Upgrade or OE What would you do?

[Fran Blacker]

You don't mention what rear differential 8.75 came with automatic cars. Does effect gear ratio, 3.55 are good all around gear. If you don't drive 100 miles from home 3.73's are fun gears.

 

[451Mopar]

Just my opinion, if the plan is to just show the car, then many people looking at it might like it either more restored, or as raced back in the day.
If your planning to drive it, then upgrade as you want.

 

[GetX'd]

My '68 Hemi GTX was restored, and owned for 31 years by a gentleman who leaned toward stock, but not concours. For example, he did away with the stock dual point, and replaced it with a 1980s electronic ignition. Tires are Goodyear radials, not OEM. Original numbers matching engine was rebuilt totally stock, not even hardened valve seats. Undercarriage was painted close to stock, but more body color, rather than just overspray, but still shows some primer. Radiator, manifolds, and carbs are original. My automatic car has the 8-3/4 rear, original 3:55 was replaced with a 3:73 (I assume not an option with the Dana) I love the way the car drives, and would never change it from current form. As the others have said, ultimately it's your car, and you should do what works for you. I had two 1960s Imperials with the single pot master, and agree the dual is a good move.

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A 68 Hemi GTX must be very rare. A 68 GTX man here to but 440. I saw my share of 67 Hemi GTXs but don’t recall many if any of the 68 variety. Must be King of the road out there.

 

[68BabyBlue]

A 68 Hemi GTX must be very rare. A 68 GTX man here to but 440. I saw my share of 67 Hemi GTXs but don’t recall many if any of the 68 variety. Must be King of the road out there.

It is, and I have been honored and blessed to have this car fall into my custody. The gentlemen who sold it to me was a long time friend of the owner of 31 years. When he put it on the market he was looking for the right person to pass it on too, rather than getting the market price. I had already owned five great 440 cars when I answered the ad on this site. I sold two as a result of the passing of the torch, including the '68 440 I had owned back in the day. I never saw a '68 Hemi GTX back on the street back then (I was 14 years old when the car was new, I still have the February 1968 Car Life road test comparing the Hemi and the 440), did drool over three Hemi Road Runners at the local dealership. Dreamed of owning one, maybe, down the road, motivated me from rags to almost riches, but enough to buy the car. Folks who knew me back in the day can't imagine that this unicorn resides in my garage today, and can't believe I actually drive a numbers matching example. I am in Chevy and Ford country out here. The random Mopar folk are blown away when they realize what they are looking at, the question is always, "is that a real one?" And it is.

 

[GetX'd]

It is, and I have been honored and blessed to have this car fall into my custody. The gentlemen who sold it to me was a long time friend of the owner of 31 years. When he put it on the market he was looking for the right person to pass it on too, rather than getting the market price. I had already owned five great 440 cars when I answered the ad on this site. I sold two as a result of the passing of the torch, including the '68 440 I had owned back in the day. I never saw a '68 Hemi GTX back on the street back then (I was 14 years old when the car was new, I still have the February 1968 Car Life road test comparing the Hemi and the 440), did drool over three Hemi Road Runners at the local dealership. Dreamed of owning one, maybe, down the road, motivated me from rags to almost riches, but enough to buy the car. Folks who knew me back in the day can't imagine that this unicorn resides in my garage today, and can't believe I actually drive a numbers matching example. I am in Chevy and Ford country out here. The random Mopar folk are blown away when they realize what they are looking at, the question is always, "is that a real one?" And it is.

You are indeed a blessed man and that is indeed a “Unicorn”. Interesting back story on how you came to acquire it. Your long time owner friend of your friend is very similar to my story only I’m the long time owner in this case. I bought my X in 1971 right after high school and managed to keep it through all of life’s ups, downs and changes for 48 years. In the beginning I never wanted anything other than a GTX. I finally scraped together $1,100 went to look at the first one I saw advertised - it was night time and cold in a Minnesota November. I had my friend do the test drive because he was a bit nuts and I wasn’t. He laid into it and scared the **** out of all of us. It was a hell raiser. I went back and peeled off 11 Benjamin’s had it notarized that night and brought it home. The car actually became somewhat of a legend in Mpls that still holds to this day. I could not be beat. Then after all those years I ground restored her and enjoyed the X for another 3-4 years. Then for some reason it just became time. You would think differently but the car culture out here - where it was born - was not the same as in Mpls. People worshipped those cars up there, where here it seems as tho it’s just another toy. So as your guy did I did as well. One of my best lifelong friends had coveted that car for the entirety of the time I’d owned it. He always looked and went to Mecums etc but could never find anything that satisfied him. There was really only one car he wanted. He had made me offers periodically but it both wasn’t for sale and I knew and he knew he couldn’t afford it. So when that time came I called he and made him a deal. I would sell him the X for what he had offered a couple of years earlier - about 30% under market. For his end he could never sell it and when the time came he had to pass it on to his 30 yo son who worshipped the car all most as much as he. Absent those things he would have to sell it back to me for the same price - which I knew would never happen. I tell you he almost, actually maybe he did, pee in his pants. Couldn’t get the money which he had to borrow, to me fast enough. For my end I wanted the car to go to him and his son and the $$ was far secondary. I have done okay in that area and it meant more to me for him to have it than the $$. His only problem is everywhere he goes with it - everyone up there says “Hey that’s Kevin West’s car. - He can’t get his own identity for it. Lol. We talk car often and he always calls with questions or my advice on this or that. When I look at pics - yeah I kind of miss it but I’m happy for where it’s at and who it’s with. You don’t often get a chance to do something like this in life so I feel blessed for having the opportunity to do so.