South City Blends Classic Styling with Modern Performance in a Road Trip Proven 1968 Charger
Ron Michels has been a Mopar man for years and has always wanted a second-generation Charger to add to his Dodge portfolio. He already owns a ’70 Dart with late-model Hemi performance and handling, but he felt it was high time to have the Charger of his dreams. Once a suitable 1968 Charger was located, he turned over the project to Bill Ganahl and his crew at South City Rod and Custom with the directive for a modern muscle machine with vintage Charger appeal and muscle car soul.
To achieve Ron’s expectations for handling, a Roadster Shop chassis was ordered to strengthen the original unibody construction of the Charger. The Fast Track chassis incorporates C7 front spindles, rack-and-pinion steering, a four-link rear suspension, Penske coil-over shocks, and four-piston Wilwood brakes.
There was no question about the drivetrain, so SCRC sourced a 6.4-liter Hemi (392c.i.) backed up by an 8HP70 eight-speed automatic transmission. With more than 500 horsepower available, the engine was left alone except for smoothing the water pump and other tedious detailing steps. SCRC fabbed a new firewall, inner fenders, and engine surround panels.
There’s just no way to improve the body lines of a 1968 Charger, so SCRC was tasked with prepping the long sheet metal panels and gaps. The few modifications include shaving the door handles, drawing in the bumpers, fitting the grille, and shrinking the wheel arches to match the custom-machined 18×9- and 19×12-inch Evod wheels, which were inspired by Polara hubcaps. The body was turned over to Santini Paint and Body where it was massaged to perfection then sprayed in a custom deep blue PPG hue.
Like the body, Ron insisted that the interior be upgraded yet retain its classic Mopar muscle car feel. Tavis Highlander was called in for a design to get everyone on the same page before DJ Designs was tasked with bringing the interior to life. Note the 1968 Charger flavored dash, console, and power window switches, along with the pistol grip shifter. DJ Designs wrapped the seats and door panels in black leather and added a red highlight as contrast to the console, dash, and panels.
Ron’s 1968 Charger racked up more than 2,000 trouble-free miles on our Hall of Fame Road Tour prior to making its way to Texas for the Muscle Machine of the Year final competition. As expected, the car rolled through the 100-mile reliability run with ease, made it through the mandatory autocross laps, and even put on a couple burnouts John Force would’ve approved. It all adds up to one performance-proven, badass Mopar muscle machine.
Photos: Damon Lee
