My 1968 Polara Revival

LetMeBeFrank

LetMeBeFrank

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Hey guys, I figured I would start a build thread since I plan to do a bit of work to this ride. I purchased this 68 Polara 4 door hardtop 383 from my good friend in early January. He had already done quite a bit of work to it. My first car was a 1966 Impala that I daily drove for 4 years. I sold it 12 years ago and I've missed it ever since. Being a mopar lover I had to buy this Dodge as it's very similar to my Impala but better in every way.

HQuc1IY.jpg


  • Older 15”x7” mopar police wheels with brand new 235/75/15 tires.
  • Replaced gas tank, sending unit, fuel line, fuel pump and rebuilt 600cfm edelbrock carb.
  • 4-barrel conversion (69 factory 4-barrel intake) with proper kickdown brackets/linkage.
  • New brake lines from inline tube, new master and booster.
  • New alternator and voltage regulator
  • Mancini racing pulleys
  • Saginaw power steering pump conversion.
  • Replaced hood torsion bars due to one being broken.
  • New 26” radiator, hoses, thermostat, and trans cooler lines from inline tube. (Car runs dead middle of the temp gauge when in summer traffic.)
  • New points, condenser, cap, rotors, wires.
  • New headlight dimmer thumbwheel switch.
  • New kyb shocks, sway bar endlinks, and idler arm.
  • Floor repaired and new plush cut carpet from ACC.
  • New battery, new battery tray with hold down, new positive and negative cables.

Now that all that is out of the way, I'll talk about my plans for this car. I want this to be a fun spring-summer-fall cruiser. Not perfect paint but presentable. Mechanically everything is good to go except maybe a brake rebuild. The electrical needs some upgrades and mods. I've already installed a new stereo which I will detail in a later post in this thread.

Exterior:
  • Driver's front wheel well needs some rust repaired
  • Rear window leaks badly from old vinyl top, needs to be pulled and rust patched.
  • Needs a new vinyl top
  • Passenger rear door is a little crunched and needs to be knocked out and painted.
  • Paint overall needs to be buffed out.

Interior:
  • Rear seat top needs repair.
  • Package tray cover needs replaced.
  • Raise seat up (I'm 6' but the steering wheel top is right in my sight)

Electrical:
  • Headlights put on relays.
  • Blower motor high put on relay.

Mechanical:
  • Brake rebuild (new cylinders, shoes, hardware)

And probably a bunch of other random stuff here and there, like painting the valve covers, cleaning up the engine bay, etc.
 
LetMeBeFrank said:
Hey guys, I figured I would start a build thread since I plan to do a bit of work to this ride. I purchased this 68 Polara 4 door hardtop 383 from my good friend in early January. He had already done quite a bit of work to it. My first car was a 1966 Impala that I daily drove for 4 years. I sold it 12 years ago and I've missed it ever since. Being a mopar lover I had to buy this Dodge as it's very similar to my Impala but better in every way.

View attachment 436975

  • Older 15”x7” mopar police wheels with brand new 235/75/15 tires.
  • Replaced gas tank, sending unit, fuel line, fuel pump and rebuilt 600cfm edelbrock carb.
  • 4-barrel conversion (69 factory 4-barrel intake) with proper kickdown brackets/linkage.
  • New brake lines from inline tube, new master and booster.
  • New alternator and voltage regulator
  • Mancini racing pulleys
  • Saginaw power steering pump conversion.
  • Replaced hood torsion bars due to one being broken.
  • New 26” radiator, hoses, thermostat, and trans cooler lines from inline tube. (Car runs dead middle of the temp gauge when in summer traffic.)
  • New points, condenser, cap, rotors, wires.
  • New headlight dimmer thumbwheel switch.
  • New kyb shocks, sway bar endlinks, and idler arm.
  • Floor repaired and new plush cut carpet from ACC.
  • New battery, new battery tray with hold down, new positive and negative cables.

Now that all that is out of the way, I'll talk about my plans for this car. I want this to be a fun spring-summer-fall cruiser. Not perfect paint but presentable. Mechanically everything is good to go except maybe a brake rebuild. The electrical needs some upgrades and mods. I've already installed a new stereo which I will detail in a later post in this thread.

