Excitement is building … the Great Texas Mopar® Hoard Auction Event is drawing near. Mark your calendar for Wednesday and Thursday, October 13 and 14, 2021. Those are the dates when Spanky Assiter and his Freedom Car Auctions team will conduct an all-online, no-reserve auction of the late John Haynie’s massive collection of mostly Mopar cars and parts.
Remember, this is an online-only event so make sure your computer is warmed up and your internet connection is strong. The reason for the online-only nature – as opposed to an on-site auction with the usual gathered crowd of bidders – is the fact the massive estate is located outdoors, on a ranch in the remote Texas prairie, too far off the beaten path to expect most folks to even find it.
More specifically, the estate sits on several acres with a small house surrounded by a handful of metal sheds and garages. It’s like “The Little Mopar House on the Prairie”. The parts are stored indoors but most of the 250-plus vehicles are outside under the bright Texas sun. Staging an outdoor auction in Texas is asking for discomfort due to heat, sunburn, wind and possible rain. And there’s the rattlesnake factor. Our slithering, venomous friends populate the Texas prairie like fish do the sea, so special care must be taken when walking among the 250-plus vehicles.
Added together with the fact that few hotels and restaurants exist within the immediate vicinity of John Haynie’s former home and Mopar hoard, it was decided to use the internet to stage the auction. There is nothing new or experimental about internet auctions and every day all over the globe sellers and buyers successfully connect in this way.
But the absence of in-person vehicle bidder inspection requires as many pictures and videos as possible to best describe and identify each item being sold.
And so let’s continue that process here with another preview of the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event!
Chrysler Corporation launched its new mid-size B-body platform in 1962 as the Dodge Dart 330, Dart 440 and Polara 500, as well as the Plymouth Savoy, Belvedere and Fury. With its combination of light yet rugged unibody construction, space-efficient torsion bar front suspension, novel 1/3 – 2/3 rear leaf spring axle location and wide choice of power plants, the mid-sized B-body set the stage for a successful decade of competition with similarly sized offerings from Ford and GM.
But there was a snag. The styling of the 1962s was somewhat bizarre. Deltoid and asymmetrical themes dominated and sales suffered. The situation was better in 1963 as more conservative styling was adopted, but it wasn’t until 1964 that the ship righted itself. This 1964 Plymouth Belvedere two-door sedan (Lot Number 89) is a great example of the sleeker, less exotic styling that helped Chrysler Corporation do its best work in the mid-sized field.
And while the top-tier Fury, with its neat inverted triangle B-pillars, used to be the most sought-after closed model (convertibles have always ruled the roost among collectors), recent years have marked a shift toward low-line Savoy and Belvedere sedans thanks to their popularity with builders of Max Wedge and Race HEMI® Super Stock clones. As such, this less-is-more sedan would be a prime candidate for Super Stock conversion except for the sad fact it spent some time on its side and roof at some point.
The accident damage isn’t terminal, but work will be required to smooth out the wrinkles. Originally equipped with extra cost luxuries like a poly 318, push button 727 small block automatic transmission, and Airtemp air conditioning, the rest of the package is austere, with manual drum brakes and steering – exactly what the Super Stock clone set desires most. Best of all is the boxy sedan roof. More commonly seen on the base model Savoy (where 21,326 two-door “posts” were built), the more expensive Belvedere series was more likely to feature the more graceful hardtop roof. As such, just 5,364 of these two-door sedans were built, compared to 16,334 hardtops. Don’t be dissuaded by the accident damage, this one is a solid core for a Max Wedge or race HEMI conversion.
Though its “just a four-door,” this 1967 Dodge Coronet 440 (Lot Number 87) is special thanks to what’s under the hood. No, it’s not a 440 Magnum, something lots of folks assume thanks to the Coronet 440 nameplate. Rather, this one has the optional 383 big block V8. The base engine was the 225 Slant Six, with the 318 two-barrel small block offered for an extra $24. These two engines made up the majority of installations in these four-door family cars. But for those needing more passing and towing power, just $81 was all it took to enter the tire-smoking big block realm with the 383 seen in this car.
Seeking to appeal to economy-minded customers, Dodge (and Plymouth) offered the big 383 with a single two-barrel carburetor (making 270 horsepower) or for $121 with a four-barrel and dual exhaust making 325 horsepower. Interestingly, the 383 two-barrel engine shared its rather plain “V8” front fender medallion with the sleepy 318 small block. Only the four-barrel 383 got a special fender emblem reading “383 Four Barrel”. Thus, drivers of 383 two-barrel Coronets enjoyed something of a sleeper legacy. Would-be contenders didn’t know if the 318 or 383 lurked under hood until the tire smoke began – or didn’t.
This extremely solid Texas-based four-door has the expected factory Airtemp air conditioning (which includes the desirable HEMI-sized 26-inch radiator seven-blade aluminum clutch fan), power steering and three-speed windshield wipers, but is odd for its manual drum brakes, which would have added a mere $16, but for reasons unknown, were not specified.
Getting back to the confusion surrounding the Coronet 440 nameplate, it stems from the Coronet marketing hierarchy which was made up of (from bottom to top) the Coronet Deluxe, Coronet 440, Coronet 500 and Coronet R/T. Following the commonly mistaken logic that would assume every Coronet 440 packs a 440-cubic-inch Magnum, the Coronet 500 would be the ultimate muscle machine, with 500 cubic inches. But it was not so. The top muscle machine for 1967 was the strictly two-door Coronet R/T series (R/T stands for Road and Track … but you knew that) that came with base 440 Magnum or optional 426 Street HEMI engine power. This 383-powered four-door may not be a HEMI engine-powered vehicle, but its 383 surely surprised many a GM 350 owner.
The fender tag reads “Special Order” and this 1967 Plymouth Fury I four-door sedan (Lot Number 86) certainly is special. Beyond the austere hub caps and special 15×5.5-inch fleet rims with their riveted retention clips, the absence of flashy trim, A-pillar mounted spotlight and Commando V8 fender emblems alert the presence of a police car. Often called “muscle cars with an extra set of doors,” police cars often – but not always – contain high-performance driveline and suspension equipment.
Here, the VIN reads PK41G74235810, the “P” confirming the police model and the “G” in the fifth spot identifying the 383 big block V8. But unlike the more typical 383 four-barrel or even 440 Super Commando power expected in a police car, the G-code 383 is the more economical unit with a single exhaust tract and small two-barrel carburetor. Regardless, it’s a big jump above the possible 225 Slant Six or 318 small block V8. Yes, these low-power engines were available for inner city patrol work where high speed wasn’t required but maximum fuel economy was.
Under the skin, as a police unit, its got heavy-duty suspension with thicker torsion bars, full-size 11-inch drum brakes – the same stuff used on 426 Street HEMI engine-powered vehicles – special zinc liners between the leaves of the rear leaf spring suspension and inside, a certified 120 mph speedometer, thick molded rubber floor mat resists the stains and wear that would have plagued a family-style carpeted interior. Though the “RXX982” license plates suggest Arizona origins, there are some rusty spots on the floors and signs of delaminating plastic filler pock mark the body. Regardless, while records show that Plymouth built 29,354 Fury I four-door sedans in 1967, a small fraction of them were PK series police units. The number remaining today is surely minute.
Chrysler Corporation made automotive – and cultural – history with the introduction of the so-called “minivan” in 1983. With its economical and practical union of front-wheel drive, great fuel economy and smart utility-minded design, the traditional American station wagon was soon rendered obsolete – and an entirely new market segment was created to serve “soccer moms” across the world. This 1967 Chrysler Newport Town and Country (Lot Number 85) is a classic example of the massive station wagons the minivan helped to dethrone.
One of 14,703 Newport Town and Country wagons built, this one has the optional 440 four-barrel, a $79.40 upcharge over the base 383 two-barrel big block V8. The legendary performance of the 440 doesn’t need retelling here, but the fact it’s still under the hood speaks to this car’s incredible luck over the past 55 years, Ever since the tall deck 440 appeared in 1966, these full-size Chryslers were targeted by Slant Six and 318 small block owners looking to snatch their hearts for Dart and Duster conversions.
Typically equipped with Airtemp air conditioning ($406), power steering ($107), power brakes ($47), power windows ($106) and add-on (non-factory) electric trailer brakes, this family mover probably hauled a large camper or fishing boat trailer. In pristine condition with minimal surface rust, this surviving 440 station wagon appears to wear its factory-applied white paint. And as always, there is a distinct possibility the rear axle contains a nifty Sure Grip surprise within its beefy 8-3/4 inch carrier. We couldn’t lift the tail to find out but as a trailer towing workhorse, its original owner likely saw the value in the $50.70 outlay for Sure Grip.
