel bearing in the mountains, at night, in a light snow. Also went to nearest town on a rollback. Adventures in old car travel. Also, 383 is always the answer, but I could be persuaded with a sweet 318 cruiser... You don't always need a 4 barrel
Wow! What a commute that must have been… what a haul. That’s awesome. I absolutely *love* the 383 in my ‘68. They are the greatest. The 318 could definitely be massaged to make some extra power without too much trouble. I’m a big fan of the small block too.
Wowser! I have been surviving on old DDG videos, so I was ready for a long one! I truly enjoyed this masterpiece! Funny thing... The Charger lasted 1800 miles, and I lasted 18 minutes before falling asleep. Not from boredom. Just totally tuckered out. Road trips are great! Memories of three road trips of mine were exposed, so now I must talk about me again! Your fault Jamie. Picture it... 1996. I was daily driving a 1970 Dart Swinger. 318/904. I did a weekend nickel rebuild, including 360 heads, 4 barrel carb, dual exhaust and a mild cam. After I broke-in the new cam, I promptly hit the road from Tampa Florida to the Mopar Nationals in Columbus Ohio. From there I drove to Niagara Falls, NY and then back to Tampa. Nothing broke! Just some exciting brake fade coming down a mountain. If I haven't told you already, I am the greatest! In 1981, I had a 1966 Hemi Satellite minus the Hemi. I built my first engine for it. A 440+6, a 4 speed, and 4.30 gears. Drove it to Indianapolis, Indiana for the Street Machine Nationals. I was doing some street racing the first night and broke an axle at 3:00am. The scene was insane! Five buses of riot cops and dogs showed up! I had to abandon the Satellite, and swim across a creek to escape being arrested! I swam back across, snuck behind a K-mart, and hopped in my car and made it to the camp ground to retrieve my tent, and corndogs. The broken axle was spinning like crazing, but I got on the highway, and crossed my greasy fingers. Top speed was 45 mph, but I made it back home. As I was literally on my knees kissing ground, The rear wheel fell off the axle! All five wheel studs got so hot from the axle friction, that they just snapped off! OMG! I just got off the highway! Last Year I bought a 2017 Hemi Ram 1500 and a 20 foot enclosed trailer to tow my 1973 Pro touring Charger (400+6, 5 speed) to the Musclecars at the Strip. I overloaded the trailer by far, and it made for a very scary ride with the Ram's spongy suspension. When I got to Flagstaff Arizona, a huge snow storm was too much for my 2 wheel drive Ram, and I had to leave the trailer behind, stuck in 3 feet of snow. I drove on to the show, depressed that I couldn't drive my Charger on the autocross. The show was awesome! I picked up the trailer 2 weeks later, and had to out-run a tornado in Oklahoma! Believe me! It's difficult to drive fast with all your fingers and toes crossed! Well, you just suffered through the short versions. A lot of wild-n-crazy things happened on those trips! I nearly choked to death in Tucson Arizona, and drove to Las Vegas with a bad case of pneumonia! Ah! Ha! A long RU-vid video deserves a long comment! A great long video Jamie! Thanks! Your biggest fan, Bad Ash
Wow… you have been some places and seen some stuff. A whole lot more than I have… but I’m working on catching up. Haha. That’s ok, Steve, I literally fell asleep twice while trying to edit this video… I cut out almost a half hour of driving video and extra commentary. I pity anyone who has to listen to me *that* much…
That's hilarious Jamie! I am a blabber mouth, but I know it! I always tell people to just hang up the phone, or walk away when they've had enough. It won't hurt my feelings.@@DeadDodgeGarage
Cross country in an old classic is an awesome experience. Back in 2004 I purchased a 65 Impala SS on ebay while I was Iraq. Had the car shipped from Scottsdale AZ to my home in Los Angeles. When I got home I had the powerglide replaced for a th350 trans for the extra gear for cruising. Drove it Fort Campbell KY where I was stationed. Somewhere around Nashville TN developed a crack on one of the manifolds...sounded pretty cool actually...lol. Had some shorty headers at home ready for install. Drove it back to Los Angeles later on and back to Fort Campbell. That second time around lost 2nd gear in Memphis TN...luckily it was a cheap fix. Another time drove a 70 Impala from Fort Campbell to Los Angeles and back. On the trip out there had a front bearing go out and ruin a spindle somewhere in AZ...had some local American natives help me out...offered me some peyote...lol, didn't partake. All this before smartphones were a thing, AM radio only....lol....definitely good times.
