(first posted 8/1/2013) Eighteen years ago, when John Gallo was all of fifteen and only had a learner’s permit, he saw this ’66 Monaco 500 hardtop with a For Sale sign sitting on the street near San Jose. It was love at first sight, and he just had to have it. Can you blame him? And after being in storage in California for the last fifteen years or so since John moved to Eugene, he and his first love are finally reunited again. We should all hide away our first teenage loves–cars or otherwise– for our later years, especially if they’ve been chosen as well as this one.
I’ve known John for some ten years or so; we first crossed paths due to our mutual interest and professional activities with old houses, and we’ve walked by his house on our regular walks for all those years, often stopping to chat. I didn’t take him for a “car guy”; our conversations inevitably were about lifting houses, foundations, rentals, money pits, kids, cash flow, and a few other related subjects. But then one day, this splendid ’66 Monaco shows up in front of his house? Got a visitor from California, Johnny?
Yes and no. The Monaco had been put into storage within a couple of years of its acquisition, and John wasn’t expecting to be re-united with his love quite so soon. Let’s face it, most of us probably expect to be a bit older than 33 when the longing for our first love really kicks in. Something about his brother calling him and telling him to come pick it up–now!–changed the plans, so here it is, a bit sooner than expected. If only my first crush at fifteen still looked this good…
These big Chrysler C-Bodies from 1965-1968 are all seductive, especially for those that don’t go in for big bulging hips. Long tails, yes.
But in addition to their exterior rectilinear rectitude, these cars have lots of inner goodness, just for good measure. All our crushes should be so sweet inside. The fuselage cars that came in 1969 were dramatic on the outside, but really showed the drastic cost-cutting on the inside. Of course, that was common throughout the industry starting about that time, and the Oohs! and Aahs! of encountering new cars ended when the door was opened. Not with these…
The Monaco’s twin instrument nacelles are dramatic, and echo a theme that Chrysler had used before on the Imperial a few years earlier, to good effect. All too soon, a loveless slab of flat plastic would replace them.
Yes, I would have been a very happy camper in the back seat of one of these, instead of our dull and dreary ’65 Coronet wagon.
Of course, that delightful cane webbing probably wouldn’t have held up so well in our family, especially when someone vomited or spilled a milkshake in the back seat.
A true love’s inner goodness needs to extend to what’s under the the (big) hood, and the Monaco doesn’t disappoint.
The Monaco 500–as the top-of-the-line big Dodge–came standard with the 325 horsepower four barrel 383. Oh joy! The only optional engine upgrade was the 350 horse 440, but in pre-smog form, the 383 acquitted itself very nicely in the C Bodies. I have happy memories of tearing across the heartland in a Fury with one under the hood.
John’s Monaco has some 91k original miles on it, but he decided to treat the 383 to a rebuild, as it wasn’t running quite right. It still didn’t afterwards either; turns out it was a bad distributor. Oh well…But it sure runs sweet now, and looks so good in its fresh paint.
Except for the engine work, this is a very original car, just like John first saw it with its For Sale sign. Which means it’s an endless work in progress; the rear fender “Monaco” emblem was just acquired, but the “500” that goes with it is still being hunted down. It’s out there somewhere…
John was able to peel all those decades of registration stickers to get to the first one on the front plate. Nice!
I wish I’d bought a nice car at the age of fifteen, and the foresight to keep it for my later years. I even had a job at that age, but somehow managed to piss away my weekly earnings. Maybe I just didn’t see the right car sitting there for sale. There’s something about true love that gives us the will forces to accomplish things we’d never otherwise do, sooner or later. Or at all, hopefully. Now what car might have done that for me at fifteen? Hmm….
Postscript: when this first ran, John didn’t have a garage for the Monaco, and was giving some thought to selling it. I told him that if he does, he’ll never forgive himself in another fifteen years or so. Building a carport or shelter is easy enough for a builder. Sure enough, John did build a cute little garage for it, and the Monaco is safely ensconced.
Very nice car there is a yellow 4door like that here but that is much nicer throw up a car port for it give the car a run regularly you wont regret keeping it Ive owned several unusual cars I should have kept but I didnt for a reason.