Happily, today we have several aftermarket and reproduction 440-type engine blocks and crate engines to choose from. That means this nicely preserved wagon can stop shaking in fear every time a hot rodder walks near. We hope…
The Dodge A100 wasn’t the first compact van on the scene. That designation goes to Ford’s trend-setting Falcon Econoline of 1962 – or to some minds, Chevrolet’s Americanized Volkswagen Microbus, the 1961 Chevrolet Corvair 95 Corvan. Regardless, when Dodge entered the compact van market in 1964 with the A100, it was the only one with an optional V8, the all-new 273 small block, also introduced in 1964. And let’s not forget how Jay Howell and Dick Branstner’s Little Red Wagon A/FX A100 pickup (later adopted by Bill “Maverick” Golden) helped launch the 426 Race HEMI engine to race fans late in 1964. And we do mean “launch.” When Howell couldn’t keep the front tires on the strip, Golden cultivated the “Little Red” into a single-purpose wheel-standing exhibition machine.
This amazingly original 1966 Dodge A100 Sportsman passenger van (Lot Number 84) is one of the 9,536 V8 powered A100s that year. The other 35,190 (of 44,726 total built) were motivated by the trusty Slant Six. As a Sportsman people mover, this 273 V8-powered machine has eight windows for optimum visibility and comfort on long road trips. By contrast, the more utilitarian A100 vans could be had with several possible window and door configurations, including no windows at all (one of these is part of the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event and is offered as Lot Number 55). More typically, worker bee A100s had windows on only the passenger side so the delivery driver could see the curb and sidewalk for parking (and yes, one of these is also offered in the auction as Lot Number 59).
Here, a 727 TorqueFlite® automatic transmission sends power to the 3.55:1 gears within the 8-3/4 rear axle. We know it was built with the 3.55 gear ratio thanks to the metal data tag riveted atop the driver side front wheel arch – a helpful detail found on all A100s – that also spells out suspension details, the VIN and other features. Speaking of VIN tags, another A100 van in this auction (Lot Number 11) wears serial number “2000604”, which verifies it as the six hundred and fourth (604th) A100 van ever assembled! That van also happens to have the extremely rare “walk through” body – with swing out cargo doors on both sides, driver and passenger. Again, that one is Lot Number 11 and can be seen at the Steve Magnante YouTube Channel or at the Spanky’s Freedom Car Auctions website (FreedomCarAuctions.com).
But getting back to this 1966 Sportsman, though the engine cover has been disassembled for some unfinished business and the rear passenger bench seats seem to be missing, the beauty here is how original and unmolested the basic structure is. They just aren’t found like this anymore.
Well, that’s it for this week’s preview of the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event. We’ll be back next week with another “bouquet” for your enjoyment. See you then! –Steve “Scat Pack” Magnante
Every once in a lifetime, a collection of vintage cars comes to auction that will never happen again. In the case of the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event, Spanky Assiter and the folks at Spanky’s Freedom Car Auctions will sell the estate of the late John Haynie on October 13 and 14, 2021. (Haynie, a 52-year-old Mopar enthusiast, recently passed away from cancer.)
More than 250 vehicles will be auctioned exclusively online, including the 23 Mopars previewed here. Then on October 14, a second online-only auction will disburse Haynie’s large collection of new old stock (NOS) and used parts, dealership sales materials, model cars, factory service manuals, specialized tools, factory service film strips, vintage license plates, and more.
Best of all, everything is being auctioned at no reserve. The beauty of any no-reserve auction is that each offering is guaranteed to sell to the highest bidder. There will be no unrealistic reserves to protect the estate in the event of a low top bid. Their loss is your gain. For specific details on how to register to bid, go to freedomcarauctions.com.
Living on the great Texas prairie, Haynie had plenty of space on his ranch to store his collection of (mostly) Mopar cars, light trucks, and vans from the 19381990 period. Given Texas’ arid climate, most of the 250-plus vehicles being sold are very solid and free of the usual structural rust that destroys many vintage cars. That said, most are project cars in need of basic mechanical refurbishment (dry brakes, cooling systems, dead batteries, etc.) before running again.
As the pictures here show, some of the vehicles ran before being parked while others were purchased in non-running condition as project cars. Either way, massive collections like this rarely come up for sale, and the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event is sure to be one of the car hobby’s major events of 2021. To watch a cool walk-around video, go to Steve Magnante’s YouTube Channel for all the latest. Save the dates: October 13 for the car hoard, and October 14 for the parts, tools, and memorabilia.
1964 Plymouth Barracuda
Despite the tacky slime-green paint and racing stripes, this first-year Barracuda is something of an oddball. Born with Plymouth’s inaugural 273 small-block with a single two-barrel carburetor (the four barrel hi-po 273 arrived in ’65), a three-on-the-tree manual transmission sticks a pin in the sporty car theme. And although the original buyer splurged with the extra $131 for the V-8, the $180 extra cost of the A833 floor-mounted four-speed manual transmission was a bridge too far.
Probably due to its heated Texas home, a dealer-add-on Chrysler AirTemp air-conditioning system hangs under the dash. The 13-inch simulated mag-style wheel covers (with real chrome acorn lug nuts) and wood-rim steering wheel tell us the $80 Sport Group was selected during the ordering process. This super-clean (one of 64,596) 1964 Barracuda has minimal rust and is ripe for new life. It’s Lot Item 43.
1957 Chrysler New Yorker
This massive 1957Chrysler New Yorker—sitting up to its hubs in silt—is typical of the majority of the cars in the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event. Probably purchased by Haynee as a used car, it has ripened on the vine. Although once a common sight on America’s highways and byways, today these beasts have vanished. The New Yorker was Chrysler’s top-line model for ’57, and this one has the exclusive hardtop body style, without full door frames or fixed B-pillars. With the glass down, it’s an open-air riding experience bettered only by a convertible.
Just 10,948 of these land yachts were built in 1957 (plus another 12,369 four-door sedans, 8,863 two-door hardtops, 1,049 convertibles, and 1,391 Town and Country station wagons), each with the newly upsized Fire Power 392 Hemi. With minimal rust and in virtually complete condition, this one is far too nice to use as a heart donor right? It’s Lot Item 129.
1966 Dodge A100 Sportsman Van
Most people think of Bill “Maverick” Golden’s Little Red Wagon when Dodge A100s turn up. But still wearing its factory-applied green paint, the full windows in this 1966 A100 mark it as a Sportsman. Unlike the traditional panel vans, the Sportsman is more about hauling people than cargo, and it has removable bench seats to prove it. Although we didn’t see the seats in this one, we did see the desirable 273 V-8 (replaced by the 318 V-8 in 1967) and 727 automatic transmission. As always, an 8-3/4 rear axle does duty out back. Virtually free of nasty rust, this Sportsman is one of 130,726 A-series forward-control vans built in 1966, of which 9,536 were factory V-8s. (The rest had the slant-six.) This fun machine waiting to happen is Lot Item 84. Incidentally, this auction also includes a 1967 Dodge A100 van with the rare no-window body option (Lot Item 55) and a 1964 Dodge A100 with the ultra-rare walk-through body option with doors on both sides that also happens to be the 604th A-100 ever built (Lot Item 11).
1959 Dodge Coronet California Highway Patrol
Do let the black and white paint attract you. This is a real-deal 1959 Dodge Coronet Police Pursuit. How do we prove it isn’t just a two-toned wannabe? We go to the VIN where the first four characters read “M394.” This breaks down to: M=1959 model year, 3=Dodge passenger car, 9=special model, 4=Los Angeles assembly plant. The “9” is the smoking gun. This code was only used on police models and certain fleet models. By the way, ho-hum taxis carry 6 (six-cylinder) or 8 (eight-cylinder) in this critical third position, and ho-hum V-8 family cars carry 1, 3, 5, or 7. Again, the 9 marks this as a cop car, and that’s cool, cool, cool! The “4” (Los Angeles assembly plant) suggests the California Highway Patrol was the initial buyer (explaining the black and white paint scheme). Three V-8 engines were offered in the 1959 Coronet Police Pursuit: the base 326ci polyspherical Red Ram, the midlevel D-500 V-8 383 four-barrel, and the top-dog Super D-500 Pursuit 383 with dual quads. This amazing survivor has the midlevel D-500 383 backed by a three-speed Torqueflite automatic with push buttons.
Other police-spec goodies include 12-inch drum brakes all around; heavy-duty axle, springs, and driveshaft; and a unique instrument cluster with a certified 120-mph speedometer and an ultra-rare mechanical oil pressure gauge. Best of all, it still has the red “pull-over” lamps on the front fender and rear package tray. Book ’em, Dano! This is Lot Item 66.
1967 Plymouth Fury Police Package
Let’s keep the police theme running for Lot Item 86, a 1967 Plymouth Fury I four-door Police Pursuit. Usually the Fury I (the lowest member of the Fury I, II, and III hierarchy) is a bland family machine with 318 two-barrel motivation and Disney World stickers on the rear bumper, but that’s not the case when the VIN has the letter “K” in the second spot. That’s the series code for the police package. (Codes E, L, H, M, and S appear on “family grade” Fury models, and “T” marks a taxi.) As a Police unit, this Fury I has the same 11-inch drum brakes as a Hemi GTX plus specific heavy-duty suspension, ball joints, and driveshaft. And you must love those fleet/police/taxi 15×5.5 steel wheels with their unique tab-type hub cap retainers, which wear the same generic chrome dome hub caps used on Mopar police and taxi models since 1948.
