“For a small car, it’s unbelievable.” If you can’t believe a car company’s marketing brochure, what can you believe? They really wanted potential customers to know that this 1976 Dodge Aspen SE was a small car. This one is posted here on craigslist in Sparks, Nevada, and the seller is asking $4,000. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Tony P. for sending in this tip!
They go on to say, “It took real engineering breakthroughs to give you the unbelievable in a small car.” I don’t think of a car that’s almost 17 feet long as being “small”, but compared to what Americans were used to over the last couple of decades, I guess the Aspen, and Plymouth Volare, really were small cars.
Speaking of marketing, I like the seller’s marketing skills in describing this car, which they refer to as a “rare classic.” At first glance, this appears to be a really nice, solid car and it may be, but you can see the sunburnt vinyl top in the photo above, and then scrolling back to the leading photo again, where I didn’t notice it as much. I wonder why the trunk is open, we don’t see inside it, or sadly, inside the compartment at the other end – often referred to as the hood. Yes, there are no engine photos. So much for the seller’s marketing skills.
We’ve seen a ton of Aspens and Volares here on Barn Finds over the last decade or so and it was an interesting time in American auto history. Coming off of the popular Dart and Valiant, they were made for a handful of model years: 1976 through 1980. You can see more possible sun issues inside this car, but I wouldn’t expect almost 50-year-old vinyl to hold up much better than this. I have a couple of small cracks on the padded dash of my 1980 Dodge D-50 Sport pickup and that’s newer than this car and is from frosty Minnesota.
The dash pad is, I’m assuming, covering cracks rather than protecting a perfect padded dash top but we don’t know for sure. The seller doesn’t show underneath that pad or mention it, but they do say that this car needs some work, the AC and radio aren’t working, and it needs two tires. Which ones we don’t know. These are the standard seats, but highback buckets would have been available in this vinyl style, and “cashmere-like cloth” was also available.
The back-seat-looking engine is Dodge’s 318-cu.in. OHV V8, which would have had around 140 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque when new. This car runs and drives well, according to the seller. If you were looking for what appears to be a solid car with some soft-goods issues, would you grab this Aspen?
fix what it needs and drive it till i get around to the rust fre t-top shell i keep threatening to buy from the local mopar guy. then it will donate every thing it can to make that t-top the the car i have missed on 3 other times over the years. i really prefer the t-top to the rag top. and mopar only has limited offerings especially in rwd.
Honestly? I would invest the money to bringing it back to life. It’s the matter of finding the parts that worries me. Is it worth looking on the Internet to find the parts? Hopefully.
As for the interior? Well worth taking a crap shot. Replacing the vinyl roof shouldn’t be that hard. Body wise? Definitely a yes.
Its a 318 engine, parts availability is just fine on that count. Suspension wise its the same as later M body Diplomat/ Grand Fury/ 5th Ave which were made all the way up to 1989, so plenty of parts there too. Body looks fine and being a NV car rust likely isn’t a problem. Interior looks good other than the likely cracked dashpad (Im sure its cracked, they ALL cracked). Not much of anything other than carpet is available for these cars interiors. At the Chryslers at Carlisle event that took place in PA last month they had quite a turn out of Aspens and Volares for the Malaise Era display. If this one was closer I would buy it as a parts car for my Aspen wagon.
Buy this for grampap and he will take you to get some ice cream!
Comfortable, reliable car, in dry weather, anyway. On rainy days if the distributor cap got moist on the inside, good luck getting it started, and keeping it running. I don’t know if it’s worth that much, maybe to someone who wants one of these for sentimental reasons. The SE was not seen very often, my neighbor had a 79 SE 4 door in chocolate brown with the Super-Six, a slant six with a 2bbl carb. On rainy and cold days, she’d rev the hell out of it until it warmed up enough to not stall out.
Lol lol my 79 volarie would die around corners unless I warmed up on hot days 10min. I cop pulled me over when pulling out of highschool parking lot said I was doing 45. I almost pooped my pants laughing. He said what’s so funny. I said sorry this car won’t go that fast in a quarter mile without stalling if I gunned it are u kidding. Dead . I would start it going around corners.
Don’t blame the car or the builder. My aunt had 1976 Aspen SE coupe. For her, it was an awesome car! Very reliable, no problems for her whatsoever. I think it varied from owner to owner.
The Dart (and Valiant) was a far better car. “Special Edition” was simply a trim level on these… woodgrain appliques, dual mirrors, etc. The Plymouth equivalent trim was called Brougham. Saw plenty of these in the boneyard back in the 90s.
i hate it 😒….but i love it 😀 also
Good write-up Scotty. My only experience with them is having one in the company car fleet back in the day. It was a low-spec model, and as such wasn’t the first choice, especially for a long trip (the fleet favorite was a nicely equipped Granada). I’d say this one is a decent example.
Lovely looking car. I’ve always liked the 1976-77 Dodge Aspen. Preferably 4 door sedan or station wagon. If only more photos were posted. When it comes to advertising online, the more pics one can see of a car the better. Assuming everything works like they should and the car runs and drives like it should, I’d be willing to pay $4000 or more for the car.
