First things first: the mileage isn’t really 8,000 miles. This is a Canadian car, so the odometer reads 13,063.9 kilometers, which equates to 8,117.5 miles. But for all intents and purposes, this beautiful survivor 1977 Dodge Aspen Custom sedan probably has the lowest odometer reading you’ll find. Oh yeah, it also has a floor-shifted manual! It’s posted here on craigslist in Kaleden, British Columbia, Canada, and the seller is asking $12,000 ($8,479 U.S. dollars). Here is the original listing, and thanks to Curvette for the tip!
Man, what a great-looking car! At least condition-wise. I know a four-door Dodge Aspen isn’t on the must-have list for too many Barn Finds readers, but if you’re going to own one, this is it. The Jade Green Metallic paint looks perfect from what I can see in the photos. We don’t know if this car has been repainted or not, but with such low mileage, I’m assuming this is the original paint. I wouldn’t change one thing about this car.
The Kaleden climate isn’t exactly the desert Southwest, and as expected, the bumper filler material looks great, as do the contrasting dark green vinyl top, the bodyside moldings, the bumpers, and everything else. The small wheel covers/caps are perfect on this lower trim car. Dodge made the Aspen and sister car Volare from 1976 through 1980. Its legend has lived on for almost five decades, even though they were only offered for five model years.
Thankfully, it’s even green inside. And with nice brocade (“Revere cloth and vinyl”) seat fabric and that snake-like floor shifter! COME ON, TAKE MY MONEY! I believe that’s a 4-speed with overdrive, but a 3-speed manual was also available. I could be wrong, but I’m guessing the 3-speed manual would have had a column shifter. The 1977 Aspen was reportedly one of the last cars here to have a column shifter. There isn’t a close-up photo of the shift knob, and I can’t find that info in any brochures showing the 1977 Dodge Aspen. Chrysler redesigned the A-833 4-speed as an overdrive transmission with an aluminum case in 1975, more for fuel economy, and they were available on the ’76 through ’79 Aspen.
Sadly, the seller didn’t include any engine photos or give any engine information or a VIN, but the trunk looks good! We don’t know if this is a 225 slant-six or a 225 Super-Six. I’m assuming that since this is more of a base-level car, it has the base engine. The horsepower difference was only 10 hp, with 100 in the base 225-cu.in. OHV slant-six, along with 170 lb-ft of torque. Backed by the manual transmission sending power to the rear wheels, the seller doesn’t say how it runs, but I have to believe it runs as well as it looks. Have any of you owned an Aspen or Volare with a manual transmission and a floor shifter?
Let me count the ways why no one “should” be interested in this car: it is from the Malaise Era, it’s an Aspen, it has four doors, it is a lowly six-cylinder, it has dog dishes, it is green, even the interior is green, it has a vinyl roof. All of those things make it interesting to me. Even there are those who would scoff at someone saying they would enjoy taking it to Cars and Coffee, just for the conversations it would generate (this is particularly fun for me).
So, I like it…. because it is what it is, and it has survived (more accurately, thrived) for all these years. The icing on the cake is that cool shift lever.
Fun write-up SG.
I KNEW Bob would dig that shifter!!!
I can’t get over how well preserved this Aspen is. Before the rust and poor build quality comments start flowing here, the Volare and Aspen were very popular during those 5 years and they used to be everywhere. I don’t ever remember seeing one with the 4 speed overdrive.
Fun fact about the A833. Not only did it appear in cars, but also in the half ton pickups and vans. AND an even bigger fun fact, GM used them ( modified to bolt up to their engines) on the half ton pickups and vans as well. MPG was a huge topic by the mid tonlate 70’s and 80’s. My Dads 81 had that trans behind his 305. He could get over 20 with it if he drove it easy.
This is great Scotty. Thank you!!!
I could see this doing the 1/4 mile in under 4 days. These hideous 4 door cars, are usually the cleanest time capsules. I guess people were afraid to be seen in cars like this, so they kept them hidden away in the garage.
Because it’s a 4 speed,it might be an interesting semi-
daily driver to take to Cars & Coffee.
To me that shifter just doesn’t fit in – looks like something
Ed Roth would use.
As once before mentioned, some admin weenie at the cop shop in Carson City (NV) bought a truckload of Volare’s at a bargain price at a govt federal auction to save on fuel costs, all equipped as patrol cars-with a slant 6 and auto under each hood they were the laughingstock of the state.
Needless to say there was a reason the Air Force security team that initially got them wanted nothing to do with them.
All the Carson cops to no end hated driving these anemic wonders. Top speed was said to be in the 60’s on flat ground (4200’ altitude) if the siren or overhead lights were on as the standard heavy duty palternator put such a load on the engine it’d slow down-and forget about running the AC on a hot summer day.
BUT!
When the motor pool took them out of service as their mileage peaked and farmed them out to the rest of the city offices they were the perfect little gas sippers and lasted quite awhile, to the chagrin of those city employees.
This one could be a unique commuter especially if you trash that sorry excuse of a carb and throw on an FI unit.
A unique find, and nowadays perhaps appreciated more than when new.