This 1968 Dodge Sat In The Garage For 40 Years Before Waking Up
There’s something seriously satisfying about an old Mopar firing back into life after decades of sitting around. This 1968 Dodge Coronet 440 has apparently done exactly that, and now it’s up for grabs. Before anyone starts dreaming about big-block and the massive torque, though, there’s one thing Mopar fans need to know.
This 1968 Coronet Has Been Sitting Since The Early 1980s
Listed in Concord, California, this two-door Coronet has reportedly been parked since the early 1980s. According to the seller, it’s been a California car throughout its life, shows 80,000 miles, and comes with a clean California title. Getting it running again apparently didn’t take a full restoration, either. The seller says a fresh battery and some fuel were all it took to bring the old V8 back from the dead. Not bad for a car that’s waited over four decades for another shot. The seller calls the body very solid, with a few small rust spots in the trunk, the driver’s-side lower quarter panel, and the passenger-side floor pan. So, whoever buys it should budget for some quality time with a welder.
This Dodge Coronet 440 Doesn’t Actually Have A 440 Engine
Here’s where the name gets interesting. Despite wearing a Coronet 440 badge, this old Dodge doesn’t have a 440 V8 under the hood. The Coronet 440 designation referred to a trim level in Dodge’s lineup, not the engine. According to the seller, this one has a 318-cubic-inch V8 with a two-barrel carburetor, identified by its F engine code.
That’s a perfectly respectable small-block Mopar engine, but it’s a long way from the 440-cubic-inch big-block the badge suggests. For 1968, the Coronet 440 sat above the Coronet Deluxe but below the Coronet 500 and the performance-focused R/T. And here’s the kicker. The R/T got the four-barrel 440 Magnum as standard. So the Coronet with 440 on its badge didn’t get a 440 as standard, but the one with R/T on its badge did. The seller also describes this example as Los Angeles-built, citing its E plant code. That checks out with 1968 Dodge VIN codes, though the ad doesn’t show the VIN to confirm it.
This Running Mopar Is Listed For $13,500
At $13,500, this Coronet could be an interesting starting point for someone looking to get into classic Mopar ownership without spending big-block money. But a good-condition 1968 Coronet 440 is valued at around $13,400, so this one’s priced like a good car while still needing rust repair. Running doesn’t mean roadworthy, either. The brakes, fuel system, tires, and everything else mechanical deserve a proper inspection after that long in storage. Still, a 1968 Coronet that sat for 40-plus years and reportedly fired up again on a fresh battery and fuel is the kind of find that makes classic car hunters grin. And if you were expecting a 440 under the hood, well, at least you now know why checking the engine code matters.
Source: Craigslist
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