Can I get your contact info? I have an ’86 Yugo I would love to sell!
Weren’t these cars built to self destruct back then. I seem to remember Chrysler handing out front fenders because they rusted in the showrooms and practically rusted out within the first year or so. Did it also have the Lean Burn computer which was also a nightmare? The engine was bullet proof, but the computer stunk.
You’re right about the rust. A carryover feature from the Dart and Valiant.
The Aspen and Volare were total rubbish. Our Drivers’ Ed car was a ’77 Volare that had no acceleration (planned that way, maybe?) no confort and handled like a runaway barge. The school district traded the ’76 Valiant months before I began Driver’s Ed……I was really looking forward to driving a Valiant. I was much less enthusiatic about the Volare.
My lack of enthusiasm for the Volare came from the fact that our across the road neighbour had a ’76 Volare Premier wagon with a Slant Six. If it was the least bit damp or the thermometer had diped below 50 degrees, she practically had to do a rain dance in the driveway to get that car to start and run. I remember hearing that starter whine, the engine catch and then die, and then her repeating the sequence over and over and over again.
Three years later, I had a ’74 Scamp with a slant six that would start and run no matter how cold and miserable the weather and the Volare, rusty fenders, hard starting engine and all, was gone. Mrs. Halitsky had enough of the car…..if I recall, she bought a LeBaron or a Diplomat wagon.
If I could get my hands on another Scamp or a Swinger, I’d do it. If presented with an Aspen or a Volare, I’d run as fast and as far away as I possibly could…….
Here we go again with the Aspen/Volare bashing. Volare /6 wouldn”t start in cold weather but Plymout Scamp with the same engine very reliable, Dies when going around corners, had to let it warm up, fenders rust, Etc. Based on my experience from owning two 76 Aspens, a sedan fully loaded, and a station wagon with just a/c and am/fm, I’m wondering how many of the commenters on here actually know anything at all about what they are taking about. Are you talking from actual experience or just parroting what you read in Consumer Reports magazine.
I’ve known people who have owned or driven both the Dart/Aspen and Valiant/Volare, both slant six and V8 engines, and they’ve all enjoyed their cars, and would buy another one if given the opportunity. While I’ve read both Consumer Reports and Consumer’s Guide magazines, I’ve always preferred to make my own decision what I buy than rely solely on what either magazines say. If I have a problem, so be it. If I have no problems, great.
I speak from experience…used to sell these (and it was not easy). First, you had to explain to your customer why they stopped making the Dart/Valiant. Since there was really no legitimate reason, you had to wing it. The problems you mention were real…both on the Aspen and the Dart…but the Dart had a good favorability rating among the Chrysler faithful. Better looking and good visability out the rear window (especially in the 2 door) were two things Dart and Valiant owners missed….and there were others. We lost a lot of faithful customers with this model. Anyone who would pay $4k for this car is…well, never mind.
There’s several of us that fall into the never mind category. I owned 2 at different times and never had an issue with either one.
Thanks Russ for your voice of reason. I tire of vehicle bashing also, and have limited my interaction considerably, if this is becoming Barn Finds audience. People that have a shred of automotive knowledge know, what was going on at Chrysler was not unique. ALL cars were suffering from a changing times, some, like the Asians had it licked. America took a bit longer, and during that transition, this is what was offered until America got its head out of its denial rear end. A slant 6 in the 70s, for heavens sake, that’s the best Chrysler could do? Wisely, this person went with the V8, an even more impressive record. If anything, blame for poor cars should be the management, not the car proper. These were good cars, and were no worse than any other. Won’t start when wet? Duh,,Ford V8. Dies until warmed up? You spoiled brats and your fuel injection. EVERY vehicle with a carburetor had issues. Many couldn’t handle a pull choke today. It took a knack to get the choke just right until it warmed up. The rest was stout mechanicals from the past. I think they were the right size, dependable, comfy cars, and those trashing these, or any cars for that matter, better have more proof than “the old lady across the street” stories.
I guess count me in as one in the….well never mind category. I had 2 of these at different times. One a wagon and before that a 2dr. Both were very good to me.
Sounds like more than one person here is willing to pay $4k for this car. We’ll see who actually ponies up.
Mr. Ashley–
I speak from experience. I had a ’74 Scamp that was damn near bullet proof. It went over 100K without breaking a sweat. It never failed to start and run reliably, nno mater how rotten the weather was here in New Hampshire.
I used to have to wait for the bus at the foot of my neighbour’s driveway, and I remember the trouble that our neighbour had trying to start her Volare. There were even a few times where she gave up on the car and my Mum would drive her to work.
So, before you go on about “bashing” the Aspen and Volare, take into consideration that some of us did have to endure these lousy cars that were only half engineered before they left the factory.
My first car was identical to this one same color four-door it was a good car cold natured a little hard to start in the winter but when it got warmed up ran like a top
Anthony D, I agree 💯. Ain’t no way this car is worth $4,000. $1,000 at best.
For me, it depends on condition. If it runs and drives safely and everything works like they should, I’d be willing to pay between $2k and $4k. If the body is all rusted out and everything falls apart, fat chance would I pay $1 for the car.