1968 Dodge Monaco 500

Dodge Monaco 1968 Description

Up for sale is my 1968 Dodge Monaco 500. I have owned this car for five years and it has proven to be a very reliable runner from the day I bought it and, with a few mods I’ve made over the years (see below) is also fast and fun to drive. It has been my daily transportation from March through November for the last several years (I put it off the road during the winters due to the salt here in New England) and this service has included many trips from Southeastern CT to Burlington, VT (285 mi) and Boston (120 mi) with never a hiccup. I have every reason to believe it could continue in this role for the next owner. It would also make a great weekend cruiser or a candidate for a rolling restoration.

Mechanicals:

- Factory 383 CID engine. I have added a 600CFM Edelbrock 4bbl. and dual exhausts. The stock cam in 1968 was shared with non-Roadrunner 383 4bbl. and so the engine takes this upgrade nicely. I have dialed it in with rods and jets and it runs great in all driving conditions. Doesn’t leak or use oil.

- Torqueflite 727 auto trans. I changed the fluid, filter, and pan gasket years ago and tweaked the kickdown linkage a little to accommodate the new carb. Shifts fine, no slipping or other “bad behavior.”

- Chrysler 8-3/4” open rear end. I had the stock gears (2.76) swapped out for a 3.23 set and new axles installed at this time, as one was slightly bent. Rear brakes were also redone at this time (still have receipts) and speedo drive gear was changed to accommodate new tire size and new rear end gear ratio.

- I installed a new alternator with slightly higher-than-factory charging specs so I wouldn’t have to worry about running with lights, AC, and radio on. I also isolated the alternator wire away from the gang connector on the firewall to eliminate any electrical risk at this weak point. Factory fleet cars with big alternators got the same treatment.

- Brakes work fine, factory stock with no upgrades.

Body, interior, etc:

- Frame and body are rust free. I don’t have a hoist and so I took the best pictures I could lying under the car. If you want to see more specific pictures, let me know and I’ll climb under there with a flashlight and do my best. Personal inspections are welcome. It does look like trunk floor metal was replaced (new steel welded in) by a previous owner.

- Paint is very decent “10 footer,” but with some dings/scratches/touched up spots.

- Vinyl top seems to be new, installed by a previous owner. Almost perfect.

- New 15” Magnum 500 wheels with Hankook tires were installed three years ago.

- I replaced the steering box and pump with rebuilt items two years ago. New tie rods went in at this time as well.

- Carpet was apparently replaced by a previous owner, looks great.

- I had both front bucket seats redone by a custom shop in Burlington, VT at a cost of $1300. Seat covers are impossible to find for this car and I wanted it to look 100% stock, which the shop did an excellent job with, right down to the textures of the materials.

Previous owner added a modern stereo unit under the dash with no cutting or damage to original equipment. It's fully functional and has a CD player, aux input, and radio and sound comes from two speakers on the rear parcel shelf.

- With the exception of those issues noted below, everything on the car works great. All lights, and signals work and the car is totally road-legal.

Known issues:

- New Yukon gears make a little bit of noise, but only between 35-40 MPH. I had this checked a couple of times by a good local trans/diff shop and they said the gear mesh, lash, etc. were all perfect. I asked Yukon and they said sometimes their gears make a little bit of noise and they don’t warranty for this. It doesn’t bother me, if it bothers you I will gladly include the perfectly quiet 2.76 factory gears that came out of the car.

- Rear quarter power windows do not go down. They worked fine when I bought the car but I never used them much so the motors seem to have a dead spot. The door windows still work good as new.

- Driver’s side vent window regulator seems to be missing a piece. It still works, but you have to work the window by hand so it can “catch up” with the screw in the crank. A new regulator should fix it.

- The AC works, but doesn’t blow very cold. On the highway, it is just enough the keep the car bearable on a hot day with all the windows up. I would get it charged but the illegal old R-12 is unobtanium around here. Luckily the car also has factory cable-operated cowl vents which work great to keep the car cool while moving. Heat/def still work fine.

- Gas gauge doesn’t work quite right: it reads at ½ when tank is full, and goes down from there. I put in a new sending unit and all associated gaskets and a recently-sourced NOS dash gage will come with the car.

Disclaimer:

I have done my best to portray the car as honestly and completely as possible. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have and welcome personal inspections. Serious bidders only, please. No tire-kickers, scammers, or dreamers. I’m offering a decent driver car for decent driver car money. You can come in and drive the car home (I’ve done long trips in it for years and never had a problem) or have it transported at your own expense, in which case I’ll be happy to do my bit and cooperate with you and your shipper.

All this being said, no warranties are expressed or implied. This car is almost 50 years old and just because it’s served me well for the last five years doesn’t mean some weird thing can’t break all of a sudden. Car has no title, and will be sold with a bill of sale only. Titles are not required here in CT for cars 25+ years old, and the car is currently registered and insured. I will NOT accept any type of check as payment, I have come very close to getting burned this way in the past. A nonrefundable $500 deposit is required within 24 hrs. of the end of auction through Paypal. Balance must be paid in cash or PayPal before you take the car.