I did not expect to read that this 1969 Dodge Polara 500 convertible has a three-speed manual. The Polara 500 was the mid-trim level for the Dodge Polara in 1969, between the Polara and the Monaco, and I figured that it would have an automatic. The seller, who I’m assuming is the gentleman standing by the door in the photo above, has it listed here on eBay in Groveland, Florida, there is no reserve, and the current bid price is $11,436.
The Polara and Polara 500 were the only full-sized Dodges offered in a droptop body style in the US in 1969, although Canadian buyers also could choose a Monaco 500 convertible. The Polara 500 was a mid-level car, between the base Polara and top-of-the-line Monaco, and it was available in this convertible body style, a two-door coupe, a four-door sedan, and a four-door station wagon. Is that red overspray on the right front tire?! It reportedly just had a $9,000 paint job!
We’ve seen a few fuselage-era Chrysler products recently here on Barn Finds and this Dodge Polara 500 is a car that we don’t see as often for some reason. 1969 was the first model year of the second generation Polara and they would go away at the end of the 1973 model year. Is that more red overspray on the bottom of the left-rear tire? I’m confused, it must be some sort of reflection or something.
The seller says that this is a 65,000-mile rust-free car and there’s a reason it looks so good, it’s just had an all-new interior installed. They say that it had no rust on it when it was painted and it sure looks nice. The seats look perfect, as they should since they’re new front and rear, and the seller shows a few underside photos.
With everything else looking so fresh and shiny and clean, a weekend spent on the engine and engine compartment sure would have been nice. It looks dirty and drab in there, comparatively, and I know that a lot of us like a clean engine compartment. This is Dodge’s mid-range V8 engine for this model, a 383-cu.in. OHV V8 with a two-barrel carb, which would have had 290 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque. The base engine was a 318 and there was also a 383 with a four-barrel, and a 440 V8. Hagerty is at $14,000 for a #3 good condition Polara 500 convertible. Have any of you owned a Polara from this vintage?
Wow! this is a real beauty! The only problem is that I like my manual shifters to be on the floor, LOL!! GLWTA!! :-)
Floor shift for sure! I did research, the 3 speed manual was only avail. on the 318 and 383 2bbl; 383 4bbl and larger engines get the auto. I suppose the 3 speed manual couldn’t handle the torque?
I thought the side trim was aftermarket, as it is a bit askew. But, it’s factory – that’s what makes Barn Finds great – you get great info on vehicles a person normally wouldn’t go looking for on their own. You get a new appreciation for the other makes…
Hagh! 3spd-on-th-tree!! My 71′ ho-hum Demon 318″ 2bbl had that No! Wait! That WAS a FLOOR shift! Too bad the prior owner tried Uni-lug rims with BRASS!! lug hole makup “top hat” style bushings. They kept loosening up about every MILE. Good GOD!// Have fun guys!
I drove one just like it in high school and college back in the 80s. Mine was a 318 automatic car but, like this one, the trim did not line up like it should have. Many fond memories from that car. Last I heard it was shipped to Sweden so I’m sure it’s being cherished by someone.
Gorgeous car for the money. I don’t remember these having all that stainless trim. Was that aftermarket?
“Resale Red”? And what’s up with that chrome on the leading
edge of the hood & front fenders?
Never seen one with that trim on the lower sides before.This
would look a lot better without either,& maybe the rub strips on the
sides.
Otherwise,nice looking car.
I believe that trim was added mid-year to address complaints that Dodge didn’t have a true loop bumper. I believe it was optional, but I can’t recall for sure.
I went online and looked at pnotos. Some had them, some didn’t. Saw only one though with the horizontal trim line. Either aftermarket or dealer installed.
There are cars whose spec make you think they have to have been a special order, and then there’s this, which I’m sure was a special order followed up with a call from the central office to make sure the salesman didn’t forget to check the Torqueflite box or at least the 4-speed one…
Back then you could order a car just about any way you wanted it
Love it… 3 on the tree means more room up front. 🙌
Well, here’s a noodle scratcher for ya’s, why on earth would someone equip a car of this nature with a column shift? Stan has a point, the original intent of a column shift, but with bucket seats, not sure that was the reason. What we have here, is some stalwart, that shifted gears all their life, finally bought the car of their dreams, and guess what,,,column shift. I bet everyone from the sales person to the line workers questioned it, but people were very adamant about their choices then. Not like today in a “one size, fits all” economy. As mentioned, we never had A/C in anything, partially because I don’t think my old man trusted where the cold air came from.
Very nice car, but the manual trans clearly limiting interest, that and a guy with no shoes, some sort of document and a wad of cash in his hand, makes me nervous. $9 grand in paint( red is the most expensive color), no wonder nobody paints their classics.
9k paint job and new interior? I would say he spent more than the asking price. Priced for quick sale it seems. I would have a mechanic take a long hard look at the engine and drivetrain before I buy. When I said aftermarket trim I meant the strip on the beltline. The rocker panel chrome was standard.
