The history of American muscle cars is closely intertwined with the history of another American car culture staple: NASCAR. Back in the late 1960s, cars like the Ford Torino, Mercury Cyclone, Plymouth Road Runner, and of course the Dodge Charger roared around the track in intense competitions. And as indicated by the old dealer axiom, "win on Sunday, sell on Monday," the cars that performed well also sold well to customers who were seeking high-performance street cars. This heritage inspired hot rod builder Steve Strope of Pure Vision Design to create this 1968 Charger with a 472ci Hemi V8 and some unique NASCAR-inspired elements.
A Racecar for the Streets
At first glance, this Wimbledon White '68 Charger might just seem like a nicely-executed restomod, but it's actually packed with details that call back to its racing history. Strope told AutotopiaLA that he built it for hot rod enthusiast and racing legend George Poteet, and it features clever touches such as four hood pins (a common sight on NASCARs of that era) and aerodynamic panels over the ends of the rear bumper.
Above: Note the silver panels over the ends of the bumper and the addition of a trunk spoiler, both intended to create more high-speed stability. A racing fuel cell is also visible.
Custom window hold-down hardware and aero covers on the A-pillars also speak to this car's high-speed intentions. Another unusual modification was the replacement of the original vacuum-actuated headlamp doors with a cable-actuated manual door control, at the request of Poteet.
Otherwise, the car's body is mostly stock. It still rides on leaf springs in the rear, and the front end features boxed control arms as well as heavy-duty tie rods from a Chrysler Newport. In true racecar fashion, the car has a full rollcage that extends into the engine bay.
Speaking of the engine bay, it contains a 472ci Hemi built by Ray Barton in Pennsylvania. Strope says it makes around 600 horsepower. There are many custom elements here, too — a curved dirt screen protecting the air cleaner, curved breather tube, Corvette radiator overflow tank, and a power steering cooler from a Chrysler police car.
The interior features a simple aluminum dash panel with gauges and switches, original style steering wheel and bucket seats, and custom lightweight panels for the doors, sail panels, and rear seat delete.
Strope said, "It smells like a NASCAR, runs like a NASCAR, and sound like a NASCAR." After listening to it in the video below from AutotopiaLA, we have to agree. This is a seriously cool fusion of street-legal muscle car and all-out racecar.
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