The first thing that I thought of when I glimpsed this 1966 Dodge Coronet 500 was a grade school friend’s father, he had a Dodge just like this – it was even the same color. What I thought was unusual was that this man was an M.D. but lived a modest life. The family was pretty well off but they never showed it. Anyway, Doc ditched the Coronet for a ’70 Polara that turned out to be a rolling nightmare and it was gone inside of two years – no more Dodges in that family. It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about a ’66 Coronet so let’s look this one over and see what’s here. It’s located in Willimantic, Connecticut and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $3,275 with 48 bids tendered so far.
The listing for this car contains absolutely no details. And, judging from the few included images, I’d say they were dated noting all of the fall foliage in the background. It’s a top-drawer Coronet 500 hardtop, one of 55K produced that year. The listing states 50K miles but the odometer reveals 8K, as in 108K. While the finish is mostly flat, the body looks pretty good – I see no sign, in the three exterior images provided, of surface rust or rot-through. There is an image of the trunk pan, and while that’s not representative of the car’s overall integrity, it does appear to be sound. The stainless trim is all still attached and crash damage is not evident. The full-size wheel covers are even still in place – this car gets marks for originality and completeness.
The engine looks like a 230 gross HP 318 CI, polysphere V8 and it’s connected to the ubiquitous TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission. Other than the addition of a chrome-plated breather cap it shows as original and untouched. If this engine has been maintained, it should still have a fair amount of useable life left to it.
The center console and bucket seat interior arrangement, standard in the Coronet 500, is always a nice discovery but the total environment’s condition is unknown as this is the only interior image included, other than a single shot of the speedometer/odometer. This is an A/C-equipped car, hopefully, it works. One deviation from stock is the under-dash auxiliary gauge panel.
Well, there you have it, yeah this is a limited review, I’ll admit it but there’s not much to go on. The auction ends Monday, 7/31 in the AM, and already since I started this post, the bidding has jumped $1,200 – still, it may go for a reasonable amount. But then there’s the age-old question of what to do with it. These are really stylish cars and there’s going to be a tendency to hot rod it, I imagine. But, it’s so original and intact that keeping it stock pulls it in the opposite direction. If you were the winning bidder, what would you do with it?
What would I do with it? I’d slam and bag it, put some wicked 22s on it, ditch the 318 and LS swap it, install some eardrum-splitting 15″ speakers in the back seat right behind my driver’s seat, put a chrome chain steering wheel on it and paint it purple.
On second thought, I’d just wash it and drive it.
😱😆 Had me going there, Rex Kahrs.
Absolutely agree, clean it and drive it. 👍🏻
LS NOT. Why would you want to cross breed an original Mopar. If you had to have a new fangled engine, 392 hemi would be it. I have basically the same car in my shop.But it was built with a 361 2bbl. I’m building a mild 440 to put under the hood, but I really would like to build an elephant to put under the hood. I noticed the trunk lid has the proper trim for a 66 500, but the decklid sheet metal looks to be from a 67. Still a nice car to restore or make a nice street bruiser.
It was a tongue-in-cheek response, but your opening is a good pun as well!👍🏻
Essactly..!!.
Yeah, nothing like driving around rattling peoples homes and nerves, playing an infantile, selfish fool. You’d do better getting 15″ of consideration and respect for others but that may not even be in your vocabulary..
Wow, you seen like a fun guy to hang around. That was sarcasm. Figure you might not be familiar with that being surrounded by all that smug self righteousness.
Wthfk…u been smokin..dude…..!!!…this is a classic…whit double s and cc …as is…drive.. it..
Rex:
Your post is hilarious – too bad some didn’t get your joke, love the chain steering wheel comment in particular. Oh, and I agree, I’d do the same, wash it and maybe give it a buff to see if that old Mopar finish will spruce up a bit.
JO
Thanks Jim. We should all know by now that I don’t have a serious bone in my body!
Had one myself. Loved it . fun to drive . it just brings back memoirs .
Had a 1968 four-door satellite with a 318. Bench seat, AM radio, that dark hunter green, God I miss that car
Was your grade school friend Paul Niedermeyer? Small world.
Ayes it was at old mound intermediatery where the old old real oldy church used to be before dum terrmites destroyed the wud
I had a 65 Coronet 500, 361, 4spd. The valve covers looked odd on this one, then I remembered 66 was still the old A series 318, 67 would be LA. This one’s missing the compartment lid on the console
This would a good Mopar to get into the automotive hobby. In the truck area is rust or a hole. The Poly 318 is a very good engine. A good tune up and change the trans filter and fluid good to go. Also detail the whole ride. Since there is no good pictures underneath I hope it’s solid. The body looks good. I would trim down the tailpipe tips. Good luck to the next owner. 🐻🇺🇸
I’d get the A/C working if it’s not, fix what was needed, clean it up nicely, preserve and enjoy it for what it is. I hope it finds a good home where the owner does just that.
Put a 66 charger grill in it, my friend has a 383 4speed 66 coronet 500 and cant see why someone hasn’t done the charger grill, it fits
The 66-67 Charger grill w/rotating headlights is a complicated, expensive animal. I know, I just restores mine. It looks great, it can be done, but…..?
This one looks pretty nice, make sure it’s road worthy, clean it really well in and out and drive it. Maybe put some oe mopar wheels on it that’s a easily reversible mod.
