1965 Coronet 440 Hardtop
Bryan Leitz wrote:
This car was originally my grandmothers. It was given to me for my 18th birthday.
It was given to me by my father, and when my grandmother caught word that it was now mine, she handed over the original window sticker that had been perfectly preserved in plastic.
The car is powered by a 318. It has power steering, power brakes, factory air conditioning, and with exception of some minor fixes here and there, she has managed to stay together and completely operational.
Hot rodding this car is totally out of the question. I put the wheels on it just to give it some sort of a stance. If you look closely you can see there are no windshield wipers on it. Ever try finding a variable-speed windshield wiper motor for one of these things? I recently settled for a single speed and now have wipers on the car. A straightened and rechromed front bumper awaits her the first spring day. Also, new rear leaf springs. A new carpet will then go down inside to match the recently installed headliner and reupholstered front and rear seat. Some old toothbrushes and mild soap and water pretty much took care of the rest of the interior. After that comes the paint. And believe it or not, those are the only major things wrong with the car. I drive it daily to and from work; and yes, the grocery store.
I am submitting these words and photos in the attempt to gain support for the protection and preservation of these fine automobiles.
What a great web page.
Update October, 2000
The car (Sally is what I call her.) now has a new windsheild wiper
motor and a rebuilt front bumper. I was planning on new leaf springs
next, but she said she needed a valve job instead. I hesitated, because
I would rather just go through the whole engine, but couldn't afford it.
So.....a valve job it was.
She now runs much better, but the front pump seal in the ol' tranny is
leaking badly. So a tranmission rebuild is in order.
No worries, my friends, this car will be on the road for as long as I am. There is
nothing she can break that I won't fix.
I will die with this car.
New photos are in order, and it will be so. I will send them soon.
I once again, I submit these words in order to gain support for the
protection and preservation of these fine automobiles.
Thanks, Bryan! It is cars like this and people like you who deserve most of the credit for preserving the legacy of these Mopars.
With grandma's car do you know you are in the correct year Dodge for singing along with "the little ol' lady from Pasadena" who drove a 1965 Super Stock Dodge in the famous Jan and Dean hit song? :-)
That's a great story and I must agree with your decision to keep the Dodge stock. Original cars like these are getting very scarce, so congratulations for saving the Dodge for posterity!
Thanks for keeping us posted on Sally!
Gary H.
February 8, 2000; revised October 22, 2000
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