Convertibles , like the 1965 Dodge Coronet 500 Convertible , come in a wide selection of flavors back in the Sixties . One brand alone comprised the thick Dart 270 and fancy Dart GT , mid - size Coronet 440 and Coronet 500 , plus the full - sizing Polara and Custom 880 . Yes , Dodge offer no less than six dissimilar flabby tops in its 1965 lineup .
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devolve on a 117 - column inch wheelbase were three mid - size of it Dodge series , revive a name not used since 1959 : Coronet , Coronet 440 , and Coronet 500 . head the class , the 500 V-8 carried a list price of $ 2894 in convertible figure . Standard equipment include electric wipers , heater / defroster , and backup lights . Inside were air travel - foam front bucketful seats , full rug , a center console table , padded fascia , sunlight visors , front / backside armrests , and all - vinyl group upholstery . Factory lit describe that interior – with distinctive advertising abandon – as " rich , supple saddleback food grain and tallow sura vinyl . "
Under the 500 ’s hood , the foot 273.5 - Criminal Investigation Command , 180 - bhp V-8 was match to a three - swiftness manual shimmy and a 3.23:1 keister - axle ratio . Drivetrain selection ranged from modest to wild , as purchaser could choose among five other V-8s : 230 - bhp 318 , 265 - bhp 361 , and a 330 - bhp 383 . Next on the tilt was the 426 hoagie , rated at 365 horses , and hailed as " Super / Sleeper of the year " byMotor Trendwhen coupled to a four - f number with Hurst gearshift . If that was n’t enough , partisan could go all out with the 426 - cid Hemi - Charger . With dual Carter AFB four - drum carbs and a 12.0:1 compression ratio , that famous hemispherical - point V-8 was conservatively rat at 425 bhp . Competition versions press with great success at dragstrips across America .
Coronet 500s expose square - boundary , squared - off styling with minimal trimness . A full - length chrome striptease break away along the beltline , while " Coronet 500 " script appeared just behind the front roulette wheel well . Spinner - style wheel covers spotlighted the tire .
Dodge emphasized the duplicate sexual morality of economic value and sportiness in promoting the 500 in ' 65 . cartridge clip ads proclaimed " Hot Dodge … unexampled lower price , " and " a giant of a automobile for the price . " A sales brochure echoed that appealingness : " The car that puts excitation back in ram without bending your budget . " Just under 33,000 Coronet 500s ( hardtop and convertibles ) were built before the bloodline was restyled for 1966 .
The lovely Coronet 500 convertible security seen here , finished in intermediate violent metallic , belong to Ray Banuls of Albany , New York . Purchased from a local junkyard for $ 75 , the car was in the beginning from Massachusetts and had rest in the boneyard with a blown locomotive since 1974 . A total , solid ground - up restoration took two years , and was complete in 1989 .
Ray did most of the work himself . Finding the right interior materials was the biggest stumbling block . The pristine cerise pieces were finally site in a textile shop in Oregon . Ray employ the cable car mainly for pleasure , but he also put down this fine 500 in an periodic local show .
Today ’s car - shoppers can choose from only a handful of ragtops . What a difference from the twenty-four hour period when Dodge alone offered half a dozen .
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