Lovely car,it looks like a big Coronet one of my favourite 60s Mopars
That is absolutely gorgeous. The dashboard on these cars is pure art. I don’t see those ones much, as Canadian-built Monacos got the plainer Plymouth Fury dashboard. Between the dash and the buckets and console and the big block under the hood, this Monaco is right up my alley.
Your friend John should head over to cbodydrydock.com and sign-up. Also, get a proper battery with the positive and negative terminals on the correct sides, so the cables aren’t stretched. He should consider upgrading the brakes to a dual-reservoir system for added safety. It’s very easy to do.
Also, there are reproductions available for the missing masticated rubber fenderwell splash shields. The originals are probably missing because they deteriorated with age and were removed.
that’s a great looking car. I can just hear the classic Mopar big block rumble.
With what looks to be single exhaust? More like a stoplight surprise (to the adjacent car)…a top of the line car would probably be more on the quiet side. Damn, I love a 383 either way!!!
Canadian versions also got complete Fury interiors as well as the dash-The Canadian equivalent of this was the Monaco, and had a Sport Fury interior.
And don’t forget the low buck Canadian 318 . . . or was it still a 313 Polyhead?
We had from January of ’66 until my parents divorced in ’74 a blue Custom 880 six window four-door sedan which was one of the cars I’d learned to drive on. 383 2-barrel. I’d ride along with my brother when he’d punch it from a dead stop and those tires would light up!!
Granny had a dark metallic brown ’66 Monaco sedan with I remember a 440 and air conditioning (our ’65 Dodge didn’t have it in the S.F. Bay Area). Visiting Missouri in the summer, I was about seven when I remember how cool the condensation of water droplets from the round a/c vents on the corners of the dash.
I have the solution. I will keep it in my garage. No charge. I will even exercise it every week or two to keep things in good working order. 🙂
Oh my oh my. This car would have been at the top of my short list on that February day in 1977 when I went out looking for my first car. Although I prefer the exterior styling of either the 65 or the 67, this is one very, very nice car. Those early Monacos were rare, not sure I have ever seen the interior of one up close like this before.
John must not sell this car. He has kept it this long, might as well keep the streak going. He will never be able to get it back once its gone. I only held onto my first car for a couple of years. I still wish I had it back, and it was not as nice a car as this.
If you don’t sell it to one of the responsible people here, John then PLEASE KEEP IT. Some idiot will drop it, or put wagon wheels on it and RUIN it. Too many classics wind up with “Jolly Rancher” sucker colors and 24’s or little 13″s. Other examples are not this clean and are winding up going to the crushers and on their way to China. This one needs to ‘stay as is’ . . . .
There is a lot to like with this car.
Is this the shortest VanillaDude comment ever?!
VanillaDude is speechless!
God I wish America still made cars like this.
+100
Such a great looking car, from a time when C-bodies still had very different sheetmetal. A great color combination too. Being more of a Plymouth fan, I often forget how good looking these Dodges were. The taillights are my favorite feature.
I’m still in the Galaxie camp, but that interior is pretty slick.
My dad had a ’66 Galaxie when I was little. This car trumps it in style any day of the week.
Keep yor car John. You would kick yourself for selli.g it almost imediatly afterwards. Build a carport or if you really have to put it in a storage locker, but keep that beauty.
Wow, what an amazing car! The interior in particular is incredible, and I’ve never seen that “wicker” trim before in such clear detail, nor did I realize it was featured like that on the back of the front seats. The condition, the mileage, the engine, the styling, the color–all just right. Plus, it must be quite rare at this point, both due to being a Monaco 500 and also being in such perfect, near-original shape. I think your friend would deeply regret selling the car the minute it pulled away from his curb, never mind 15 years later. All the more so since it’s his first car from when he was 15. Some things are just irreplaceable…
John should never, ever sell this car. These big Dodges are so superior to their competition. It’s fast, it’s beautiful and it’s irreplaceable. The color is perfect for it, the interior is leagues ahead of what would soon come…I could go on, but I think I’m clear on this. John will never forgive himself if he lets it go.
Keep. It. Period.
Build a garage/carport and keep it.
Trust me on this. Any questions?
These 65-68 C-bodies say Mopar more than any other Chrysler for me, more even than the Hemi muscle cars. They were so well made and held up beautifully. Yes the interiors were awesome; I get a Chrysler Turbine vibe from this Monaco.
