NICELY RESTORED '66, 318 V8, TORQUEFLIGHT, FACTORY A/C, PWR STEERING, CLEAN!!

Description

We've had a few of these pretty mid-60s Mopars recently, and this 1966 Dodge Coronet 440 hardtop might be one of the nicest yet. The handsome black paint shows off the angular body quite well and with a strong-running V8 under the hood, it more than lives up to the hype. Add in a few desirable factory options, a cool red interior, and you end up with a Mopar that tops to the cool charts.According to the fender tag, this car was originally white, but given how non-committal the colors were back in 1966, the black is a big improvement. It's an attention-grabber, that's for sure, but the good news is that they seem to have gone the extra mile to make it tidy when it was repainted about 10 years ago. You'll note that the detailing on the quarter panels is crisp, the crease along the top of the fender is sharp enough to give you a paper cut, and the smooth, flat areas are distortion-free. And as a full color change, you know it was completely disassembled, because there's just no trace of the original white paint anywhere. The finish shines up beautifully and the gloss is quite good for its age, and the black really sets off this car's more aggressive look that's often lost on the softer colors. I'm glad they skipped the vinyl roof, too, because draping the dramatic roofline in vinyl softens the look too much. The chrome and trim is in good condition, a combination of original trim and perhaps some reproduction or re-plated pieces.The red interior looks pretty stock at first glance, and admittedly there's not much you can do to improve the original designers' work. However, up close you'll find reproduction seat covers that replicate the original look, a new dash pad, and the steering wheel is just gorgeous. The carpets were replaced at the same time and most of the trim is original and in good condition. The original and somewhat rare AM/FM radio still lives in the dash and there's factory A/C, too, which uses some neatly integrated vents in the dash. The headliner and door panels are in excellent condition and the instrument panel is full of fully operational gauges that keep an eye on all the car's vitals. Finally, the trunk is properly dressed with a reproduction mat and a jack assembly stashed in the quarter panel, plus a spare tire tucked underneath.This car was no slouch when it was new, since it came with a 318 under the hood. OK, it's not a big block screamer, but there's plenty of torque at any speed and it feels like there's a cam tucked in there to give it a little extra oomph. From the original air cleaner to the Hemi Orange paint on the block, it has a very OEM look under the hood. The A/C compressor dominates the top of the engine, but if you look closely you'll see correct valve covers and a lot of new components that were all installed during the 2006 restoration. More recently it was given a full tune-up as well as a complete brake service with new wheel cylinders and bearings. The TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic transmission snaps off gear changes without hesitating, and the original 8.75-inch rear end carries street-friendly gears. The dual exhaust sounds fantastic thanks to a pair of rumbling glasspack-style mufflers and the floors are impressively clean. Chrome Pacer wheels with fat BFGoodrich radials round out the list of street-ready features.Surprisingly quick yet completely civil, this is the kind of Mopar muscle that built the legends. Best of all, it's still insanely affordable, so call today!