Chrysler had high hopes for the Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volare twins when they debuted in 1976. They were the successors of the long-lived and proven Dodge Dart/Plymouth Valiant. But a healthy round of recalls tarnished their images, and they were discontinued after 1980, giving way to the new FWD K-Cars. This 1980 Dodge Aspen is the R/T model, which in its last year only saw 285 copies leave the factory. Not the powerhouse that the Dodge R/T name used to imply, this one has a 4-speed manual but with a 225 cubic inch Slant Six. Located in Eastlake, Michigan, this one-owner R/T is said to have only 26,000 miles and is in great condition. It’s available here on craigslist for $8,500. Kudos to Rocco B. for this tip!
Largely trim options, the Aspen R/T and Volare Road Runner were slightly reminiscent of the muscle cars that dominated the scene 10 years earlier. The best-case scenario was you could get a 318 or 360 V8 with the cars, but many came with the Slant Six and that was the only way you could get a 4-speed (really?). The wider tires, blacked-out grills, decals, and Rallye wheels did nothing to add performance to these autos. Which may explain why they didn’t sell very well. Out of 67,300 Aspens built in their last year, 1980, only a few hundred were R/Ts like the seller’s car.
As an interesting piece of trivia, a 1980 Aspen R/T similar to the seller’s car was the last auto ever built at Dodge’s storied “Dodge Main Plant” in Hamtramck, Michigan. And it was purchased new by a Chrysler employee. This car has survived for 43 years with a single owner who supposedly only put a few hundred miles a year on the car during all this time. We’re told it’s an original vehicle, which suggests that only routine consumables are the only things to have ever been changed. The paint looks to have seen better days.
This R/T may attract some attention at Cars & Coffee because of the interesting powertrain configuration. But most certainly the real interest would migrate to the guy who shows up with a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T like in the movie, Bullitt. My how things changed in a single decade.
Lemme see-6 cylinder rated @ 143 HP pushing 3400 lbs.
Ok I get it: R/T stands for “Retarding Traffic”.
Thank goodness there were only 285 made.
I’m a MoPar fan (ok, anything with wheels and gears but especially classic MoPar machines). However, the practice of the time by almost all the manufacturers to “decal up” boring cars is just wrong but in all fairness they were all grasping at straws.
This one would make for a neat commuter and probably fool many people-until you fall back into the slow lane on a 8 mile 5% grade!
R/T was more of a trim package, than a true performance package. No different than ordering your Impala SS with a 6 cylinder.
My point exactly.
“Volare Roadrunner” … still makes me laugh.
I’m not interested in this one. If I were, the slant 6 would come out. A CME 318 crate engine would go in. I’m thinking this has the 7.25 rear axle. That too has to go, the neat thing is that an 8.25 from an “M” body police package will bolt in, although you will probably need to replace the drive shaft as well. This is a car not really worth a lot, so hop it up and have some fun with it. Don’t go real nuts with the power though because that transmission will not last long if you do. If you want more, Passon Performance sells rebuilt A833 4-speeds that will handle a fair amount of power. I had a 318 A833-OD Dart Sport that I hopped up a little. ie, 4 barrel intake and carb (Edelbrock Pieces) and dual exhaust. The transmission held up fine and it already had a fair amount of mileage on it. This relatively weak transmission will take some abuse. They do not last long behind a 400 however. Don’t go nuts, you’ll be fine.
In 1980 the Slant Six was making nowhere near 143 HP. More like 95-110 max. I don’t think the 318 made 140 HP in 1980.
A long time follower, first time commenting. I used to drive a b150 Kozy Van, with a similar drive train/6 4spd Single barrel carb though. Broken speedometer/odometer. Driving cross country from NM to Pa. Effortless cruising, and I was rarely passed. Just saying:)
Yea I drove a similar van I friend owned one night I was designated driver. That drove actually very nice. But most of them had shorter gears in the rear to help move when loaded. But the cars had long highway gears.
It was a dark time for cars
My former father-in-law owned a Volare with a slant six, real piece of work these were. One afternoon we pulled out the taillights and cleaned the area up and replaced them with some sealer as water ran in during heavy rain. Being NE Ohio it rusted hard fast! Surprised the management in place got them as far as it did.
You can modify the Slant to be filthy, especially if you put a turbo on it. You could probably pop this thing into the 12s with this Slant, and embarrass a lot of muscle cars that cost many times more.
Nothing wrong with this car that a 440 couldn’t solve.
I owned a 77 roadrunner in spitfire orange. You take the 360 punch it 03 over add a stoker crank 10.5 pistons dart heads Crowley cam and a six pack intake. Throw a little nos. I raced it for four years ran 11s.
Traded it for a o5 mitsubishi rallyart that had been gone through quite well-designed. Still have the Lancer and the girl I traded still owns the Plymouth.
Whatcha trade the girl for? A car or another girl?
;)
A 4 speed makes almost any car fun to drive.
Hopefully they at least put a sway bar and better springs on as part of the package
I owned a 1977 Dodge Aspen R/T in 1989. It was traded in at the Buick Dealership where I worked as a Detailer. I saw it sitting behind the fence where they put the cars that were being sent to the auction. It was a pretty shade of blue with white interior and a 318 with a 4 speed manual and no rust! Even though it was filthy, I could tell it would detail up nicely. I bought it for $400. I spent a Weekend detailing it from top to bottom. When I drove it to work on Monday, the salesman that sold me the car said “Wow, we sold that to cheap! I wish you could still buy cars cheap like that!
