Dodge intended for the Magnum to appeal to buyers who grew up around muscle cars but ran just two years (1978-79) before discontinuing it. In the first year, you could get up to a 440 cubic inch V8 in the car, but just a 360 in the car’s sophomore season. This ’79 edition was owned by one party for 41 years and spent most of that time tucked away in the garage. So, the seller acquired and brought it back to roadworthy condition and the machine presents well now. With just over 29,000 miles and located in DeLand, Florida, this ‘70s piece of automobile Americana is available here on Barn Finds Classifieds for $12,500.
Dodge’s marketing efforts targeted the Magnum to folks who had a Super Bee or a Charger a few years earlier, but they now had families and wanted sporty looks and performance without smoking the rear tires. So, the Magnum had a muscle car look with the comfort and room for the wife and kiddos. The car came with shielded headlights and a sloping nose and was equipped with front and rear sway bars, a torsion bar suspension, and rear leaf springs to help it handle well. Production saw 48,000 units built in ’78 followed by a little more than half that or 25,000 in ’79. After that, it was replaced by the Mirada which rode on a smaller and lighter platform.
After talking the long-time owners out of the car, the seller hooked it up with the following new items or parts:
- Wheels, tires, trim rings, and center caps.
- Brakes and wheel cylinders
- Fuel pump, water pumps, and hoses along with a refresh of the radiator
- Refitted the factory A/C with R134A materials
The body and paint look solid with the latter’s original finish offering a good shine after 42 years. That also applies to the matching landau vinyl top. The interior is a contrasting tan in color and seems to have held up well, not showing any effects of being in storage for many years. As the story goes, the second owner bought the Dodge when it was new, drove it for two years, bought a new car, and still liked this one so well that they kept it under wraps after that.
We get the impression this is a turn-key car that would attract attention wherever it went. It’s interesting to note that even though the Magnum has some slippery looks, it didn’t do all that well in NASCAR when it was used by Dodge teams in the late 1970s. It won a few races, including being the last Dodge to win a superspeedway race in the 20th century.
I wonder how Dodge got around the covered headlights? I know those were not allowed for the Citroen or the E type Jaguar. It wasn’t until Ford lobbied in the 80’s that composite headlights were made legal.
Those are clear covers. They open.
Without those covers, it’s a Buick.
Actually the car’s sister was the Chrysler Cordoba, as it shared the basic structure and many trim pieces.
100% can pass for a LeSabre
The 440 was never available in the Magnum. Largest engine in 1978 was the 400 cubic inch big block. The only B body cars that had 440 availability in 1978 were the Dodge Monaco and Plymouth Fury Police package sedans.
Very possible a few got the 440, as a Magnum could by equipped with the A38 police pkge by checking off that box on the ordering sheet. No Magnum won a NASCAR race, though Petty had seven top-5 finishes (including two second places, a two third places) in the seventeen races he ran with his Magnums. Son Kyle Petty won the 1979 ARCA 200 at Daytona in Feb ’79 using one of the Magnums Petty Enterprises had left over.
Those rally rims/trim rings were not offered on these in `79, so for 29K miles, it’s had that much change on it.
The seller didn’t specify which engine it has, but according to the VIN, it’s a 360 2bbl.
i thought they made them in 80 also, cause i thought that is what i owned when i bought mine around 84-85, black with red velour interior, alum mag style wheels with 318, i had landed a decent job and had a few bux in the bank and was car shoppin and found the mirada, at the time it had what i thought was some cool options like the 1 i was really impressed with is when you pulled the locked driver door handle a lite would illimunate around the key hole… cool… :)
Steve said,”some cool options like the 1 i was really impressed with is when you pulled the locked driver door handle a lite would illimunate around the key hole… cool… :)”
Yes,It did not take much to impress in those days. Now my new Challenger,”Talks” to tell me when the key fob battery is low, and even comes over the Internet to show tire pressures.
‘your door is a jar’ :D
Thanks Pauld and not in a sarcastic way. You’ve reminded me again how superior some things were 40 years ago. A guy I know just had all internet service deleted. Threw out the whole family’s cell phones and put a single land line. He says he’s never been so stress free in his life. After 6 weeks of bitching from wife and kids they too got over it and now they all have dinner together.
‘stand back. protected by viper’
Magnum was replaced by the Mirada in 1980.
my bad mophil… my mind saw mirada when it plainly reads magnum… old man brain fart… sorry
The right rear quarter, forward of the tail light lens, looks caved in.
Yeah I don’t know that much about those cars but I know if it’s a 440 or any engine like that the distributor is in the front the 318 360 had the distributor in the back so I can’t really see it in the picture but that looks like a 318- 340 360
I drive by this car all the time I wish I had the money I would buy it in a heartbeat.
I had a gray 79 with the shifter on the floor, I like that configuration better.
I Love the communication about these cars. I’m ChopperC and have 79 XE / GT T-tops. Nasty Nice, 360 runs well over 125,,,, Champion Radiator. Good fuel pump, Headers, X pipe next. Tan Interior / carpet redone. Dodge Toxic orange