Vehicle Description
1966 Dodge Coronet 440 2 Door Hardtop
Nomenclature can be a tricky thing. More often than not, a car's
name or numerical model indicates something about the car. A 2003
Mercedes Benz SL500 has a 5 liter engine. A BMW 330 used to have a
3 liter engine. A Buick Electra 225 was 225 inches long. But the
Oldsmobile 4-4-2 did not have a 442 cubic inch engine. And the
Dodge Coronets, available models 440 and 500, did not translate to
cubic inches under the hood.
For consignment, a 1966 Coronet 440 that does have 440 cubes under
the hood! The base B body Coronet 440's were available in 2 door
hardtop, sedan, convertible, or station wagon. About 110,600
Coronet 440's were produced in 1966 and this is one of them!
Exterior
Two stage Red Metallic paint covers this car in fine fashion. It's
not a flashy bright red but one that's more pedestrian brick red.
In typical mid 60's fashion, the car has more right angles than a
Rubic's cube and both the front and rear fascia are perfectly
vertical. Four headlights are embedded in a finely grated grille
that bends to meet the front fenders as they extend past the nose.
The chrome bumpers and other metal work, including the window trim,
mirror, side spears, and door handles, are in excellent condition.
The sharply angled rear pillar is perhaps the most striking feature
of the car, although the trapezoid shaped taillights are pretty
amazing too. 15-inch Magnum 500 wheels are wrapped with 215/65/15
tires with a mid-2022 date code. Imperfections included paint
bubbles on the decklid and an antenna base plate that is loose.
Interior
Black metal crowns over vinyl door panels cover the door in 60's
simplicity. The split bench front seats are covered in black vinyl
and are in great shape, as is the rear bench in the same tuck and
roll pattern, with the rear illumination provided by courtesy
lights on the rear pillars. The sidewalls and doors create a clean,
uniform look with the repeating pattern. The plastic steering wheel
has a couple of cracks, and the horn ring has some patina but
otherwise in decent condition. The gear indicator is on the column
along with the shifter. The dash panel repeats the geometric
pattern of the grille and houses a horizontal speedometer flanked
by four rectangular gauges, more right angles! An AM radio is in
the center of the dash under which we find a tri-gauge pod with
added Sunpro round gauges. The black loop style carpet is in good
condition and the charcoal headliner and black visors look great.
The trunk is clean and covered loosely with the period plaid
mat.
Drivetrain
A 440ci V8 from 1978 is under the modest hood. It has a 4-barrel
carburetor and is tied to an A727 Torqueflite 3-speed automatic
transmission that sends power to the rear wheels via an 8.75" rear.
Power brakes all around with disc in front and drums out back. The
engine bay is very clean with orange wires that match the block and
chrome Moroso valve covers.
Undercarriage
Pleasantly clean and dry underneath with minimal surface rust and
no dirt or grease build up anywhere! The dual exhaust flow from
headers to meet Flowmaster mufflers then a tailpipe that terminates
discreetly under the car. Torsion bar suspension is found up front
while leaf springs out back. Clean!
Drive-Ability
If your earliest experience with cars is from cars of the 60's,
there's something about the right angles and smell and feel of
these cars that just hits home. That's the case here as we crank
the 440 and hit the test loop to confirm functionality. The engine
runs well and has decent power and acceleration. We note the
exhaust rattles against the undercarriage, the radio does not work,
and the reverse lights do not operate. It is, however, a smooth
cruiser with great stopping ability too!
This is a good running, good looking, straight and clean B-body
from '66. Its iconic square edges and simple interior was the trend
in the mid 60's and this could be the poster car for the era. If
your motto is "Mopar or No Car" or you're missing a Dodge in your
collection, this one might be worth looking into!
WH23E61223042
W-Dodge Coronet
H-High Price Class
23-2 Door Hardtop
E-318ci 2bbl V8
6-1966
1-Lynch Rd, MI Assy Plant
223042-Sequential Unit Number
FENDER TAG
u1-Sold Car
AB41-318ci 2bbl V8
C1-3 Speed Manual
R1-2 Watt AM Radio
SO NUMBER 22809462-February 28th
BDY WH23-Dodge Coronet High Price Class
TRM H6X-Black Vinyl
PAINT QQ1 B-Red Metallic, Black Interior Door Frames
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