Terrific looking car and I love how the engine bay came out. It will get even better as you put some miles on it and it gets just enough patina to blend in perfectly with the rest of the car. You want to be around for that and it won’t take long. Then you will really fall in love.
I like how you resisted the temptation to touch up the old black plates. For sure keep the car.
Keep it! Drive it, love it, drive it some more. There are times when a fist full of money is overruled with regret and remorse. Don’t let yourself experience that feeling.
Keep the car and enjoy it.
I had a 1/25 scale kit of one of these. I didn’t like how it turned out, so I gave it the “models that turned out crappy” treatment. I tied about 20 big, thick rubber bands together, tied one end around the front axle and the other end around a cabinet pull. I stretched it all the way to the opposite wall and let go. CRACK! A polystyrene explosion!
I still regret doing it, 45 years later.
DO NOT SELL THIS CAR!
OK, here is one I really like (can’t say that about the fuselage-bodied cars featured a couple of days back). It reminds me greatly of my aunt and uncle’s 65 Newport in almost that same color (maybe it is the same color) and with the same black and gold CA plates. Chrysler was turning out some great looking cars in the mid-sixties. And the quality look of that stylish interior – just great. Beautiful car!
Yep, they were turning out a lot of great stuff in the mid-60s, from Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth. All fresh designs that were rell received and bulletproof drivetrains.
+1
Chrysler was on-point from 1966-71.
Yes, and great air conditioning – Chrysler AirTemp was amazing. My aunt and uncle lived in Ojai, CA where summer days are routinely in the 90’s+. I remember how quickly the A/C cooled down the car and how evenly it maintained the temperature.
I love this. It’s a beautiful car. Ok, it didn’t have the hips so stylish in that day. This styling has worn extremely well. I’d love to drive it, just once.
p.s. Paul, I love the first shot of this car. Getting down at headlight level really shows off this car at its best.
Just love these old Chryslers. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!
My stepmother had a beautiful dark blue 1967 Dodge Monaco hardtop sedan back in the 1970’s. This was my first (automotive) crush. She would take me and my sister out for rides (along with her daughters) in this thing. I felt like the Russian aristocracy when riding around in that car. She kept it in mint condition. I was very disappointed when my old man decided to replace it (in the early 1980’s) with a more efficient Mazda sedan. He was always complaining that the Monaco was too thirsty.
Never forget a story that my stepmother told me about something that happened to her while driving the Monaco. In the early 1970’s she was driving the Monaco on US-41 between Sarasota and Tampa late at night. She said a UFO followed her for several miles as it hovered above the treetops . My stepmother told me that she was scared to death. The UFO eventually changed its course and the Monaco got her to Tampa safely.
Keep the car! Get a good car cover.
Love this Monaco -and Monacos aren’t often seen anymore. This ’66 and the ’68 are probably the height of Dodge C-body styling before Dodge full-size styling died in the 70s (IMHO). I like the ’67 with its screamin’ big taillights (out-doing Ford in the Biggest Taillight Lens of the 60s Contest), but there’s no question the ’66 and ’68 have just the right amount of understatement.
While traveling, I ran into the ’65 Polara police-sorta-tribute car show below, being used as a credit approval billboard outside of a used car lot near Ocean City, NJ.
PS: John, keep the car. You will want it back some day and you’ll never find another Top-of-the-line Dodge coupe -or if you do, the price will far exceed what you’d spend to keep her.
Keep it.
I guess I must have read this before. After (re)reading this I was thinking that there are probably body parts, of which I have two, that I’d consider giving one of for a car like this.
DON’T SELL IT!!! You’ll never forgive yourself if you do. Letting go of something as rare and unique as that beauty, especially in the great shape that it’s in, would only make the decision doubly painful.
Liberal and religious regular applications of wax on the paint, Blue Magic polish on the chrome / aluminum / stainless trim, and Meguiar’s protectant on the tires should go a long way towards protecting the car’s looks, even if it does sit outside.
Get one of these folding aluminum foil window shades to protect the dash, maybe a mild window tinting job to protect the rest of the interior, and a high-quality car cover ( not those cheap gray ones ) .
Oh, and I’d definitely get a full coverage, “agreed value” insurance policy on that thing.
Keeping regrets to a minimum means keeping nice cars.