Yes there was a good number of dads like mine back in my day who thought automatics were for women and “just more to go wrong” thinking. He wanted the 3 on the tree, not on the floor and why would you need a 4th gear. He bought a new 60 Corvair would want to convert the floor shift to a column shift. Good thing that wasn’t available as he hated that car but drove it for 3 years until he found a new 2 door 63 Biscayne that had a 327 300hp with of course a “3 on the tree”.
Wow, a Corvair with an *aftermarket* column shift would effectively be a 1-speed if not a slot machine with motion, forward or aft, as the winning prize! It would be so complicated as to make Rube Goldberg himself say it needs simplification.
nlpnt,
I own a Tatra T-603. They all have an air cooled rear engine [V8] with a rear 4-speed transaxle, and column shift! [Sort of like a large Corvair.] The shifting mechanism under the dash is quite complicated, and difficult to get adjusted, but once it’s shifting well, it’s very easy.
I have owned other 4-speed column shift vehicles, From a DKW and a Peugeot 403, all the way up to a Vanden Plas Princess Limousine that was right hand drive, so you shift with the left hand, in a reverse pattern!
Howard,
4 years after this car was new, I ordered a brand new Dodge B200 Cargo Van loaded with options like all the exterior chrome trim including bumpers and lo-mount mirrors, 318, P/S, P/DB, Factory A/C, Cruise, but 3 on the tree. WHY? because I like manual gears on my vehicles!
In 2008 I was looking for a new car for my [now ex] wife and I, and we ended up buying a Toyota Camry with automatic, as she never learned to drive a stick shift. Even today there are times I wish it was a manual trans.
I like it! even the 3 on the tree. I thought that 9k for paint on a car this size was not over the top with clear coat. especially if it got cut and buffed. I don’t believe that it was painted red for resale, the old red on the firewall tells me that. A good detailing in the engine compartment, trunk etc. and I would do cars and coffee every day that it wasn’t raining.
These were rare when new. At least in my neck of the woods.
$9K paint job, overspray everywhere, body shop dust covering the engine compartment…the shop that painted this car must be a real professional operation, lol. I would’ve been livid.
All of the chrome is factory, do your research…all Polara 500’s had this trim.
This car is the perfect candidate for a 440/4-speed conversion. The lame 383 2bbl and even more lame 3-speed trans would find their way to the scrap heap. The pedal set-up in this car is worth a small fortune to the C-body guys.
The driver’s side lower rear quarter is COMPLETELY hand made and they butchered it! This car has LOTS of issues and whoever did that body work should be fired immediately. That is the most heinous patch panel in the history of patch panels! Look at the angle of that Bondo’d up piece of sheet metal!!!
Even has over-spray on the tires! Includes a vintage Pioneer Supertuner under the dash.
Maybe Earl Schieb painted it with K-Mart House Paint and a string mop from the Dollar Store? I didn’t know Dodge was trying to be like GM with a windshield antenna, yep, lay the antenna down on top of the instrument panel behind the windshield and hope it will pick up stations. (lol)
actually I think seller was in a hurry to post it on e-bay so overlooked to much stuff, like the rear quarter window cranks.
When I see a car with a crappy paint job, I always say they used a gallon of Dutch Boy and a broom!
I think you may have one-upped me, buddy! Lol!
Terrible overspray in and around engine compartment
Also missing the antenna, where the hole is on front passenger side fender
Looks like a nice cruiser tho…
I would keep it just the way it is. The fact that it has the basic transmission which was a standard feature on the majority of all cars of the big 3 provides a very brief glimpse back in time. By 1969 the “upper” level of cars, Buick, Merc, Cadillac, Lincoln, Olds the dealer would order, or top line came with an automatic as standard equipment. IMHO I would top out around $12K on an offer, more work needs to be done to make it local show worthy.
Maybe the seller can use some of the proceeds to take an ESL class. The body has no waves or dense, and the top does not have no rips or tears. Double negative but I think I know what they mean. Just seems like a proofreader would be helpful before posting.
Hopefully he’ll have enough money left over to buy a pair of shoes. I wonder if he regularly used that shoeless left foot tool depress the clutch.
I guess “no rust” really means no rust showing now. Just be honest about it, please.
I don’t get the details of all the negative comments, I think readers are just assuming the worst. I get that and I would definitely have to see it in person, before, I would spend the money.
Rear seat window cranks are missing? I guess one of the front ones pops off to use in the back seat? Or the windows are always down?
Suddenly there are a lot of Florida cars for sale. Does anyone remember Ian?
Might be an extra zero in the cost of that repaint. Whoever did the masking should have been fired. That being said, it’s a cool car and made even cooler by the three on the tree.
I’m with Michael Berkemeier. The quarters look a mess. These are easy to spot when they’re cobbled up like this. It’s so wrong they probably can’t even put the missing quarter trim back on.
Lost me at the fuzzy dice. Nice looking car though. Wonder if the lower left side is indeed patched? The angle looks off for sure. GLWTS!
