A friend across town told me his
neighbor wanted to sell a Dodge Coronet and thought I should come
look at it. I'm really more interested in Exner's finned Mopars so I
declined. After two weeks of badgering I went to see the car but
mind you he had never bothered to mention it was an R/T convertible!
I had a difficult time keeping my cool as I spoke with the seller
who wanted to build a shop building to work on antique furniture in
his retirement. He and his wife had owned the car 28 years but for
the last ten it sat in his garage with the broken overhead door -
however the door pointed slightly away from the street so no one
knew it was there. With careful negotiations I purchased the car and
on a new battery drove it home.
It is B3 blue with white interior,
buckets, no console, column shifted torqueflite. It is a factory AC
and power window car with one older repaint and is 11x3 drum brake.
I threw away the Cragar SS's rusting on the car and added full
chrome 15" Magnum 500s. After being a long hauler on the '04 Hot Rod
Power Tour, I looked into and installed a Gear Vendors overdrive and
have now switched from the open 3.23 gear to a 3.50 Sure Grip. I
thoroughly enjoy this car and have had it to 140 mph. That is my son
in the driver's seat in this photo and the car is in my estate
papers going to him at his strong request!
Wayne Graefen - Kerrville, Texas |