This car is incredible. 318 is a little small, but seems to have good power. Fixing it might get weird if any damage goes with the oil leak, but you already have it so it is already cheaper to fix in a sense.
Damn that pizza looked good The Charger is amazing, worth the trip ! Love Rooster’s Roadrunner as well I drove an old chevy truck for 24 years and it would eat fuel pumps as well, was always in the driveway etc that it would so never left me stranded
This is the best video with Charger 1969 from the reason it got a lot of views of this beauty. You should edit this video and make the new one just with sequnces of Chargers exterior and interior. You would gain 1 mil. views for sure... 😊 68-70 Charger is my dream car. 😍🥰 Thanx for video! 😊
That was an awesome trip despite the difficulties 👍 I did a drive from Melbourne to Adelaide in Australia which is about 460 miles but it took 22 hours🙄 I would put a nice 440 stroker with a good single 4 barrel carby😊 Thanks for sharing man👍
That was definitely an epic adventure and thank you for bringing us along. First opinion question I would do 360 with a little bit of a spicy nature and I don't know I'm pretty partial to the 68 as far as second opinion.
Fun video. Thanks for taking us along for the ride. Reminded me of a few years ago when I bought a '68 New Yorker in a small town in Indiana and decided to try and drive it home to the western St. Louis, MO suburbs. With my then-17 year old driving my good car, and my younger son riding shotgun with me in the New Yorker, we began driving west. Pulled into a Pilot truck stop about half way home to top off the tank (bad fuel gauge sending unit) and the danged thing refused to turn over. It had been so long since I'd owned a MOPAR that it never occurred to me to bypass the ammeter which, as it turned out, was the gremlin that kept the engine from starting. So, platinum AAA to the rescue. We made it back around 2:30 a.m. The wife was not amused. The New Yorker entered the garage around 4:30 a.m. or so. The wife was not impressed. On a later date, one of the boys told me that he asked his mother what she thought of the "new" car. He then asked me, "What's 'livid' mean?" Haha!
The further and FASTEST you can get away from Chicago the BETTER!! Also, I think it would have been better to replace the accelerator pump before you attempt a long trip! But Iove your sense of adventure 😊.
I had a 71SE with the 440, and I drove with a broken motor mount for awhile until I slapped that thing off the line, that B body flex of course popped that mount good. I miss that car, hopefully I find another one day.
Good evening 🌅 🍺 Jamie Sorry I'm late . This was a longer than usual vlog from you , so I wanted adequate time too enjoy it Great find 🏁🙏🏆‼️ Glad you made it back home to your family . I think 🤔 you're right A 360 dressed as , the original 318 Would be perfect Especially for a daily driver
68 has always been my favorite so I can't help you with that decision. But if that 69 were mine I think I'd have to eventually drop a 440 in it. Other than that the only other thing it needs is wider tires in the rear.
Nope! @37:05; But I noticed the crooked steering wheel early on and had been wondering what was up with that. It almost appeared as if it was placed upside down. It is inspiring seeing you make this trip in that beautiful Charger... I do believe you are correct when you say you think you were born to be a MOPAR gearhead. Not that my humble opinion matters so much, but there are many subbers here that likely would agree. Just like a thousand or more of your fans I'm on a strict fixed income and having YT DDG as entertainment is a blessing. Thanks for having us come along each week.
I'd build an up to date 318, great motor. I also have a "super cruiser", a 66 Imperial with (of course) a 440. Drive it anywhere, put over 2000 miles on it this summer. It was originally a Chrysler Canada corporate car, original motor & paint, original leather interior like new & 102000 miles on it. Happy cruising!
Dude, that was epic! I love the long form video. Great job. That ending cracked me up. Having had the opportunity to drive across the country multiple times in my life, you notice many things: 1. this country is big. 2. You will stare at the ass end of a long haul truck of some kind at all times. 3. There is lots of food. All kinds of food. Food everywhere. And cheesy highway shops galore. 4. There is such a thing as Midwest nice. I love the Midwest and it's folks. There's so many more. I would of skipped Rushmore though cause the Badlands and the Crazy Horse monument are way better. Or even Wall Drug lol. But glad you came out the other end safe. And yeah, I'd take that car too. You should. Cheers Jamie.
Would have done Badlands but it was dark when I went through there. Bummer. Would have liked to have done Crazy Horse too. Next time. There was way too much to see out there. Haha.
