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1965 Dodge Coronet 500 Convertible 1965 Dodge Coronet 500 convertible, 500 emblem

June 2008 Mopar of the Month

1965 Dodge Coronet 500 convertible, front Bill & Melissa write: Here’s the story of our 1965 Dodge Coronet 500 Convertible.

We picked this Mopar up in August 2006. My wife had decided that she wanted a big block, convertible, 4 speed, Plymouth Road Runner...to which I responded “you don’t want much, do you!” So we started looking around and rapidly discovered that prices approaching anything close to this combination were sky high, as we all know. So I started looking into the mid 60’s Mopars which I had always liked. We saw this Dodge in the car corral at the 2006 Chryslers at Carlisle and didn’t even realize it. I was looking around on the Internet after the show and spotted this one for sale at a resto shop in West Chester, PA, at Connors Motorcar Company.

1965 Dodge Coronet 500 convertible, driver side front 1965 Dodge Coronet 500 convertible, driver side rear

The price was low, a deal was struck, and we took her home. This was our first drop top and we LOVED it! We put over 150 miles on the Dodge the first weekend...all top down of course!

1965 Dodge Coronet 500 convertible, interior 1965 Dodge Coronet 500 convertible, interior, door panel
1965 Dodge Coronet 500 convertible, interior

The Coronet 500 came from Hopkins Motor Sales in Minneapolis, MN. It was bought new by the grandmother of the previous owner (so we are the 2nd family of owners), was apparently garage kept all it's life, and had 78,001 miles on the odometer when we took ownership. The old lady gave it to her granddaughter who basically didn’t care about the car and sold it two years later. But before she did, she had the above mentioned resto shop put ~$3000 worth of maintenance work into it (hoses, bearings, brakes, rebuild the carburetor, tires, exhaust, etc.) and then sold it to him.

1965 Dodge Coronet 500 convertible, driver side front

Unfortunately while she had the car it sat outside and that seems to have provided the only rust in the car: the center trunk pan.

1965 Dodge Coronet 500 convertible, speedometer 1965 Dodge Coronet 500 convertible, 318 Polyspherical engine

Supposedly one of 1,403, this Dodge has a 318 Polysphere V-8, 727 automatic, floor shift console, 2.93 open 8 3/4 rear, and was unbelievably complete and original when purchased. It’s been painted once (which it needs again), had the top replaced, new carpet (due to a leaky heater core), and recently replaced rear springs. The original leaf springs still had the canvas rub plates in in the leaf ends when I removed them! The car has no cowl rust, and no body rust except for the center trunk pan, as mentioned previously. The old lady did park by feel a few times so some of the chrome has been bumped and nudged, but surprisingly, every piece of chrome and trim are still there...not one thing missing!

1965 Dodge Coronet 500 convertible, driver side

We are driving the Dodge every chance we get right now, with plans to re-paint the car and restore the trim in the semi-near future. I’m going to be putting a factory 4-bbl setup on it soon and am starting to think about possible big-block plant in the future, but I’m not sure yet.

That’s about it. I want to give Gary H. a big thanks for letting my 500 be the Mopar of the Month, and I want to thank everyone on the 1962 to 1965 Mopar Mail List Clubhouse for all their help since I’ve become a member of this site...you’ve been a HUGE help!!!

1965 Dodge Coronet 500 convertible, rear

Contact Bill Maurits at:  Contact owner of 1965 Dodge Coronet 500


1965 Dodge Coronet 500 Convertible Fender Tag Decoding

1965 Dodge Coronet 500 convertible fender tag
1st ROW:
1=1: Left Manual Outside Mirror
3=9: Variable Wiper w/ Washer
6=2: White Convertible Top
7=2: Sold Car

2nd ROW:
AB=40: 318 Cubic Inch Engine
D=5: Automatic
E=5: Heater w/ Defroster
N=0: Power Top
Q=1: Music Master AM Radio
V=3: Backup Lights
X=9: Std. Belt Front and Rear
Z=2: Front Bucket Seats and Console

3RD ROW:
SO=519: Build Date - May 19th, 1965
NUMBER=08456: Factory Invoice Number
BDY=W45:		B=W &3150; Coronet
D=4 &3150; Premium
Y=5 &3150; Convertible
TRM=P4Y: 		T=P &3150; Premium Front Bucket Seats
R=4 &3150; Vinyl Bucket Seats
M=Y &3150; White Seats w/ Gold Headliner and Carpet
PAINT=AA1:		P=A &3150; Gold Metallic (Body/Roof Color)
				A=A &3150; Gold Metallic (Body Color)
				I=1 &3150; Mono (Paint Style)

Summary

Specifications, etc.:
Built May 19, 1965
1 of 1,403 Produced
Shipped to and Sold By:
Hopkins Motor Sales Company
701 Excelsior Avenue
Hopkins, MN 55343
82,000 Original Miles
We are the 2nd Family Owners
318 C.I. Polysphere V-8 (Big Block)
727 HD Automatic Transmission
8 3/4 inch rear w/ 2.93:1 gear ratio
Power Convertible Top-White
Variable Speed Wipers w/ Washer
Left Manual outside Mirror
Back-up Lights
Std. Seat Belts Front and Rear
Heater w/ Defroster
“Music Master” AM Radio
Factory Clock

The 500 Model Added:
Premium Front Bucket Seats
Floor Shift Console
Unique Body Side Trim
Unique Tail Lights
Unique Trunk Panel Trim

Vehicle Documentation:
Original Owners Manual
Original Broadcast Sheet
Copy of Original Production Line IBM Punch Card
Authentication Letter from Chrysler Historical Society



Thanks Bill,

Having fun is what these Mopars are all about, as you have discovered.   smile!

Gary H.


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