In the mid-seventies a beige, base-model station wagon rolling on dog dishes would’ve been a deeply uncool car. Not so much today. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say, and these Dodge Coronet (later Monaco) wagons were never common to begin with. 1976 was actually a bright spot in Chrysler’s dark decade, as the introduction of rebate incentives (which changed car sales forever) and the Aspen/Volare spelled profits. But aside from coupes like the Cordoba, Chryslers midsize cars hardly registered on most buyers’ radar. In part, that was because they were fairly old even when they were new. This is a base-model ‘76 Coronet wagon, one of just 1,840 out of a total of about 8K longroof Coronets made that year. To put that in perspective, Ford sold 70K Torino wagons in 1976. The Coronet got a front-end refresh in 1975, but the B-body platform dated back to 1962. Allen Kornmiller’s B-body studio team gave Dodge two heavily updated coupes (Charger sport coupe and SE), but the Coronet (and Plymouth Fury) sedans and wagons had to keep the same bodies they’d had since 1971, which were designed under Dick Macadam’s eye in the late 1960s. Plymouth product planner Gene Weiss later said that the sedan’s rooflines, styled like muscle cars, were too tight, and that sales of Coronets and Satellites dropped (and never recovered) because the back seat wasn’t roomy enough. The wagons were plenty spacious though - as depicted on “the Brady Bunch.” Other successful 70s cars, like Ford’s Granada, re-used lots of old hardware, but somehow Chrysler’s version didn’t play. Midsize numbers were propped up by massive fleet sales, which is why so many Coronets and Furys were a staple of Police TV shows in the 1970s and early 1980s. The low spec, dog dishes, and cage suggest this L.A. car was once a fleet machine, and the California Highway Patrol did buy quite a few, though they mostly kept to sedans (which, just for them, could have a 440 V8). For 1977, Dodge retired the Coronet name and the car became a Monaco while the biggest Dodges became “Royal Monacos.” Both cars faded away by the end of 1978, though the B-body got one more second act as the R-body from 1979-81. (at Mar Vista, Los Angeles) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFxLl-TlTI8/?igshid=3tljcwxbbcn0

1976 chevrolet laguna car for sale listings, Chevrolet Laguna For Sale | 1976 Chevrolet Laguna “Gunsmoke” [ contact owner ]

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1976 chevrolet laguna car for sale listings 1976 chevrolet laguna car for sale listings, Chevrolet Laguna For Sale | 1976 Chevrolet Laguna "Gunsmoke" [ …

Junkyard Crawl: Pair of ’70s Supercars Discovered in Texas

The ’70s high-performance scene was twisted upside down compared to previous decades. Thanks to the 1971 establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), automakers suddenly found themselves being told how to build new cars—by politicians with little to no automotive training. The results were not pretty.

The Mirage body kit consisted of Reaction Injection Molded (RIM) polyurethane cladding designed to emulate the wide-stance look of an IMSA Camel GT series road racer. The Texas sun has bleached out the special red, white, and blue stripes and exposed the yellow plastic panel construction. Semi complete Mirages were built at the Quebec, Canada plant then sent to Michigan Auto Techniques in Grand Rapids for body kit installation and final assembly.

Facing fines and penalties for over polluting and missing Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) goals, shaker hoods, Ram Air heads, Hemis, and fat Holley carburetors were replaced by bluster and paranoia. But there were exceptions. In this month’s installment of Junkyard Crawl, we’re at CTC Auto Ranch in Denton, TX checking out a pair of late-’70s performance cars—with very different approaches—a 1977 Chevy Monza Mirage and a 1978 Plymouth Fury Police Pursuit.