Yeah Jeff my first car was a $400 76 Duster in great condition.With AC and a slant six auto.My lot attendant friend got to drive it before me.He ragged on it like all lot cars.It never passed emissions,had blow by, burnt valve and smell like gas but it sure looked nice jacked up, chrome wheels and good paint.That was in 87.
Why couldn’t you buy an Aspen R/T with a 360 and a 4 speed in 1980? Look no further than your friendly government agencies. The EPA and the killjoys at the NHTSA. Protecting you, and Mudder Erf, from yourselves.
It’s easy to post junk like that. But without those regulations we’d never have gotten computer controlled fuel injection for mass production cars and THAT is what has unleashed the ungodly power levels we see now.
1 of 285 car type no one wants is not a statistic to lead with. $8.5k to boot, brilliant! Barn finds are for rare muscle cars that haven’t seen the light of day for 30 years, not 1980 drivers no one wants. I’d rather read more $25k rusty/gutted but matching numbers on missing motor/Tranny classic Mustangs.
0-60 in 60 seconds
Yes it was mrs.goodwrench
I would bet that I could get a pretty good shine out of that original paint. The interior looks nice, and it would probably prove to be a reliable car, but I don’t think it would be fun just because it’s a 4 speed. It’s also got the underpowered slant six, and no A/C. It should’ve come with a 360 4 bbl, then it would be fun. He will have a hard time selling it. This is one of those times where it’s rare because no one wanted it.
I enjoy reading about American cars which were unusual for their day, and thus nearly non-existent today… such as a six-cylinder four-speed Aspen R/T. The variety at Barn Finds is one of its strengths.
I think it’s a keeper. You just don’t see many if any, of these R/T or not. This 1980 Dodge Aspen R/T is definitely a collector car, for sure. The six cylinder or slant six is on one of the listed “ Best Engine ever built “. I like it. I also love that style it has and I’m tempted to at least go check it out! THIS CAR STICKS OUT! It’s cool AND different! It most likely will be a good deal for someone who wants a fun cars and coffee/ show piece and WON’T get SKINNED alive with the purchase price. Nice car and a great article too…….
P.S.- What a jump from THIS car to a K-car all in one year!
It’s certainly curious that Chrysler gave the Aspen and Volare new noses for a single model year. Was it due to commonalities with the Chrysler LeBaron and Dodge Diplomat, restyled for 1980? Did Chrysler have plans to keep the Aspen and Volare alive after 1980? Or was it just competitive pressure? (The Nova had rectangular lights for six months.)
Check Slant Daily Garage and Uncle Tony’s Garage on YouTube. Plenty of easy ways to make more horsepower with this engine.
My ex father in law drove home a new Volare for his wife. He had a habit of buying cars without her. She hated it, was pissed and said take it back. He didn’t and they both regretted it. That was the last time he bought a car without her.
I like it. But I think $8,500 is too much. I had a 1976 Dart Sport with a 318 and 4-speed overdrive. It accerated OK in 1st and 2nd but fell flat on it’s face in 3rd gear. The slant 6 is going to be worse. Knew someone who had a Volare with this combination. It burned to the ground one night and it never ran right.
If one were to replace the 225 and the overdrive 4-speed with a mild 318 and a Passon 5-speed this could be a fun car to drive.
Probably not as slow as some of you are imagining. My 76 Aspen wagon had this engine/tranny combination and it wasn’t too bad. That shifter is a Hurst, at least it was in my wagon, and the most common question you will get at cruise-ins will be if the car came like that.
My buddy bought a new 77 Aspen R/T as a leftover in 1978, was black with the red stripes black interior 360 engine a/c automatic tuff wheel,rally wheels, pretty car, for the time the 360 ran nice, within a year he pulled it, wedged I believe a 440 in it, did the chassis etc, never seen it on the street again, heard it got sold off in parts to satisfy his divorce sadly
To be a replacement for Valient and Darts automatically sets its “wow factor” pretty low. The Valients and Darts evolved at a time when there were so many great cars, muscle cars. Pony cars and PLC, so it was OK for the Vs and Ds to be just transportation and fleets, and they did that very well. On the other hand, the Vs and As were born into a time when being an American car meant you were not popular, not even acceptable. Chrysler trimmed them up with the traditional American features and glits to attract traditional buyers, and they did. The 70s were a very dark time for America in general. So I guess it’s all relative regarding good and bad. The best we could hope for is we learned from our mistakes and things would get better in the future. In any event it was painful. Maybe in time the Vs and As will be so historical and that could add value.
Had a 79 R/T that was made for export that was purchased from the USMC post exchange.
318 no Lean Burn no cats from the factory and it ran very well.
For some of you who are commenting on the performance of a /6 with the four speed o/d transmission, I had one and it was fine. Third gear with those was direct drive, like third gear on a three speed. You could drive it all day in third gear without putting it into 4th, which was o/d. It was done with the gearing in the tranny case and the shift shift arm on the case was reversed so that the o/d position was where 3rd would have been on a four speed. Research it if you don’t think this is true.
I had an 80 dodge Aspen that I bought from my dad who bought it used for 350 bucks . It was light blue metallic with blue guts. 225 slant six . Bucket seats and an automatic was no race car. But kept up with traffic and being from western pa pulled the mountain well.it cleaned up nice and couldn’t beat the gas milage.