Hidden in this garage is a 1979 Dodge Aspen SE that recently emerged from long-term storage in Southern California. The years in hibernation have done no real harm, but it does need some TLC to return to its best. Most of the required tasks are basic, meaning a new owner may be able to be “hands-on” with this classic. While the V8 under the hood doesn’t make it a muscle car, it should offer respectable performance. If you love your Mopar products, you will find this Aspen listed here on Craigslist near Canton, South Dakota. The asking price of $3,494 makes it an affordable option, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Tony P for spotting this great survivor.
The seller indicates this Aspen previously belonged to a serving member of the Air Force based in Southern California. They placed the car in long-term storage, and it was only recently revived and returned to its own form of active duty. Dry climates are excellent for preserving classic steel, and this Aspen is no exception. There is rust present, but it seems relatively minor and patchable, meaning the new owner won’t face wholesale panel replacement. The worst is visible in the side-on shots in the lower quarter panels behind the wheel openings. If the underside is as solid as the exterior, this Dodge shows promise. Its Light Cashmere paint looks pretty nice, with a healthy shine and no glaring problems. A matching Landau-style vinyl top adds a touch of class, while the trim and glass look excellent. There are no aftermarket additions or evidence of prior accident damage or restoration work.
This Aspen’s interior provides good and bad points, but it is serviceable for those wishing to slip behind the wheel immediately. Its Tan upholstery looks quite nice, although there may be splits or seam separations developing on the driver’s seat. The grab handle is missing from the passenger door, and the dash pad looks to be discoloring. That last issue could be a precursor to splitting, so it would be worth spending $100 on a high-quality mat to prevent further deterioration. The wheel has a few cracks, but the plastic trim and faux woodgrain look excellent. The dash is nice, as is the carpet, and there are no aftermarket additions. It isn’t weighed down with luxury features, but the new owner receives ice-cold air conditioning and an AM radio.
There’s no doubt that American V8 engines of the late 1970s were a shadow of their former selves, which is perfectly demonstrated by the 318ci beast under this Dodge’s hood. It should produce 155hp, which feeds through a three-speed TorqueFlite transmission to the rear wheels. The journey down the ¼-mile will take 18 seconds, while the motor will run out of breath with the needle hovering at 114mph. The seller indicates that after years of isolation, they revived this classic by installing a new fuel tank, fuel pump, and starter. It runs and drives quite well, but other items require attention. They believe a carburetor rebuild is on the card because it floods when hot. The tires have plenty of tread but are old and flat-spotted from years of sitting. It appears that completing those two tasks would have this Aspen ready to hit the road for some classic motoring fun.
Finding an affordable project candidate can be challenging, but that appears to be what this 1979 Dodge Aspen SE offers. Its needs are relatively minor, and its visible rust could be addressed at the new owner’s leisure. With a carburetor rebuild and new tires, it is a Mopar classic that could provide immediate enjoyment without breaking the bank. For someone considering a first project, it must appear quite tempting. But is it tempting enough for you to pursue it further?
I have a 77 wagon I love it .This could be saved real easy.Love these body styles. A small V8 is better than a 225 .
I would get a sturdier frame for the vehicle, make the car more agile, fix the things that are broken, and/or missing on the vehicle, replace the old AM car radio with a new digital multi-band radio that looks exactly like the old one at first, only to hide a modern LED screen radio system (though you can still use the knobs for getting radio stations if you prefer to go old-school), get some top of the line Brembo brakes for the vehicle, convert the vehicle to RWD, 4WD, or AWD, replace the stationary antenna with a retractable one, or a modern stubby antenna, but only have the actual antenna stalk poke through the antenna hole, get some glass pack mufflers, and get a Hellcat engine and transmission kit put into the vehicle. When that happens, then you will have a nice sleeper vehicle that will destroy almost anything that is on the road, or on the track.
It already is RWD. Glass pack mufflers annoy everyone else around you. If you have a small phallus complex, seek help instead of compensating. I remember years ago when we had young children asleep in the car and some idiot in a car or motorcycle came by with illegal exhaust and awoke the poor kids. I wish cops would enforce the noise ordinances again like they once did.
Wow!
A boring Chrysler product during the ‘malaise’ years.
Would make a decent car for someone who just needs a commuter although you would want to be careful there’s not enough plastic on the outside for the Tesla to recognize you’re in front of it
At 12 I tried to talk Mom into a Malibu Classic 350 in 1977. She didn’t listen and brought home the slowest car I have ever ridden in. 225 wagon in silver with a rack and poverty caps.
Mom got the practical and reliable car. That is why she was the mom and you were the 12 year old.
I guess you missed nearly every car built in the early to mid 1980s then . K cars, Cavaliers , Citations. Escorts , etc … all nutless wonders
$3494 certainly seems pretty reasonable for a car with 25,000 miles on it, with a V8 and air conditioning! Since this is the Aspen SE, you got the much nicer seats, steering wheel, etc. It would seem to be very much worth it to me.
Aspens did not come from the factory with a 4 barrel.
Brake pedal, seat wear, and busted door pull may not indicate only 25K miles, but still seems like a good deal for one of these in decent shape.
I’ve mentioned this before, but a buddy of mine had 2 of these SE models as hand me downs from his 2 older brothers. Both were about 5 years old and already heavily rusted. Such is the life in the salty Northeast. Nice cars except for that.
Probably a 1976 or 77 model , those rusted badly, especially here on the East coast. The 78-80s did not have the same severe rust issues.
A 4bbl on a 318 was standard in California as I recall. It seems they ran cleaner and met the higher air quality standards there. I think the rest of the country should have been offered that too, but I spose Dodge thought it would steal from the profitable 360 sales. Have always hated that type of sale model. Why not put out your best product at a good price and make up for it in volume?
The 1978 through at least 1982 California cars have 4 barrel carburetors on the 318 engines
I won’t doubt this could achieve 114 mph, but the speedometer tops out at 85.
Not even down hill will it hit 114mph. These running great can’t break 100mph.
Actually , they can … I used to beat the hell out of my 78 Volare , and we tested speeds by running with a car with a higher speedo. Granted, it took a while to reach 100, but it can be done
Cars like this are what nearly drove American auto manufacturers extinct and required bailout after years of malaise. This is a garbage can on wheels with 90hp. A buyer would be some 70 yr old guy who use to have one like it.
Asian and European were no better, than rusted away faster, and the styling was just as plain . Nothing much had horsepower in those days, it was all about economy , and cars were being made as light as possible , which generally equaled out to cheaply made – cheap plastic, thin metal , smogged out motors, yep, that was the mid 70s !
One of the Knights of Columbus members I used to see at the last Thursday of the month shows at the KofC hall, had/has a 1979 Aspen four door sedan in metallic turquoise, in and out, and a vinyl top. I like it. I love this one, I hope it ends up with someone who’ll carry out the original factor, fix the problems, replace missing parts, and leave the rat rodding mods to something more common and plentiful.
I had a 1979 Aspen 4 door “Collectors Edition.” Same color.