Built to a price, the upper edges of the Mirage body panels are trapped beneath plastic rails that are pop-riveted in place. Again, the Texas sun has de-gassed the plastic rail, causing it to flake away. Done properly, Chevrolet would have designed a specific steel quarter panel with added width to be welded in place. But it was the ’70s…

The Mirage was just that, one of Detroit’s most exaggerated “sticker supercars” of all time. With its pop-riveted IMSA road race fender extensions, extreme spoilers, and anemic 145 horsepower LG4 305 2-barrel small-block V8, the $700 Mirage option was truly all show and minimal go. Contemporary magazine road tests recorded 0-60 in 9.1 seconds and the quarter-mile sprint in 16.9 seconds. But then again, since the Monza was based on Chevy’s sub-compact Vega platform, it isn’t wrong to see the Mirage as the factory-built V8 Vega Chevy teased us with but never built. With some smart bolt-ons—or a gaggle of leaf blower turbos (…see Roadkill’s Monza Spyder episode [https://youtu.be/U81_0waqEWA]) these things can really fly.

It’s no fantasy, GM bought the rights to install Wankel rotary engines in the Monza, which accounts for its extra wide engine bay. Emissions and fuel economy hassles snuffed the dream, so Mirages got standard 305 2-barrel power. Despite government scrutiny, Briggs Chevrolet offered the dealer-built “Banshee” with bolt-on engine goodies and steeper axle ratios for Monza owners wanting more. A handful were built.

On the other side of the coin, the 1978 Plymouth Fury Police Pursuit was one of Mopar’s all-time sleepers. Keep in mind, after 1974, the Fury nameplate was transferred from the massive, full-sized C-Body to the much lighter mid-sized B-Body. So with the available E86 440, the 1975-’78 Fury Pursuit represents the only time you could get the top-dog 440 in a B-Body with four doors. Back in the supercar ’60s, the biggest mill available in a 4-door B-Body was the 383. Big 440s only came in 2-door prestige models like the Plymouth GTX and Coronet R/T.

Don’t be fooled by the baby food yellow paint. It’s a hasty re-spray applied when this law enforcement champion was sold at auction. The 15×7 vented “cop wheels” tell the true tale.

And with 255 net horsepower and true dual exhaust (with twin catalytic converters added for 1978), the 1978 Fury Pursuit could do 0-100 in under 25 seconds while maxing out at a true 132.7 mph. Until the arrival of the 260 horsepower 1994 Chevy Caprice Police Package and 2006-up Dodge Hemi Charger / Magnum Police Pursuits, no full-size squad car from any manufacturer could break 120 mph (Special Service Package Fox Mustangs were 2-doors). Let’s dive in!

Only 4,097 Monza Mirages were built in 1977. Virtually forgotten today, the Monza was Motor Trend magazine’s Car of the Year in 1975. Though Monza shared the Vega’s 97-inch wheelbase and 65.4-inch width, Monza was 9-inches longer and ½ inch lower.

Though de-contented with a cast crank, mild cam, and 7.8:1 compression, it’s still a 440. VIN spotters look for engine code U in the fifth spot. The curious box on the dual snorkel air cleaner is the Lean Burn computer. It took data from eight sensors to help the carburetor and distributor come up with the most efficient calibrations. The flaw was computer longevity. Most failed after 12 to 24 months and required replacement.

The certified 140mph speedometer is no bluff. Testing at the 1978 Michigan State Police Trials verified the 440 Pursuit’s 132.7 mph top speed. This was 10 to 30 mph faster than period Corvettes, Mustang Cobra IIs, Z/28s, and Trans Ams.

To keep up with the 440’s 360 ft-lb of torque, Chrysler’s largest available rear axle in the late ’70s—the corporate 9 ¼-inch unit—replaced the smaller 8 1/4 incher used in small-block 318 and 360, and 400 big-block models. Don’t confuse the 9 1/4 with the Dana 60 (which was dropped after 1972). To help achieve 130 mph, most Police Pursuit axles packed 2.71 gears but 3.21s were optional.

Groovy Factoids

Before Monza, Chevrolet planned to use the name Chaparral, to honor Jim Hall’s successful line of road racing cars. When financial matters got in the way, Monza was chosen.

The Monza wasn’t Chevrolet’s only Wankel might-have-been. Several Wankel powered Corvette show cars hinted at a dead-ended program to offer rotary Stingrays in the early Seventies.

The Blues Brothers action movie saw the sad destruction of dozens of retired Chicago police units. The Blues Mobile was based on a full-size (C-body) 1974 Dodge Monaco Pursuit, not the smaller B-body platform shown here.

