Crusty Coronet(s)...

[caddycruiser]

Dad has had this for a while now, but I don't think I ever posted pictures.

In the past, he owned a '68 Coronet, followed by a '69, and then finally a '70 he restored when I was younger...we loved that thing. Sold before moving to DE.

Found this latest project on Craigslist in western PA the summer of '09. Apparently a more valuable combo of sorts, a '68 Coronet 440 with the big block 383. Was a good deal to him.

Been a back yard project ever since. Lots of rust. Runs well. Replacing panel by panel, including things like the full trunk floor, etc. He and my brother hit Carlisle this past weekend and came back with new fenders, etc. from western states. Interior is also stripped...can sit on a bucket and drive. Has front fenders from the wrong year, etc. Going to be a while...

These were snapped last summer...still blue, but another year of body work since, it's changing. I haven't seen it in a while.

Then by Craigslist someone locally at the beach in Delaware had a 1970 Coronet sedan for sale a while back. Listed, listed, never sold. Dad looked at it. Guy called him back recently and said he wanted it gone and to see it go to a good home...$500 later...it also appeared in the back yard. Spare parts of some sort. Mom loves the landscape, at least it keeps him back there all the time now.

We shall see how Coronet #4 turns out...he's determined to get it rolling, 383 and all. Color choice...well, that'll be a few more years.

Edited July 15, 2011 by caddycruiser

[balthazar]

Wowee, look! A car with an actual trunk!

These are pretty nice, mean-looking scrappers. My brother & I looked at a '68 R/T one time years back, guy also had a '70 R/T with the 'big' scooped hood. I had a '73 Charger Rallye 440 for a while, too. MoPar was banging on all cylinders in this era, no question.

[caddycruiser]

Here was the restored '70 Coronet 440 with a 318, back in the early 90's. This one was my favorite. Such a cool ride, inside & out...sounded great, interior was big and comfortable, and the color rocked.

^^Including me...not sure how old I was. Feel bad he sold this to move to DE, and it was a teenager from Pittsburgh who bought it, in the middle of winter...we never knew what happened to it after.

[ocnblu]

Cool old bombers. We had a hired hand who had a '68 Belvedere in that typical metallic green over metallic green vinyl bench interior that was popular that year, four door sedan with dog dishes if I recall correctly and a Slant Six. This would have been in the mid-70's. That old girl was a toughie.

[Camino LS6]

My first car was a '66 Coronet.

[balthazar]

That's the hood I was referring to. Nice '70- always liked 'em.

[caddycruiser]

Cool old bombers. We had a hired hand who had a '68 Belvedere in that typical metallic green over metallic green vinyl bench interior that was popular that year, four door sedan with dog dishes if I recall correctly and a Slant Six. This would have been in the mid-70's. That old girl was a toughie.

The green interior! That's what I liked most about the '70 too...it was custom mix '77 Vette yellow (according to dad, that as a base with a custom drop of another shade in it)...but the original factory and damn flawless vinyl/cloth green factory interior. Yellow & green. Ultimately he wanted to make it black, but the green interior was perfect and never got changed.

[Intrepidation]

Very cool old Mopars

[caddycruiser]

Finally an update...

The 1968 Coronet is still in progress, now no longer blue as the body work continues and is apparently finally close to complete. Dad said last weekend he is thinking off white will be the paint color of choice. Interesting.

^^In his tarp garage cave. I hadn't seen it in a year, so interesting progress. Runs well but a stripped shell of sorts. Has parts everywhere, new seats, etc. but pending body work and paint. Few more years.

The small circle fender signals on this style are cool. Other than that, I honestly don't know much about the car other than it came from western PA somewhere. Or what he wants to do with it in the end, as there is no covered parking except for this 2x4 framed tent.

Edited November 2, 2012 by caddycruiser

[balthazar]

Dodge had "White" and "Corporate White" in '68, looks like "White" is more off. Is Dad going with a non-OEM color?

The '70 was visually 'factory', is going to get a bit more individualistic with this '68?

[caddycruiser]

Dodge had "White" and "Corporate White" in '68, looks like "White" is more off. Is Dad going with a non-OEM color?

The '70 was visually 'factory', is going to get a bit more individualistic with this '68?

He likes the clean factory look aside from 1 or 2 small details (such as the body color painted "piece" in the middle of the 2 front grilles on the '70 Coronet, instead of chrome) and really dislikes aftermarket stuff, bigger wheels, etc. So we'll see.

I'll say whatever the off white is, and probably a bit custom. He's very, very specific on colors too and worked for a while to get the '70 Coronet yellow tint and color just right, probably the same here.

More importantly, he'll do it ALL himself. Well, aside from paint. He's somehow self taught and perfect at it, having used to do body work and full re-do's in our previous PA garage when I was a baby, but now doesn't have the garage or area to do so. When he had the '69 Chevelle years back, started getting quotes to have paint done but it never happened. We'll see.

I still know so little about this car, and it's been around for a while. Apparently it's cool. Mom hates it, I know that much.

Edited November 2, 2012 by caddycruiser

[A Horse With No Name]

Cool car...I miss owning vintage tin. My hat is off to your dad for sticking with it.

[caddycruiser]

Just received this from my brother. Looks like it's coming along...but holy work time. It's been a few years now.

Not sure where the back window went. He's thinking paint the car white, but not sure.

[ocnblu]

Cool man, he's in no hurry, and he's doing it his way. Something to be proud of.

Edited September 1, 2013 by ocnblu

[caddycruiser]

Cool man, he's in no hurry, and he's doing it his way. Something to be proud of.

Slow and steady and way out of the way of my mother. Stays in his own little garage everyday. Now, how long it will take for this thing to be driveable...not sure.

I know he bought newer bucket seats, etc. and has been piece meal gathering parts. Interesting to hear about. It does run, but the last time I saw him drive it he was sitting on a crate mounted to the floor to do so.

[caddycruiser]

New updates to the '68 Coronet. Visited this weekend and was pretty impressed.

Body work near complete, and he's even painted it. Apparently it's '68 Ford white...he liked it more than Dodge white of the same vintage. Did it himself, now onto the rest.

Should look better as trim and chrome goes back on, with lights. Sounds nice when it's running.

Getting there piece by piece. Lost track of how long he's had this thing.

[Drew Dowdell]

Did he pull the motor or just cover it?

[caddycruiser]

Did he pull the motor or just cover it?

Covered, piece by piece, and removed the smaller bits.

[ocnblu]

Very nice so far! I will need to borrow the keys when it's done then, OK?