Beautiful car, in amazing condition. I don’t recall ever seeing that dashboard style. I looked at a ’66 Monaco convertible with a 383 that was for sale back in the early ’80s, but it was a Plodge as it had the Fury style dashboard mentioned by BigOldChryslers above. The US style instrument cluster is much more interesting.
I think John should build or rent a garage and keep this car. Drive it a couple of times a week during nice weather, and sort out the inevitable niggling little problems that an old car that has been in storage for a long time will no doubt have. He should try to keep it mostly original, but perhaps consider subtle, easily reversible modifications that will make the car safer and easier to live with – for example, the brake upgrades mentioned above, electronic ignition, etc. I wouldn’t put a modern starter on this car though!
When it’s fully sorted out I expect he could just drive and enjoy it for a long time. Even though a healthy 383 would have no problem keeping up with modern traffic, I wouldn’t suggest driving it when he’s in a hurry – I expect all kinds of people would want to stop and ask questions about it.
John should only sell the car if he has lost interest in it. If he does, he should take his time and find a good home for it. This car deserves someone who will appreciate it for what it is and preserve it for future generations, there can’t be many of these left at this point, and this one is definitely worth saving.
“I wouldn’t put a modern starter on this car though!”
Isn’t it a Federal offense to harm or kill a Hamtramck hummingbird, given that they’re on the Endangered Species List?
Hamtramck Whiners are sweet sounds indeed. In my younger days I’d loved to play “pick out the Mopar” in parking lots just from the sound alone. My ’83 Dodge Truck had a Hamtramck Whiner too! Wore out early on (as is common). Got a free one from a guy who worked at a starter rebuild joint (was living in Norfolk, VA at the time). real easy to put in (Slant Six).
The warble of a “Highland Park Hummingbird” gear reduction starter is one of the many features that sets any Mopar apart from the more mundane FOMoCo and GM cars of this era.
Having “grown up” in a Mopar family of this time period; not hearing the “NANG-NANG-NANG-NANNGGGG-ROOAARRRR” of a Mopar V8 engine starting up made other people’s cars seem dull & boring to my grade school mind.
No, I don’t think he should sell it either, but if he did I’d be interested. It certainly reminds me of my 300L hardtop.
A friend’s father had a 65 white on black version of this car. He kept it up well enough that in spite of two minor front-end collisions, after he sold it when it was 3 or 4 years old, it turned up on a Tacoma car lot with 40,000 fewer miles showing on the odometer than I knew the car had been driven.
A comment on the California plates – the stickers were always issued singly, so California cars are never seen with a current-year sticker on each end of the car.
I noticed something odd. Why were the engine block and heads repainted black? They’re supposed to be turquoise like the valve covers, intake manifold and water pump housing.
If John wants to sell it to me, I promise I’ll stick it on a boat out of Oakland, send it to Honolulu to where it’ll have a nice home. I can picture it now sailing on the H-1 from Ewa to Kapolei (the part that doesn’t have traffic) . . . . passing the blalahs in their F-250s hogging the left lane . . .
Wow, is that a fratzog hood ornament?
The ’65 – ’68 Monacos are wonderful -and the ’66 and the ’68 are probably the best of the lot. Speaking of ‘lots’ however, the proprietor of a ‘previously owned’ car lot (near Ocean City, NJ) uses the ’65 pictured below to draw attention to his lot. However instead of faux highway patrol decals, the lettering on this car reads “Approval Patrol”. The interior is black vinyl festooned with a giant yellow star (badge) in the middle.
Did the shape of the grille inspire the current Kia “Tiger nose?”
I like to think so, because it reminds me of 65-66 Dodges when I see a new Kia coming.
I am looking for exterior trim parts for a 1966 dodge Monaco 500. Can anyone help me finding the 500 deck emblems?
I would like to own it if you would consider selling it. I had a white 66 Monaco 4DHT that I inherited from my grandmother who bought it new in ’66. I drove it back and forth while I was in college from 70-72. My brother ended up with it and I dont know what he did with it. I would like to have it back now….Mike Jobe 618-997-3482..Marion, IL
OK!!!!!!! I got it guys! I’ll never sell.. Thanks for all the great things said. I’ve sense gone over the list making adjustments to her. New battery, found the emblems missing on eBay,( ha, I’m the one who took them off years ago) and I’ll think about the painting the heads again! You can blame me for that. I was sixteen and wanted to clean up the old thing. Didn’t know better.