BONUS Junkyard Crawl! Here’s some bonus coverage of the 1977 Chevy Monza Mirage and 1978 Plymouth Fury Pursuit we unearthed at CTC Auto Ranch in Denton, Texas. To see even more, subscribe to Motor Trend on Demand and watch Episode SEVEN of Junkyard Gold to see these cars discovered in real time. –Steve Magnante

Inside this Mirage we hoped to see the optional manual transmission. But alas, a ho-hum 3-speed automatic does the job. Though Chevrolet initially promoted an optional 5-speed overdrive stick shift with the Monza’s 262 and 305 V8 engines, reliability problems terminated the program before any were sold to the public. Instead, the few stick-shifted V8 Monzas built got Saginaw 4-speed manual gearboxes with direct (1:1) Fourth gear.

The 1977 Mirage’s 80mph speedometer appeared a full three years before the federally mandated 1980 switch to 85mph speedometers. Chevrolet likely engaged in a bit of psychological manipulation to curb the temptation of a 100- or 120mph maximum. In 1977, Trans Am and Corvette speedometers still read to over 100 mph.

This peeling manufacturer certification sticker on the driver side proves this car is one of the 4,097 built by Michigan Auto Techniques in Grand Rapids, MI. Mirages without this sticker are either unfortunate re-paints or got the Mirage body kit added after retail sale. Records show that Michigan Auto Techniques also sold Mirage body kits and graphics for dealer installation. Obviously, collectors swarm to pre-retail units like this one.

Yes, they’re plastic. The Mirage’s standard-issue styled wheel covers were designed to emulate the cast-aluminum wheels of the 1972 XP-897 GT Two-Rotor Corvette concept car. Dig the Vega-spec 13-inch wheels and chromed acorn nuts designed to compliment the finned wheel covers.

Not every Police Pursuit is “de-commissioned” prior to public auction. This one still wears its black-and-white service paint scheme, though all traces of police markings, lights, and special equipment are eradicated. Sadly, this rust-free Texas machine is likely headed to the crusher. Public appreciation for police cars is growing, but lags far behind demand for muscle cars.

1975-’78 Police Pursuit B-Bodies wear their trim tags on the radiator support. Important codes here are E86 (440 V8), D36 (heavy duty Torqueflite automatic transmission), RL41U (440 powered Plymouth Fury 4-door sedan) and A38 (Pursuit package).

Don’t forget, if you want to see the discovery of these interesting ’70s Supercars in motion picture form, subscribe to Motor Trend on Demand and search Episode SEVEN of Junkyard Gold. – Steve Magnante

The post Junkyard Crawl: Pair of ’70s Supercars Discovered in Texas appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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1974 Dodge Monaco (Minichamps 1:43)

The Monaco was originally introduced in 1965 as a ”Limited Edition” of Dodge's full size Custom 880 model, intended to compete with Pontiac's Grand Prix in the personal luxury car segment. But this plan was jettisoned the very next year when the Monaco actually went on to replace the Custom 880 entirely, with the previous ”special” Monaco now being given the upper scale badging of the Monaco 500 in separation from the base model. A major facelift followed in 1967, while a wholly new ”fuselage” style redesign for 1969 came to signify its transitioning to its second generation lineup that lasted until 1973. At this juncture, Chrysler were looking to revamp their full-size model lineup of the Dodge Monaco and Plymouth Fury to their new C-Body configuration, which was to feature all new sheetmetal and a new unibody construction.

Unfortunately, only days after their introduction, the 1973 oil crisis began and suddenly large cars like the Monaco were seen as being wasteful and out-of-touch with the times as people were rather gravitating toward smaller, more economical compacts instead. The media subsequently eviscerated them for their size and uninspired styling, while sales suffered accordingly. However, they did still find great favour as fleet cars, particularly with the police force, and this would not see a change during the entirety of the Monaco's existence. This new third generation Monaco also came to replace the older Polara model that had been in production since 1960, with the Monaco lineup now consisting of three trim levels: basic, Custom, and the upper scale Brougham. Engine options consisted of a 2-barrel 360 cid V8 as standard, a 360 with a 4-barrel carburetor, a 2- or 4-barrel 400 cid plant, or a 4-barrel 440 cid engine. Available body styles consisted of a two-door coupe, a four-door sedan, a 4-door hardtop for this year only, and a station wagon with optional faux-wood side trim.

