Words & Photos: Clive Branson
Owners: Barry and Jacqueline Keul
When I think of a car with a ‘bad attitude’, there is one in particular that comes to mind – the 1968 Dodge Charger R/T Hemi. With its wind-cheating lines and Herculean power, it conveys a hint of menace just on looks alone. Equipped with buttressed rear pillars, and a sinewy shape that escorts your gaze to its stretched black grille and concealed headlights, it is of little surprise that Bankrate ranked it as the ultimate collector’s wet dream. They considered it one of the fastest and best-styled muscle cars of its era, placed on a pedestal with a Charles Atlas plaque for kicking sand in everyone else’s grilles.
The R/T stands for Rapid Transit, a gross understatement especially when you consider there is a 7.2-liter capacity engine underneath your throttle. It’s surprising such massive power is street legal. Unfortunately, the accolades eventually died by 1978 as its credibility as a performance car was progressively whittled away as the American automotive industry sacrificed performance for luxury, safety and economy. Thankfully, Dodge has brought back a retro version of the Charger rekindling the glory days, but it’s people like Barry Keul who are lucky enough to enjoy the real McCoy.
Though second-hand, the previous owner kept the Charger in immaculate condition when Barry and Jacqueline bought it in 1974. To this day, it looks like it has been driven from a showroom. That is how pampered this baby is. “In 1968 I was invited to go for a ride in my brother-in-law’s friend’s 1968 Dodge Charger,” explains Barry. “I fell in love with the car and really wanted one for myself. I told the owner that if he ever wanted to sell his car to give me the first crack at it. In 1974 he told me that he was going to sell his car and asked if I was still interested. So my dream came true and I finally became the proud owner of my first muscle car. At the time, I had a 1964 Plymouth but I totaled it in a bad accident.”
Barry was always hooked on muscle cars and in 1979 he even worked for a paint shop to restore classic cars to help preserve them for the next generation. “Starting in 1978, it took 4 years for my wife, Jacqueline and I to restore the car. As a newly married couple, it was difficult to find the money to pay for the restoration. The original colour of the car was gold with a black vinyl roof and the original motor was a 440. The first restoration was the complete exterior, undercarriage, interior and, of course, the need to chrome as much of the engine to make it shine.” All the bodywork was done by Barry while Dez Fitzgerald from Dez Paint shop, painted the car with lacquer paint called Candy Apple Blue. “The strangest comment we got about our car,” remembers Barry, “was at the Merrickville Car Show ‘Cruise & Shop’ where a spectator commented that the colour of our car was Whale Blowhole Blue which he stated was the actual colour of a whale`s blowhole.”
The 440 cu.-in. V8 engine was restored by West Carleton Automotive. “To give you an idea of the power and speed of this car, I remember driving it from Ottawa to Pembroke (that’s 95 miles each way) to pick up Jacqueline (my girlfriend at the time) after school, driving her home and still making it back to have supper with my parents in Ottawa.” When the restoration was completed in 1983, Barry and Jacqueline started displaying the car at shows. For the first two car shows the car was a ‘Trailer Queen,’ but this was dropped when the couple decided that it was more fun driving it to the car shows. “The car shows became a family outing with our two girls. Both of our girls, Angie and Amber, have a great respect for old collectable cars.” Years later, a second restoration had Barry install a 426 Hemi that Don McCallum rebuilt allowing 50,000 R/Ts to be produced. Don tested the motor on his dyno and it tested at an impressive 602 horsepower. “In 2003, we needed to repaint the car again when there was a small mishap when working on the motor. I did the bodywork and polishing,” recalls Barry. “The paint was donated by PPG that was a silver-base coat and translucent blue. To enjoy long distance trips without breaking our pocket book, I decided to invest in a 5-speed overdrive with a lock-in convertor.”
For both restorations, Jacqueline helped in paying the numerous bills for parts and the 426 Hemi motor. “The car is very comfortable to drive with a nice long wheel base; however, my wife has a little difficulty with the standard steering.”
The hardest thing to maintain, confesses Barry, is keeping the paint to ‘show car quality’. Obviously it has paid off. Since showing the car in 1983, they have won over a 100 trophies, numerous cash prizes, over 50 plaques and even three great looking jackets (which Adirondack Nationals gives for the best 50 cars).
“We get ultimate pleasure in driving the car and going to car shows since the car is such a ‘head-turner’. The Charger is also used for both of our girl’s grads, in parades and for many weddings.”
For over 36 years, Barry’s business has been restoring collectible cars. “My wife and I are restoring our 1968 Barracuda fastback – a very rare model. In the 2006 Mopar Collector`s Guide Magazine there is an article stating that there was only five Barracuda cars sent out of the Detroit’s factory without paint (paint code 999). These five cars were sent to L.A. dealers who painted them Omaha Orange. In the article it stated that there are only two found and we are now the proud owners of a third. We hope to have the restoration done soon so that we can enjoy driving it and showing it off at car shows.” And, no doubt, winning more praise and prizes.
“If I had the money I would love to have a 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona and my wife, she would like to buy a Ford Model A to enjoy driving in nice warm weather with our grandchild in the rumble seat.” Asked about the next generation and whether classic cars will still be popular, Barry has no illusions. “In our opinion, the next generation will always have enthusiasm, passion and a demand to collect muscle cars. Our two girls still love to join us at car shows along with their husbands. Even our grandchild, Lexi who is only 3 years old, loves to walk with me looking at all those great muscle cars. I have no worries about the future.”
