As far as the Dodge Coronet 500 is concerned, the package that is enclosed in this rather attractive body is a pretty desirable one. This Coronet is 1 of 135 that were built with the 426ci Hemi engine and heavy-duty TorqueFlite transmission. If that package is enough to not only get your mouth watering but to loosen your purse-strings, then you will find the Coronet located in Diamond, Missouri, and listed for sale here on eBay.
While it presents very well, the Coronet doesn’t wear its original paint. It was the subject of a repaint about 35-years-ago when it went into a private collection. It has remained in that collection until now, and the paint has held up well over those decades. There’s really not a lot to fault in the exterior presentation, and the gloss on that black paint is best demonstrated by how well surrounding objects are reflected by it.
It’s under the hood where things get serious. That original 426 pumps out 425hp, and the transmission has recently been serviced. The power is then sent to the rear wheels via a Sure Grip rear end. One aspect that has me confused is the fact that the owner refers to the block as being “patched” over 35-years-ago. He doesn’t elaborate on this, but if it has lasted for 35 years, then that is probably a good sign. The owner also holds a significant amount of documentation for the vehicle, which includes a Galen Govier Documentation Report, the original window sticker, original build sheet, original metal Certicard and holder, original Owner’s Manual and Warranty Card, original Fender Tag, and original carpet and seat-belt tags.
The interior of the Coronet is original and unmodified. The overall condition is very good, with only some creasing of the upholstery on the driver’s seat to note. You could possibly fix this and the few minor spots of discoloring, but that would undermine the originality of the interior, and I probably wouldn’t touch it myself. Otherwise, the dash looks good, the rest of the interior trim is also in good condition, and the headliner is faultless.
So, for all you die-hards out there, I guess that I’m wondering whether you feel that the concept of a patched block will negatively impact the value of the car? Assuming that this doesn’t have a negative impact, we have to consider what the car is potentially worth in the current market. I’ve had a look around, and I have found a number of similarly equipped ’66 models, and the prices range from a low of $50,000 to a high of $84,900. The owner of this particular Coronet has set his price at $64,950. That puts it in about the middle of the field and could be about right, depending on the engine patch.
? Not even sure what the seller means by engine “patch”. Could it refer to a cylinder crack that’s been welded over, etc? Otherwise, if this ‘patch’ does not interfere with performance or durability, etc. and was done right, it’s a non-issue to me because the block is still numbers-matching, which IS important here. I wouldn’t kick this Coronet 500 out of my garage!
Patch, no patch, matters not because I doubt that it has been driven much if at all the past 35 years and most likely will not for the next 35 years. Personally, I wish you could still buy a car like this without a crummy big block, just a nice sedate 2bbl 318, some air, and a 323 rear end. That car would be reliable, last forever, need little tuning. Try to say that about a hemi. These were popular when I was in high school, the lot was full of them, but I do not recall one big block except a low HP 383 in one. We drove our cars, sure, but we did not race them in the streets. I wish it still was that way and the survivors left were not all re purposed with silly horse power that no one can legally use anyway.
NOT FUN, witch high school did u go to and what year did u graduate?
If you and all your friends hadn’t have used them all up in high school I’d love to have one like that. Same as I’d like to have all the SHOs and preludes I used up when they were cheap and easy to find
Pretty reasonable, all things considered. Well, putting that very much in context. Someone correct me if I’m wrong but up until recently, this would have been a six-figure car correct?
Checked Mecum prices for past 11 years. Only 1 1966 Hemi Auto at 75K (very exceptional quality), rest mostly 50-70 range.
Patch could be a freeze plug that wasn’t replaced.
It does appear the prices are coming down if a 1 of 135 car with a Hemi is around 60K, unless it has a checkered history.
Sidney are you a missionary? Most of us don’t buy 100K muscle to drive too church and work. I would be a little bothered by the ‘patch’. Is it a freeze plug problem, or did a rod crashing through it make it necessary to patch it? Either way, I still want this car.
Being a low option car with even 14″ rims, I believe it was bought for the drag strip. That might explain the defect in the block. As long as it has been repaired correctly, I see no issue there. A couple of minor issues may be the steering wheel may have been replaced, should have a red center button, the radiator I believe may of been from a 69′ and the top hose is for a AC car. Still a nice car. $65,000 is a strong fair price, maybe a little higher if no unseen issues are present. Example: A flood car
Sidney, if you were ever lucky enough to stand on that ‘heavy-duty’ TorqueFlight at thirty miles per hour, you would have a very different impression of this car. The first time I did, in a brand new ’63 Plymouth Fury, Max Wedge; my humble little brain has never been the same since. Maybe this year at the Barrett/Jackson.
