Vehicle Description
This Coronet 500 is DY-NO-MITE! No seriously, sit down, you've got
to hear this story..... It's a beautiful summers day in West
Virginia circa 1980. The sun is shining, a slight breeze flows
across a cornfield, the birds chirp in the distance........then
BOOM, dynamite charges explode, dirt and rocks go flying through
the air. One of those rocks' lands in the cornfield with a loud
metallic BANG. A member of the excavating team clearing the area
near the cornfield hears this and decides to investigate what had
made such a noise in the endless rows of corn stalks. After a short
investigation he stumbles across this very Coronet 500 pictured
here left abandoned in the cornfield. The loud metallic noise was
from a rock landing on the roof, putting a dent in the passenger
side roof pillar. (There are period Polaroid pictures showing this
damage with the car) The dashboard showed just over 32,250 miles,
and there was Hemi under the hood! This Coronet 500 was originally
sold to a John D. Cook by Elk Way Dodge in Sutton, WV in March of
1967(A high priced Hemi Coronet must have been a hard sell back
then). When the car was found in the field, it still had the
dealership license plate frame which it retains today. After it was
removed from the field it was then sold to a Daniel M. of Knox, PA.
Dan owned a repair shop specializing in Mopars and recognized the
rarity of a 66' Coronet 500 with a Hemi and auto transmission. He
intended to restore the car, but time went on and life took over.
Dan then sold the car to finance a business expansion in 1985 to a
William Gratowski of Crawford, PA for the grand sum of $300(or
that's what the title says, wink wink) with 32,253 miles on the
title. Mr. Gratowski stored the car for about 15 years, until
starting a bare metal restoration in 2000. The floor pans were
replaced along with the front fenders and rear quarters. The damage
to the roof was repaired, and the body was coated in a fresh finish
of snow-white basecoat/ clearcoat paint. The original interior
components including dash, floor console and seats were recovered.
During this process the original broadcast sheet was found under
the seat springs looking almost pristine and laminated for future
posterity. New carpets and a new headliner rounded out the interior
refresh. Under the hood, the mighty elephant engine was rebuilt to
stock specifications. The engine still retains the original
carburetors, intake manifold, and cylinder heads. The block is
original, with a casting date of 3-28-66, a build date of 5-20-66,
and the production date of the car of 7-14-1966. The transmission
is period correct (stamped H2538389), and the driveshaft and rear
axle are original to the car. The suspension was gone through,
along with replacing body bushings, engine mounts, and other rubber
perishables. The car has a trunk full of spare parts and originals
parts that were replaced with the restoration. It has had a recent
tune up with a Petronix Ignitor II SS ignition kit that improves
performance while retaining the stock look. The original steel
wheels with option 48 blue streak tires are included with the sale.
This well documented Coronet comes with Certicard, Chrysler Car
Record, broadcast sheet, owner's manual, reproduction window
sticker, Govier report, copies of original titles, 1966 Coronet
sales brochures, along with receipts and photographic records of
the restoration process. This rare Coronet 500 Hemi is one of only
136 426/727 Coronet 500s produced in 1966, and one of only 339
total Hemi equipped Coronet's built that year. The combination of
documented history, low original mileage, and excellent restoration
quality make this Coronet a collector's dream. Contact Brian at
352-307-1968 and take this dynamite cornfield Hemi Coronet home
today!!!FEES & TAX INFORMATION - We are a licensed dealer in the
State of Florida and adhere to all state and federal laws and
regulations concerning the sale of a used vehicle. All applicable
taxes and fees will be charged accordingly as required by the State
of Florida. A fee of $495.00 will be charged to process the
vehicle. Classic Car Quality Disclaimer: We do our best to inspect,
drive our vehicles, and note any imperfections in the advertisement
and pre-sale. However, due to the nature of classic automobiles we
cannot guarantee that every function, electrical or mechanical
etc., will work as it should. These components will need upkeep and
attention. In addition, often these vehicles can sit for periods of
time and once you begin to drive them issues can arise without
warning. Please make sure you are comfortable with this before
buying a vintage automobile. We did NOT build or restore the
vehicle. Vehicles are sold AS-IS, with all faults known/unknown and
with no implied warranty. Pre-Purchase inspections are welcome, we
describe these vehicles to the best of our knowledge.
