1967 Dodge Coronet 440

Description

Chrysler might have been late to the pony car party, but they practically invented personal muscle with cars like this 1967 Dodge Coronet 440 hardtop. In addition to the beautiful cantilevered roof styling, it offers big block power, great colors, and it's seldom-seen at local cruise nights, so you can bet on getting plenty of attention.

The handsome straight lines of these cars have aged well. They capture the '60s almost perfectly, but with angular lines and wonderful detailing they wear it proudly. Aside from the top, which still wears its original white vinyl covering, by the way, the most dramatic feature must be those quarter panels which seem to be pointing forward into the future. The one part of the '60s we're glad it didn't bring with it was the original light green paint, which would be as stylish as an avocado-colored refrigerator today, and instead wears a medium blue that's a lot more attractive and probably won't go out of fashion anytime soon. The sheetmetal is straight and in good shape, with doors that fit well, and when it was repainted it was thoroughly disassembled because there's no sign of the original green paint. Much of the trim remains original, including the "electric shaver" grille, and the bumpers were freshened more recently, perhaps when it was painted. Overall, it has a nice, all-of-a-piece look that's pretty compelling.

The sparkling white interior is also a combination of original and restored parts that works really well. Bench seats are made for cruising and there are newer carpets on the floor, black to really anchor the interior. The dash and gauges are crisp and sharp, surrounded by a gorgeous steering wheel with one of the last horn rings in the industry. The original AM radio remains in the dash, and even though there aren't a lot of options, there's a certain appeal to the no-nonsense Coronet's dedication to performance. The back seat is original and looks quite good for being nearly 50 years old and the massive trunk is fitted with a correct plaid mat and an original jack strapped to the inner quarter panel.

Despite the car's size, it's a relative lightweight piece, so the 383 cubic inch V8 under the hood delivers stirring performance. It's a vintage 1964 block rebuilt to stock specs, so it's smooth and torquey at any speed. There's an Edelbrock 4-barrel up top, along with a chrome air cleaner, but otherwise it's quite stock. With a coat of corporate turquoise paint, it looks right at home there. Power steering and brakes are welcome additions to a car that can gather speed like this one can and the Torque Flite 3-speed automatic transmission always seems to find the right gear when you need it. Twin Flowmaster mufflers give it an awesome muscle car sound and as a lifelong California car, the undercarriage is in great shape. We've seen restored cars that didn't look as good as this one does underneath! Awesome Magnum 500-style wheels are the right look on any performance car of this vintage and they carry 205/75/14 blackwall radials that enhance the car's serious performance demeanor.

For the Chrysler fan who likes to go a little bit outside the lines, this Coronet delivers plenty of performance with a more grown-up look. Call today!