I know that feeling, and at 69 i still get it every time i drive my 1969 HEMI ROADRUNNER,4 SPEED SUPER TRACK PAK. 4.10 REAR AND N96-RAM AIR .SEE U AT BARRETT/JACKSON
By patch they could mean they cracked a cylinder or two,and in order to save the original block they bored the cylinder and put a liner in it. This would be expensive but would make the cylinder the same as new,those early hemi blew up in a lot of different ways breaking lots of stuff. Oh by the way, buy liner I mean a sleeve. I worked in heavy trucks for forty years,and that’s how you rebuild a motor,put new sleeves in it.
I have always loved this body style. Mine (from late 1967 through late 1971) was a dark blue and white with a 383 and the torqueflite. I used to get a kick out of “grudge night” at the drag strip. I would beat 396 Chevelles and 389 GTOs off the line and lead about three fourths of the way down the track. Of course, they would beat me by about a car length at the end…but he mine was billed as a “family” car (not even posi-traction). Used to get a kick out of their “after” attitudes…and their respect. Imagine…if I only had a Hemi!
nice car but in my mind the only “SURVIVOR ” part of this beautiful old Mopar is the interior & the transmission. Everything else has been touched. Pricewise,,,,,,,, seems very reasonable.
The term survivor has a very broad definition in the collector car business and in my opinion is usually not accurate. Any car that has been painted or had anything changed except maintenance items isn’t really a survivor IMO.
This is only 25 miles from me if someone is really interested and wants a half-assed assessment.
A super nice Mopar that is reasonably priced if there’s no surprises!
Beautiful car, nicely equipped except for lack of a third pedal. A Hemi with an automatic is not a Hemi with a 4 speed.
Oh no! Should I or shouldn’t I? This is the only blog I have looked at all day! Thats the question I keep rolling around and around and around in my head! I looked at it this morning and about 50 more times! I really like this darn car! This is a true muscle car! I will probably try to go to sleep tonight and that question will keep me up and down all night! I have to wait a couple days tho! I have to figure out how I can rearrange the garage! This mopar is going to haunt me! I am not even a mopar fan, and I love this car!
It’s been for sale before and like was said….thinkin’ all our favorite muscles will be coming down a little….we’ll see.
Cool old car, but WAY out of my league.
It’s Mopar-palooza around here this week!
I think I’d rather have that blue Fury convertible someone posted in comments on another listing for 9K.
This one is in Connecticut with a hair under 30,000 miles on it. I first saw this car when I was 13 years old and it was new,It was a bracket racer at the old “Dover Downs” drag strip in Dover New York.I do believe it is for sale.The original mufflers are still on it.This car is the survivor of survivors.It has never seen snow or road salt.And I do believe it hasn’t ever been rained on,I tried posting more pics here,but this site wont let me decoad this vin tag for starters
The first Street Hemi, right? Sweet machine no doubt, was told years ago this mill got even better in ’68. Think it had something to do with the valve springs, whatever.
With the stock wheels this would have looked like any other Dodge sittin’ at the light, until the hemi call out badge was spotted,…UH OH!
Those were the days my friend. Sunoco 260 was 103 octane back then,and it was outrageously expensive back thenIt had lead in it and it was 57 cents a gallon. This is picture two of six
i would run out of gas, before i would put anything else!
I doubt the engine blew a rod thru the block. I agree about a freeze plug. I once stored a ’57 Ford outside for the winter, parked down a slight hill with the water drained and in the spring it had popped a freeze plug and cracked the block. I was able to seal it with 2 cans of Barrs Stop Leak. Back in the day nobody used anti freeze year round and drained it in the spring. Thank racers for that upgrade.
Not sure how accurate this is, but an old engine machinist told me years ago that the purpose of freeze plugs aren’t what most of us think. Popping out in freezing temps is a desirable side effect, but they were never intended to save a block from cracking. He said that the holes were a necessity during block casting. Sorry for straying from the subject.
Comet, looks like you’re right. Freeze plugs didn’t save my engine block.
Your correct Comet, the freeze plugs were a Bi-product of the block casting process. Somewhere here a heard someone thinking a sleeve is not good but a patch,”WRONG”. Most race motors cylinders are all sleeved for it’s durability and it’s not expensive. All alcohol and nitro runners are sleeved. I lose the word “all” loosely, but it is the way to go if you are a serious contender.
I believe with a Hemi that the auto tranny was the way to go. It would handle the torque.
So back off 3 rd pedal guys. The manual tranny could not do the job and was probably slower
U may be right about the transmission but a factory 4 speed could bring 10,000.00 more. P/S IF RONNIE SOX’S or DAVE STRICKER were still alive I believe they would tell u different.
IF U look at the class ET’S of NHRA for STOCK & SUPER/STOCK in the 60’s the stick cars had quicker ET’S. Then in the mid 70’s tork convertors and auto trans became better.
Just my two cents. At any kind of drag racing the Automatic should give you a better dial in time, be cause of consistent shifts, but on the other hand the standard transmission would give you a 100% lock up in all gears, but you have to be good at it, but you should prevail. To make drag racing interesting again I would endorse a standard transmission class with adjusted dial-ins to off set the classes.