This generation of Dodge Magnum was only made for two years, in 1978 and 1979, and this happens to be a 1979 Dodge Magnum XE. They were “performance cars”, or were meant to be, for a generation of folks who grew up with muscle cars but now had families to think about. This one is on craigslist for $3,950 $4,250 in McMinnville, Oregon. Thanks to Rocco B for tracking down this cool Magnum!
This is really a great looking car, in my opinion. Those covered headlights are so unique, but Chrysler had used them on other models such as the Dodge St. Regis. And, who doesn’t like a teal/aqua (officially, “mint green”) colored car?! Come on, gorgeous. NADA lists the “high retail” value of a 1979 Dodge Magnum XE as being $3,400, that just seems low to me for so much car!
It appears that the RF fender is a shade lighter than the adjacent passenger door, bummer. But, the seller says that this isn’t a restored car, and it has never rusted. These Magnums were sure loaded with design features: the fender “bulges”, headlight covers, those layered wheels, the landau roof, etc. It all works together to take me right back to 1979. All I’d need is a white belt and white shoes and I’m ready!
Wow, just, wow. This car looks like it would be right at home in Florida, those colors, the white seats, it all screams Florida to me, for some reason. There is no mention of AC, but I’m assuming that it would need to be charged (see how I haphazardly threw those two extra words in there?!), and no power windows seems strange given that pert’near any cheapo new car has them today. But, you can see the power driver’s seat.
Beautiful. This is one nice-looking car. Since there are no engine photos or any mention of what engine is in this car, I’d assume that it’s a 318, with either 135 or 155 hp. By 1979, the most power available in this car would have been in the XE GT with a 360 4-barrel and 195 hp. That’s not a heck of a lot for a 3,800-pound car, but it’s also not bad. It’ll keep up with modern traffic for sure and you’ll stand out like a sore thumb, in a very good way! Have any of you owned a Dodge Magnum of this vintage?
The car is from OR, but with that color combo it sure reminds me of a car that could have come straight from the Gold Coast of FL.
a cross country drive and a fun sight seeing trip then take it to florida and it will bring 7K easy. This is a pretty cool car and a lot of folks like them. I am one
Nice. Always liked those covered headlights.
In the late ’80’s when I was in college a red over red one of these was left abandoned – unlocked with the keys in it – in the parking lot behind my residence. It sat for two semesters before the school towed it away. We knew it was a rare vehicle. Guess one of us should’ve done something more with it. Stupid college kids….
Good thing you didn’t it was probably stolen.
I sold the car nearly two years ago. I had inquiries from all over, but no serious buyers. The first person [a local] to actually look at the car and drive bought it “in a flash”. His exact words after the fact were: “It was twice the car at half the price of anything I looked at.” I hope he is enjoying it. I miss it. BTW, it had a 360 engine with A/C. I spent $500 on the A/C and radiator, hence the price increase.
In college in the mid ’80s a buddy of mine had one, black on black with a sunroof. He also had the requisite set of Goodyear Eagle ST white lettered tires. It was a pretty menacing looking car! His had the 360 and the one thing I remember most was that we were constantly putting fuel in the thing.
I had a 79 grey one with the 360. It went pretty good, used some serious gas. I drove it until 1997. Sold it to a high school kid for $150. Saw it around town lfor about two more years, then it was gone.
15.5 mpg that’s what my 360 4barrel used to get.
Probably get it for less looks like a flipper bought an elderly owned due to condition and colors.
I remember my father looking at one of these back in 78 and if he hadn’t gotten sick, I think he’d have bought one. I liked the White on red, but he was a black car man. Nice car that brings back memories…..
The 400 B block was officially available through 1978, but they found their way into some early 1979 model, but 1978 calibrated cars. In Idaho, the State Police had some Direct-Connection Hemi-Head 440s, legally installed,(along with other modifications) only for police use on the street, into the Dodge Magnum – black w/diagonal white “skunk stripes”. Rumor was that they had a small number with a gyroscope installed in the trunk for a 50/50 balance and for cornering to run down some of the street rods, as that was where Boyd Coddington developed his brand of magic as a teen, before moving to California to seek fame and fortune. Those days in Twin Falls was a combination of Dukes of Hazard and Hollywood Knights/American Graffiti in a small town. Evel attempting to jump the Snake didn’t help.
No such thing as a 440 Hemi.
I’m amazed that it has no rust.
I like these cars. They were good cars and great drivers. Most of them rusted out so this is a nice find. If I were in the market I would buy this for a daily driver.
Rod, I can assure you you don’t want a car with white seats as a daily driver, my 77 El Camino has white swivel seats which look great when they’re clean but it doesn’t take long to get them grubby and that’s not even when you’re in work clothes, they’re a pain in the a….. but do get a lot of comments, the swivel is good too as the doors are so bloody long especially in a parking lot, I’ll swear they’re painting those white lines closer and closer together.
Love it. Great price. Needs T-tops…”Kool” license plate and a carton of menthols. Is that white corinthian leather?
I am puzzled by the comments of fuel thirst. I bought a new 1976 white on white w/ white “Corinthian Leather” with the 360. Which is essentially the same car, only better looking in my view. It got 16 city and just almost 20 on the hwy, which was good for that day and age.
