Fratzogs by Night

Fratzogs by Night

I've had a list of drafts from well over a year ago sitting in the queue waiting for me to dust off this blog. Some of the photos are 2 years old or more and generations of phones ago. The pics below I believe were sent to me from Robin of Omaha. Behold the nighttime Hooptie!

This is a 1965 Dodge Coronet 440 in Medium Turquoise Poly. It's easy to pinpoint the '65 because both the year before and the year after this one had a center divider splitting the grill.
There are a couple details I love on the front of this ride. First are the Fratzogs (a made-up word for the triangular symbol used by Mopar through the '60s) mounted above the outer headlights. The second detail is that only the section between the inboard headlights is actually a functioning grill. All the small slat openings around the headlights are black paint!

Most Coronet 440s were equipped with V8 engines. The base was a 2 barrel 318, but you had the option of a 361, 383, or the mighty 426 Hemi for the first time. Customers who chose the Hemi had the option of dual 4 barrel carbs and a floor mounted 4 speed manual! Chances are that this ride has the pushbutton automatic mounted on the dash next to the radio.

This handsome piece of side trim was only on the mid level 440 series. The base model had a chrome line that ran lower along the body from the rear of the front wheel opening to the back of the car. The top of the heap 500 had a thin chrome spear along the full length of the car with 3 colored rectangles at the front. These are the correct, original hubcaps for the car by the way.

It's tough to see in the above dark lighting but this is equipped with reverse lights. They weren't standard on the base Coronet but they were included on the 440.

We'll leave this beast with an admiring view of the gargantuan trunk.
4 door sedans are the least sexy, least valuable classics to get, but they tend to live gentler lives. This is the quintessential family car, possibly surviving because some nice old lady garaged it for decades. Mopars from the 1960s are famously reliable and easy to work on. If you run across one of these in good condition for cheap you might have the perfect classic daily driver on your hands.

Almost mint condition grocery getter from 47 years ago

LEAST LIKELY TO SURVIVE SURVIVOR

I was riding my bike out to the Rockaways when I passed this anomaly parked at a dealership:

How? Why? Who knows but this is certainly a 1969 Dodge Coronet 440 in plain-ass White. How it survived in this condition is a true mystery that must have included a garage and a little old lady. This was the year that the iconic General Lee Dodge Charger of The Dukes of Hazzard fame was built. The same company made the Super Bee and Coronet RT performance models. Yet somebody went into the Dodge dealership in '69 and shook their head no to every nicety, probably clutching an ad with the base price listed on it.

The front and rear styling are identical to its fire breathing siblings but otherwise this is the classic grocery getter 4 door. I'm always more fascinated to discover a well preserved basic classic that wouldn't be worth restoring financially than a high dollar model. You can turn on the Barret Jackson auction and see Chargers and Super Bees cross the block all day long but how often do you see this?

That single strip of chrome on the lower body means that this is the 440 model. Confusingly this does not mean the engine is a 440. In fact you couldn't get a 440 V8 in this trim level; you would need to order an R/T for that. Chances are excellent that this came with the 318 V8 or even the base 225 Slant-6, maybe with a three-on-the-tree.
The 440 sat below the Coronet 500 and above the base model Deluxe in the hierarchy. The lowly Deluxe had no side chrome whatsoever and could be had with black rubber mats instead of carpet, and no heater installed if you were really cheap.
Those little objects on top of the fenders above the headlights contain fiber optic cables that go to the turn signals so the driver can see when the bulb needs replacing.

Too bad somebody smashed the window and scuffed up the rear quarter because otherwise this car looks to be in mint original condition. Those dog dish hubcaps add to the frugality. Many of these 4 doors were fleet vehicles that lived brutal lives as taxis and police cars.

The taillight treatment can help identify the trim level too; the 500 would have had three large rectangular openings with the center one being a reflector that looked like the taillights. On this ride the inboard 2 lenses are reverse lights.
It might seem strange to have a raised line running down the center of the trunk lid but it was to add rigidity to what was basically a huge flat sheet of metal.

