Chrysler’s B-bodied cars were a smash with their 1968-70 redesign. Over at Dodge, much of the noise went to the Charger, which took off in sales with its part personal luxury car/part muscle car vibe. But there was another mid-size Dodge that found even more buyers, the Coronet. As a 2-door hardtop, they could be had in 440, Super Bee, and R/T trim. The seller has a nice ’70 Coronet 440 that looks good at 20 feet, but there is some noticeable rust when you get closer. Located in Corvallis, Oregon, this Mopar is available here on craigslist for $21,500 OBO. Once again, “Curvette” comes through with the tips.
Dodge sold twice as many Coronets in 1970 as Chargers, but that’s because all body styles were represented, including sedans and station wagons. The Coronet had a different front clip and no tunnel back roofline, so it wasn’t as sexy as the Charger. The mid-range offering was the Coronet 440, with the Deluxe at the entry point and R/T at the high end. Many of them came with a 318 cubic inch V8 like this one, paired with a 904 automatic transmission (numbers-matching?).
Upgrades to this ’70 Coronet are an Edelbrock intake manifold and 4-barrel carburetor, dual exhaust, and an open gear set. Aftermarket wheels set off the exterior, and the interior was treated to new upholstery and carpeting just a few months ago. It’s a solid runner that was once a factory A/C car, but the hardware has been removed. Newer components include the fuel tank and a Bluetooth stereo system.
That’s it for the good news. On the minus side, rust has developed below the back glass, the trunk floor, and the driver’s side rear quarter panel. And the blue paint is showing its age, though most of it looks good at the right angles. If you don’t have the budget for a second-gen Charger, what about this Coronet that needs some effort to be show quality?
This would be a good starting point for me….
TBF..i find this much better looking than an R/T or Superbee without all the scoops or stripes etc..it’s very clean and sleek looking..Your chances of running into another Coronet 440 at cars and coffee is significantly slimmer than an R/T or Sueprbee(real or clone) so i’d leave this alone and stand out from the crowd!
Had this almost exact car, but in the Plymouth version, the Satellite. Mine was B7 blue with a white vinyl top, blue cloth seat interior, AC (that worked), power steering, manual drum brakes, 318 engine and 904 automatic. I bought it in 1989 off a used car lot for $1200, drove it as my daily driver for about 5 years, and then sold it for $1500. Another car I wish I still had.
$21k seems a bit much for a 20 footer. The bottom of the entire driver side rear fender is gone and will need rebuilt or replaced. Who knows what other cancer lurks. The trunk looks like there may be more issues.
No exhaust sound? Just look at the seats!
My favorite body style of a car. The front end grill and chrome nails it. I would take a pass on this car for 21K. To make it into a very nice car. I’d say you’re looking at another 20 K in rust, bodywork and paint. Why do people take out the AC units? For me that would be a big selling point to have it working. I noticed this a lot.
Some of us in our youth thought it was a great idea to jettison the extra weight and declutter the engine bay especially if the ac wasn’t working. Thank goodness for companies like Vintage Auto Air and others for making what’s needed to replace what got thrown into the scrap bin decades ago.
Had one like it!! Purchased for $28.50 tax and title out the door!! Purchased about a hour and a half after my 72 Cutlass was totaled.
Had a ’70 Super Bee so always liked this body style. Those tacked on side moldings have to go. They ruin the whole aesthetics of the car, and what LL Bean catalog did they get that material for those front seats from? Plus I never understood the need to throw Crager’s, mag wheels, etc. onto every old vehicle. Even just a 318 small block. It’s definitely got some rust issues. I think at $21.5 he might be pushing it.