Car Stuff: Random Sighting #27

I've had a run of good luck lately with some nice older cars that found their way in front of my camera. I suppose the weather could have something to do with it, and in some cases I've happened upon daily or occasional drivers.

Today we've got a 1969 Dodge Coronet 500 convertible in what my paint-code sleuthing suggests is Bright Turquoise Metallic (merely a coincidence after the Avanti). The location is the back lot of an auto parts and repair place that I pass on the way to Stop & Shop. I first saw it back in April, after the snow was gone, and repeated sightings have led me to believe it belongs to one of the garage's employees.

At that time the car was behind a closed fence, and it wasn't until a couple of weeks later that I found it parked near the open gate. But then I had to wait about another month to get the rear shot, on a day when it happened to be parked in front instead of in back; on many days I walked to the store as an excuse to check for the car.

This generation of mid-sized Dodges was introduced for 1968 and ran through 1970 with yearly changes, along with its Plymouth Satellite cousins. Back in the early 1970s, my elementary school parking lot featured a number of these cars (even then I paid attention to what sorts of cars the teachers and staff drove). I've always thought these were outstandingly good-looking cars, and I prefer "regular" Coronets and Satellites to the more muscle-oriented Chargers, Super Bees, Road Runners, and GTXs.

From its appearance I would venture that this car has benefited from some degree of restoration—everything about it just looks too new and nice, and I was surprised to see that someone would use a classic in such nice condition as a daily driver. The wheels are not stock, though Dodge did offer some nice-looking wheels as options. On the other hand, I can see variation in the paint on the left side, so maybe the car is about to have more work done.

Likewise, the black stripe around the rear of the car mimics the one that was available on the higher-performance R/T and Super Bee models, but was not offered on this model. I suspect it was added simply for aesthetic reasons. The black-painted lower body was part of the 500 trim level and enhances the car's Coke-bottle shape.

The standard engine on the '69 Coronet 500 was the venerable 318-cubic-inch V8, and for more motivation the equally venerable 383 was available. I'd like to think this car has a 383, because it just feels like it should. Of course, its original engine could have been swapped for any number of replacements over the course of its 45 years in existence.

For additional images, check out this 1969 Coronet brochure; and the 1969 Dodge full-line brochure at Old Car Brochures.