I was genuinely shocked to see this parked at a dealership with 69 in the window like that was the sort of thing they sell every day. Months later I saw this same car parked in front of a garage elsewhere in Brooklyn so somebody took it home. I myself would be proud to lean back over the front seat and manually crank down the back windows for a cruise in this beast. Hopefully since it made it this far it will continue to be loved and cared for.

Amazing old Hemi enjoying retirement near the ocean

CONEY ISLAND HEMI!

I rode out to Coney Island the other day and all the way out on the end of Ocean Parkway within blocks of the beach I passed this cruddy beast:

This is a 1954 Dodge Coronet in what was probably Willow Green. The paint job has gone through plenty of transformation over the years though as you will see.

This is quite the handsome ride. Cars from the early-to-mid '50s were some of the first new designs since the beginning of WWII since production halted in 1942 through the end of the war. When the war was over there was a pent-up need for new cars so the automakers all cranked out what they had the tooling for which were essentially 1942 era rides. This car represents the small window between looking and acting more modern without going full-on '50s tail-fin and chrome drenched glitz.

The original color is peeking out from below the grill. That turn signal is real glass like a little lighthouse lens. The magnifying capabilities were essential as this car had a 6 volt system from the factory.

The Coronet name has had its ups and downs. Introduced in 1949, it was the highest trim level of Dodge. However starting in this year of 1954 it was knocked down a peg by the addition of the newly top-of-the-heap Dodge Royal. Just a year later it would further get the shaft, falling to the lowest trim level. What a sad story for Coronet!

Let's take a moment to admire the brushwork this shadetree mechanic uses to touch up the paint.

This is a nicely proportioned car with just about equal hood and trunk length. Notice how the roof is high enough for the hats that most men of the day were wearing. This was a legitimate concern that people noted if the headroom didn't allow for it.

That wrap-around back window is pretty slick. In the following year wrap-around windshields would really begin to take hold.
Check out the roof. You can see where the owner stood at the back corner and painted what he could reach from that one spot!

Inside is just lovely. The chrome T-handle emerging from under the left side of the dash is the parking brake.
The center cap of the steering wheel has the V symbol denoting the engine choice as well as the optional POWER STEERING written around it in gold. The radio is another option, but to the right of that there is a panel that just reads CORONET. This is the spot where the clock would be installed if it had been ordered.
*That radio cost an extra $83 back in the day; $735 today after inflation!

The upholstery looks original!

I love ancient stickers like this one.

At first glance I thought this birdcage full of flowers was painted on the rear side window, but it might be a large old sticker. Either way it's confounding and charming.

The paint job looks alright (or at least you don't notice it) from 20 or so feet, but once you get closer;

You see that parts of the body have been repaired with regular old tape painted over with a brush!
I thought this metal circle was the gas cap but the paint looks to have overlapped onto it. Maybe it hasn't gotten gas since the latest touch-up?

You can see the placement of that possible gas cap and how it is mirrored on the other side by a reverse light.

Everything in this picture is awesome! The trunk lock consists of 2 small padlocks on a hinged latch. The totally awesome and futuristic emblem is bragging about the VEight engine as well as the optional PowerFlight auto trans, and that sturdy thick glass reverse light proudly stares out from its tape and paint setting. Incidentally that PowerFlight was the first fully automatic trans offered by Dodge and it was a 2 speed.

The standard engine was the 230 inline 6 cylinder. However since this has various V8 emblems on it we know that this was built with the 241 Red Ram Hemi V8. This was the smaller version of the famous 331 FirePower Hemi first released in 1951 by Chrysler/DeSoto. Even this smaller 241 set several land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats in a Dodge much like this one.

Everything looks pretty normal here except, wait a minute, what's with that door handle?

WHAT!? I've been fascinated with cars since I was sitting in a stroller and I've NEVER seen this! The handle came off or something and the owner just decided to cover over it with mesh drywall tape and slap green paint over the wound? Dude. This is next-level out of the box thinking. All that original 62 year old chrome and he's slapping paint all over it too. This owner is a BEAST!