The Custom and Brougham trims, however, ended up being both eliminated in 1975 and subsequently replaced by the separate Royal Monaco model, easily identifiable through their headlight covers and different grille, while a further ”Diplomat” option was offered on two-door Brougham coupes featuring a landau vinyl roof, an opera window, and a wide steel band to separate the vinyl section from the rest of the roof. On a downside, this was also the year when the catalytic converter was introduced, designed to minimse car emissions in order to adhere to ever tightening emissions regulations, though this also meant the loss of horsepower and fuel economy due to the restrictions in the free flow of exhaust. The C-Body Monaco would countinue in this form until 1976 when it was downsides to the B-Body platform for 1977, though the Royal Monaco still remained in production for 1977 on its old C-Body platform before being discontinued entirely for the following year. This state of affairs, though, would not last long as the Monaco name itself was subsequently discontinued after 1978, with the nameplate only revived for a short time between 1989 and 1992 for the rebadged Eagle Premier.

By all intents and purposes, the 1974-1977 Monaco/Royal Monaco can't really be called a stupendous car on any level, being effectively just a really big, boxy 1970s sedan with not much flair and not much in terms of styling finesse of the 1965-73 models. But it has earned a spot in popular culture nevertleless when a '74 ex-police cruiser was used as the hero car in the cult classic ”The Blues Brothers” where it came to perform increasingly strange and over-the-top stunts to confuddle the army of cops chasing after the hapless musicians on a mission from God. The same film also featured a large amount of other police Monacos and Royal Monacos that were summarily trashed in the multitude of car chases the movie was filled to the brim with. It lent the car a cool factor that quite frankly otherwise isn't there and for that has carved itself into a strange, but endearingly oddball place in many people's hearts... including mine.

Due to the Monaco being so prevalent as a cop car in various movies and TV shows, this has also resulted in there being an influx of scale models being produced of the C-Body Monaco by various different manufacturers, often in connection to one of these movies or shows. But in terms of providing standard versions of the car, only Minichamps thus far has seen fit to also provide regular Monaco variants for purchase. And they certainly have taken full advantage of maximising the use of this model as they have not only provided three colour variants on the base sedan (green with black top, brown with black top, and blue), but have also made a highway patrol, taxi and fire department versions for those preferring the fleet car approach for this big Dodge. Of these versions available, my favourite is the above green variant (official colour name ”Frosty Green”) that combines the black vinyl top with a more attractive colour choice than the alternative vomit brown.

As a minituarised representation of the 1974 Dodge Monaco there is very little to criticise, with Minichamps' usual quality standards making for perhaps the best scale model of this particular car available by anyone in any scale. Only the lack of colour for the grille embedded in the bumper (which I have coloured in myself here) stands as a notable gripe in regards to the model's accuracy. The interiors are all colour keyed with the exterior, which works fine even with the threat of making everything look a bit monotonous in terms of contrast, while the dash gauches are clearly printed on a sticker, though that's hardly atypical of any model to be considered as a complaint of any kind. The bottom of the car is nicely detailed with separate exhaust pipes and coloured oil pan to add that bit of texture, while dimension-wise everything is spot on and the casting is both sharp and well-defined. So, in terms of recommending a '74 Monaco at the 1:43 scale, there is little to detract from the Minichamps offering unless you specifically want a Bluesmobile replica or somesuch, in which case the highly affordable Greenlight model would likely suit you better. For a base Monaco, though, this is really your only bet in town. 5/5

Variant break-downs: Light Green Metallic: 1,200 pieces Gold Metallic: 1,008 pieces Luceme Blue Metallic: 1,680 pieces Taxi: 1,008 pieces Fire Department: 1,008 pieces Highway Patrol: 1,008 pieces