Vehicle Description
1968 Dodge Charger
Dodge Chargers are popular because they're fast, but they're also
spacious, comfortable and surprisingly luxurious. They're also
popular thanks to the Dukes of Hazzard TV fame, often thought of
and seen as the star of the show, the General Lee. The Charger that
was always one step ahead of ole Rosco P. Coltrane and Boss Hogg
and kept them Duke boys safe episode after episode. This writer
highly doubts that there is any other car, be it from TV or film,
that is as easily recognizable as the 1969 Dodge Charger General
Lee.
For consignment, and now gracing our hallowed halls here at the
Classic Auto Mall, we give you one of the original 17 Dodge Charger
General Lee stunt cars used during TV filming. Dubbed GL35, also
known as the "Ski Car" due to it being used for the driving on
2-wheel stunts and is easily recognizable in episodes of the show.
The car was also used for some minor jumps, speed driving and car
slides. Wearing its original, (well, original to the TV show),
paint, 01 decals, lettering, larger than life stars and bars on the
roof and backed up with paperwork from Warner Brothers and Wayne
Wooten, welcome to Hazzard County ladies and gentlemen.
Exterior
Bathed in its TV appearance orange and exactly as found in 1991
this Charger shows some battle scars that it wears with pride and
shows very well for a stunt car. What most people will not notice
is that this Charger is indeed a 1968 not a 1969; Charger pickins
must have been getting slim so Warner Brothers used some 1968
Chargers and added in 1969 grilles and taillight panels. The
signature push bar/grille guard is present along with the CB whip
antenna on the trunk lid. Decals are all present and original. All
4 corners are held up by American Racing Vector wheels that have
been restored and are shod in Winston Winner tires, while not
original, are known to have been used during filming. The 4
original Warner Brothers ID stamped wheels are included with the
sale.
Interior
Stunt cars don't need all the frills and luxury that a normal
vehicle does, and this car shows that quite well. Tan, tan, tan as
far as the eye can see inside, from the vinyl covered door panels
to the bucket seats to the dashboard. Worn and hanging vinyl covers
both doors with worse wear on the driver's side. Tan vinyl covered
low back bucket seats, (the driver's seat being welded in place and
set perfectly for the one and only stunt driver Buzz Bundy), that
show wear, fading and tears flank a full-length console that
contains a storage area and the automatic floor shifter. A tan
bench seat showing similar wear to that of the driver's seat is in
the back and is almost inaccessible due to the trademark General
Lee rollbar. A worn steering wheel fronts the dash which shows a
speedometer, clock and other vital engine function gauges. An AM
radio is mounted above the HVAC controls and a CB radio is down low
and center. Signatures abound on the dashboard and include some of
the cast of the TV show, race car drivers and other celebrities.
The headliner and carpet were removed for stunt driving and a black
push button resides on the floor along with a rollbar plate welded
under the accelerator pedal for smooth speed control. Ya'll got
your ears on? Come back?
Drivetrain
Opening the hood, we are greeted with a non-original 318ci V8 that
sports an Edelbrock intake and Holley 4bbl carburetor. The original
carburetor with bent floats to accommodate the 2-wheel driving is
included with the car along with some other parts that were changed
out in the name of safety. We note power steering and a fabricated
2" steel bar tying the shock towers together for more structural
integrity that is required for stunt driving. A 727 Torqueflite
3-speed automatic transmission sends power back to a Mopar 8 3/4"
rear axle that has had the spider gears welded so it's a true
locker, a Lincoln locker if you will.
Undercarriage
All solid down below, all we can spy is some undercoating and a
healthy coating of Hazzard County road dirt. Headers send spent
exhaust gasses to the rear of the car passing thru glasspack style
mufflers along the way. Torsion bar suspension provides the ride up
front and leaf springs handle the rear. These leaf springs also
have a pair of helper springs added and the car retains its
original rear shocks used during filming and are easily identified
as being on the car in films of the show. Drum brakes all around
bring the car to a whoa in a sufficient manner. A thank you note is
written in sharpie marker on the passengers rear lower 1/4 panel
and denotes back to when the car was sold from Wooten's Chargers to
a prior owner.
Driveability
Normally my crack decoder and muscle car aficionado and myself draw
straws for the honors of a first drive. This time around we decided
to go for a more fitting contest. Both having watched the Duke boys
running to the General we tried our best to emulate them with the
across the hood slide. While neither of us ended up in a body cast,
I won and had the first drive. With the driver's seat welded in
place it was a cramped driving position for me, but ultimately a
comfortable fit. The car offered plenty of acceleration, bias free
braking and handled our test track with ease. The highlight of the
drive was hitting the Dixie horn when driving by a crowd of stunned
onlookers. All functions worked properly save for the speedometer
and the headlights not opening. No jumps, slides or driving on 2
wheels were tried during our test drive but the thought did cross
my mind... Hazzard County may be the only place that I know of that
needs an air traffic controller for cars!
Owning a vehicle with this pedigree will definitely keep you as the
talk of the town. Sporting all the original decals, lettering,
paint and interior along with a statement of authenticity from
Warner Brothers you could be the next proud owner of one of the
holy grails of General Lee and Dodge Charger collectability. Please
be aware that this car is not legal for open road use but with some
minor repairs could achieve that status. Also, the new buyer must
sign a contract with Wayne Wooten's company and Warner Brothers and
adhere to commercial restrictions placed on documented General
Lee's.
FENDER TAG
XP29:Dodge Charger 2 Door Sports Hardtop
41:318cid 2-bbl V8
5:3-Speed Automatic
43:7.75x14 White Sidewall
B08: November 08.
AXLE: 8 3/4 2.76 Gears
INTERIOR: Charger Trim Grade Green Interior.
PAINT: Beige (Dodge), Satin Beige (Plymouth), Sandalwood
(Chrysler), Imperial Navajo Beige (Imperial).
OTHER: Racing Green Metallic (Dodge), Forest Green Metallic
(Plymouth, Chrysler, Imperial) Upper Door Frame Color.
25: Drip Rail Moldings
30: Body Belt Moldings
68: Unknown Option
A1: 26in Radiator
R1: AM Radio
S1: Air Conditioning
X1: Tinted Glass (all)
Y6: Black Vinyl Top
a6: Console
b4: Bucket Seats
h7: Fender or Hood Mounted Turn Signal Indicators
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.
