New old car for me [& wife didn't even complain!]

[sammyb]

I was perusing Craigslist a few days ago and I saw an ad for a 1968 Dodge Polara convertible asking $3500. I decided to ask for more pix and details. The guy came back with "great driver, paint's a cheap respray with some bondo, but is a great 20-footer, new seat and door upholstery....."

I went out to see it today, and wound up buying it for a lot less than his asking price. (And he was the one who said "this is what I have into it, so I'd take that" and it was $500 less than what I was going to offer /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

Anyway -- white exterior, blue interior, white top. 383 ci big block with a 2bbl carb (we'll see about making it a 4bbl.) Column automatic. Not many options otherwise. Top and glass are good, and chrome is pretty darn good too. Basically, this thing has been bonked a few times and the quarters a little rusty, so there's some mud in there. But this is a big block-powered convertible that drove with no issues from Tacoma to Olympia (35 miles) on the freeway -- where else are you going to find that for less than the price of a 'Cuda interior kit.

This thing is HUGE! 122" wheelbase, I believe.

 

[AngliaGT]

The '68's are cool cars!

- Doug

 

[R6MGS]

Nice score! Get some pics up!

 

[Banjo]

ahhhhh cool! good find. Now you can put your LBC in the trunk for a "dinghy" in case it runs outta gas

 

[Camshaft]

Very cool! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I wish muscle cars were that cheap around here.

 

[Steve]

I googled the image, because I have no idea what one of things looks like. Pretty nifty, you had another great find there!

 

[sammyb]

Here are a few pix:

 

[DrEntropy]

Re: New old car for me [& wife didn't even complai

What a BOAT!!! But a neat ol' boat.

 

[tony barnhill]

Re: New old car for me [& wife didn't even complai

A GREAT old boat!

 

[R6MGS]

Re: New old car for me [& wife didn't even complai

Sweet, I like the white.

 

[AngliaGT]

Re: New old car for me [& wife didn't even complai

Do you have enough water to dock that boat?
I've heard that it sometimes rains in Washington!
- Doug

 

[sammyb]

Re: New old car for me [& wife didn't even complai

Luckily I live right near Puget Sound /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Interestingly, while it has a 122" wheelbase, it is identical in overall length to a mid-60s Impala. It seems bigger, though.

The white paint definitely hides a lot of the car's flaws. I need to polish it to get some real gloss into it, but the waves of bondo will never go away...luckily they're only visible if you are looking for them. Heck, our LBCs weren't the most straight bodied vehicles when they were new, so I'm not too worried.

I hit the dashboard with some cleaner today, and all the bezels started looking really nice. I think about $10 worth of cleaner, some vacuuming, some steel wool, and about an hour of removing overspray from trim will add about $500-$1000 in value to this beast. (The guy didn't even clean off the inevitable surface rust on the seat belt metal parts, which takes 5 minutes with steel wool, but makes a HUGE difference in appearance!!! Then again, he didn't vacuum the dirt off the almost brand-new looking carpet, either.)

I'd love to find a new dash pad top for it, but it appears that nobody is making one for a '68 Polara/Monaco. Of course, I don't want to spend $500 on a rare nice original dash pad if I didn't pay too much more for the entire car /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[DrEntropy]

Re: New old car for me [& wife didn't even complai

In my minds-eye I see that dashpad as that funky blue-green/green-blue "pebble" plastic... but it's been NEARLY as far back as '68 since I've seen one'a them monsters. $500?!?! For an old Dee-troit dashpad?!?!

...I'm definitely playin' with the wrong cars...

 

[jayhawk]

Re: New old car for me [& wife didn't even complai

So where are you going to keep that huge car? Move out about 3 cars or build an annex?

 

[JPSmit]

Re: New old car for me [& wife didn't even complai

Can't ever even see one without thinking of the B-52's Love Shack

If you see a faded sign by the side of the road that says
15 miles to the... Love Shack! Love Shack yeah
I'm headin' down the Atlanta highway,
lookin' for the love getaway
Heading for the love getaway, love getaway,
I got me a car, it's as big as a whale
and we're headin' on down
To the Love Shack
I got me a Chrysler, it seats about 20
So hurry up and bring your jukebox money

Hop in my Chrysler,
it's as big as a whale
and it's about to set sail!
I got me a car, it seats about twenty
So c'mon and bring your jukebox money.

you're lucky you can't hear me sing /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[sammyb]

Re: New old car for me [& wife didn't even complai

Since the Ferrari is still being painted (we're in the finishing stages of reassembly - just waiting for a couple of small parts,) the new old Dodge is now parked where the Corvette was...so right to left in the garage are: Polara, Dodge 600ES, TR3 (in between bays, because it's easy to park there) and Corvette. The Miata is outside under the Costco carport. Once the Ferrari comes home, either the Miata or Polara will go to my friend's garage about 3 miles away...I'm guessing the Polara will, so I don't have to worry about it rusting out in the carport.

The most I've ever had in a Chrysler was 8, which was pretty good, because I was in my '91 Le Baron convertible! This Polara seats six comfortably, but in a pinch??? Probably 10, maybe 11, because the trunk can seat at least three!

 

[JamesWilson]

Re: New old car for me [& wife didn't even complai

[ QUOTE ]
... but in a pinch??? Probably 10, maybe 11, because the trunk can seat at least three!

[/ QUOTE ]

What is this- some kind of illicit operation smuggling Canadians into Washigton state? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

 

[sammyb]

Re: New old car for me [& wife didn't even complai

We don't need to smuggle Canadians in cars -- they just build tunnels and walk in freely /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Y'know, there are less than 60 drive-in movie theaters in the nation now...one is about 15 miles from my house, and another is about 40 miles...so the Polara has potential as a movie patron smuggling device! (Okay, I'll admit that I've never attended a drive-in movie, although there used to be one off HWY520 in Bellevue that I used to watch as we drove by in the 70s.)

 

[tony barnhill]

Re: New old car for me [& wife didn't even complai

Did you guys see the Renault Alpine some guy in Nova Scotia has listed on ebay? That'd be a car to get into the US!

 

[jayhawk]

Re: New old car for me [& wife didn't even complai

[ QUOTE ]
! (Okay, I'll admit that I've never attended a drive-in movie, although there used to be one off HWY520 in Bellevue that I used to watch as we drove by in the 70s.)

[/ QUOTE ]

A Drive in is a great place for a car club to meet! Often it can be done in conjunction with a car movie (Italian Job, Cars, etc or just a fun night with any ol' movie that is for family viewing)