Popping the myth that all cop cars pack the hottest ammunition under hood, this one has the midlevel G-code 383 two-barrel backed by a heavy-duty 727 Torqueflite. It may be a four-door barge, but make no mistake, this K-code Plymouth squad car is much more than meets the eye. We especially dig the “Special Order” fender tag! You should, too.
1962 Dodge Police Car
Another early Mopar wearing those austere 15×5.5 wheels with hub cap clips, this 1962 Dodge Dart four-door has the all-important “9” in the second spot of the VIN. As with the 1959 Dodge Coronet Police Pursuit (Lot Item 66 in this auction), the “9” tells us this low-option four-door is a “special” series, i.e. built for police service. On lesser Dart models, this spot contains code 10 (fleet), 8 (taxi), 4 (Polara 500), 3 (Dart 440), or 2 (Dart 330). This 1962 Dart holds a special place in police car lore. Because these 1962 Darts (and their Plymouth Savoy cousins) were based on Chrysler’s all-new 1962 downsized B-Body platform, law enforcement agencies initially balked at the much smaller vehicles and longed for the larger 19601961 Dodge police models. In mid-1962, Dodge released the 1962-1/2 Custom 880 (a 1962 Chrysler Windsor with a 1961 Dodge front clip) to soothe the aches, but Dodge also continued with these midsize B-Body cop cars, and this one packs the base 318ci poly V-8 with a two-barrel carb and new-for-’62 all-aluminum 727 push-button Torqueflite automatic. This may not be the Dart’s top-dog 361ci four-barrel, but otherwise it’s cop city all the way with a heavy-duty Leece-Neville 100-amp alternator with dual belt drive to supply the juice needed to run the radio and lights.
Inside, there’s heavy-duty bench seating, a factory radio-delete plate, and a super-rare 120-mph certified speedometer. Although its sheetmetal is ultra-clean and Max Wedge restorers might be tempted to pull this one apart so a Maxie (or Maxie clone) might live, that’d be a shame. These cop cars simply don’t exist anymore, except here. It’s Lot Item 142.
1961 Dodge Lancer “Shorty” Station Wagon
Your eyes don’t deceive you. This 1961 Dodge Lancer wagon (Lot Number 102) is much shorter than usual. Long ago someone with fairly strong skills transformed this four-door wagon into a pert little two-door. A close look at the surgery zone reveals minimal scars. Inside, several inches of pure Texas prairie dust coat everything, but not so much that you can’t make out the odd mix of a clutch pedal and empty Torqueflite push-button panel to the left of the steering wheel. We’ll guess it was born a Torqueflite but the funsters swapped in a floor-shifted manual along the way. Under the hood, the slant-six and transmission are missing, but a dual-circuit manual brake master cylinder hints that someone did the upgrade years ago. It’s an oddball, and it deserves to live again! Best of all, the custom-length shorty driveshaft sits on the floor inside! This first-year Lancer is one of 74,773 built that year, of which only 9,700 were station wagons.
1959 Plymouth Sport Fury
The Fury arrived in 1956 as Plymouth’s first-ever high-performance image car—some would say it’s a muscle car. By 1959, after three years as a two-door-only fun machine, Plymouth demoted the Fury nameplate by adding four doors and wagons and allowing base V-8 engines into the mix (but no sixes yet). But when you add “Sport” to Fury (as Plymouth did for 1959), you get Lot Item 126, a 1959 Plymouth Sport Fury fastback. Also offered in convertible form (but no four-doors or wagons in ’59), the Sport Fury could be had with the base 230-horsepower 318 two-barrel poly mill, but also often had the extra-cost four-barrel 318 for 260 horses or big-block 361 Golden Commando with a single Carter AFB and 305 horsies.
The engine bay is empty on this one, but the three-speed push-button Torqueflite automatic remains, as does the factory-installed dual exhaust, indicators it was a four-barrel car of either the 318 or 361 variety. Beyond all that, the Exner-schemed Forward Look body is nearly mint and retains much of the impossible-to-find trim. We can see this one with an 8.4-liter Viper V-10, a tube frame, and a big, shiny Riddler Award trophy. All it needs is you. Of the 23,857 Sport Furys built in 1959, 17,867 were two-door fastbacks like this. The rest were convertibles (don’t you dare!).
1964 Plymouth Belvedere Sedan
This one is sad. At first it seems to be a nearly pristine 1964 Plymouth Belvedere post sedan, the stuff of Max Wedge and A864 Race Hemi clone dreams. That it is, until you realize it was rolled over on its side many moons ago. The folded front fender, lightly scuffed roof, and wrinkled quarter panel once bore the weight usually carried by the tires. But that was then. Today, these 196265 “post sedans” are in such demand folks are taking four-doors and transforming them into two-doors. Suddenly fixing this roll-over doesn’t seem so bad. It was born with a 318 poly and push-button Torqueflite with the usual bench seat interior associated with these midlevel B-Bodies. But that less-is-more vibe played (and still plays) perfectly into the factory Super Stock scheme. This thing is super solid underneath with none of the thick rust normally associated with these relics. Of the 93,529 Belvederes built in 1964, just 5,364 were two-door post sedans like this. It’s so original it still has its (final-year) two-piece axle 8-3/4 rear end and ball-and-trunion driveshaft. This thing so deserves to be reborn into a Race Hemi clone. It’s Lot Item 89.
1964 Dodge Polara 500
While we’re in a Super Stock mood, let’s examine Lot Item 111, a 1964 Dodge Polara 500. Although it lacks the less-is-more sedan roof configuration, these sleeker hardtops have their place in the 426 Max Wedge/Race Hemi firmament. And while this top-tier Polara 500’s factory-installed air conditioning, power brakes, and power steering run against the austere vibe of the hardcore aluminum-paneled factory lightweights, it’s still a cool machine worthy of revival. The big deal here is the “500” part of the Polara 500 nameplate. As in 1962 and 1963, the Polara 500 was Dodge’s sportiest offering and included then-exotic interior goodies like bucket seats and a center console with a floor-mounted shifter. It’s all still here, plus the rare option of power windows, a $102 upcharge back in the day.
There’s no engine in this one, so it’s ready for your 512ci stroker, Max Wedge cross-ram intake manifold, Max Wedge exhaust manifolds, and Max Wedge exhaust system, with those crazy bolt-on dump caps. Heck, it even has a set of skinny 15×4.5 Cragar SS wheels up front. Of the 64,900 Polaras built in 1964, just 18,400 were Polara 500s with the sexy “sports car” bucket seat gut. And remember, like everything in this auction, it sells at no reserve!
1956 Chrysler Industrial Generator
You’ve probably seen pictures of those bright red Chrysler air raid sirens used back in the Cold War to warn us to “duck and cover” if cold turned hot and the Ruskie missiles flew. Well this is yet another item in the Chrysler Industrial catalog, a portable synchronous electric generator. Although the ultra-duty EM (Electric Machinery Manufacturing Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota) generator is of interest to historians of commercial, construction, and welding equipment, it’s the Chrysler Hemi attached to it that’s got us amped up. Since 1931, Chrysler’s Marine and Industrial Division (the Marine part actually started in 1927) has offered a broad range of engines for use in tractors, fire pumps, cement mixers, street sweepers, forklift trucks, welders, irrigation pumps, air compressors, portable sawmills, motor homes, cranes, shovels, and many other devices not usually associated with road vehicles. And while most of these engines were built more for endurance than high horsepower, the mighty Fire Power Hemi was often tasked in the game.
This unit is Lot Item 300, an appropriate number because of its interest to owners and restorers of Chrysler’s Hemi-powered 300 letter car series of 19551958 (as well as first-gen Hemi hot rodders). For added rpm capability, these letter car 300s (1955 C300, 1956 300-B, 1957 300-C, and 1958 300-D) got solid lifters in place of the hydraulic lifters used on the other 90 percent of the 331, 354, and 392 Hemis. Well, it just so happens that these same solid lifters, and the all-important adjustable rocker arms that go with them, are used in most Chrysler Industrial Hemis. The small clearance bumps seen between the spark plug tube holes seen in the picture are the tip-off that rare and vital adjustable rocker arms lurk within. Today, these adjustable rocker arms are worth literally thousands of dollars to builders of hopped-up early Hemis because of their scarcity. It’s a bit sad to predict, but most likely this nifty 354 Hemi-powered generator will be purchased solely for its rocker arms by a well-grounded, positive individual. Zap!
