My buddy Xav and I have been friends since sophomore year of high school when we discovered that each of us were of the rare breed at a Catholic high school in the 90’s who loved cars, and loud music. Shortly after I met him I discovered something that never changed – he always wanted a Mopar, preferably a Barracuda or Cuda, but he would have settled for just about anything. Through the years we’ve remained great friends having been roommates, been each other’s best man in our weddings, and working on a lot of cars together. Either of us would drop anything to help the other out or to witness an important moment in the other’s life so when I got the text “Dude I’m getting a Dodge!!” Thursday afternoon I realized I’d be making a trip out to the small town where he lives this weekend.
Xav has had some pretty sweet cars in his lifetime, from the 1980 Turbo Trans Am that he swapped in a ridiculous 383 stroker when he realized the turbo motor wasn’t enough to the 1989 Taurus SHO his liberated from his parents for several years but somehow – never a real Mopar. Sure, while we shared a apartment while I was in college he had a Dodge Aires – but that doesn’t really count. He’s watched as most of our friends have had Mopars – from 340 Darts to Hemi Rams, and even seeing me who was likely the last person he thought would get a Mopar stumble into one several years ago. It had to be torture.
As they say, good things come to those who wait. My good buddy is a bricklayer by trade and while working on a garage over the past few weeks he noticed some familiar lines buried in the back lot of a service station in town. When checking it out from a different angle he noticed something else – a For Sale sign. So he did what any man who had seen good deals come and go over the years would do – he asked.
What he, and I, first thought was a Dart he found out was a 1965 Dodge Coronet with the legendary 225 Slant Six and a three on the tree. It had been bought five years ago from the city impound auction by an older gentleman who in turn brought it to the station to get needed mechanical work done before he started any cosmetic work. During the course of the work being done the old gentleman fell ill, but his family insisted that he wanted to keep the Dodge so they would take care of it – but shortly after all phone numbers stopped working. Without a way to contact the family and a bill for a new clutch and some other work outstanding, there it sat for five years until they were finally able to sell it.
Upon hearing the story my buddy inquired on a price – and was told a number that is right about what a single payment on a new F-150 SuperCrew XLT 4×4 with the 2.7 EcoBoost would run (yours truly likes to gawk). He collected himself enough to ask to take it for a drive and sure enough even though it had been sitting long enough to make the battery go flat, the mighty slant six fired right up when the booster was attached.
Despite the seat not necessarily being attached to the vehicle, he found that it drove great and had plenty of power so it was a quick no haggle sale. A day after he brought his new baby home, when I saw it, indeed the big slant six fired right up and settled it’s typical sewing machine sounding idle with nary a puff of smoke or odd smell.
About those seats and, well, that decor. It seems as though the owner prior to the elderly gentleman was likely someone into the lowrider scene in the late 80’s and early 90’s. While the car has a patina going it’s very clear by the peeling clear coat that it’s not the original paint, and from the fade it looks to have some age behind it. I’m sure at some point those wheels were rather pricey objects, but the surface rust on the spokes show it’s been a long time since they’ve been polished.
As hideous as it is, the interior cladding has a huge added benefit that we found out quickly – it protected the original two tone vinyl! It’s likely that without all that.. whatever it is the vinyl would have long been baked and faded under the Nebraska sun, but thanks to years of being clad in ultra suave lowrider decor it’s been spared from the elements. Once off, and adding some nuts to the mounting studs of the front bench, the interior is a good detail job away from looking great.
In our younger years we would have talked about how easy that engine bay would be to drop in a 340, 360, or even a big block. Now as we get older and slightly more tame both of us appreciate the fact that the slant six will make this car one heck of a reliable and smooth cruiser on good summer days.
With the semi-factory A/C still completely intact, assuming it all still works, this car is even a R-12 charge away from providing cooled comfort when it gets a little too hot in Firth, Nebraska. It’s a good thing my buddy and his Dad stocked up on R-12 many eons ago.
This car is truly a diamond in the rough taking just the right kind of person to appreciate it and bring it back, thankfully that person found it. He’s been waiting his whole life to get a Mopar and man – what a way to get there! I can’t wait until all that.. whatever it is removes itself from the interior, some brake lights are added, and my youngest son can go for a ride in that big back seat and maybe catch the bug himself.
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Nice find! And the very fact it has THE best engine Chrysler ever produced is just icing on the cheesecake!
I have to ask..
Best engine? For what?
Actually driving the car of course .
-Nate
Best engine for never dying, of course.
The only reason I ever popped the hood on my ’62 Dodge 330 B body 6cyls was to chase the critters out from the air cleaner in the fall.
One of THE most bullet proof engines ever made,,,e-v-e-r.
Interesting find. I’m pretty familiar with these cars, as our Tamil had a wagon, and I worked for a guy who had slant 6 taxi cabs of this vintage. But I’m not so sure about that “original” upholstery; I never saw a door with those colors! Maybe it’s been redecorated more than once?
Funny you mention – I was just digging through my pictures and I suspect that my initial assertion about the interior colors was incorrect. My guess is that the interior was all the maroon-ish, but the customizer may have decided to go for a two-tone white/maroon. Some overspray on the door panel maroon – when you really zoom in – is noticeable.
We tried quickly to get the seat covers off, but they were pretty well attached and it was taking away from yammering time – so I’ll be interested to see what color the seats are. The dash pad was definitely the original maroon/red as in the attached it’s still original.
