Wednesday, August 10, 2005
1968 Dodge Charger R/T
Shows/events • Weekly Cruise Nights
BY BRIAN BEAULIEU
Journal Staff Writer
Not all Charger notchbacks wear General Lee uniforms, darn few of them
in these parts, in fact. But the Dukes of Hazzard movie -- in which too many
'69 Chargers are destroyed -- has spurred interest in the muscle cars, driving
up prices and limiting availabilty.
It wasn't the Duke boys but the classic Steve McQueen movie Bullitt that
drew Wayne Poccia of East Greenwich into the Dodge camp. He loves the lines
and the surge of power when he presses the accelerator. Is that a green Mustang
GT in the rear-view?
Poccia's Charger is as stock as he can keep it. It's an original R/T (road,
track) with a 375-hp Magnum 440-cubic-inch engine with four-barrel carb (the
Six-Pack option wasn't available in '68). The motor was replaced in 1979,
but it's right for car, teammed with a Torqueflite automatic and a Sure Grip
3:23 rear end. The color is Bright Blue Metallic, a shade off Chrysler's
famous B5 blue. The "bumble bee" rear stripe was added during the
rotisserie restoration about 12 years ago.
Poccia bought the car at the Mopar Atlantic Nationals in New Jersey in 1996.
He put on new Magnum wheels and redline bias ply tires, and recovered the
seats with the correct vinyl. He considered adding a vinyl roof but thought
better of it.
The Charger has the trademark hidden headlights and racing-style flip-top
gas filler. The R/T option includes stiffer suspension and upgraded running
gear. The big styling difference between the '68, the first of the second-generation
Chargers, and the Dukes' '69 are the one-piece grille and the taillights.
In the 1960s Dodge dealers were "the good guys in white hats." In
Bullitt, the black Charger carried the bad guys. Today, lucky Charger owners
figure it's good to be bad.
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION: 440-cubic-inch V8; Torqueflite automatic.
COLOR: Bright Blue Metallic.
MILEAGE: 84,000.
PLATE: WD380
CAN BE SEEN: Wednesdays at Denny's in Coventry.
CONDITION: Older restoration.
If you have a classic car you wish to be considered
for this feature, please e-mail bbeaulie@projo.com with
details.
Shows/events • Weekly Cruise
Nights
AUGUST
Aug. 12 -- St. Mary's Church, Dartmouth Street, Dartmouth, Mass.,
5-9.
Aug. 14 -- Cars, trucks, motorcycles, Berkley Commons, Berkley, Mass.,
9-3. Rain date Aug. 21.
Aug. 14 -- Rhode Island Training School, Cranston, 11-2.
Aug. 16 -- West Greenwich Plaza, 780 Victory Highway, West Greenwich, 6-dusk.
Aug. 17 -- American Legion post, Route 79, south of Route 140, Berkley, Mass.,
5-dusk.
Aug. 18 -- Regional High School, Route 106, South Easton, Mass., 6-9.
Aug. 18 -- Cruise night, South County Commons, Route 1, South Kingstown, 6-8.
Aug. 19 -- Shawmut Diner, Hathaway Road, Exit 3 off Route 140, New Bedford,
5-9.
Aug. 20 -- Patriots Club, 70 Shove St., Tiverton, 10-4.
Aug. 20 -- Market Place Plaza, 1160 Stafford Rd., Tiverton, 4-dusk.
Aug. 21 -- American Legion Hall,, Church Street, Northbridge, Mass., 9-3.
Aug. 21 -- Medway VFW, 126 Holliston Rd., Medway, Mass. 8-3.
Aug. 21 -- MG/Rover day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 10-3.
Aug. 23 -- Brooks Pharmacy plaza, Washington Street, Canton, Mass., 5-dusk.
Aug, 25 -- Inside Scoop, 1105 Scituate Ave., Cranston, 5:30-dusk.
Aug. 27 -- Clement's Market, Route 138, Portsmouth, 11-3.
Aug. 27, 28 -- Military vehicle show, Quonset Air Museum, North Kingstown,
10-4.
Aug. 28 -- Show and flea market, Somerset Middle School, 1141 Brayton Ave.,
Somerset, 10-5.
Aug. 28 -- Plainfield School, Route 14A, Plainfield, Conn., 8-4.
Aug. 28 -- Buick show, Quality Inn, Route 20, Vernon, Conn., 8-3.
Aug. 28 -- Vintage Ford day, includes Lincolns and Mercurys, pre-1970, Museum
of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 10-3.
SEPTEMBER
Sept. 2 -- Mattapoisett wharf, Mattapoisett, Mass., 5-9.
