A Dodge Magnum XE brochure says this model “epitomizes the personal driving machine.” For 1978, I think they were onto something. The sad part, though, is that I was never, nor will I ever be, as cool as this guy. The seller has this personal driving machine 1978 Dodge Magnum XE, posted here on craigslist in Chesapeake, Virginia, and they’re asking $9,850. Here is the original listing, and this tip comes from a guy who is that cool: Tony P.!
Quick: name all of the vehicles that have glass covers over the headlights (tapping foot) (Jeopardy music in the background). I can’t either, but I thought it would be fun to hear from the Barn Finds community to see what kind of list you folks can come up with. I’ll start it out: 1) 1978 Dodge Magnum, 2) 1965 Chrysler… Enough of that. Here’s a video on YouTube showing the headlight covers retracting down to uncover the headlights, at around the 55-second mark. Very, very cool.
This car appears to be in really nice condition, and I don’t see any glaring issues on the exterior. The seller doesn’t mention the “R” word (rust), and there doesn’t appear to be any that I can see, but Chesapeake, VA isn’t exactly the desert southwest, so I’d want to see underneath. Still, it looks great overall. This color is named – are you sitting down? – “Black.”
Speaking of black, check out this black leather interior! Some cracking on the driver’s seat is hard to miss, but I don’t see any tears or major damage anywhere. They say the interior is in “excellent” condition, and I tend to agree with that assessment, especially for a 47-year-old car with 65,000 miles on it. The back seat area looks like it’s right out of a brochure. Speaking of the same 1978 Magnum XE brochure that Mr. Magnus Magnum XE came from, the sunglasses guy, here’s one of the most-awkwardly-written passages that I’ve read, and that from a guy who regularly writes awkwardly-written passages: “Somebody thought a long, hard time about this new Dodge. Thought about a very special car with a very American way of getting a person who likes to drive where he’d like to go.” What?!
Speaking of driving, this clean-looking engine is Dodge’s 360-cu.in. OHV V8, and it looks fantastic. Very nice job on detailing this one, seller! It should have 155 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque (assuming it’s the two-barrel carb version), and is backed by the exact transmission you guessed would be there, a three-speed TorqueFlite. A 360 with four-barrel had 170 hp, and the 400 had 190 hp. The seller says it runs and drives, although that isn’t exactly a glowing report, but it’s something. I was hoping for runs and drives great. In any case, this looks like a nice car, one that you would most likely not see parked next to you at a cars & coffee events. Have any of you owned a Dodge Magnum?
Good write-up Scotty. I think these Magnums had a “tough-guy” look (for lack of a better phrase), which I liked. This example looks good. But the first thing I thought of was… those yellowed headlight covers? What could be done to improve them, short of finding NOS replacements?
If they are plastic, then 400 grit, 600 grit, 2000 grit sandpaper, clean with rubbing alcohol, then spray with clear. Several ebay videos on this. I have a Porsche Cayenne I need to do that for this weekend actually!
Get a can of Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish. It has the perfect consistency to clean plastic headlights. A little goes a long way. You can probably repair a pair of headlights for under a dollar.
The ones with T-Tops and center console were the ones I lusted after in the late 70’s. Always loved these cars!
Had two…one of each year…back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. My younger son currently has a 78. Not a glass headlight cover among them.
If you wanted a sportier version of the Cordova this was the car.
Nice YouTube video Scotty, I grew up in that era and never knew that the headlight covers retracted.
P.S., you are still the coolest!
Ha, not even close, sir.
The newly introduced 1979 full size Dodge St Regis adopted Magnum’s glass covers on its headlights.
Chrysler vehicles at least the top tier ones always offered plenty of meat on their Hoagies compared to Fords and GMs. Blindfolded you knew the turbine sound of a starter engaging.
We called that sound a Hamtramick humming bird.
I remember when these came out and our first thought was “they made the Cordoba cool” Because it was a sexy looking car in 1978.Looking at them now i still feel that way and these should be in the next wave of “hot classics” because the bones are there for muscle.
I haft to agree with Richard Brown. I’d want one with T Tops and a center console. I prefer the Cordova. The ones with the round head lights. They just look classier and nicer,
I lived in Chesapeake, Virginia for eleven years and don’t remember a lot of rusty cars but it’s not that far from the ocean. Does it come with a photo of Magnum PI and some Magnum prophylactics?
With a console and auto on the floor, it would be worth 10K.
Being a fan of this generation of Charger, this one has caught my eye. I think that 10K is not all that bad for something in this condition. Of course, some underside shots are required for a true evaluation.
And, I don’t particularly like the RUNS AND DRIVES comment made by the seller. Makes it sound like it may need some work before the 600 mile drive home.
I’ll take mine with the factory big block, console shift with buckets and the power sunroof (second choice T-tops).
Cool looking ride for the time.
Count me as one of the rare few happy to see the 60/40 Bench seat. Makes me want to go look. I’d rather cozy up to my girl than a console and shifter. Call me crazy.
Had a friend who bought a new one in ‘ 79 . It was red with a red interior , ” T- Tops ‘ , console with buckets , tilt wheel , the 360 engine , pretty much the whole enchilata . It was great to look at and great to drive .
I really liked the Magnum at first sight, and really really wanted one. I was a field service manager at the time and the company wanted me to buy a new car – as my current one was getting long in the tooth and becoming non-reliable. I preferred Chrysler products and went to the Dodge dealer, and fell in love with the ’79 Magnum, and that’s what I wanted to buy, however my boss said it has to have 4 doors since I was expected to entertain clients at times and they did not want clients having to “climb into” the back seat. So – very disappointed – I chose a ’79 Dodge Diplomat 4 door that was loaded with every option available for that year. I came to really like and enjoy the Diplomat – a very luxuriously comfortable, very responsive car that also cornered surprisingly well. But, I still always yearned for the Magnum I had to pass up.
You will the onlyvat cars abd coffee to have one. Wanted obe of these new, but was a broke 22 year old in 1078. So much better looking than GM or Ford crap that year. I wotk at a Chrysler dealer. We sell nothing likecthis snymore. Just boring Jeeps and trucks.
Very nice clean Dodge Black with black interior is nice Clean up the headlamps and cruise it!
T-tops would be cool. Removing the Lean Burn Ignition would be an upgrade.
Chrysler came out with a GT version of the Magnum. That’s the one I’d want.