I think the most fun about old cars like this is the very conversation we’re having – trying to figure out their story, and what they were. With newer stuff it’s pretty easy as they’re all pretty cookie cutter and in-depth packages can be found for anything built in the Internet age. Back then, however, as many proved if you knew how to play the game right you could get all kinds of crazy options.
I thought that photo showing the fury interior was a photo that had been taken after a slushy rain storm and everything had been coated in 3D ice due to their being no glass. Upon looking at another photo that was when I realized it was not ice, but bizarre interior decorating.
Maybe it’s because I’m sitting in the middle of a wild Maine Nor’easter, but I thought the same thing!
I never even realized that model Coronet existed. When I think Coronet, I immediately think of the Coronet Super Bee. Does that car have low rider wheels on it?
You are not alone. Most younger guys think muscle cars like the Stuper Bee were the only cars made.
These were the Toyota Camary of the day (Mother MoPar please forgive me for that analogy).
Hundreds of thousands of taxi cabs and Police Fleet specials can attest,
Except that I am 55, and own a 1964 Ford Fairlane convertible. Somehow this one fell between the cracks.
I would not try to repair the original R-12 system. I installed a new aftermarket 134a system in my Fairlane. It has an underdash evaporator/fan unit. Does not look out of place at all. Many cars of that era had a setup like that.
Oops! I apologize for the assumption, Junkyard Dog!
Fairlanes were the mid-size cars in ’64, right?
I bet the rag tops had a pretty low production number, huh?
If you’re planning to restore this car, you’ll want to pick up a copy of Hemmings Motor News and Mopar Collector’s Guide. You’d be surprised at what they’re reproducing for these cars.
Never seen a Coronet 6 until CC I didnt realise they existed.
Sure; the mid-sized cars commonly had the slant six, including un untold number of taxis, as the Coronet was very popular in that use. And the slant six also came in the bigger C-Body Plymouths (but not Dodges). And in the Charger too. Remember the one I found? https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1968-dodge-charger-six-rarer-than-a-hemi-charger/
Work slowly and diligently , you will be rewarded with a fine long lasting road car .
Before wasting any precious R-12 , open and flush the entire AC system ~ you’ll be amazed at the crud that comes flying out .
New compressor oil and O-Rings then evacuate , let it sit corked and gauged for overnight ~ if it looses even 1/2″ of vacuum , it leaks , don’t yet charge it . prolly a hose dried out , those MoPar compressors are mighty tough ! .
A friend of mine has a ’65 Fury with this AC setup and after deep if routine AC service and me repairing the fan switch , he charged it with R-12 a few years ago and it’s cold as ice like an AMERICAN Car should be =8-) .
Congratulations on scoring this car ! .
I had a buddy in the very early 1970’s who loved the ’65 Coronet four doors and bought several from Az. , all had high mileage V-8’s that blew oil like crazy but ran tops once we scarped the carbon off the spark plugs every two weeks .
Good times ! .
-Nate
Forgot to add : this engine needs a valve adjustment straightaway ~ do it cold to get it running smoothly then do it again once it’s fully warmed up .
-Nate
Funny story, as a young junior enlisted Marine at Pendelton, I would take my 82 RX7 to Tijuana every six months or so for a freon top off. They’d ask for $10, but always be happy to get $5.
One of my friends from Mexico stepped in and told me drain that junk immediately, Pendejo! The reason was these shops would often give you a propane/ butane blend, which works well- but with obvious dangers. And I the way I drove back then…
I went through the above procedure, all types of crud came out, and there were several leaks. We had access to fully equipped service bays, and there was always someone in the barracks willing to help for beers later. Then had it topped off at a legit shop only once, at a high price per pound. Outlasted the apex seals.
And a 1 barrel carb no less! Nothing wrong with that!
But it if you want some more easily gained pep, you could find a 2 bbl. set-up from a ’70s Volare` or Aspen
Easy-peasey…if you can find one!.
That’s right, the /6s were ALL 1 barrel carbs… even on the big C body Plymouths!!! (until the Aspen/Volare`s) {Well, except for the early ’60s “Power Pak” 4bbl}
GREAT automobile you have found!!! Very drivable and sevicable.
Nice. Nothing wrong wrong with the leaning tower of power.
Advance the timing a couple of degrees, fat ignition wires and a hot spark setup, open up the air on your carb jets, then listen to that sweet hum. You will not win at the stop lights, but on the open road they are good to go. If you want better acceleration smaller D wheels/ tires on the back will help.
If the valves are fouled up run a couple tanks of gas with a litre of methyl hydrate through it. I had a 81 diplomat with the super six, it was hotter then many of the Chevy B bodies I drove as cabs. Plus it got high 20’s or low 30’s on the highway. Like most dodges the body disintegrated around the flawless drivetrain!
I love the torsion bar setup that allows you to adjust ride hight/ spring rate with the turn of a screw.
Sure do miss my mopars!
This is the one generation of Mopar that has eluded my grasp (so far?). I came close when I test drove and tried to buy a 63 Dodge 330 sedan with the six and the 3 speed at a dealer tent sale. The car was nice, but the salesclowns were convinced that it was some sort of Hemi Cuda or something with the money they were trying to get.
So long as the car isn’t too rusty, it will take good care of him. He may also want to check to see if the heat riser on the exhaust manifold is working. Those freeze up, so some penetrating oil and a few taps with a hammer should allow you to work it loose.
A shot of WD40 inside the distributor will help his wet weather running, too. And keep a spare ballast resistor in the glovebox.