1967 Dodge Coronet
Not so long ago, we wouldn’t have looked twice at a car like Lot Item 87, this 1967 Dodge Coronet four-door sedan. But again, the passage of time has revived interest in cars like this. To older viewers who recall them when they were either new or just used cars sitting in high-school parking lots, eyes immediately focused on the front fender emblems where three possible castings existed, “V8”, “383 Four Barrel” or “426 Hemi” (no emblem signified “lowly” Slant Six anti-status). Here we see the “V8,” which more often than not designated the boring 273 or 318 2-barrel LA series small-block. But that wasn’t always the case. Here, the fifth spot of the VIN shows the letter G; this is a 383 two-barrel car! Perched just below the 325-horsepower 383 four-barrel, the 270-horsepower 383 got a single Carter BBD two-barrel carb, 9.2:1 compression, single exhaust, and a milder cam. Note how the bottoms of the rear quarter panels are thin, crisp, and straight. There’s no Bondo in this one, and goodies include power steering, factory air conditioning, and manual drum brakes. Swap a Carter AFB in place of the twin throat, tidy up the bent grille, and this will be one heck of a daily driver for much less than any two-door!
1962 Plymouth Savoy
When new, the 1962 Plymouth and Dodge styling drew criticism from most observers. One critic called it the “plucked chicken look” wherein the shape of the underlying bones was covered by tightly stretched skin. And when compared to a same-year Chevy Impala “bubble top” or Ford Galaxie (with its formal T-Bird roof) the Mopars were certainly in a different league. But time has healed the wounds and now we recognize the 1962 B-Body Mopars as the beginning of a winning recipe of light unitized construction. Then there were the optional engines. As if the 361 four-barrel and very rare dual-quad 383/343 weren’t potent enough, the mighty 413 Max Wedge arrived with its outrageous cross-ram induction, streamlined cast-iron exhaust manifolds, and real-deal dump-cap dual exhaust system. Rated at 410 horsepower, these “orange monsters” fed power to either an antiquated Borg-Warner T-85 three-speed with floor shift or the ultra-modern all-aluminum 727 Torqueflite automatic with push-button shift controls. Instant low-13 second e.t.s resulted on street tires, and the legend was born.
Selling as Lot Item 98, this 1962 Plymouth Savoy was born with the 225 slant-six and a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission, the opposite of a Max Wedge Super Stocker. But that can be changed. A close inspection reveals minimal surface rust, let’s call it a “Texas sun tan.” The interior is gutted, but the vertical plastic parking brake lever delete cover (used on three-speed manual cars) is still present. This 1962 Plymouth Savoy two-door sedan (with the all-important less-is-more full door frames and fixed B-pillar) is one of 18,825 built. Although records are not perfect, educated sources say somewhere around 300 413 Max Wedges went into these Plymouths (plus a reported 210 Dodge Maxies in ’62). Why not build a clone? The raw material is right here.
1957 Plymouth Plaza Hemi Hot Rod
All new for 1957, this “Forward Look” Plymouth Plaza is one of the most interesting hot rods in the collection. Born a base-level Plaza with either the 277, 301, or 318ci polyspherical head V-8, it now packs something no Plymouth could have until 1964: a Hemi. Swapped in by a sneaky hot rodder at some point in the car’s history, a Chrysler Hemi of unknown displacement now lurks beneath Virgil Exner’s slick pancake-style hood. The best guess is that it’s a 354 or a 392 from a non-300 application because the rocker covers lack any Fire Power, Imperial, Industrial, or Marine markings and are also devoid of the clearance humps needed for adjustable rocker arms. We couldn’t see the machined pad at the front of the block, so exact displacement/origins are unknown. But what is known is that an aftermarket aluminum intake manifold packs a pair of Edelbrock four-barrels.
This lowly Plaza has the heart of a 300! Inside, the base bench seat interior packs another major surprise. Instead of the hefty, sluggish cast-iron automatic, a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission connects to the original style nut-and-cotter-pin rear axle. This thing is a super sleeper masquerading as a 230-cube flathead six on the outside but packing an easy-breathing hemispherical V-8. This thing could have rewritten the American Graffiti script. Like most of the offerings in the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction event, it’s super clean and solid. Park this baby in front of the sock hop then collect pink slips later. It’s Lot Item 67.
1959 Plymouth Custom Suburban Station Wagon
Chevrolet was first to use the Suburban nameplate, but we can’t forget that Plymouth shared it for use on certain station wagons, like Lot Item number 279, this 1959 Plymouth Custom Suburban two-door station wagon. One of only 1,852 made, it’s got the standard 230-horsepower polyspherical-headed 318 V-8 backed by the $189 Powerflite two-speed automatic. Otherwise, it’s basic with manual steering, brakes, and windows. One splurge item inside is the original AM push-button radio, a $59 extravagance. With its extremely uncommon two-door body configuration, this one is begging for a fun-oriented beach-cruiser restomod conversion with a third-gen 6.4 Hemi, four-wheel disc brakes, and air conditioning.
1966 Dodge Coronet 500
Although the late John Haynie’s tastes leaned more toward finned ’50s Mopars, he also appreciated his fair share of ’60s iron, like this 1966 Dodge Coronet 500 hardtop. Lot item 257, it’s super solid with excellent quarter panels, front fenders, and trunk floor. The first year for Dodge’s redesigned B-Body undercarriage and more angular body lines, the mighty Coronet R/T would sprout from its bones a year later.
This one has the G-code 383 two-barrel big-block backed by a console-shifted 727 Torqueflite and is loaded with power drum brakes, power steering, and factory air conditioning. Sweet mid-’70s road wheels with trim rings add some spice. Under the hood, amid decades worth of accumulated rodent apartments, is the 383 with its intake manifold and driver-side rocker arms missing. The orange paint on the engine suggests it’s been rebuilt and probably hopped up a bit along the way. Like the rest of the hoard, it’ll need a total revisit of mechanical systems and a major hose-out before driving resumes, but what a solid example it is in this world of rust buckets and rebuilt wrecks.
1960 Plymouth Fury Crash Car
This 1960 Plymouth Fury four-door is Lot Item 110. It may not seem like much, but without it, the rest of the Great Texas Mopar Hoard wouldn’t exist. That’s because John Haynie was a huge fan of Stephen King’s 1983 novel and movie “Christine. “You know, the one about the demonically possessed 1958 Plymouth Fury? Haynie was so impressed with the feature film he bought this very Plymouth. It isn’t a ’58, but the general Exner-era wonderful weirdness is still in full bloom. One day, Haynie was driving along in this one when blam, it crashed. Haynie wasn’t badly hurt, but he was briefly trapped by the crumpled steering column (note the deformed cowl). It’s a basic 318 two-barrel with a push-button automatic. And while the entire nose is gone, its radical twin-boom tail fins are nearly mint and rust free. Buy it as a memorial to John Haynie’s good taste in gathering these treasures, or slice off the fins and build that Man Cave couch you’ve been dreaming of.
1960 Plymouth Plaza
Here’s another 1960 Plymouth, but it’s from the opposite end of the price structure. It’s a low-line Plaza four-door sedan with the first-year 225ci slant-six and first-year aluminum-case 904 Torqueflite automatic transmission. It’s Lot Item 201 and as a 1960 represents the first year for Chrysler Corporation’s big switch from body-on-frame architecture to semi-unitized construction, where everything from the firewall back is an envelope of metal. The front clip is still of the bolt-on nature, kind of like a 1966-up Chevy Nova or any 19671981 Camaro. Another cool detail is how for 1960 only the 225ci slant-six got a sweet aluminum intake manifold. From 1961 through the mid-’70s, slant-six intake manifolds (except the rare Hyper-Pak four-barrel of 19601962) were bulky cast iron. Like most of the Great Texas Hoard, this finned flyer is very solid, and the surface rust on the body is exactly that, on the surface.
1964 Plymouth Fury Body Shell
Speaking of unitized body construction, this 1964 Plymouth Fury two-door hardtop has had its inner fender walls sliced away, leaving the lower frame rails exposed. The nose is missing, but just look at those sweet, clean rear quarter panels. Born a 225ci slant-six car with a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission and factory air conditioning, this puppy is begging to be reborn as an altered-wheelbase Match Basher. Not feeling that? OK, how about a clone of King Richard Petty’s Daytona-dominating No. 43 NASCAR racer? Either way, it’s packed with potential and is so original it still has the headache-inducing two-piece rear axles stuffed within the 8-3/4 rear end. It’s Lot Item 288, and it’s a good one!
1970 Dodge D-100 Pickup Truck
Texans love their pickup trucks, and this 1970 Dodge D-100 is something very special. It’s Lot Item 259, and what sets it apart is the factory-optional 383ci big-block and sporty bright yellow paint. Let’s remember, as far back as 1964 Dodge was building muscle trucks like the 426 wedge-powered Custom Sports Special, which came with special traction bars to tame axle hop, a full 14 years before the Little Red Express appeared in 1978.
The 199-horsepower (as listed on the metal trim tag) 383 two-barrel V-8 is missing, but its water pump, alternator brackets, center-dump exhaust manifolds, air cleaner, and other miscellaneous goodies sit on the cab floor. Built with a 3.23:1 axle ratio (Sure Grip status is unknown) and manual drum brakes and steering, factory options include air conditioning, an AM radio, and a column-shifted 727 automatic transmission. The plastic Jiffy Jet windshield washer reservoir still hangs from the underhood bracket, and the body has the usual minor dents and scrapes plus some early-stage rust-through along the roof rain trough. As interest in all early pickup trucks continues to blossom, unmolested “cores” like this are less easily found.
