Roadrunner Clone? 1975 Dodge Coronet
This is one interesting car. The two-door Dodge Coronet came back in 1975 for one year after a few years of being AWOL – they were similar to Plymouth’s Roadrunner. This 1975 Dodge Coronet can be found posted here on craigslist in Chicago, Illinois. The seller is asking $6,500 or best offer for this good-looking two-door. Thanks to the good-looking Pat L. for sending in this tip! Here’s the original listing.
I stared at this car for quite a while and not just because it’s surrounded by guard chickens or because I was trying to make out the vehicles in the background. It’s because of that swoopy-woopy stripe. One of you will correct me – hopefully politely because I’m not a scholar on the seventh-generation Coronets – but I don’t believe that stripe would have ever been on a Dodge Coronet from this era.
And, then there are the wheels. Are they or are they not Plymouth Road Runner wheels from a 1975 (or other) Roadrunner? I really like this look although some white-letter tires would have been a nice touch to just kick it up another notch. You can also see the bright red bodyline where I think a molding would have been since this car, I believe, started out life as a Coronet Brougham. Here’s a photo from a 2016 BaT auction of a 1975 Roadrunner as a comparison.
This car has a hood ornament and according to Allpar, an absolute authority on all things Mopar, Broughams had hood ornaments. But, they also had a C-pillar “BROUGHAM” badge, that’s why I’ve been scratching my head for quite a while since those are missing. What are your thoughts, is this a modified Coronet made to mimic a Roadrunner? In any case, the seventh-generation Coronet was only made for two years, 1975 and 1976. In 1976, the two-door Coronet was dropped but it came back as a 1976 Dodge Charger Sport.
This is a bit off-topic but I’ve always been a huge fan of the previous generation Coronet, the 1971 to 1974 cars, but they never came in a two-door body style. I wonder what a sixth-gen Coronet Coupe may have looked like (the green one)… hmm… I like it!
The seats appear to have been redesigned and reupholstered compared to any 1975 Dodge Coronet seats that I have seen online or in brochures but they look fantastic. Again, I’m not an expert in this particular 1975 Coronet line and one of you may have owned one or sold these cars back in 1975. The interior looks great other than the padded dash which has a few cracks in it.
The seller bought this car in Texas and drove it back to Chicago with no issues and it sure looks like a nice example. The engine is a “V8”, but we don’t know what exactly it is. A 318 would be my guess but if this car was originally a Brougham, it may be a 360 or even a 400. A VIN or other info would be great, but it looks clean under the hood and any time a seller includes an engine photo, even if they don’t give us any info about it, that’s a win. The 318 would have had either 135 or 150 hp, the 360 V8 would have had 180 or 190 hp, and the 400 V8 would have had 165, 190, or 235 horsepower. Any thoughts on this Coronet hardtop?
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Comments
I’ve been called a lot of things Scotty. Good looking is not usually one of them. Open up those garage doors, I think the gas fumes might be getting to you!
Ha, you’re too modest, Pat. Thanks for all of the great tips!
And, thanks to Jack Gross for the 400 V8 info.
Certainly not a 400 as the distributor is not on the front of the engine
Seat upholstery almost looks like it’s trying to mimic that of the “Hang 10” Mopars from back in 1974 and ’75. I think they did a “Sundance” model too.
Plymouth had the Sundance package , but I think it was a 1974 only option
Correctamundo Jack!
No one will miss that roadrunner graphic on the trunk.
As a senior in high school, one of these was the first nice car I bought. It was a Brougham with white bucket seats and a console. Quite a step up from the previous 8 or so cars, I had already previously owned.
Maybe driven up from Texas after driving up from Mexico ? Would make a nice first car for asomeone.
A srick shift would be too cool in these..they were available. Lovely cars.
Not a bad looking car. Worthy of a Romanov. I think that is a 318.
I believe this might be 1975 Coronet Rallye…
http://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Dodge/1975_Dodge/1975-Dodge-Coronet-Brochure/slides/1975_Dodge_Coronet-10-11.html
I can’t find much about it online but it would appear to fit the description in the brochure. It would make sense that Dodge would have a counterpart to the Road Runner.
Wow, good find, Bick!
Since there is no Vin number to look at. The air cleaner assy is from a 318. The 360 and 400 had a large air cleaner to cover the Holley 2bbl. The 318 had a Carter 2bbl which is smaller than the Holley. My father had the 4dr with a 360-2. That was a nice car to drive. Plenty of get up and go. Good luck to the next owner. 🐻🇺🇸
The rims could have been put on years ago , and even if they weren’t original to this car, they were available as an option on many Mopars at that time. My 77 Volare Premier coupe had them , as did my 78 Aspen
I remember these looking like this when I was a kid, so it is probably mostly or all factory on the outside. The interior is nothing near “correct”, but still pleasant enough. For $6,500 this is a pretty good deal. I am actually thinking about it. It is close enough to Milwaukee I could get there & back fairly quick. I am trying to figure out where in Chicago they have chickens guarding vintage cars lol.
Thanks a LOT Barn Finds and Pat L. Just when I had firmly convinced myself that “no car buying this year” was a great mantra for’22 you post this and destroy my resolve. A Dodge for me please!
My 1976 Plymouth Sport Fury had that identical side stripe and molding near the middle of the doors.
With a slushbox, bench seat and 318, the graphics are besides the point :) amazing these gas guzzlers from my lamentable college years sell for so much….’much’ being relative of course. HoA would agree with me at least!
That car went for 5500 in 1975. I had one very similar. Good luck with it.
Is this yet another iteration of the Cordoba / Charger / Road Runner?
Am I missing any?