Great road trip video, and thanks for showing all the issues that are inevitable. I would fix/replace the 318 and sell the '69 to get the funds to fix the '68. Best year of the Charger.
Keep the 69 with a fuel injected pre-magnum 360. I've always preffered the 69 to the 68. My first car was a 69 charger with a 318. Looked just like yours except brown with a white top and white interior. It even had the Cragar SS. I gave that car hell and it never complained. Man, I miss it.😥
What a great trip! Sell the ‘68. Yesterday. A built 360 can stick you in the seat on demand, too. This car is gorgeous and you had the adventure of a lifetime in it.
You don't remember it until someone else does it. Cross country in those old cars was a pain. I remember being on the side of the road with the family for two days when the u=joint let go. It was in a new at the time 1969 Plymouth GTX. Those were the days! LOL
I’ve heard a few comments like that. Just interesting to note that u-joints essentially haven’t changed since then… at least in trucks, which still use them
EPIC cheers. As an ozzie who luvs bud im not allowed to see ur awesome country but i couldn't look away. Thank Rooster, Evan, Criss , and ocourse you and the Charger for takin us across the USA. And plz say u haven't sold the 383 .
Hello DDG! I'm new to your channel but I have been binge watching a lot of your videos. I'm not a Mopar guy such as yourself, but I appreciate how educational your videos are. They are to the point, and full of very useful information. I really enjoyed this video. A lot of this knowledge I can apply to my 1970 Buick GS 455 and my future projects. I've still got a lot to learn as I am relatively new to the old car hobby. I'm only 20 years old and trying my best :). Thanks for doing what you do!
Awesome! I am secretly a big Buick fan. I had a ‘67 Electra 225 with a 430 which I really loved. A lot of what I talk about here will absolutely apply to what you’ve got going on. Thanks for watching!
360 pretending to be a 318 is a great idea. I like 68s better than 69s (except for tailights), but this purple 69 is a sweetheart - I'd keep her. Great video!
What an epic adventure - and as an old(er) goat myself who's had a few of those, I can go ahead and state the obvious here - this was something that will stay with you for the rest of your days. Just think - you can bore children, grandchildren and fellow attendees at future car events with the story! Yes, of course you need to buy the car - and do the 360 swap - because you've bonded with it now. No denying it - just get on with it - and thank you for sharing the ride with us. - Ed on the Ridge
Oh I can’t wait for that. Haha. The problem is that I can’t afford both… and I think I would very much miss my original, numbers matching ‘68 383 car… thanks Ed!
I like watching you have starting trouble. I like hearing you talk your way through it. Well,,,,,as long as the starter turns and doesn't grind like that. The crank of a Mopar starter always turned my head. Great video!
I'd say most of my non-technical videos like this are 75% entertainment (whether that's due to the silliness, seeing the awesome cars, the level of failure, or all of the above,) but I'd like the other 25% to be at least vaguely educational. I have an interesting relationship with these cars and spend a lot of time thinking through failures and such, and am trying to communicate that process through video. Hopefully it works. Haha. Thank you!
@@DeadDodgeGarage I'd say it works well! Your vids are entertaining and informative. I like your sometimes silly happy go lucky schtick. Interesting relationship? Makes me wonder.
LMAO on the McDonald's joke! You where on the right side of the Mississippi, then left it .. all the corn is for all of us who drive our old mopars that get less than 14 mpg!!! Awesome vidoe jamie
Great Video, Jamie, and not too long. I've a year on Uncle Tony and like him, have been a tech all my life starting in the '70's. Worked on all the cars you feature when they were everyday cars. I've restored/owned/driven nothing but vintage cars all my life. The newest car I've ever owned is my 1967 GTO. I've been driving since 1976. What I would do: Keep your '68 Charger. It is THE best year, and we both know it. That said, build a nice stealth 360 for the '69 and sort the rest of the car out as a nice, comfortable cruiser. And then, KEEP IT. Sell off various other vehicles to make room. We both know that 2nd Gen Chargers are better than money in the bank. Keeping the '69 is investing in the future, and you can drive it while it appreciates!
You’re absolutely right - but unfortunately I don’t have enough extras left to add up to buy a ‘69. I’ve definitely done the math on that one. That’s why I have to make an either or decision… and I’ve decided that keeping my ‘68 is the way to go. But we’ll definitely get to have some more fun with the ‘69 before Tom eventually sells it.
