Dodge fans celebrated when the Coronet was resurrected in 1965. The nameplate had flirted with muscle car status since the mid-1950s when Dodge shattered records at the Bonneville Salt Flats and racked up wins with Lee Petty in NASCAR. Intervening years saw a hiatus in the brand, while Dodge sorted out its offerings. The new Coronet offered something for everyone, with several body styles, at least eight engine options, and three transmissions over its production run through 1976. Here on craigslist is the perfect sleeper, a 1968 Dodge Coronet 440 wagon, complete with 318 CID V8. The seller is asking $3500. You’ll need a trailer to pick it up from the San Francisco Bay area because back in 2014 it blew a head gasket. Barn Finder Tony Primo spotted this sly Mopar for us – thanks Tony!
The Coronet was re-designed for 1968, with longer, crisper lines. The unique slender rear roof pillar carried over from prior years, but the cars were beginning to lose vintage details including the split tail lights and aluminum side spears. Confusingly, trim levels were designated by numbers – like “440” and “500”- neither of which had anything to do with engine size. This car is a 440, sitting in the middle of the pack. The wagon could be had in a seven- or nine-passenger configuration. Unfortunately, this seller didn’t include any interior photos in his listing.
Chrysler is famous for its engines, including the hemi, wedge, and poly. By 1968 the venerable 318 V8 had been re-architected to reduce manufacturing cost. While its horsepower was identical to the 318 “A” poly engine at 230, the new mill had wedge-shaped combustion chambers and thinner walls in its block among other changes, earning it the moniker “LA” for “lightweight A”. Weight savings amounted to at least fifty pounds. This car has a three-speed automatic, but a four-speed manual was also available.
This Mopar wears its needs on all four corners, including that nasty engine bay, dents, poor paint, a broken antenna, rusted areas, questionable panel fit, a broken tailgate handle…. but hey, it has a trailer hitch and its original black California plates. If this were my car, I’d fix the motor/brakes/whatever, treat the rust, polish the heck out of the paint, buy new tires, and drive the wheels off it. I might even buy it a lightweight trailer. Does this old Coronet inspire you?
Zzzzz
In a listing, yeah, maybe boring. In traffic in today’s world I’d think it was the coolest thing on the street.
I thought it would look cool pulling something like this.
https://laircamper.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI74mC-Yu3ggMV9AWtBh3OdAujEAAYASAAEgLWe_D_BwE
Don’t expect there’ll be any trumpeting fanfare for this Coronet unless he drops it price wise by at least a grand-that is if the inside and underside is just tired like the outside..
wrong………
A sleeper is a car that looks mild and unassuming but packs a mighty punch,this..has a base 318 with next to no punch.This is not a sleeper…Yet.
a 68 318 puts out 230 hp stock, it wouldn’t take much to make it fry the tires- come to think of it my old 68 Belvedere sedan would boil the tires and moved out quite well. $3500 for a B body wagon in this shape is a steal
$3500 would be a steal if it was running, for sure. With a blown head gasket and the car sitting idle for the last 9 years…I don’t know if it’s as much of a steal. I’d love to see it on the road, though.
Super Bee wagon.
Have a 383, 9 passenger, “special order”, sure grip, auto, converted to a 4 speed, ralley dash, bucket seat original LL1. Love it, surfboard and all. 93 built as auto, 6 as 4 speed. I built # 7.
Stock 318 Sleeper, okay..
I’m thinking Pro Street with Big Stockton original steelies out back with the 68 Hemi dogdish caps all around with the Powerbulge hood on it and the nastiest motor and driveline you can put in it without attracting any more attention than necessary! Stock white paint exterior and looks throughout all over except the big tires out back and dual exhaust ! complete with roof racks and black bench seats interior and panels until you start that bad boy up then all eyes 👀 are on you lol 😝 ! Yeah baby lol!!!!!
Hold me back…….
Install a 2018 5.7 litre hemi!
I’ve got enough fast cars and this Coronet wagon would get just as many looks leaving it original. I would clean it up and fix the mechanics and drive it while doing the exterior and interior.
I wouldn’t mind finding a decent 68-74 Coronet 318 wagon with wood grain and AC to use as a daily driver. Nice ones seem to be scarce as hen’s teeth.
That would be the Coronet 500 with the “wood grain”….
Clone the Adam 12 station wagon the Sgt. drove before the AMC switch