When you're speaking to an expert in any particular field, it's always interesting to find out how they spend their time when they're off the clock. For example, the albums your favorite musician listens to at home will certainly influence their future recordings, and the meals a world-renowned chef cooks for their family will provide insight into their best recipes. In the classic car world, Mike Musto from Hemmings is one such expert, and his personal 1968 Dodge Charger sheds light on his standard for a tasteful, functional muscle car. He recently published a video that shows some of its key features.
Mike's "Mr. Angry" 1968 Charger
"I have beat the crap out of this thing. This car lives for donuts and burnouts," says Musto. Much of the work on this car, nicknamed Mr. Angry, was done 20 years ago and remains as a testament to the saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Starting with the exterior, Musto made some subtle changes such as shaving the drip rails, eliminating the side markers, and deleting much of the chrome trim for a cleaner look. The body was painted black more than two decades ago, and Musto estimates 40% of it has been repainted since then to fix wear and tear.
It also has a retrofitted 1967 Camaro front spoiler. Musto says it's a popular mod now, but asserts his Charger was the first to use it back in the early 2000s.
The Charger rides on 17x8 and 18x10-inch five-spoke Boyd Coddington wheels that frame a set of 11 and 13-inch Baer disc brakes. The latter item was a new concoction at the time Musto installed it, but has now been immortalized as Baer's classic kit (much to Musto's chagrin). It also has a hydroboost system to improve brake pedal feel and responsiveness.
Musto says the most important handling mod was to stiffen the chassis, since the Mopar B-body platform flexes quite a bit in its original form. Beyond that, it has a set of Bilstein shocks for a smooth ride on the highway. Musto reminded viewers that it's not necessary to spend a ton of money to achieve good results, a sentiment we certainly appreciate and agree with.
The interior was reupholstered in black leather with red trim to match the car's Bumble Bee tail stripe. It also has modern seatbelts, new silver-face gauges, and a custom center console to fit the shifter for the car's modified 727 automatic transmission and Gear Vendors push-button gear-splitting system.
Under the hood is what Musto describes as a "big, dirty big-block" 440ci V8 equipped with an 800cfm Holley Double Pumper carb and MSD ignition. Musto says it's not that powerful, but it's "more than enough." This is paired with a 3.55 TrueTrac rear end that keeps RPMs just below 3,000 at 80 miles per hour.
Power windows and A/C are two notable additions to the Charger, since they make for a more comfortable road trip experience.
Musto says it's a relatively simple build that has evolved gradually over decades of experience, and he's clearly happy with the results. The car helped him launch a career in the industry he loves and undoubtedly changed his life forever. "I'm never getting rid of it," he concluded.
Need Mopar Muscle Car Restoration Parts?
If you've got a classic Dodge or Plymouth muscle car of your own, Classic Industries will be glad to help you find the parts you need to restore it. It doesn't matter if your budget is big or small — there's always room for improvement and fine-tuning, as Mike Musto pointed out. Click here to view our Dodge & Plymouth parts selection online, or click the button below for a free full-color restoration parts catalog.
