Every car guy has that dream car—the one that set them on fire when they were a kid.
It could be a classic muscle car, a street rod, an exotic European sports car or a vintage 4×4 truck that reached them.
Or it could be a 1968 Charger RT.
Jerry Sutherland
Ken Lueck was blown away by his Grade 7 teacher’s brand-new ’68 Charger back in the fall of 1967. He was 12 years old at the time, but he knew he’d own a ’68 Charger at some point in his life.
That opportunity came several decades later in November 2024 when Ken learned there was a one-owner ’68 Charger for sale in the northeastern United States. The car had 65,500 documented miles on it and the original owner’s son had it up for sale.
This was the car Ken was looking for because the Charger had led a well-protected life since late 1967. He bought the car and had it delivered buy the seller.
Ken knew he’d bought a winner because the car was in great original condition. The paint showed its years, but it still has a shine left. There are areas with cracking and pits in the paint, but Ken has no intention of refinishing his car.
His motto is “Leave him (the Charger) alone”. That means ‘only necessary repairs and repairs if necessary’ is the game plan for this classic Mopar muscle car. There is a little rust in the bottom of the driver’s door, but Ken wants to minimize any work on the car that takes it away from factory original.
Ken gets a ton of advice from armchair experts who tell him to paint it, update it and change the history of this car, but that’s not going to happen.
The Charger had to go through a comprehensive out-of-country inspection, so Ken addressed everything that needed to be done to pass the requirements. He also updated the brakes to all-wheel discs because Ken wants to drive his Charger in the real world, so stopping is a big issue.
Ken replaced all the hoses on the car and the radiator core because 57 years is a long time to pray factory cooling systems won’t explode. The vacuum hidden headlight system also needs a little tweaking, but the Charger passed the safety with ease thanks to Ken’s attention to critical mechanical details before the inspection.
Ken admitted the Charger’s camber needed some sorting after the new brake system and suspension components were added, but now he said, “It drives like a dream”.
That’s important because this Charger won’t spend its time stuffed inside a garage. This car is going to be a road warrior under Ken’s watch because he waited a lifetime to own a ’68 Charger RT.
Ken is living a childhood dream later in life, so every day is a great day to drive it. He bought it for a personal reason, not an investment—because he knows how hard it is to find a decent, one-owner, ’68 Charger RT with a documented history.
This one isn’t going away either, because it’s going to stay in the family so the next generation can enjoy his childhood dream car.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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