New member with a '66 Coronet

[1badstroker]

Welcome Ray.

[thebankerstoy]

Welcome to the DCR from a fellow 1966 Coronet 500 owner Ray. In the 1985 picture, is the car wearing factory style 1966-67 Charger mag wheel covers?

Richard

[Wrench66]

Welcome to the DCR from a fellow 1966 Coronet 500 owner Ray. In the 1985 picture, is the car wearing factory style 1966-67 Charger mag wheel covers?

Richard

Hi Richard,
Yes, those are the orig that the car was bought with....cool huh? It also has the three spoke steering wheel that I have never seen a '66 440 with......I think that is a Coronet 500 & Charger deal only right??
Anyways, I imagine the dealer added these to the car since it was destined to be "on display" in his lot, on the rotisserie
Thanks,
--Ray

[theman440]

Welcome - great to see another '66 on the DCR.

[thebankerstoy]

Hi Richard,
Yes, those are the orig that the car was bought with....cool huh? It also has the three spoke steering wheel that I have never seen a '66 440 with......I think that is a Coronet 500 & Charger deal only right??
Anyways, I imagine the dealer added these to the car since it was destined to be "on display" in his lot, on the rotisserie
Thanks,
--Ray

Hello Ray,

Back in 1966, a person could special order just about any option that Chrysler offered on most vehicles, unlike today where customers are limited on what they can order on any given vehicle. The three spoke steering wheel that you've mentioned is the wood grain steering wheel correct? We've had several interesting discussions on those wheels of various model years. In 1966 those steering wheels were offered in two different ways. The first was as a factory option on most any Dodge, Plymouth, or Chrysler A, B and C-Body vehicle and the second was as an over the counter part offered through the Chrysler "Hi-Performance & Dress-up Parts" program.

Seeing as your Coronet was a featured vehicle at the dealership, I'd agree with you that the Charger wheel covers and wood grain steering wheel were added by the dealer to showcase both the car and those particular parts. While the wood grain steering wheel isn't all that unique because it was offered for most all cars that year as I mentioned, having the dealer add a set of the Charger wheel covers is very interesting indeed! You've mentioned changing the wheels and I can see why since those Charger wheel covers were only offered in 14" size, but that is one VERY special historic feature of your particular car which would be a shame to change, especially if you have documentation from the dealership that those parts were added at the time the car was purchased by the original owner! Just one guy's opinion though.

Richard

[67r/t4speeder]

What is the sticker on the wing window Ray ? I like old stickers like that from the past

[Wrench66]

Hello Ray,

Back in 1966, a person could special order just about any option that Chrysler offered on most vehicles, unlike today where customers are limited on what they can order on any given vehicle. The three spoke steering wheel that you've mentioned is the wood grain steering wheel correct? We've had several interesting discussions on those wheels of various model years. In 1966 those steering wheels were offered in two different ways. The first was as a factory option on most any Dodge, Plymouth, or Chrysler A, B and C-Body vehicle and the second was as an over the counter part offered through the Chrysler "Hi-Performance & Dress-up Parts" program.

Seeing as your Coronet was a featured vehicle at the dealership, I'd agree with you that the Charger wheel covers and wood grain steering wheel were added by the dealer to showcase both the car and those particular parts. While the wood grain steering wheel isn't all that unique because it was offered for most all cars that year as I mentioned, having the dealer add a set of the Charger wheel covers is very interesting indeed! You've mentioned changing the wheels and I can see why since those Charger wheel covers were only offered in 14" size, but that is one VERY special historic feature of your particular car which would be a shame to change, especially if you have documentation from the dealership that those parts were added at the time the car was purchased by the original owner! Just one guy's opinion though.

Richard

What is the sticker on the wing window Ray ? I like old stickers like that from the past

That's what's fun about the internet, I have owned that car nearly 30yrs and just now am learning more about it Thanks Richard. I was very good friends with the orig owner's son but as we grew older with marriage, kids and life in general I have since lost contact with them
What discussions have I missed out on in regards to the optional steering wheels? Those wheel covers have a cool story that was told to me by the orig owner way back when......seems they were on vacation in AZ sometime when the car was new and had gotten a flat. He called the nice white coated men from AAA and they came to change the damaged tire. One of the men noticed the neat-o wheels the cars was equipped with and then proceeded to put the lug wrench on the wheel cover and crank the center right out of it!! LOL. Luckily there was a Dodge dealer in town who replaced it Neat story huh
BTW...I do have the CertiCard the car came with.

Oh and Andy, that decal is a Lion's Dragstrip decal I put on there the weekend I bought car....we went to the Pomona Swapmeet and drove it in. I found that decal in a small pile of orig stuff and on it went I still have the Howard's cams, Why-And and B&M stickers in my shop from that pile we found that day.
So many stories,
thanks,
--Ray

[thebankerstoy]

That's what's fun about the internet, I have owned that car nearly 30yrs and just now am learning more about it Thanks Richard. I was very good friends with the orig owner's son but as we grew older with marriage, kids and life in general I have since lost contact with them
What discussions have I missed out on in regards to the optional steering wheels? Those wheel covers have a cool story that was told to me by the orig owner way back when......seems they were on vacation in AZ sometime when the car was new and had gotten a flat. He called the nice white coated men from AAA and they came to change the damaged tire. One of the men noticed the neat-o wheels the cars was equipped with and then proceeded to put the lug wrench on the wheel cover and crank the center right out of it!! LOL. Luckily there was a Dodge dealer in town who replaced it Neat story huh
BTW...I do have the CertiCard the car came with.

Oh and Andy, that decal is a Lion's Dragstrip decal I put on there the weekend I bought car....we went to the Pomona Swapmeet and drove it in. I found that decal in a small pile of orig stuff and on it went I still have the Howard's cams, Why-And and B&M stickers in my shop from that pile we found that day.
So many stories,
thanks,
--Ray

By the way Ray, we here on the DCR absolutely LOVE cool Coronet stories like yours, so whenever you feel like sharing them with us, we are all here eagerly waiting to hear them! Looks like your Coronet has been in my neck of the woods on vacation at one time in it's life huh?

Here are links to two different DCR threads on the wood grain steering wheels.

http://www.dodgecoronet.com/forum/showth...call-wheel

http://www.dodgecoronet.com/forum/showth...call-Wheel

Richard

[theman440]

Hi Richard,
Yes, those are the orig that the car was bought with....cool huh? It also has the three spoke steering wheel that I have never seen a '66 440 with......I think that is a Coronet 500 & Charger deal only right??
Anyways, I imagine the dealer added these to the car since it was destined to be "on display" in his lot, on the rotisserie
Thanks,
--Ray

Hi Wrench - my '66 440 convertible was built with the 3-spoke wood grain wheel too. I've also seen a 4-door Deluxe with the 3-spoke.

[Racer Brown]

My R/T has a 66 washer bottle and pump, I got it from the original owner, "never say never"!!