Exterior:
  • Driver's front wheel well needs some rust repaired
  • Rear window leaks badly from old vinyl top, needs to be pulled and rust patched.
  • Needs a new vinyl top
  • Passenger rear door is a little crunched and needs to be knocked out and painted.
  • Paint overall needs to be buffed out.

Interior:
  • Rear seat top needs repair.
  • Package tray cover needs replaced.
  • Raise seat up (I'm 6' but the steering wheel top is right in my sight)

Electrical:
  • Headlights put on relays.
  • Blower motor high put on relay.

Mechanical:
  • Brake rebuild (new cylinders, shoes, hardware)

And probably a bunch of other random stuff here and there, like painting the valve covers, cleaning up the engine bay, etc.
Click to expand...
I have some parts. If you need anything I may be able to help
 
Welcome to the 68 Dodge club. Sounds like you now have a solid example that has found a good home. Really like the white vinyl roof and green body colour combo. I look forward to your updates. :thumbsup:
 
Fratzog said:
Welcome to the 68 Dodge club. Sounds like you now have a solid example that has found a good home. Really like the white vinyl roof and green body colour combo. I look forward to your updates. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Thanks! I really like green cars for some reason. It's actually just primer on the roof right now, the old vinyl top was gone before my friend bought the car. I'm planning on doing a black vinyl top from newstalgia parts once we get the rust around the back window addressed, probably in the spring.
 
Jimda said:
Check sometimes they just fall off the post on the heater core housing
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately the cables and everything are hooked up, just very stiff, which caused the plastic clips on the knobs to break, and now they flop around.
 
It has been so dang cold here, I have 0 motivation to work in the garage or on the Polara. I'm definitely going to look into insulating my garage this summer. Really hoping spring comes along sooner than later!
 
Got some warmish weather this week. Fired up the Polara and backed it out into the sun for some pictures before she goes under the knife this weekend. We're digging into the back window to repair some rust.

Here's a short video I took of it:


And some more pictures:
sF8sb3p.jpg

EjOkhqx.jpg

BedsdTl.jpg


gtIoI23.png


qQw7TOj.png


9lPah0a.png
 
Last edited:
I'm about to order a vinyl top. When we pulled out the rear window we found remnants of the original top and it was white.

So, black or white top?

Pros and cons?
 
Well it's been 4.5 years since I got the Polara and I'm working at it piece by piece. I've done quite a bit to it, and the biggest project yet is coming up this weekend.

Stub Frame swap.

Yep, the original stub frame was rusted out, repaired, now that repair is failing and the other side is starting to go too. In 2023 I got a 68 Monaco, 4d hard top, same body color as mine that had been rear ended for only $400. Lots of good parts including all the dash pieces for air conditioning (which is a future project) AC core support, nice doors, good front fenders, various trim pieces and a very good stub frame.

I'll go over some of the things I've done the last couple years.

In 2021 I finished the vinyl top, going with white elk. Also had the front window replaced at the same time so I could glue down the vinyl behind it.
Tz6Cwsx.jpeg

In 2022 I body worked the rear pass door and quarter panel.
cgkHj4m.jpeg

JucbRlk.jpeg

In early 2023 I had the seats redone.
HIj67xz.jpeg

u8XIOFD.jpeg

I did a new timing chain also.
I also "LS swapped" the radio (what my friends and I call when you rip the guts out and replaced with modern electronics, but it still looks original from the outside.) The volume knob still controls the volume (via a 3d printed gear to use the ball chain) the first 3 tuner buttons control playback, fourth cycles through EQ profiles, and fifth you hold to pair Bluetooth.
rJfOEiH.jpeg


In 2024 I rebuilt the front suspension, had the driveshaft remade, put in the AC core support from the Monaco to fit the wider radiator and swapped to OEM style steelies from the police style.
pFXxtzE.jpeg


Now I'm just getting ready to swap this stub frame. I'll update when that's done.

Edit: Forgot to add, I 3d modeled and printed new sliders for the heater controls. They work like a charm, still holding up after 3 years.
XIqCHXH.jpeg

1000012883.jpg
 
Last edited:
just curious, what size engine? Did the Monaco have a decent dash? I'm in search of one for my 68

DSC07882.JPG
 
here's a pix of my 68. in the shop getting a new top installed. spent 21 years sitting in po driveway modesto, ca

DSC08070.JPG


DSC08251.JPG


Polara3.jpg
 
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