It's sporting the original set of Dodge V8-specific hubcaps. You can see the lettering used to filled in with red. Maybe I'll head back and leave a note and a jar of red house paint to see what they'll do.

Still looking cool even after all it's been through.

We'll leave this old Hemi with a glance at the awesome ram hood ornament and another V8 emblem. This is such a cool car and I'm not even mad that it looks like it's lived its life on the streets of Havana. My hope is that somebody has owned this thing since new and parks it outside their retirement apartment on the border of Coney Island and Brighton Beach. Somebody continues to love it and show it off and for that it's lucky.

Kicking off the weekend with a wicked patina!

NIFTY FIFTY 

In the South Slope portion of Brooklyn I recently ran across the following beautifully patinated ride:

This is a 1950 Dodge Coronet that is still wearing most of its original Island Green color. This particular one is special though.

This beast has every one of its 65 years on display! While rat rods aren't a new concept it takes someone with vision to hold back on the typical flat-black-with-red-wheels look and celebrate the well worn remnants of the original finish.

The Coronet was introduced in 1949 as the highest-end offering from Dodge. In an odd twist of fate it became the lowest-end trim line in 1955 before finally landing square in the middle of the pecking order in the '60s. This coupe body style was elegant and fresh when new, with just enough chrome trim to make a fancy entrance. The vintage 100 spoke wire wheels on this ride are a lowrider original but were not offered on this car.

This car proudly boasts the Gyro-Matic transmission which is essentially the same as the Fluid Drive from years previous. This would be a semi automatic trans where you use the clutch to pull away from a stop in first gear, but shift without the clutch into 2nd and 3rd. They were usually mounted on the column like a 3 on the tree.

In true rat rod fashion this car obviously has a different driveline in it. What looks to be a B&M floor mounted shifter sits in front of 3 aftermarket gauges, all complimented by the column-mounted tachometer. This could really have any engine you can imagine in it due to the colossal engine bay.
That beige thing attached to the center windshield bar is probably a period-correct compass. The dice are awful, because I hate car dice, and why would you put stupid dice in such a great car, and dice are the dumbest cliche in the book, and another thing . . .
That steering wheel sure is pretty though!

I love the presentation of this car. All the chrome and stainless are in fine shape without being too mirror-like. It looks like they spayed a clear coat over the patina as well since it manages to have a waxed look.

There is even a reverse light on the drivers side! This was not a common thing in 1950.

My guess is that this beast was resting fully exposed to the elements in the southwest somewhere since the paint is totally blown out from the top down. 

This generation Coronet represented the first new design for Dodge since the end of World War II. I breifly had a 1947 Dodge that looked like a car from the '30s with fenders completely separate from the body and a hood that was hinged in the center, opening on each side like wings.

For a car of this age the dimensions aren't crazy huge. This seems pretty manageable in traffic compared to many cars from the late '50s.

Aww she's grumpy! This frumpy face is just great, especially with the crazed and cracked paint job.

Close up of some mysterious spot where 4 rivets were called for. This patina is out of control!

From this angle you can see the vent that's popped up just under the center of the windshield. My '47 had this feature too; you simply grabbed a grip under the dash very much like a pistol and pushed forward, opening a scoop for cabin ventilation.

Fitting enough that the Ds are missing, leaving O G E (though I'd almost want to remove the E at this point). This cruiser is one of my favorites I've run across in NYC, and easily takes the prize for best finish. Hopefully I'll see it parked with the owner one day so I can find out what lurks under the hood.

I guess yesterday was Mopar Tuesday!

SIX PACK & THREE ROW SEATING

Yesterday was absolutely beautiful so I took a long and ambling bike ride past Coney Island and the Rockaways, around JFK, and all the way out to Rosedale on Long Island. This took me past areas I normally only see from a car window. On North Conduit Ave by the Belt Parkway I ran into this beast:

This is a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner with the 440 V8 and Six Pack carb setup (3 2-barrel carburetors are lurking beneath that hood scoop).