1981 Plymouth Gran Fury Police Package
In 1996, a survey was taken of 200 city, county, state police, and highway patrol departments seeking the most popular Mopar squad car of all time. The winner, surprisingly, was not the mighty 440 Magnumpowered 1969 Dodge Polara Pursuit, but rather the 19791980 Dodge St. Regis/Plymouth Gran Fury. Despite the smaller E58 small-block 360 V-8, cops loved these R-Body cruisers for their combo of good handling, excellent brakes, and massive interior volume. This 1981 Plymouth Gran Fury Police Package is Lot Item 60 and is one of the herd, but with an exception. While it’s got the same extra body welds, rubber floormats, heavy-duty front bucket seats, and supreme brakes and suspension, federal smog laws canceled the 360 for 1981. This left the E48 heavy-duty 318ci four-barrel as the top dog, and we do mean dog.
Much to the cops’ surprise, top speed was just 115 mph, and bad guys easily got away. The E58’s dual exhaust was gone, as well, replaced by a single tail pipe fed by a catalyst-equipped smog system replete with air injection, EGR, and all the other stuff associated with smog-era V-8s. Some 41 years later, these items make cars like Lot Item 60 more interesting. As the last year for full-size R-Body Mopar squad cars, this 1981 Gran Fury is special.
1988 Plymouth Gran Fury Ohio State Highway Patrol Car
We don’t know how the late John Haynie did it, but this 1988 Plymouth Gran Fury AHB (Police package) still has the lights, siren, and graphics it wore when it was an active Ohio State Highway Patrol unit three decades ago. Typically (by law, actually), this stuff has to be scrubbed clean before these cars are sold to the public at fleet auction. But here it is, complete with the certified 125-mph speedometer, full gauge package, and supplemental mechanical oil pressure gauge installed by the Ohio fleet garage. Other goodies include the M.P.H. Industries K55 radar unit, Federal Signal Corporation Interceptor radio and siren controller, General Electric tuning equipment, and Jet-Sonic roof-mounted emergency lights.
Under the hood is the expected ELE-code 318ci small-block V-8 equipped with a Rochester Quadra-Jet four-barrel making 175 net horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque. Despite the meager rating, in the 1988 Michigan State Police performance test, the Gran Fury AHB did 060 in 11.6 seconds (the Ford 55H Crown Victoria did it in 11.9, Chevrolet Caprice 9C1 took 10.6) and topped out at 117 mph (the same as the Ford 55H and 1 mph faster than the Chevy 9C1). By contrast, Ford’s rule-bending Mustang SSP cranked 060 in 6.9 seconds and topped out at 134 mph. As the lone rear-drive offering from Chrysler Corporation’s all-front-wheel-drive era, this ’88 Gran Fury AHB police unit deserves respect, and a place in someone’s collection.
Plymouth Fury I Police Model
This 1970 Plymouth Fury I two-door sedan is Lot Item 273, and it’s a real oddball. First off, it’s a rarely seen Fury two-door sedan. Dig the fixed B-pillar; most two-door Furys were sleek hardtops of the Sport Fury and Sport Fury GT personal luxury variety, and this is a police unit. (The “K” in the second place of the PK21G0D268130 VIN is the police code.) A two-door police car—did they make them? Sure! It’s often forgotten that since the advent of high-speed interstates and freeways in the early 1950s, law enforcement agencies deployed light, inexpensive V-8-powered two-door models to “intercept” speeders. Because issuing speeding tickets was the main task (not arresting hardened criminals), there was no need for a back seat or a second set of doors. In today’s world of SUVs and crossovers, the popularity of two-door police cars is nonexistent. This one is fairly typical with its G-code (fifth spot of VIN) 318 two-barrel small-block. Its red-and-white paint scheme suggests it was a fire department unit and not a high-speed interceptor. According to the fender tag, options include B41 power front disc brakes, a D36 heavy-duty Torqueflite transmission, an F15 75-amp alternator (it’s massive!), an F36 Unity articulated A-pillar spotlight, F38 roof light reinforcement, and Y39 special order (with a second fender tag stamped “special order”). That’s the good news. The bad news is the 1973 Michigan license plate found inside the car. Having spent at least three years in the rust belt, the rear quarter panels have been repaired with plenty of plastic body filler, and rust-through has blossomed around the rear window. Inside, the cool 140-mph-certified speedometer and fleet-spec rubber floor complete the cop vibe, but the non-breathing floormat has probably trapped plenty of moisture and fostered rusty floors. With only 2,353 of these lowly Fury two-door pillar coupes built in 1970, we can assume that only a splinter of that total are PK21 law enforcement units. It’s rare, it’s rusty, but it deserves to live on.
This leaves me curious—do those laws apply to this auction, as well? Would someone bidding on this risk legal complications with the associated LEO hardware? Or is it old enough that no one would care?
It’s official! The dates for the Great Texas Mopar® Hoard Auction Event have been set! The 250-plus project cars will all sell on October 13th and the parts, tools and automobilia will sell on October 14th. And remember, this is an online-only auction. All vehicles and parts are located in Texas and will need to be transported to their new owners’ homes after the auction. But that’s an easy matter and Spanky’s Freedom Car Auctions is all set to help arrange shipping and freight activities with major auto transport companies who are standing ready with dozens of big rigs.
Another major detail about the Great Texas Mopar Auction Event is that every single item will be sold at no reserve. If you’re new to the auction world, a “reserve” is when the seller (consignor) seeks to protect his or her items from unrealistically low bids by placing a “reserve”. This way, if a certain assumed value isn’t reached during bidding, the item is protected and doesn’t sell as it “fails to meet the reserve”.
Well, Spanky’s Freedom Car Auctions and the estate of the late John Haynie are willing to roll the dice and let the chips fall where they may by eliminating the reserve. The ultimate goal of the event is to get these fantastic vehicles back into circulation. The late John Haynie did the world a huge favor by hoarding these classics. But now that he’s moved on, they deserve to find caring homes and new lives on the open road – or car show circuit – as the case may be.
No doubt, many bidders will come away with exceptional values. That’s the nature – and thrill – of no-reserve auctions. And that’s why this event is sure to make collector car history. You can’t afford to miss it!
So until the October 13th vehicle auction (again, the massive parts, tools and automobilia collection will sell the next day, on October 14th), let’s preview more of the 250-plus vehicles that make up the Great Texas Mopar Auction Event.
1956 marked the second year of Virgil Exner’s influence on body styling as lower and wider bodies replaced the boxy, upright designs of 1954 and before. This 1956 Dodge Royal Lancer wears the regional Texan trim package. Its one of just 289 Texans built to help Texas Dodge dealers stimulate showroom traffic. A beautiful restoration on a solid rust-free platform, it packs the 315-cubic-inch Red Ram polyspherical V8, with a two-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust, the two-speed Powerflite automatic transmission – with first-year push button controls and manual drum brakes with manual steering. Other goodies include optional Motor Wheel 15×5.5 chromed wire wheels and modern air conditioning added on for comfortable summer cruising. Of the 48,780 Dodge Royals built in 1956, only 289 were built with the Texan package. This beauty has been shown and comes with a sign board describing its rarity. Click on the video link for a fun walk-around.
John Haynie liked police cars. After all, most of them are basically muscle cars with a second set of doors – and a badge. This 1988 Plymouth Gran Fury is something special. While most law enforcement agencies scrub away all traces of their former identity before selling used cruisers at public auction, somehow this former Ohio State Patrol AHB (Plymouth’s code for police equipment in 1988) unit escaped into Haynie’s hands in complete condition! That means it’s still got the M.P.H. Industries K55 radar unit, Federal Signal Corporation “Interceptor” radio and siren controller, General Electric tuning equipment and Jet-Sonic roof-mounted emergency lights. Usually, police car collectors pay a fortune to reunite this type of equipment with former cruisers. Not here, it’s still present! Though 1988 police models lacked the 360s and 440s of earlier Mopar squad cars, the ELE code 318 in this one made 175 horsepower and was the hottest rear-wheel-drive offering in Plymouth’s otherwise mostly front-wheel-drive lineup of the late 1980s. It’s also got the AHB-spec certified 125-mph speedometer, full gauge package – plus a supplemental mechanical oil pressure gauge installed by the Ohio fleet garage. As a last-gasp rear-drive police model (1989 marked the final year for Gran Fury police units), it deserves a special place in someone’s collection. And yes, it comes with the magnetic “out of service” body banners you’ll need for street driving. See more by clicking the video link.
Another 1956 Dodge vehicle, like the Texan (Lot Number 154), this one is a Royal, the middle trim level between the entry-level Coronet and top-tier Custom Royal. Like the Texan, this recently painted example packs the Red Ram polyspherical head V8 with a two-barrel carburetor (with either 270 or 315 cubes, exact size is unknown) backed by the two-speed Powerflite push button automatic transmission. But unlike the Texan, this one is a little less ready for the road because its rear window glass is removed and an in-process headliner installation hangs from the interior roof. We’re told the glass and trim are included. A magnet test reveals solid outer body skin and serviceable two-tone plum and black paint. This 1956 rides on Dodge’s final-edition coil spring front suspension (torsion bars replaced them in ’57) and has first-year 12-volt electricals to better run the headlamps and original equipment AM radio. It’s clean and needs only a few days’ effort to be back on the cruise circuit. Watch the walk-around video by clicking the link.
