I’ve pretty much decided that my next project is going to be a 1971-74 Dodge Coronet. My first choice would be a 1973 Coronet Crestwood station wagon because that’s what my parents had when I was a kid and I have a lot of good memories of family trips, learning how to drive, partying, etc. Any model year from 1971-74 would be OK with me though since they all share the same basic body style. I’m also thinking that if I can’t find a wagon I’ll settle for a 4-door (the Coronet was not offered as a 2-door during this period). I never thought I’d choose to own a non-wagon 4-door as a hobby car, but the 4-door Coronet really isn’t bad looking and I really like this body style. If nothing else, it can serve as a place holder until I find my wagon.
Nostalgia aside, the 1971-74 (actually 76) B Body Mopars have a lot going for them. They’re big (actually huge by modern statndards) but they don’t “look” big. The extra space is nice if your hobby car has to double as a family car, and the Coronet has plenty of room to haul lots of groceries, the kids, etc. If you’re tall like me you’ll like the extra leg room especially on road trips. They will give adequate performance with a well built 360, but if you want any kind of high performance you’d want to drop in a big block or late model Hemi. You can also update the suspension and get reasonable handling, just don’t expect S2000-like handling from a car this size.
Links:
More information on station wagons – http://www.squidoo.com/StationWagon
More information on Dodge Coronet – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Coronet
Tags: Coronet, Dodge, Mopar, station wagon