The guy filling up was kind enough not to mind me snapping a couple quick pics. With the side marker lights not being installed (note the rectangular hole behind the bumper edge) I'm guessing this thing is more about drag racing than grocery-getting. I'm willing to bet this guy has another set of wheels for the track, especially with the fully-removeable hood as indicated by the hood pins on all four corners.

Now on to a proper Hooptie, and a massive sled at that!

Just up the street a block or 2 from JFK I ran across this flat black monster! This thing is so huge it deserves its own mailbox.

This is a 1972 Dodge Coronet Station Wagon in all it's spray painted glory. These wagons are getting seriously rare as they're extremely thirsty and impossible to park. I love them though for their muscle car fronts, tall rear quarters, and overall sportiness despite their size. 

By 1972 the Coronet was only available as a wagon and a sedan. This example doesn't seem to have ever had the faux woodgrain panels so prevalent on wagons of this vintage. If it had I would expect to see the chrome trim outlining where it would have been, or at least holes where the trim was installed.

These loop bumpers encasing the grill and lights look great but were unfortunately scrapped when federal safety regulations called for more impact absorbent units the following year.

This thing looks like a leering muppet with its slightly askew googly eyes. Beneath this flat hood lies a V8; either the standard 318 or one of several 400s. I knew someone in high school who had use of his parents immaculate, and very brown, Dodge station wagon with a 440 under the hood (must've been a bit older than this). Despite its gargantuan proportions it was very fast and could lay strips all day. With a gleaming chocolate brown paint job and brown leather interior it was the coolest!

I had to get right in there to show the pointed grill hidden within the loop. If you look at the lower part of the bumper a few inches to this side of the bumper guard you can see a vertical slot. This was the spot where you placed the old school jack for changing a tire. I had this sort of jack on a couple of older cars and they're a bit nerve-wracking to use as the car needs to be on perfectly level ground or it will topple over, ruining the jack in the process. Trust me on this (that's all I'd like to say on the subject).

It manages to come across as a balanced design in my book even though it is enormous.

It's amazing that this thing has a full luggage rack on the roof since the interior is large enough to have a 4x8 sheet of plywood lay flat on the floor. It makes more sense when you look inside and notice that it has the rear-facing 3rd row of seats in the back. You could take a trip with 5 adults, 2 kids, and all the necessary luggage in and on this ride which is somewhat remarkable.

From this angle you can just make out that miniature wing above the rear window. This is a great detail actually since it directs fresh air down across the rear window for when riding with it down. If the wing wasn't there exhaust fumes would fill up the cabin if you had the window down.

The back door is dual-action meaning that you can open it down flat like a tailgate or swing it open to the side like a traditional door depending on which way you turned the handle.

Unfortunately the headliner is giving out on this ride but it does afford us a view of the rear dome light which could be turned on for the rear facing passengers in the far back.

Straight-up dog dish hubcaps perfectly fit the flat black vibe of this roller. Leaf springs give an idea of how old the technology is on wagons of this vintage. The rust is still very fixable as shown here.

The interior is BLUE like really blue. Unfortunately the plastic try-spokes of the steering wheel hasn't aged as well, turning into a faded green over the years. Just in case you forgot it was 1972 they have a faux woodgrain center of the wheel as well as dashboard surround. I wish I knew what the original color of this wagon was because that interior is so intense! Dodge offered amazing colors in '72 including several different greens, Banana Yellow, an array of golds and browns, and Sun Fire Yellow which was closest to chartreuse.

Here's a glimpse of the rear seat in its upright position. When the rear seat wasn't needed it folded down into the well where your legs were meant to go leaving a completely flat cargo area. With the 2nd row folded down it was colossal inside. In this last shot we can also see where they kept the (full size) spare tire; it was tucked into the side panel along the wall.

Well there we have it; a super-rare wagon hidden away by the airport. Hopefully I run across some other wagons now that the nice weather has taken hold, but for now I feel lucky to have even found one.