The 1959 Dodge vehicles wore some of Detroit’s most sinister grille styling. Sweeping “brows” over the quad headlamps gave every ’59 Dodge a sinister vibe, which some have called a “nightmare in steel”, especially when viewed in your rearview mirror as one accelerates to pass. And that’s cool … if you ask us. But while top-level power came from the new 383-cubic-inch wedge with optional Super D500 dual quad induction, this humble Coronet four-door sedan has the base 318 polyspherical head V8 with a single two-barrel. But inside, where the typical push-button pod would go to the left of the steering wheel, this one has the less-is-more column-shifted three-speed manual gearbox! That’s important because of the 151,851 Dodge passenger cars built in 1959, just six percent had manual transmissions (the other 94 percent were automatics). Sporting solid and rust-free front fenders – a rarity, especially where the headlamp “brows” tended to rust through within a few years – the rest of the body is equally sweet, though a few small patches are visible on the trunk floor. Though its been dormant for a few years and likely needs a brake and coolant system flush before use, this humble yet sinister family sedan awaits your commands. The video link has more info on this amazing survivor.
It’s often forgotten that Chrysler came close to offering the 426 Street HEMI® engine in full-size C-body Fury models in 1965 as a way to get NASCAR to accept the mighty HEMI engine for sanctioned competition. In fact, a handful of home-brewed, non-factory HEMI C-bodies campaigned in 1965. This 1965 Plymouth Fury II has the base level two-door pillar sedan body style and would make an ideal starting point for a “what-if” 1965 Street HEMI phantom build. Originally built with the 318 polyspherical head V8 and TorqueFlite® automatic with power steering and manual drum brakes and an AM radio, a later Chrysler small block with an Edelbrock four-barrel carburetor has been bolted down in its place. Still awaiting connections to the radiator, throttle linkage, exhaust and related support systems, the body is quite rust free though a few spots of bubble-through exist on the front fender and the trunk floor has been patched. See the walk-around video for more. A total of 66,757 Fury IIs were built in 1965, of them just 4,109 were two-door pillar coupes like this. Plop a 426 Street HEMI engine in it and make it one-of-none.
That’s it for this week’s preview of the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event, but we’ll be back next week with more, and more the week after that … and the week after that. Until the October 13th, 2021, date when these classic vehicles will find new homes.
Well, I’m back from last week’s Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas collector car auction event. Regular DodgeGarage readers may recall that I had to short shift last week’s report on the Great Texas Mopar® Hoard Auction Event due to a lack of time. Last week, there was just one lonely preview car depicted here.
That was last week. Let’s pick it up here with a nice thick slice of the many amazing vintage and collectible Mopar products that will sell in mid-October (exact date to be determined) during the ONLINE ONLY Freedom Car Auctions Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event.
Freedom Auctions, by the way, is an auction company operated by none other than Spanky Assiter. Long-time Barrett-Jackson fans will recall Spanky (and his energetic wife Amy) as the lead auctioneer at Barrett-Jackson for something like a decade or more. Well, Spanky has graduated from the Barrett-Jackson scene, but is still totally active in the auction realm, selling real estate, livestock, race horses and vintage cars at events like the Great Texas Mopar Hoard.
What makes the Great Texas Mopar Hoard unique is that the vehicles on offer aren’t the highly polished show cars typically associated with TV auctions. Rather, they’re prime cut project cars. Yes, some of them may look like they’re ready to hit the road (and a few may well be), but most are vehicles that we consider project cars. That’s because most have been sitting still in the Texas prairie for at least five years (some as many as four decades). Thus, it’s to be expected that braking, cooling and electrical systems will be in need of a thorough refurbishment before driving is possible.
This likely need for refurbishment also holds true for the radiators, transmissions, engines and drive line components. All of these sub-systems (when present) will also need to be refurbished. But that’s the easy part of any project car restoration. The most difficult part is finding a solid restoration candidate. And that’s where the vast majority of these cars shine. As Texas vehicles, they rarely suffer from the severe structural rust that afflicts vehicles sourced from the rust belt.
As the following photos and walk-around videos will depict, the majority of the cars and trucks in the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event are solid, rust-free cores. Better yet, in most instances the chrome trim, interior bits and body panels are still present and go with the sale of the vehicle. In short, as any serious vehicle restorer knows, it’s better to have a solid, nearly complete project car that doesn’t run, than it is to have a running rust box. Think about that for a moment then feast your eyes on this week’s offerings from the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event.
This 1956 Chrysler Windsor packs a very special surprise beneath its sleek, complete skin. While the big Chrysler C300 of 1955 was the first post-war Mopar vehicle to advertise its horsepower with external metal emblems, this ’56 Windsor 250 is the second. Subtly positioned beneath the stylized “V” on each rear quarter panel are a pair of “250” emblems signifying the presence of the single four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust Power Package that elevated output from 225 to 250 horsepower.
But unlike the larger and more expensive Chrysler New Yorker and 300B models which had hemispherical combustion chambers and grew from 331 to 354 cubic inches for 1956, the entry-level Windsor utilized less costly polyspherical heads and related valvetrain bits and kept the 331 cubes of the 1955 HEMI® engine. Only offered in Windsors, this poly 331 Power Package is notable for its unique “250” body emblems.
Elsewhere, this great fifties cruiser packs power drum brakes, power steering, the two-speed Powerflite automatic transmission – with first-year push button shift controls – and a complete interior with nice door panels, instrument cluster – with factory AM radio – and bench seats with the predicted wear and tear on the horizontal surfaces. As for the body, as the accompanying video demonstrates, the paint is very likely the original coating applied 65 years ago. Rust has taken hold down low on the rear quarter panels and front fenders – again, see the video for more – but the grille and tail brightwork is complete. It wouldn’t take much to revive this beauty!
Ahh, the mighty Chrysler 300 “letter series”. Made from 1955 through 1965, these “beautiful brutes” are as highly collectible as any sixties muscle car and for good reason. Built with Chrysler’s hottest available engine offerings, with superior brakes, firmer suspension and that all-important (and realistic) 150-mph speedometer, Chrysler letter cars are hot stuff.
This 1963 300J is the ninth in the series (there was no 300″I” slotted between the 1962 300H and this 1963 300J because Chrysler wanted to avoid possible confusion between the letter “I” and the number “1”) and features an all-new body design. Virgil Exner’s radical finned look of the late fifties was toned down, as seen here.
Not to be confused with the mechanically de-contented 300 Sport series, which arrived in 1962, the letter series was always as hot as possible. In this 1963 “J”, the ram induction intake manifolds were upgraded versus their 1960-62 counterparts with the elimination of the first half of the vertical intake runner divider walls. This move increased plenum volume and helped the ram induction system flow more air from the dual carter AFB’s to the big-valve heads and solid lifter camshaft.
While a total of 24,665 300 Sports were built in 1963, a mere 400 300Js were assembled, all of them hardtops like this one (a convertible would be added to the 1964 300K lineup). With a solid, rust-free body, factory-installed air conditioning, massive 11-inch power drum brakes, power steering and power windows all propelled by its 390-horsepower 413 wedge, this rare beauty isn’t too far away from being ready for the road. And though the bucket seat interior (complete with console-mounted tachometer) was disassembled during photography, we’re told the loose parts will be reunited by the auction date. Be sure to double check the situation before you bid and have a look at the video for more details.
Still wearing its medium gold metallic paint, this 1966 Coronet 440 hardtop is a wonderful, original example of what was once a common sight in parking lots and roadways all over America – 40 years ago. Today, sights like this are seen only at car shows and in private collections. Packing the optional 383 four-barrel big block wedge, the only thing hotter in the 1966 Dodge Coronet catalog was the 426 Street HEMI (the 440-powered Coronet R/T arrived a year later).
The one sad note about this offering is the fact its body shell has been bent. A look at the door gaps reveals trouble. Most likely this Coronet left the road, went airborne and landed on a mound or peak as if the Duke Boys were having some fun. The roof skin seems unaffected. Otherwise, the body is rust free and packed with potential.
Goodies include the 383 four-barrel – complete with the unsilenced air cleaner used on these high-performance bruisers – factory dual exhaust, air conditioning, power steering, a 26-inch A/C radiator with three rows of tubes, a heavy-duty 727 TorqueFlite® with column shifter, original body colored 14-inch steel wheels with Coronet hub caps and an 8-3/4 rear axle, inside of which may (or may not) lurk a coveted Sure Grip differential. There wasn’t access to a floor jack during photography, but the 383 four-barrel was often coupled with Sure Grip. A competent body repair shop with a frame machine could probably make it square in an afternoon. Otherwise, this Coronet 440 hardtop is loaded with rust-free panels ready for use on a rusty restoration. Check out the linked video for more details.
