Most restorers would rather save a classic Charger or Challenger than a Coronet, but if a solid project is involved, the exciting goes through the roof anyway.
The 1967 Coronet that emerged from a barn not long ago landed right on Craigslist, as the owner hopes the car would catch someone’s attention and eventually receive a second chance to return to the road.
The Coronet looks like a solid restoration candidate, but on the other hand, the asking price might make many people walk away. Let’s start with the most important part. The car was parked in a barn in 1985, so it’s been sitting for nearly four decades. Unfortunately, the long tenure in hiding produced significant damage under the hood, so you’re now getting a combo of bad news.
First of all, the Coronet rolled off the assembly lines with a six-cylinder engine under the hood. A lazy slant-six wasn’t everybody’s favorite cup of tea for obvious reasons, as a V8 would have made more sense for a buyer interested in performance. Second of all, as if the underpowered powerplant wasn’t enough, the engine is now stuck from sitting. It’s hard to tell if the slant-six still has a chance to put the wheels in motion again, but a good mechanic might be able to decrypt the engine’s health and obtain more information.
Despite sitting for nearly four decades in a barn, the Coronet exhibit a solid metal condition. There’s accident damage, probably produced before the vehicle was moved to the barn, but the surprising bit is that you won’t find too much rust on this Dodge. The floor pan is clean, so the car has probably been sitting in a barn with proper storage conditions.
You’ll still find occasional rust on the car, but I would’ve expected a Coronet sitting for four decades to come with more damage. The metal will require only minor fixes. The owner says they still have all seats, belts and hardware for the roof. The Coronet otherwise sells with all-original parts, including the ignition key. The car is ready for restoration, but as I said earlier, the main shortcoming could be the selling price.
The expectation seems rather optimistic, especially considering the engine under the hood and its current condition. The best way to determine if the car is worth the money is to go check it out in person, especially because on paper, the Coronet looks like a very solid restoration candidate, expect for the hood. If you have another V8 that could be installed on this Coronet and can obtain a better price without the stuck slant-six, this project is certainly worth a chance.