Wrong wheel covers
Nice pair of Wheels & that’s it for me. Use it as it is………
OMG! I worked for Cassen’s transport company in 1966 and I probably put the destination sticker on this baby a short while after it came off the assembly line in Belvidere IL. Shame, that plant just recently closed……………
As stated, those are not 66 Coronet Wheel Covers. Most Dodge Coronets for 1966 came out of the Lynch Road Assembly Plant, Plant Code 04050, Lynch Road , detroit, Mi. They could also have been built in St. Louis Plant Fenton, Mo, Plant Code 04090.
Those are 1970 Plymouth wheel cover’s. They came on Satellite, Valiant, Duster, and Barracuda’s. In 1976 I almost bought a ’70 Barracuda that had those same cap’s. My close friend bought an original ’70 340 ‘Cuda at the same time that was special ordered with them by the original owner. I’ll bet that was a 1 of 1 ‘Cuda.
Those wheel covers also came on my ’73 Barracuda.
Nice pair of Wheels & that’s it for me. Use it as it is………
Good catch on the trunklid. Rear bumper has bumper guards,
front bumper does not. Maybe in a rear end collision? Top of right quarter has a chip revealing the original color. And check out the trim – more paint coming off. Click on the above picture – you’ll see. The big clue is the trunk – spare tire well tells the truth – the color change from Light Green to Dark Green…
I had a 67 Dodge Coronet 500 with 318 727. That’s when I began to hate MOPAR cars. After replacing 2 engines and 2 transmissions multiple door handles and window cranks plus just about every other cheap part on it, I sold it to some other dude for half what I had into it. You can keep this junk; never a MOAR again.
God Bless America
Funny, my dad once owned a 1961 Chevrolet and his company vehicles were Chevy truck’s. By 1968 he had enough of GM and traded the Chevy for a new Plymouth. I remember both car’s well, and that is why I have owned nothing but Mopar’s all my life. GM’s are great for people who love tinkering with crap. Not me.
This is about the most lacking in information ad I believe I’ve ever seen. Still looks like a nice car that you could enjoy while you take care of a few shortcomings. If the final bid stays under $10,000.00 someone will get a good deal. Of course if it drives well that is. Be nice if the seller addressed that aspect. Personally I like these mid sixties Mopars. A friend of mine mine’s mother had one of these and she let us drive it. She had great taste in cars. I’m going to watch the auction.
The crew at Bitchen Rides did a custom 66/67 that is wicked looking! The sky is the limit. Mild to wild!😃
Yep! Leave this one stock. Service and clean it. Make it safe and as reliable as a 56 year old cat can be and just drive it.
Friend of mine has one in same green but if memory serves me correctly it has white interior. Car is 361/auto with a/c. Bought as a project because it was so clean. Has 440/727 considering puting into it. Its in storage as next project while finishing current car. Oddly enough it also has incorrect hub caps. We haven’t been unable to identify what they’re from. Polished up they’d be classy looking. I bet he sell if someone was interested.
I’d keep it as is, but install correct wheel covers, new whitewalls, and tend to whatever else needed attention. I knew Rex was having us on, he had the same word for word description of what he was gonna do, in previous comments, and then the real desire-wash it and drive it. As is. Like I say, there aren’t infinite quantities of old cars left, let’s preserve the ones that show up without the excessive wear, abuse, or terrible “improvements” made by people who think they’re smarter than the original designers and builders were.
Detail and drive. Just think, you don’t need a scanner to see what all those stupid lights mean. No dumb sunroof that leaks, no TPMS sensors at $150 a pop to replace, no 10 quart oil pan to fill, like some modern cars and trucks have. I know, I work at a Chrysler, Ram, Jeep dealer, and no $1,100 a month car payment that I see almost daily that stupid people sign up for at like 84 months. Like everything else today, new stuff is no good.
There is good new stuff, you just have to pick right. Presently, anything “Chrysler” is just plain troublesome and expensive junk. I assume you speak of 80K pick ups and such for those kind of loans. Here is a better idea. For around a third (or less) of that price, you can get a brand new turbo Civic. That really is all the vehicle anyone needs. 40 MPG, five year warranty, and outstanding reliability. Our son put 320K on a Civic. Our daughter has a 2013 with 200K, runs and looks like new. Never had anything wrong with it, ever, I know, because we bought it new. I have a five year old hatchback that has 85K on it, never one thing wrong with it. I spin up the turbo daily, I do not baby it. Plus, it hauls all sorts of things. We once bought an Ikea queen sized bed for our daughter to go to college in. Three of us plus the bed fir fine with the hatch closed, including the mattress. People need to rethink their wants vs their needs.
Grant, comparing a Civic to a pickup is just foolishness – completely different tool.
I will remember this the next time I am at Home Depot and see a 20 something struggling to fit a mirror in his Civic. The wife and I easily fit the item into our Flex, along with the rest of our HD purchases, and followed him to his condo.
There will always be a need where a truck makes more sense, that is why I will hold onto my ’02 Explorer Sport Trac until it finishes rusting out around me.
Oh, and Chrysler is junk? Tell that to my Charger that went 160K without a single issue and now my nephew is enjoying it.
Honda is not the solution for everyone. You and George should enjoy what works for you and leave the trash talk on the other side of the keyboard.