In its fourth year, Chrysler’s “letter series” 300 muscle car grew from strength to strength. Packing the mighty 392-cube Fire Power HEMI head V8 with 300-specific dual quads, solid lifters, adjustable rocker arms, large-port cast iron exhaust manifolds, high-flow dual exhaust, extreme-duty 12-inch drum brakes, this 1958 300D is the final year for HEMI engine power before the less-expensive-to-produce 413 wedge replaced it in ’59. Only 809 of these 300Ds were produced in 1958, a miniscule quantity compared to later output of Dodge Chargers, Plymouth Road Runners and other muscle era Mopar collectibles. These “letter cars” are very uncommon.
Without the usual rust and corrosion that consumes Exner-era Chrysler products with abandon, this Texas king is virtually rust free. The Aztec Turquoise paint (one of just six colors offered on the 300D) was partially hand-removed via a razor blade to expose a solid foundation for restoration. The heavy-duty TorqueFlite automatic transmission takes commands from a push button control pod situated next to the D-only 150-mph speedometer.
Factory options include air conditioning ($540 in 1958), power windows ($107.60 in 1958) and the Music Master AM radio ($99.80 in 1958). Though the photo and video depict the car sitting on jack stands and in less than complete condition, many (if not all) of the loose items will be reunited prior to the auction. To wit, the wheel covers, fender emblems and many other items were found in the trunk during photography (unfortunately, a search for the extremely rare Bendix Electro-Jector electronic fuel injection option turned up no evidence. This is, without a doubt, a factory carbureted 300D and not a “fuelie”). Be sure to inquire with Freedom Car Auctions about any missing parts prior to bidding.https://www.youtube.com/embed/qEbBt5nOFyE
1956 CHRYSLER INDUSTRIAL HEMI GENERATOR: LOT #300
With all of the attention given to Chrysler Corporations’ many automotive offerings, it is often forgotten that as far back as 1931 the Chrysler Marine and Industrial Engine Division produced stationary power plants like this 1956 electrical generator.
Though the DC generator portion of this item is interesting – it’s a three-phrase, 120-volt unit made by the Electric Machinery Manufacturing Company (EM) of Minneapolis, Minnesota – the real interest comes from the 354-cubic-inch Chrysler Industrial HEMI engine making it go ‘round.
Like many Chrysler Industrial engines, the 354 HEMI is bolstered by special bearings, hand-selected parts for maximum durability and a conversion from gasoline to LPG fuel. The benefit of LPG is how it burns cleaner than gasoline and reduces the amount of sludge in the crankcase.
But most importantly, these Industrial HEMI engines (and their Marine counterparts) were equipped with solid lifters in place of the quitter (and more expensive) hydraulic lifters used in passenger car applications. And as any hot rodder knows, solid lifters also allow higher engine speeds before the onset of valve float.
Getting to the point of what makes this portable generator so important, we have to look at the rocker arms and the rocker arm covers. To achieve the necessary operating clearance between the valve stem tips and rocker arms, special adjustable rocker arms – with threaded pushrod ends – are required. These same adjustable rocker arms are also used in the 1955-58 Chrysler 300 “letter series” muscle cars. And yes, these rocker arms are highly desirable among First Gen HEMI builders today.
But not only are the rocker arms in demand, so are the specific “humped” rocker arm covers. As shown in the picture, clearance humps are formed into the surfaces between spark plug tube holes. These are a must when the bulkier adjustable rocker arms are used on any 331 – 392 HEMI. And this generator has them! So that’s why this Generator is of particular importance.
Though a handful of collectors exist who might treasure this generator for its novelty, the majority will quickly scavenge the ultra-rare adjustable rocker arms – and the related “humped” Chrysler Industrial rocker arm covers – for use in a hopped-up 331, 354 or 392 HEMI engine. Check out the pictures and video for more info!
Okay, that’s it for this week’s preview of the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event. Stay tuned to DodgeGarage next week for even more.
Gather ‘round, Mopar fanatics! It’s time for another of our weekly auction preview stories focused on the 250-plus vehicle online estate auction scheduled for early October of this year (2021). In each of these weekly previews, we’ll focus on another handful of vintage Dodge, Plymouth, Chrysler, DeSoto and Imperial project vehicles that are all going to be sold online this fall with no reserve.
In case you’re new to the auction scene, the term “no reserve” means every item is going to sell … even if the highest bid is far less than the actual value of the item. No reserve auctions are a great way to get the vintage Mopar project car of your dreams for a very affordable price.
The auctioneer behind this history-making event is Spanky Assiter, founder of Spanky’s Freedom Car Auctions of Texas and former Barrett-Jackson lead auctioneer. Spanky got the call to liquidate this massive outdoor hoard of vintage Mopar vehicles from the executors of the John Haynie estate in early 2021.
John Haynie, the Texas gentleman who amassed this huge collection of prime vintage tin, was sadly taken by a terminal illness at age 52. But we celebrate his foresight and good taste here while putting these great cars back into circulation after slumbering for as many as 30 years in the dry Texas prairie.
So read closely and be sure to click on the video link to learn more about the cars and light trucks that will all find new homes in early October as the Great Texas Mopar Hoard Auction Event plays out!
Though the body style seen on this nifty 1964 Chrysler Newport four-door sedan was only seen for two model years (1963 and 1964), folks over the age of 40 probably recall a time when these large vehicles, with their assertive trapezoidal grilles and horizontally aligned headlamps, were a common sight on the road. Things have changed and what was once common has become scarce – and desirable.
This one is a sedan – with a fixed-B-pillar and full door frames – and is by far the most popular body style offered in the 1964 Chrysler line. Of the 85,183 Newports built that year, a whopping 55,957 were four-door sedans like this. Pillar-less hardtops, wagons, convertibles and two-doors made up the rest of the mix. America loved these cars!
And while this one wears “Turner County Sheriff’s Patrol” door and trunk graphics and a big blue emergency light on the roof, a check of the VIN reveals a starting sequence that reads “814”, which tells us it’s a Chrysler (8), Newport (1) from the 1964 model run (4). If the second digit was a “9”, we’d know it was originally built as a Police model. It’s not clear if this car was given a “police” makeover by a fan – or if it really saw duty in law enforcement. Either way, the body is solid and shows no signs of rust or rust repair work.
Under the hood are 361 2-barrel big block, push-button-activated 727 Torqueflite® automatic transmission, power-assisted drum brakes and power steering. Inside, the original bench seat upholstery, floor carpeting, head liner and door panels are all in excellent condition, making this a solid candidate for a mechanical once-over to get it back on the road – where it belongs! Be sure to watch the walk-around video for more details.
Suddenly it’s 1960! That’s what the world said when the 1957 Mopar vehicles were unveiled for the first time. With the industry’s lowest beltline, cleanest lines, most glass and highest tail fins, the rest of Detroit looked “three years older” by comparison. Many say it was stylist Virgil Exner’s finest work.
This 1957 Plymouth Belvedere four-door hardtop is one of 37,446 made. Without the sedan’s fixed B-pillar and full door frames, the hardtop delivers a breezy, open air experience with all windows rolled down on a sunny day. The interior is all there with all gauges and the factory AM radio still in place. And of course, the torsion bar front suspension (making its debut in ’57) is all there.
Under the sleek “pancake” hood, the original 301-cubic-inch polyspherical V8 remains, complete with the optional “Power Pack” four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust boosting the 301 two-barrel’s 215-horsepower up to 235 horses. The only thing better was the optional Dual Fury 318 V8’s 290 horsepower – thanks to dual quads.
As the accompanying video demonstrates, this lucky survivor is mostly free from the terminal rust that consumed many 1957 Mopar vehicles within their first decade. And while this four-door is loaded with many rust-free panels that could be very helpful in the restoration of a more desirable two-door Fury model, this four-door hardtop is so solid it’d be a shame not to get it running again for all the world to enjoy. Learn more by watching the accompanying video.
There was a time, long before the rise of the Chrysler minivan (and its many imitators), when American families moved around in large station wagons like this 1961 Plymouth Savoy. There was also a time when it was possible to purchase what was known as a “stripper” – a car assembled with minimal extra cost options and the smallest engine offered.
Those two realms merge with Lot 21, a 1961 Plymouth Savoy Suburban station wagon. At the time, Plymouth offered just two model lines, the compact A-Body Valiant and the full sized C-Body, which could be had as the Savoy, Belvedere and Fury with cost and complexity rising on each successive nameplate.
With its manual drum brakes, manual steering, column-shifted three-speed manual transmission and 225 Slant Six engine, the only extra cost options found on this austere people mover are a heater ($74) and AM radio ($35). With its base price of $2,670, the total cost with options came to $2,779.
Still wearing its original two-tone blue colors and, most likely, much of its factory-applied exterior paint, only the slightest bubbles of rust are beginning to form down low on the rear quarter panels. The under hood area is pristine though the Slant Six is missing its one-barrel carburetor and starter motor.
