Car guys love to talk about how much they pounded on cars from their past.
That’s the main reason they don’t own them anymore because very few cars could survive what a young driver could do to them.
Jerry Sutherland
That’s why Stan Walker owns a different 1967 Dodge Coronet 500 two-door hardtop. His original ’67 Coronet was a 383 4-barrel, 4-speed car so he went through rear tires “about every two months”, as he recalled. He was 21 at the time—that’s how 21-year-old guys drove cars.
His original car was long gone, but Stan still missed his ’67 Coronet, so he tracked down a mint example for sale. This car was bought in Los Angeles and ended up in Phoenix, Arizona with 111,000 miles on the clock.
This car was well-maintained over its years—the third owner was a heavy-duty mechanic, so the little details were always looked after under his watch. It came with some extra documentation like the Certicard and other sales-related paperwork. It’s a 383 car, but this one is an automatic, so Stan is not as tempted to thump on it like he did with his 4-speed car.
Stan had his own game plan for the car because it did show some wear and tear after fifty-seven years. He started with the undercarriage so—as he explained, “Everything is new underneath”. He didn’t replace the steel exhaust system–but that’s on the agenda for the future. He did add upgraded disc brakes to the front of the Coronet because he liked the idea of better stopping power.
The Coronet 500 was solid and original overall, but there were war wounds acquired since 1967 so Stan took it to the next level. He stripped off all the trim pieces and had all the dings taken out of the Dodge. He also took off the front grille assembly and detailed behind it to take the car to the next level. He also had to replace the sending unit in the gas tank, but the tank itself was in great shape.
Stan had the bumpers re-chromed, and the car painted at the same shop because the price was too good to turn down, so the Coronet sparkles in the sun now. Stan still wants to detail the engine compartment and work on a few other little things, but the Coronet 500 is nearly there–in his opinion.
The Coronet 500 is going to cover more miles because it needs regular exercise. Stan found out it “loads up” under acceleration so he wants to run it more to get the choke working better. He runs high octane gas to get the best out of the car’s high compression V-8, but he admits the mileage isn’t great.
Stan said the driving experience “is like an older car” so it doesn’t handle like a rack-and-pinion equipped new car in the corners. No problem–Stan is less inclined to push this Coronet 500 to the limit like he did with his first one because he’s older and wiser.
The plan was simple for this car—keep it in factory original condition. Stan gets a lot of advice about headers and other performance upgrades, but he ignores it.
He left that attitude behind with the 21-year-old version of Stan.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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