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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

CARS IN YARDS: 1969, 1970 Dodge Coronets not R/Ts or Super Bees

Muscle car alert! I broke the law when I spotted this pair of Dodge Coronets, 1969 and 1970 models, taunting me from a yard in north Alabama. R/T and Super Bee emblems were nowhere to be found after my improper u-turn. These cars appeared to be run-of-the-mill Coronets, but still worthy of a u-turn. You rarely see rough, 2-door Mopars from this era parked in yards, let alone, out in the open. The white 1969 Coronet with tattered black vinyl top wore its Magnum 500 wheels. The mostly red 1970 Coronet sported slot mags. The engine in the '70 may be gone, judging by the looks of the lifted front end.

Between 1965 and 1971, anyone could order the second generation 426-cubic inch Hemi engine in their Chrysler, Dodge or Plymouth grocery-getter/drag racer. Mopar's Hemi legend was built around their 'elephant' engine that roared down drag strips. The legend has been retold by racers who proudly boast they raced against those Hemi-powered cars. Win or lose, people remember racing these cars. Now, non-Hemi V8 and 6-cylinder Mopars, such as Coronets and Belvederes from this era command big bucks on looks alone. 

After my first glance, visions of black, fiberglass hoods emblazoned with "SIX PACK" decals danced in my head. 426-cubic inch Hemi engines with pistol grip 4-speeds, turned these mortal Mopars into boulevard bruisers during my momentary dream state. I regained my focused and knocked on the door. "Would you like me to haul those two, old, junk cars out of your yard?," I thought to myself. My opening line went unused. No one was home. My Mopar daydream would have to suffice for now.
 
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Did you ever get back to these two cars, or find out what happened to them?