Records show that just 12,980 of these entry-level, four-door wagons were built in 1961. How many remain today? More importantly, how many remain today in nearly 100-percent original condition? Though the bizarre styling triggered a 21.77-percent sales slump versus 1960, that’s all irrelevant today as collectors and enthusiasts alike clamor for surviving examples of Virgil Exner’s swansong designs. See the walk-around video for more details.
Have you ever wondered what Plymouth’s answer to the Chevy El Camino and Ford Ranchero might have looked like? Though neither Plymouth nor Dodge ever went after the “Ute” market here in America, Chrysler of Australia’s April 1965 launch of the Valiant Wayfarer Utility used the compact A-Body platform to deliver a pint-sized pickup truck down under.
None of it answers the question stateside, which is where Lot Number 22 comes in. Based on a 1966 Plymouth RH45E6 Belvedere II station wagon, some enterprising Texan sliced and diced it into a very appealing El Camino act-alike. Maybe we call it Bel-Camino?
Powered by a swapped-in LA series 318 two-barrel (not the original Polyspherical 318) with a column-shifted Torqueflite automatic, aftermarket air conditioning and cruise control add convenience and comfort. The four-wheel drum brakes are non-assisted though power steering takes a load off up front.
Out back, the original station wagon load floor does duty as the cargo bed while the rear doors have been permanently molded closed with very nice body work hiding all surgery scars. Rolling stock consists of original equipment 14×5.5 inch Magnum 500 rims of 1967-’68 (all-chrome) vintage and white wall radial tires.
The compulsory magnet check (for rust) indicates solid bones throughout for this what-if Ranchero contender. See more in the walk-around video.
The Beautiful Brute for 1965 was the last of the line for Chrysler’s fabled 300 “Letter Cars” and wore the “L” suffix. While lesser 300 Sport (non-letter) models were offered since the 1962 model run, only the Letter Cars delivered top-tier power and performance. They were indeed full-size muscle cars, complete with heavy-duty suspension and huge 11-inch drum brakes.
For 1965, the 300L shared all-new bodywork with more pedestrian Newports and New Yorkers, but was quickly identified at night by its centrally mounted running lamp situated in the grille. Behind that distinctive grille was a standard issue 413-cubic-inch wedge with a full 360 horsepower. The standard issue 8-3/4 rear axle packs 300L-specific 3.23:1 gearing. It is unknown if the optional Sure Grip limited-slip differential is present.
Though a handful of the 2,845 1965 300Ls built (440 convertibles and 2,405 hardtops) came with a factory-installed four-speed manual transmission, this one is equipped with a console-shifted 727 Torqueflite automatic transmission. The leather-covered front bucket seats and special “300L” console button are still present along with the L-only 150 mph speedometer.
Beyond all that is the fantastic rust-free condition of the body, which still wears most of its factory-applied Regal Gold surface paint and stainless steel full wheel covers. Oh, and did we mention it’s got Chrysler’s excellent Air Temp air conditioning system? That’s the story of Lot Number 25. See the walk-around video to learn more!
There’s something BIG brewing in the Texas prairie! It’s the Great Texas Mopar® Hoard auction event, an online-only collector car auction featuring over 200 choice Mopar vehicles from the estate of a lifelong Mopar collector. And best of all, the auction will be a “no reserve” event, meaning that each and every lot number will sell to the highest bidder.
Scheduled to take place in October of 2021, these great project cars and trucks will all find new homes thanks to the services of Spanky’s Freedom Car Auctions. If the name Spanky sounds familiar, then you will remember him – Spanky Assiter – as Barrett-Jackson’s lead auctioneer for several successful years.
And if you remember that, then you probably also remember Spanky’s wife Amy Assiter, one of the Bidder’s Assistants, her long brown hair flying on the TV screen as she shouted bids to the auction block. Today, Spanky and Amy operate Assiter Auctioneers, the parent company of Spanky’s Freedom Car Auctions.
With the meet-and-greet out of the way, let’s preview some of the 200-plus vintage and special interest Dodge, Plymouth, DeSoto, Chrysler and Imperial vehicles that will all find new homes in October. To see more, go to freedomcarauctions.com or to the Steve Magnante YouTube channel where live-action walk-around videos exist to add even more information on each lot number.
In its third year on the market, Dodge’s fully redesigned D-series pickup truck line was far more refined than the 1961-71 Sweptline D-series that came before. The primitive leaf spring, live front axle was replaced by independent coil springs and the interior was far more luxurious with padded surfaces in place of cold, hard steel.
This Club Cab model, new for 1973, offered an extra 18 inches of wheelbase to make room for the longer cab floor and convenient behind-the-seat storage area. Also new for 1974 was the mighty 440 big block engine, which replaced the 400 that was used in 1973. This original paint D200 Club Cab packs the top dog 440, heavy-duty 727 TorqueFlite® automatic transmission, Dana 60 rear axle, factory optional chromed trailer towing mirrors, bucket seats, air conditioning, power brakes, power steering and cruise control. As a Texas truck, it’s solid and rust-free except for a couple of small patches seen in the walk-around video.
Packing the P-code High Performance 400-cubic-inch big block with dual exhaust, a dual snorkel air cleaner and 140-mph certified speedometer, this 1973 Plymouth Fury probably has a law enforcement background. Rolling on 15×6.5-inch body-colored “steelies” with “poverty caps”, it’s essentially a muscle car in disguise. Though the data tag is missing, a second tag reading “special order” sets this one apart from the crowd.
The “fuselage body”, making its final appearance for 1973, still wears its original Honey Gold paint and is free from structural rust, while the interior is complete down to the front and rear bench seats. While the light-duty Salisbury-type 8-1/4 inch rear axle was standard issue under most Furys, this one packs the same heavy-duty Hotchkis-type 8-3/4 rear axle used under most Mopar muscle cars of the day. A heavy-duty 727 TorqueFlite automatic transmission takes commands from a column-mounted shift lever. If you appreciate a “sleeper” muscle car, this one is for you!
After going without a full-sized model line since 1961, Plymouth reintroduced the full-size C-body for 1965 in the form of the Fury. Offered as the Fury I, Fury II, Fury III and Sport Fury, these extra-large models helped increase Plymouth’s overall sales by 31.5 percent over 1964 when only the compact A-body and mid-sized B-body platforms were offered.
This 1965 Plymouth Fury III four door sedan (Lot Number 5) is one of 50,725 built and packs the optional 383 2-barrel big block and 727 TorqueFlite automatic transmission, a $396 surcharge over the base Slant Six and “three-on-the-tree”. And speaking of this car’s TorqueFlite transmission, know that it is a one-year-only big block unit with the cable-operated valve body and new slip-yoke tail shaft configuration. These transmissions are in high demand among builders of 1962-65 Max Wedge and Race HEMI® clones who want the push-button transmission controls without the hassle of the ball-and-trunnion driveshaft. Not that you’d want to harvest this particular item. Just sayin…
Other goodies include manual drum brakes, power steering, a factory clock and RADIO DELETE. That’s right, if you didn’t want to pay $59 for the Transaudio AM radio, Plymouth graciously plugged the hole in the dash with an ornate plastic delete plate, as seen in this one. Re-sprayed in the original turquoise and white, this first-year full-size Fury would make a great family cruiser.
The A-series compact van of 1964-70 was Dodge’s answer to Ford’s 1962 Econoline van, which was Ford’s response to Volkswagen’s Microbus of the 1950s. This 1964 A100 van is very special for two reasons. First, it was ordered with the rare “walk through” door configuration, and secondly, the sequence number on the VIN tag (1962000604) tells us this was the 604th A100 van ever built! If that’s not cool, we don’t know what is.
Powered by the 225 Slant Six with a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission, this first-year A100 is exceptionally solid and nearly rust-free. Though some small areas of rust bubbles and perforation are visible on the lower body surfaces, the floors and foot wells are nice and clean. These A100 compact vans are becoming more and more popular every day and surviving examples are very hard to find. And being a walk-through makes this one all the more unique. Imagine stuffing a Mopar Performance 426 HEMI crate engine between the Bostrom Thin Line front bucket seats. With its double-side-door body configuration, you could showcase the engine from either side!
1959 was the final year for body-on-frame construction for the Chrysler line. Unitized construction would replace it for 1960 (except on the top-tier Imperial line). This 1959 Chrysler Windsor wears Arizona license plates from the 1959 model year and passes the “magnet test” in all of the usual rust areas except for some small bubbles popping through on the lower quarter panel extensions. Inside, the original upholstery covers the seats and the factory AM radio is still present.
Under the hood, a 383 2-barrel big block wears factory air conditioning with an early version of the clutch-type fan that would later help Street HEMI vehicles stay cool while reducing parasitic drag. Factory power drum brakes and power steering help make this Windsor a breeze to drive. All of the hard-to-find chrome grille, bumpers and trim are present and in great condition. This would make a nice cruiser or – shun the notion – a solid parts car for the restoration of a less common two-door model or convertible.
Stay tuned to DodgeGarage for more interesting vehicles from the Great Texas Mopar Auction!