Sept. 4 -- All-makes show, St. Angelo Buick-Pontiac-GMC, 500 Taunton Ave.,
East Providence, 8-4. Postponed from May 15.
Sept. 4 -- Fort Getty, Jamestown, 9-3.
Sept. 5 -- Labor Day show, Lodge of Elks, Attleboro, 9:30-3.
Sept. 10 -- Mustang show, Tasca Ford, 1300 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, 10-4.
Sept. 10 -- Porsche day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 10-3.
Sept. 11 -- Lions Club show, LaSalette Shrine, Attleboro, 8-3.
Sept. 11 -- Green Room, 145 Clifford St., Providence, 1964 and older cars
only, 8-on.
Sept. 11 -- Mercedes-Benz day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 10-3.
Sept. 11 -- Invitation only, Prowse Farm, off Routes 128 and 138, Canton,
Mass., 10-3.
Sept. 17 -- Middletown Rotary show, Fort Adams State Park, Newport, 10-3.
Sept. 17 -- Heritage Invitational, Heritage Museum, 67 Grove St., Sandwich,
Mass., 10-2.
Sept. 18 -- Cars and motorcycles, Dexter Street, Central Falls, 9-6.
Sept. 24 -- Glen Park, Route 138, Portsmouth, 9-3.
Sept. 24 -- Briarcliff Manor, 49 Old Pocasset Rd., Johnston, 11-3.
Sept. 24 -- Pontiac GTO day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 10-3.
Sept. 25 -- Antique equipment, trucks and cars, Boro Sand & Stone, 192
Plain St., North Attleboro, 8-4.
Sept. 25 -- Corvette show, Heritage Museum, 67 Grove St., Sandwich, Mass.,
10-2.
Sept. 25 -- Volkswagen Van day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline,
Mass., 10-3.
WEEKLY CRUISE NIGHTS
Sundays
Sam's Club, Route 6, Seekonk, 5-dusk.
Big River Inn, 809 Nooseneck Hill Rd., Route 3, West Greenwich, 5-8.
Mondays
Burger King-Krispy Kreme lot, Sockanosset Road and Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, 6-9.
Seekonk Speedway, Route 6, Seekonk, 6-dusk.
Middle of Nowhere diner, 223 Nooseneck Hill Rd., Route 3, Exeter, cars and motorcycles, 5-8:30.
Appetites Restaurant, 473 Tiogue Ave., Coventry, 5-8.
Towne Pizza, Plum Corner, off Route 105, Rochester, Mass., 5-9.
Motorcycles, Chan's Restaurant, 267 Main St., Woonsocket, 5:30-8:30.
Tuesdays
A&W, Route 44, Smithfield, 6-9.
Oakland Beach, Warwick, 5-9.
Jukebox Diner, Route 6, Somerset, 5-9.
Slater Park, Pawtucket, 5-9.
Patriot's Bar and Grille, Routes 140 and 126, Bellingham, Mass., 6-9.
Motorcycles, Suzy Q's Place, 208 Plainfield Pike, Scituate, 5-9.
Wednesdays
Warwick Mall, food court entrance, Route 2, Warwick, 6-9.
Denny's, Exit 7 off Route 95, Coventry, 6-9.
Main Street, Woonsocket, 5:30-8:30.
Club Raymond, 1084 Charles St., North Providence, 5-9.
Downtown Attleboro, 5-8:30.
Florentina restaurant, Route 140, Franklin, Mass., 6-9.
Mohegan Sun, roof of Riverview garage, Uncasville, Conn., 6-9. Begins tonight.
Thursdays
Scrambler's diner, off Route 122, Woonsocket, 5-9.
Star Drive-In, exit 10 off Route 140, Taunton, 5-9.
TGI Fridays, Routes 117 and 2, Warwick, 5-dusk. .
Paddy's Bayside, 159 Atlantic Ave. Misquamicut Beach, Westerly, 5:30-dusk.
Fridays
McDonald's, Stop & Shop plaza, Route 122, Cumberland, 6-9.
Firestone tire store, Post Road, Route 1, Warwick, 6-9.
Gazebo at the Village Green, Route 116, North Scituate, 5-dusk. British cars and others.
Milk Bottle restaurant, Route 138, Raynham, 5:30-7:30.
Saturdays
Cliquot cruise, Route 109,
Millis, Mass. 6-9.
To list an event, e-mail information to Bbeaulie [at] projo.com, phone (401) 277-7179, fax (401) 277-8175 or write to Brian Beaulieu, Journal Features Department, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902.