Regarding the comment about the south Florida color, there are cars f all colors here in Oregon, but unfortunately there are a fair number of buyers who like green cars, and other colors which I feel ” de-prettizes them. I hate most of the colors on luxury cars–the silvers, beige, tans all with that fine silver flex—Bbbbbbbbb Ooooooo Rrrrrrrrrr Iiiiiiiiiiii Nnnnnn Gggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Can’t find a bright red, yellow, orange,turquoise on the luxury cars anymore although newer Chrysler 300’s had a nice orange color that looked good over a grey silver. The 30’s, 40’s 50’s and 60’s had some sharp colors. The old Caddies came in a nice Baby Blue, Bright Red, Burnt Orange, Pink, Aqua, Purple etc. I’ve seen a number of ’55+ Coupe DeVilles, Hardtops and Convertibles which are beautiful dressed in bright colors, whereas a large percentage of today’s “luxury” cars appear to have been parked in the lot of coal mine.
My parents had a 360 ’79 with factory t-tops, leather, console mounted floor shifter, am-fm- 8 track and tach. The bought it used in about 1981. I remember the Dodge dealer had the one my parents bought and a green one with the same equipment. Took my drivers test in the car a year later. Wish we still had it. If this car had the options, I’d pay the asking price.
gone!!
I had a friend that had a 78 magnum that was a muscle version… t tops…premium stereo system….all flaired out…a real sweet ride!!!
The off-color fender could be viewed as a sign of originality for a late-70s, domestic car. Quality control was practically non-existant at that time, particularly at Chrysler, which barely had money to build cars, let alone check to see if they were building them correctly.
I don’t recall seeing these with body-color wheel centers. Factory, or no?
I remember a school teacher who bought a new ford of this vintage it was close to sky blue, it had front fenders a different shade of blue than the doors this colour can fool the eyes depending the way the light shines on it
Not long ago I was at a vintage car show in Issaquah Washington at the triple X drive-in. A man who seemed to know what he was talking about told me that during the 70’s, “the children were in charge” at Chrysler. What he meant was that the employees apparently were running the show and that management had gone out to lunch. This would explain why a now 100-year-old former church acquaintance, and her late husband, had their 1977 Dodge Aspen go through four transmissions.
Ditch the lean burn, swap the carb that 195 hp will grow and the torque will be closer to 400 ft lbs and 300 hp,that makes it a fun car, good for 14 second 1/4 mile times…
So many engine parts for the 360,including 400-500 plus crate engines..Just swap the heads,cam on this 360 for more power..qaThe de lean burn/spark control computer and carburetor change is a MUST on any of these Mopar’s 1975-1989,a MUST !! Better gas mileage,more power,easier starts,smoother idle..
I had a few of these..my 360 2 barrel ran 15 flat in the 1/4..I bought a 79 with the 360 4bbl and 14.16 in the 1/4 mile…I had 3.21 gears ,some have 2.45 ,2.76 e,2.94 etc..
I’m not a ChryCo guy, can you explain what extras the Magnum XE GT had?
GT was the A75 package which included color matched fender flares, “machine turn” silver dash and console fascias, leather wrapped 3-spoke sport steering wheel, console shift with bucket seats, HD suspension with front and rear anti- sway bars, “firm feel” steering, GT fender medallions. Other options you could get with the GT but weren’t part of the package were, factory in dash tachometer, 3.21 Sure-Grip rear axle, T- tops or sunroof, dual exhaust, E58 “police” 360HP 4bbl both years, or 400HP 4bbl (’78 only). All engine and drivetrain variarions were available with the GT package.
I have to wonder then why my brother’s 66 Coronet 500 with 383-4bbl, 330hp and 3.23 gears only turned a middle 15 second quarter mile while it certainly weighed less and had more cubes and compression…
That was a nice car! Wrong coast, but might have been worth the trip. Oh well!
I would have grabbed it in a minute! Great buy.
Think of the 70s luxury coupes that would compete with a Magnum, almost muscle cars, 70-72 Monte Carlo SS w/454, later Montes, Grand Prix, Cutlasses sort of muscle engines available, but rare, they are getting harder to find like this Dodge. I had a 72 Monte with a 350 AT, it got 20 mpg on the highway.
These were built in my hometown of Windsor, Ontario, and for a few years were all over the place. Now they’re collectibles and new sights to the young’uns. Crank windows! Must be something new!
That was a deal for somebody. It looks like original owner opted for leather but no power windows. Strange…but a great car for little money.
Not a green fan but this thing POPS! I dig it! Now if I had a white leisure suit to go with that white interior. Just like Ricardo Montalban!!
How did my car end up on ? I am the second owner [both elderly] and it has been pampered in my warm dry garage for the past eleven years. It has been driven during that time to keep it “active”. If it was “rotting away” in a barn, I do not know about it.
BTW, it IS for sale. The buyer did not come through. Any questions, inquiries, or further information e-mail me. Thank You.
I own 3 in restoration. One is a 79 GT with dark teal. This one in the article is a light teal. Mint green was a 78 color. Just to clarify. I love these cars. My first car was a 78 Cordoba in mint green. If i had the cash, I’d give asking price for it.
The 1979 Magnum titled “mint green goodness” was assembled in Canada in Oct. 1978, and sold in Salem. Oregon in Aug. 1979. The paint code calls it Teal Frost Poly, which appears to match this car perfectly. Only one this color that I have ever seen.
If you keep in touch with the person who bought it, I would really like to be the next owner if they decide to part with it. It would force me to sell at least 2 of the 4 I currently own. I love the color too. I’ve seen another ’79 in mint poly ratty condition in Ohio a couple years ago for parts and couldn’t buy it. -Mike Wochele
Looks like the seller has relisted this one with a little higher asking price: https://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/6107438002.html
I had this car in the same color except it had a matching green cloth interior. 318/704 auto. It was a great car, wish I still had it