Vehicle Description
Very clean and slightly unusual Dodge Diplomat coupe. 41,200
original miles. Smooth 318, factory A/C, beautiful cloth interior.
Great color combination with polished aluminum factory wheels
really give it a good look. When did you last see one?We'll admit
that we like this car a lot more than we expected. When someone
tells you they have a 1978 Dodge Diplomat, it's not exactly the
most exciting news you're going to get. But then we saw the car and
were very pleasantly surprised by how much we liked it. First, it's
really clean-it probably spent a year or two running through winter
weather, but it's spent a vast majority of its 45 years staying out
of the worst of it. As a result, it's got great bodywork with no
signs of rot or other issues that come from spending time out in
the elements. Most of the paint is original, with only the left
rear quarter panel having been repainted (we don't know why it was
painted, but it was a while ago). Dove Gray is the car's original
color and it has aged better than most of the choices from this
era, almost all of which had something to do with 'earth tones.'
Ew. The light gray looks bright and sophisticated and emphasizes
the Diplomat's angular bodywork. A few well-placed pinstripes help
in that regard, and there's plenty of chrome and stainless trim to
make it look upscale. The bumpers are in excellent shape and
perhaps more importantly, there are no signs of trouble underneath
that padded roof, which adds some contrast and looks sporting, not
stodgy. Like I said, we were very pleasantly surprised by how
appealing this car really is.The gray cloth bucket seat interior is
just beautifully preserved, lending a lot of credence to the actual
mileage claims. Comfortable seats are still supportive enough for
long drives and the back seat is big enough for real-sized adults.
It's still a luxury car first and foremost, so there's a lot of
faux wood on the dash and beautiful stainless-faced gauges
including a voltmeter and temperature gauge. Options include
factory A/C, rear defroster, and a tilt steering column, so it's
easy to live with. Even the original AM/FM radio sounds decent
because the interior is so quiet at speed. Door panels and
headliner are in fantastic shape and there are two cool little map
lights built into the ceiling between the visors. There's also a
giant trunk in back that comes complete with a full-sized spare and
jack assembly, plus all the original covers and interior panels.
Someone clearly loved this car.Chrysler's tried-and-true 318 cubic
inch V8 provides motive force and it does a good job of being
unobtrusive. There's smooth torque at any speed and it whispers
along at highway speeds without any drama. It fires easily with
that distinctive Chrysler starter sound and thanks to the
sophisticated (for the time) electronic ignition it idles well even
when cold. There are plenty of signs of conscientious maintenance,
including recent hoses, belts, and tune-up parts, and the condition
of the factory engine enamel should tell you just how clean this
car really is. The undercarriage is a little grungy and as I said,
it probably endured one or two winters in its early life, but there
are no signs of critical rot in the floors, rockers, or other
support structures. The 3-speed automatic transmission shifts
cleanly and with tall 2.71 gears out back, it's still a fantastic
highway cruiser. The brakes have been serviced recently and the
exhaust has a modern catalytic converter and new muffler so it's
appropriately hushed. Polished aluminum wheels are the right choice
and really make the car, and they now carry 215/70/15 whitewall
radials for the proper 1970s look. Documentation includes the
original owner's manual and booklets.Look at the car then look
again at the price-there's a lot here to like. It has that
incomparable 70s luxury car ride and it's unusual enough to attract
second glances at almost any car show. The low miles and awesome
originality are a nice bonus, making this a car you can enjoy
regularly without worries. An awesome entry-level hobby car that
doesn't have to be garden-variety. Call today!Harwood Motors always
recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any
vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.