1978 Dodge Aspen Commercial - R/T and Super Coupe
Вставка
- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- Before everyone starts hating on the Aspen, please know, yes, the 1976 launch was a disaster and that the Plymouth Volare and Dodge Aspen were at the time one of the most recalled cars, but that was 1976. This is a 1978 and by then, the bugs were all worked out and these proved to be good solid performers.
My grandmother moved in with us in 1995 and brought her 77 Aspen with 26,000 original miles on it. It still had plastic on the back seats.
Awesome memories, wish they would bring back 5he cars.
You're right after 1977 these were solid, comfortable, good-handling, and pretty economical cars. Chrysler was the first US manufacturer to use a locking torque converter for better gas mileage. Plus, you can't beat that Hillcrest Plaid interior!
Hahaha, my '79 Volare had that plaid interior as well. Ah that car was cheap and fun for being my mid 80s ride!
They seemed like a good option for your money too! I watched all the Aspen dealer promos, and the car seems to have an abundance of standard features and nice interior options for its time, especially when compared to competitors.
I'll take the 4 speed overdrive for even better economy!
Dang that Aspen super coupe looks wicked love it.
Great video ! My parents had a 1976 Dodge Aspen sedan it gave us reliable service we had it well over 12 years . The engine and transmission out lasted the body. CHEERS 🍻
The Aspec Coupe looks good. A modern 5.7 or 6.4 Hemi swap would be awesome . I also love that you could get a 4 speed manual
Thank you for not only preserving this automotive history, but sharing it with us.
more film coming in about 8 weeks.....great Buick and Oldsmobile Stuff from the 1960's and more of these Chrysler Films....some already uploaded by me years ago but again in better restoration job..... Check out the 73 Plymouth vs. Chevy film I have on line....well, you'll see that soon, totally restored and in much clearer and better condition.
instaBlaster...
Cool looking, cheap and easy to work on !😎
There's a super coupe for sale near me in Maine. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. I've been driving by it every Saturday and sighing. I even stopped once to hug the car and tell it that I would always love it. No kidding. It has got to be the coolest thing I have ever seen. What I wouldn't give to be able to buy it.
i live in maine, where was it?
six years ago lol.
It's fun watching these old commercials, makes me think of what I grew up riding in, as a child.
Nice looking car overall. I've always preferred the 1976-77 Dodge Aspen. They're not perfect, even by 1970s' standards, but I've always found the 1976 and 77 to have the best looking front end of all the Aspen/Volares built.
The R/T looks pretty badass. This car was actually a success I believe. Nothing else was lok
My favorite dodge model.
Yeah! Optional CB! Would love to find one of the wagons with the full wood grain with a 360 and that CB.
My brother had an Aspen Super Coupe. It had the goofy rainbow stripe, dark brown, metallic flake paint on the doors and fenders, but the hood, top and trunk were a flat black.... I mean like a matt finish. So Armor All was used on the flat back and wax on the brown and stripe..... It was a bitch to wash and detail..... But, once all the emission shit was pulled, a cam, manifold and holly carb were installed, my bro had fun destroying Mustangs, Novas and Camaros .. He didn't win every time but loved that his little mopar sleeper could compete.... Thanks for brining us this vid..... Brings back some good memories of my crazy brother....
These really were great cars for the time.
CL, No, they were definitely not great cars. My friend's father bought an Aspen around 1980 and the gas tank simply fell off on the highway. Thankfully nobody was hurt. A neighbor had the transmission fail in his new Volare wagon The Valiant and Dart which preceded them were really reliable cars by the standards of the day. The law of averages means some people had a decent ownership experience but generally these cars were the poster children for Chrysler's notorious mediocrity which began in the late 70s. By the 1990s you were more likely to see an old Valiant or Dart on the road than a Volare or Aspen which says it all.
I know this is late comment but I really enjoy these vids and looking at the cars and scenery gives a sense of adventure
ive wanted one of these for a long time, still do. my favorite is the sedan version.
I had a '79 Volare slant 6 sedan in high school, it got me everywhere and never stranded me once. It was actually ordered by the state gov't to transfer prisoners, so it had the heavy duty suspension for a stiffened ride.
Damn....lol I remember them...very nice 👌...my friend had one...great car..especially the station wagon...I loved to have one
The Super Coupe and R/T are quite rare, but even rarer than either was the Street Kit Car package, or which just 140 were built.
I owned a 79 Aspen R/T and I found out by running the #'s it had the little red express 360 in it from the factory
E58 engine code? That would be cool! My only experience with that engine were in ex-cop car '79 R body Newports that the Iowa State Patrol had used during the time and auctioned off to the public in the early 80s. Pretty lively sedans for the time that weighed 4400 lbs and could run 16.6s in the 1/4 mile and top out at 120mph. Braking on the other hand, a bit sketchy at 212 feet from 70mph-yes the car had a placard in the glovebox that it had a certified braking distance of 212 feet from 70 mph.
