The station wagon of the 60s and 70s is much different than the wagon of the late 80s and early 90s. When station wagons became mainstream in response to a population boom in the U.S., they were massive, highway gobbling machines, and prodigious amounts of power were available if the right options boxes were checked. This 1969 Dodge Monaco wagon has clearly been off the road for many years, but at one time, it must have been a king of the highway. The seller notes it still has a 383 under the hood but you’ll need to find a new transmission. Check it out here on Facebook Marketplace for $1,500.
This was the photo that got me riled up, as those iconic Monaco taillights, combined with the fat tires on dog-dish style hubcaps, is a look you simply don’t see anymore (or will ever see again.) The color scheme is also fantastic, with a moss green over wood paneling, which has since departed from existence after years of sun exposure. The Monaco was considered an upscale model when new, so it could be equipped with a range of high-end options, including power brakes, power steering, and power seats, along with air conditioning – all of which would be nice to have a long-range road trip. The seller confirms this is, in fact, an A/C car.
Of course, one of the coolest options is the rare “Superlite” that Dodge developed in partnership with Sylvania, which installed a nifty spotlight in the grill for additional illumination. However, if you’re hot for one, I’m sure it’s an easy retrofit if you can find one. The 383 V8 was available in both two-barrel and four-barrel configurations, and even in base form, output was strong: 245 b.h.p. from a Chrysler “B-block” engine. The seller doesn’t tell us much about the health of the drivetrain (aside from the missing automatic transmission), but it’d be helpful to know if it still turns by hand.
The Monaco wagon was a large vehicle with plenty of space inside for your entire brood, and a rear-facing third-row seat expanded seating options further. For a vehicle that’s been sitting in what looks like a private salvage yard, it’s still in decent condition, but plenty of clean-up is needed. The Dodge is in upstate New York, and the seller acknowledges there is some rust in the front subframe. However, he feels it could be patched if needed, and that the rest of the unibody is sound. These old-school wagons are no longer seen as lame, and in my opinion, this Monaco could look quite rad with some mild restoration work.
I hate to say this, but it’s probably hopelessly rotted after sitting there for years.
Love it – one of my favorite wagon designs.
Thanks for writing this up!