I agree, Sir. That said, '69 Chargers will never get any cheaper as time goes on. I still have my special short Blue Point screw holder for changing points and condensers in the slant 6. I used to see them literally daily as an auto tech in CA in the '80's. They never died. YOu have a great show and are always fun to watch. No need for the networks!!!@@DeadDodgeGarage
If this car was mine, I would do two things, either I would rebuild the same engine, or if I had the money, I would put a 440 on it, but then I would go full pedal on it and solve all its issues because of the 440 that I put on. great video btw
I owned a 1968 Charger (383,4-speed,373 posi) in 1977...This reminds me the old days! :) the ill fitting doors and the hard starting were features of just about any dodge car.;)
Those are tough questions. I prefer the 68 Chargers but I can see the appeal of this 69. I would probably end up going with whichever was the more solid car to build on. As for the motor, ideally a mildly built 440 with Vintage Air or something would be awesome. Otherwise, a nice 360 would be the way to go. Just my opinion. Awesome channel, I'm looking forward to the future of whatever you end up doing.
Man, that was crazy! Thanks for sharing. What an adventure. I'm not that brave. I would've used a trailer. I'd love to have a 68 Charger some day. Or a 70. Time will tell. Oh and if it were me, I'd probably drop a 383 or 440 in that 69 and retrofit with a Vintage Air setup. Just saying.
Excellent effort. Not just the video, but the fun drive home. I did a similar drive in 2018 for a '66 Belair 283 4-door. Owner was honest and provided 4 containers of oil and a gallon of power steering fluid which I consumed from New Brunswick, back to Ottawa Ontario. Great drive just before winter through Maine. We build our car for crusing with a 2006 LS2 pushing 500hp. 4l60 and AC. For your engine, would do a mild 383 looking stock. 400hp is still 400hp.
I have been slightly terrified of that the whole time… luckily, the panels were kind of pre-ruined. I recently washed the seats and they turned mostly white again, which was interesting. It’s definitely not a good interior choice for a mechanic’s car… but I love it.
I have done 1200 miles of that trip many, many times, and I'm not sure that ole girl could have picked a better spot to lay an egg in Montana if it tried. Still fairly reasonably close, and pretty much once you get past St Regis, you don't have a signal until you get a ways into Idaho! You most certainly did the best with what you had to work with! As for engines in this car, I think you're on the right track with keeping it a small block, everyone puts a big block or modern hemi in them, and what's the fun in that? But I definitely think I would be keeping your car instead of this one, especially if you decide to put a set of Cragars or Magnums on it! Either way, nicely done my friend!
Yeah… that’s pretty much the decision I’ve made. If mine had Cragars and a less bad suspension, it would be just as great to drive as this one. That’s probably the plan. I don’t think the failure could’ve worked out any better. Haha. Thanks!
If you're going to keep it a cruiser I'd build a 360 with the Edelbrock performer top end kit. Great car and video! I'm looking forward to future videos as well!
Ya know, you've crossed some beautiful country side. And you're right about Montana, it is beautiful and so is Main, North and South Dakota.. So anyway I think that 69 Charger looks great and this bad 318 could be a good excuse for a nice 440 right. That 318 did pretty good considering some possible bad rings, or even a warn out exhaust valve guide. Great video. Memories.😊
Thumbnail is Deer Lodge, with some great relics of the Milwaukee Road. An EMD E9 2400 HP passenger locomotive with twin diesels, EF-4 "Little Joe" 5530 HP freight electric locomotive supposedly named after Joseph Stalin, and a rib sided caboose. The last spike on the Milwaukee Pacific Extension (1909-1980) didn't happen in Deer Lodge though - it was northwest of there, near Garrison, MT. There was (maybe is ) an awesome automotive museum in Deer Lodge, too. 100's of vintage automobiles including plenty of muscle Mopars.
Still is! It’s in the old prison. My family and I found it randomly and walked through it some years ago on a Yellowstone trip. Funny enough, Roadkill / Motortrend just donated their Ranchero to that car museum.
I’d absolutely keep the AC. Someone already went to the trouble to source and buy all of the parts. Since this car isn’t totally original, I’d build a very nice, very strong motor that’s as big as you feel comfortable with but yet still drives well and gets decent gas mileage. It’s not a race car and you want to drive it a lot so those issues matter. I went through all of this when I restored my 1965 Cyclone. What a blast.
You are a very resourceful young man. Trust me thats a really cool car to own, drop a 440 new high torque trans have a blast with it and never look back. You only live once!