Does any know of a car show this beauty would fit in well??
Thanks again
John
I just saw one of these featured in a Christmas movie, “A Gift Wrapped Christmas”
John has a bueatiful hard to find car ,I’m doing up a 65 Canadian 2 door monaco and yes it has 318 wide block ,parts are difficult particularly rear 1/4 panels keep the car John
This isn’t my favorite Engel Mopar, but it’s otherwise exceptionally nice, down to the whitewalls and factory ‘mag’ wheel covers. I would wager a complete set in excellent shape would fetch a pretty-penny these days.
I’m always very impressed when someone goes the extra mile to keep a nice survivor in its factory-original condition, which is no easy feat for cars over a half century old. Most times, you see stuff like aftermarket steering wheels, modern rubber and wheels, and chrome tailpipes. Yeah, it’s cheaper and keeps the car on the road, but it really detracts from the originality. I usually walk by those at car shows. But something like this Monaco? It’s worth stopping and taking a closer look.
Not to mention the beautiful, period color. Really, the only thing I don’t like (and it’s a very minor point) is the chrome exhaust extension. I just don’t get the fascination with those things as opposed to simple, turned-down tailpipes. If you’re going to make the effort to make everything else original, why do that? At least it’s a factory single exhaust and not duals.
The inspiration for Kia’s trademark grille. The Dodge does it so much better. The Dodge does everything better.
Not really. I remember when Kia went to that styling feature and I read that it was supposed to invoke thoughts of a tiger’s nose. That’s a bit of a stretch but it’s closer than the Monaco’s grille, which definitely does not look a tiger’s nose. In fact, the Monaco really could have used the Charger’s hidden headlights. Those would have been perfect.
BTW, to this day, when I read about the Holden Monaro, I always think someone has misspelled ‘Monaco’.
Love it! What a car. Great, intimidating and aggressive face. Beautiful rear end and tight lines down the sides. I’ll take one please.
Top of the line 2 door hardtop, bucket seats, console, 383, Torqueflite, power steering, power brakes….but NO in dash Airtemp factory air conditioning??
As one wh grew up in a more northern climate, I don’t see anything odd about that. Had the car been ordered that way in 1969 or 1970 it would be a different story. But where I lived there were still a lot of families in my white collar neighborhood that didn’t have air conditioned homes, let alone air conditioned cars. Looking back, it is kind of amazing how quickly we flipped from a world where a/c was the exception in life to where it became a necessity. I would put most of that flip into a five year period between 1967-68 to 1972-73.
I can understand how you all in tropical southern Louisiana had a different experience.
I’m guessing that’s the reason why the aftermarket auto/truck air conditioning industry started in southeast Texas, in the early/mid 1950’s.
Their climate is almost as oppressive as it is here in #NOLA the 8 months out of the year that locals refer to as “Summer”.
Not surprising, given “Texas sized” heat and humidity: https://macsworldwide.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/the-history-of-aftermarket-auto-air-conditioning/
It’s from the San Francisco Bay area. Just about the last place you’d need (or want) a/c, especially in 1966, given the cost.
Ahhhhhh, that explains a lot.
I am guessing those “Tippy Toe Touch” power brakes got quite the work out on those hills!
Mentioned San Jose and that place is flat as in Silicon Valley.
Does this Dodge share it’s body with the Plymouth Fury….or the Chrysler Newport 2 door hardtop?
I bookmarked Mopar Mania on CC. I miss that sound.
Bob
This is a very special auto with a fantastic interior!
I’ve read that Dodge had a bad case of Pontiac envy and wanted to create their own Grand Prix with the ‘65 Monaco and ‘66 Monaco 500. The designers didn’t get everything they wanted, which is probably why the Monaco isn’t remembered as personal luxury contender.
I believe that 1966 was the first time Dodge sold over half a million cars, this beauty is one reason why.
I have a Canadian 66′ Monaco convertible. Stuck with the 318 poly. I actually like it. I do have some serious issues with the car though. Frame is pretty rusty, the window tracks, and a few other things need to be dealt with. The dash is kinda bland compared to the Dodge. I have a list of parts and some things like the windows Im looking for knowledge. Thank got the top still works. Add me on Facebook. Brian Rogers. My car will be plastered all over my wall….lol