Would you like a mid-sized 1968 Dodge? Even if you aren’t a die-hard Mopar fan, that’s a pretty tempting offer. Think about it for a second…if you were able, would you take a Charger, a Super Bee, a Coronet R/T, or even the base model cars? The two-doors are some of the more loved out of Mopar’s catalog. If you wouldn’t consider the Charger or Super Bee at least, we’d look at you kind of strange. But what about the four-doors? The Coronet wasn’t a musclecar in the proper sense…the R/T and Super Bee filled the void, and the Charger was it’s own model even though it shared the platform. You can rattle off a list of films that have a late 1960s Charger in them, but can you think of one that has a four-door Coronet that isn’t from the mid-1970s or earlier? I can only think of one, and it’s in the desert chase scene from Fast and Furious (part 4) that also has an Imperial trying to take out Vin Diesel’s Charger. 

Finding a 1968 Charger that will fit the Rough Start budget is going to be a heartbreaker, no matter what happens. Finding a Coronet two-door in the same range is going to be just about the same experience. But for five grand, a Coronet sedan isn’t a bad place to start. This is a Coronet 440, the upper-trim version. Don’t get too excited, the “440” only notes the trim level. Underhood it’s predictable Chrysler: 318, automatic, air conditioning.The one very nice thing about this car is that it’s complete stem to stern, and the only major works needed involve interior repair for the seat and dash, and a repaint that doesn’t forget the door jambs this time around. 

We’re bending the budget to accept such a decent car…at $5,500, it’s a muscle-era car, but not a muscle car itself. It would still make for a killer crew-cab driver and honestly, we’d love to see one of these done up in the spirit of it’s more famous siblings.

Craigslist Link: 1968 Dodge Coronet 440