For an odd reason, I love the Dodge Magnum of the late ’70s. Perhaps it’s due to the combination of luxury appointments with white-letter tires that I enjoy this car – relaxed, sophisticated transport with a touch of attitude. Or maybe it’s those glassed-in headlights (OK, it was a plastic covering) that was just so different from any other car on the road. Whatever the origin of this intrigue may be, another owner felt the same way. In this case, the original owner of this 1978 Dodge Magnum is putting his pride and joy here on eBay and bidding is already quite active for a car that’s rarely seen today. The owner even spells out how he added $3,000 in options at the dealer and used the car carefully in the 53,000 miles racked up since new. Now the question is if the reserve will be met or exceeded – what do you think?
I think he got the message across that the car has never left California , it is certainly unique , and nothing more to do to it . would I buy it? in a heartbeat.. but, my budget wouldn’t allow it, and …. it would be taken out of California ! ( chuckle)
I’ve always liked these and for the right price I would own one but, at nearly 8k it is approaching my cut off. But for the right guy it would certainly be worth more.
My brother had a blue one. I remember it being very gutsy when it ran. He had fuel and electrical trouble with it if I recall. It took a lot to get it running and he eventually just got tired of it. The next person with it never had it running much either. Would have been a good one to keep if we had the place to stash it.
This is ‘the beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ type of cars. Clearly the seller loved this car and cared of it dearly. But at the end of the day it’s a lack luster oversized 2 door Detroit barge with 0 performance to speak of.
The optional 400 produced less than 200hp, and I’m too lazy to check on the output of the 318 It was reported to outcorner its class rivals from Ford or GM but I would take anything from the blue oval or the general any day over what Chrysler offered in those days.
At $7990 and reserve not met I’d suggest the seller rethink his/her reserve. It can also be a shill bid to get to the magic $8k. Don’t know, just speculating….
He says he removed the Catalytic converter. It will never pass smog in CA without them and it is not old enough to get exempted
Hey Jeff, any one else having problem”s with there back button or is it just my computer???
Paid $5200 for a new 76 magnum with a 360. got $2600 trade in for it with 60k miles.
Was a big boat that handled like all cars of that era.bad.
Would never pay that much for one
Owner states interior is black. I just want to know…does it have corinthian leather.
The only cool thing about this car is the name.
Well, whatever you do, don’t call it a Cordoba. On another site, I called a ’78 Chrysler 300 and rebadged Cordoba, and they blew a gasket. Sorry, that, and this, is what they were. Not a bad car, not the best. Lee Iacocca said it himself, ” We sent a lot of crap out the door”.
I paid $600 for mine – in Floyd Virginia – about 1990. I needed a driver; couldn’t beat it for the price. No rust, about 60K miles. It was 360, of dubious reputation, but mine was great. ‘ Pulled a trailer with it from Virginia to North Carolina, New Jersey, and Minnesota. Never missed a beat. Mixed opinions on appearance. I liked it, but a friend commented that the front end looked like it was designed by two people, neither one of which knew what the other was doing. OK, it did look a bit weird with the “eyes open”…
Performance? How many push-ups can your girlfriend do?
OCD much? Like has been said, Chrysler in these years were total junk, but not much junkier than everyone else. He should save it for his kids. It seems everyone thinks they hit a homerun because they took the time to care for their car properly, or to excess, but has the car ever left California? I wonder if some power hungry beaurocrat will come after this car now that the cat is out of the bag, (no emissions)
Buddy Arrington made good use of them on the NASCAR circuit back in the day,but Richard Petty and the other top Mopar teams didn’t like them as good.
Seriously..They were lousy back then, big slow, handled like your couch and still are now. Just because it’s old with low mileage doesn’t mean it’s worth anything.
There was a reason Chrysler almost died..
I’ve owned a few of these late seventies B-body Cordobas & Magnums and have found them to be good handling, comfortable, and dare I say, reliable.
I have owned my 79 Dodge Magnum GT (not XE) for 15 years. It is a highly optioned T-top car with leather buckets and a 360. I did swap the weak (and failing) 904 tranny for the much better 727 Torqueflite. Otherwise, it is reliable and even has its original Lean Burn/Spark Control computer connected.
Poor handling or low performance? My GT came standard with front and rear anti-swaybars, heavy-duty torsion bars, 60 series tires mounted on 8-inch wide wheels, and a quick ratio police steering box. To me It handles like a much smaller car.
All American engines of this era were low compression and low on horsepower, an unfortunate concession to economy and emission requirements of the time. An engine rebuild with higher compression pistons and higher-lift cam solves that problem.
Nice. I still think they look cool, just like I thought when they were new. My Dad had a Cordoba back then, nice looking, nice interior. terrible vapor lock on the fuel line. The car would often die after 10 minutes of driving.
Hahaha, I had a ’77 New Yorker Brougham that did the same thing. I live in a small town, and before I could get the three miles to my friend’s house after school, it would vapor lock, and I would coast the last 500 feet or so. Hahahaha, and I put four alternators on it in the four months I had it.