Sketchy looking car IMHO. Do NOT like that chromish front stuff. Maybe driving it makes up for its looks.
Don’t want to cast any dispersions but since I’m currently restoring my 69 Polara 500 convertible (owned for 10 years) same color combo ,same options except mine is equipped w/ auto floor shift, power windows, power bucket seat light package etc. I can say there are a few issues on this one. Yeah, over spray is really bad but those rear quarters are butchered . The 500 trim always continues on to the rear bumper. The trim down the side is aftermarket, and the chromed aluminum trip is missing from around the tail lights. Looks terrible. As far as the chrome front fender end caps and hood trim, that was a ‘ dress up ‘ option on all the Polaras. Mine doesnt have it thank goodness.
I love cars like this, a rare bird that was definitely not an off the racker. There were not many built and likely fewer survive. The other cool thing is, go back in time and just think of the car the individual traded in on this which was likely a late 50s to mid 60s manual convertible in the Dodge or Plymouth family.
It’s a three-eighty-three,
It’s got a three-on-the-tree,
and that is just fine with me!
By the time I got done reading all the previous comments, I couldn’t even remember what the car was. Only that it had three on the tree and messed up quarter panels.
Cool car with a KP-500 supertuner, had one back in the day. Got it because it had seperate base and treble knobs. Have no idea at all where it went.
Feel sorry for the old guy in the photo. The body shop screwed him so good he can’t afford shoes. I have worked in body shops since the 70s. Truth be told, most will not take on 50 plus year old rust buckets as the bill ends up being more than the car is worth. Insurance work is what pays the bills. Good paint today is $400 a gallon. Why a crappy 3 speed when the THEN Torqueflite was likely the best automatic transmission ever. Today, a total pile of Mexican parts. Ask me how I know. I work at a Chrysler dealer.
I had a 71 Polara hardtop sedan with the 383 4 barrel w/dual exhaust that I purchased at the dealer auction in 1989. Being a dealer with a license to steal I purchased this car for $75.00 with a $25.00 auction fee from Bay Cities Auto Auction. In Hayward California. Rust free and sporting 69,000 original miles it was a fantastic car. It had a class III frame hitch and trans cooler already on it so it became my tow car to pull back cars from the auction to my shop. Now you may wonder why it was so cheap….well back then the big American sleds were not in demand and this car had a misfire as it went across the block. I knew from spinning the motor over on the starter without spark and listening to it crank that it had no low cylinders. An engine is just a big air compressor and it will speak to you as it cranks. I figured bad plug or wire and it was a wire. Replaced the wire and voila. This was my tow vehicle for years, not to mention the ability to carry drivers to the auction to drive back vehicles I had purchased the week before in comfort. Tow bar in trunk and drivers allowed me to get multiple vehicles back. The remainder were put on transport trucks to be delivered. Drove my Polara in a raging blzzard up to lake Tahoe to get married, got rammed by a crazy guy in a truck on the interstate at highway speed with just a dinged bumper playing bumper car
What a tank!!! No 5 mph bumpers back then folks. The California C.H.P. Used Polaras back then with the 440 H.P. Jay Leno has a you tube story on the best California C.H.P. cars from the past including the big Mercurys, Oldsmobile Apprehenders, Ford Mustangs and Polaras. His choice hands down the Dodge Polara. When we switched to unleaded gas and no more good leaded fuel my Polara burned a couple valves because back then anything 1971 or older did not have hardened valves and high rpm and or heavy load conditions ( I used mine for towing) was a death sentence to the engine. Time to pull the heads and replace valves with hardened valve seats and valves. $$$. I sold my Polara running on 6 1/2 cylinders for more than I paid for it (not much) Talk about getting your monies worth. This convertible for sale sounds like a good deal in today’s economy and money value especially compared to how much classic cars are getting today. New paint and interior is a plus money wise. But a 3 speed…..Is that a 3 on the tree I see? The legendary torqueflite A/T would have been more welcome. You could have had that or a 4 speed on the floor. Three speed, well makes it even more rare. Rare does not make it desirable on this car in my book, but a 4 speed would be an easy swap. Depends on what you like. By the way…..I replaced the wheels on my Polara with appliance 5 spoke mags, and installed bullet mufflers on the dual exhausts. Big block old mopars sound so sweet set up like that. I miss that old sled and compared to a bunch of old Lincolns, Caddys, and Olds 98’s I used for tow cars over the years as a used car dealer, the Polara will always be my favorite.
One of my all time fav fuselage cars,love the grille especially..BUT..do not like the optional chrome package surrounding the upper and side front end,dis tew much chrome :P
Ditch the lower chrome, it would look so much better. The 3 speed column shift is awesome, some detailing under the hood and you could have a fun cruiser. All it needs is the rare “Super Light” option, You rarely saw them even back when these cars came out.
The Polara 500 was not a mid-trim level thing. The 500 was a package on the regular Polara that included bucket seats or split buckets with buddy seat. A sporty package, if you will.