I had a 1979 four door Dodge Aspen SE with slant 6 3 speed auto. Junked it rusted frame, no wheel covers left, faded paint, a/c compressor fried, head liner falling, driver side window no longer would roll down or up 126,000 miles on it. Was not a bad car.
Heh.
Decent cars. I remember a few Police Departments in the U.S and Canada used these
Quite true. The Toronto Police had piles of them, and even more when you count the number of Diplomat/Caravelle's they had. Same car really.
In México the four Doors sedan v8 Was used as highway patrol car, and the slant six ones were the taxis.
My first car was a 1979 Dodge Aspen 2 door with the super six in it that thing was such a reliable car and it just loved the beating I gave it I have had other cars that would not even take a 1/4 of the beating I gave that car. I wish I still owned it but a friend of mine has a 1979 Aspen R/T that needed parts and pieces so I sold it to him as a parts car to build his R/T
Yo me enseñé a manejar en el coupé año 1978 en México 🇲🇽 (acá era Dodge Dart) solo que era transmisión manual de 3 velocidades a la columna de dirección. Varios recuerdos 👍
these were GREAT cars, both Aspens and Volare's, I owned quite a few coupes and wagons, my fav was a burgundy Volare premier wagon, w/318 and 4 speed overdrive, i had Cragers all around, white lettered tires, air shocks and yellow "slapper bars". I made a ton of money on each and every one of them. All told, i owned 9 of them, sure would like to have that wagon again, now that "long roofs" are popular
They had teething problems early on but nothing fundamentally wrong with the car, it was quality issues.....they went on to become very good solid cars and the LeBarons, Gran Fury, Fifth Ave and Diplomat served Chrysler well right up till 1990
Thank you and feel free to share other clips like this if you have more !
I’ll take mine in Hillcrest Plaid , I’ve got several accompanying suits!
Really, really like your site... living history!
With the technology available today, and if I had the money and means, I'd be able to work out the bugs that the 1976 F-Bodies had when they were first produced, so getting a 1976 Aspen R/T would be no problem at all.
"accurate to within sixty seconds a month"!? I'm dying!
Filmed in amazing ultra red filtre
yep, I know, but this will be coming down very soon as my 8mm stock gets restored. Cars first, then truck films. It's a very expensive process and the only offset I have is puny renumerations from Adsense dollars here. I felt it was more important to upload it even with the redness so people could enjoy it. I saved these films since 1980, pulled them litereally out of the trash bin
This 70s music had me looking for the pizza guy at the door but the girl had no money to pay?? Anyone else?
My employer bought a new Gaspen Super Coupe in '78. Ditched the lean burn and we put headers on it. Was still a dog that looked like a bloated Dart Sport. Also remember the abundance of rust on the underside,car was just months old.
360?
OsbornTramain E58 cop motor.
Ah the seventies, they would rust as fast as lightning. The big three would leave a trail of rust chips as they lumbered down the road.
Thank you for saving and sharing these!
More to come in the next few weeks.....Diplomat and Colts and Vans
Had an R/T, loaded wagon, 360/4, both.
I have both a 79 aspen rt and Plymouth volare duster same year. My volare has original everything the motor and trans will outlast the body for sure! The aspen has a 360 with a fat cam both have reupholstered interior. My biggest complaint is that I don’t drive my other cars as much! these late F body’s we’re slept on it’s a shame!
It's too bad they had a poor launch, but honestly I thought they were a really good car for the times.
Great vídeo. Is hard to ser how those cars failed with such a uniques features here, better thanks Ford por GM. I do not understand, what a shame.
I don't understand why you think these cars failed? They sold a significant number of these cars and the basic mechanical aspects of these cars were in production form until 1989. they proved very successful for Chrysler.
0:24, yeah....if I could imagine what almost everything looked like in the 70’s, that’s what I see. All that brown and orange, especially that house!
I remember these commercials
These almost made it to production with Turbine engines. I was vary disappointed and they had the variable pitch power turbine that made them tire smoken sleepers. To bad the company was dying and was afraid to invest in projects.
Sadly the Carter Administration Government Backed Loan Guarantee, required Chrysler to turn over all work on the Turbine to NASA. It was slated for production in 1981 as an available engine option
"and on this model we have the Hillcrest Plaid.........why are you throwing up?"
Plaid ruled in the 70s. Every self-respecting automaker offered plaid upholstery .
Remember how plaid suits would make your TV buzz back in the 70s?
VW still offers plaid in 2017
Why yes, as a matter of fact yes i do remember that.... Do YOU remember the stupid fine print at the very bottom of the screen ? No way you were gonna read it - and how bad that buzzed too ?
Firecriss - OMG! The plaid... (actually tartan) A plaid is a specific pattern to a Scottish family.
I threw up on a couple of those seats!!! LOL
Girl at my school had a Volare Road Runner. Yeah nothing compared to the original speed wise but was still a cool looking car
what type of music this is..it's not disco..but what's the genre...i always love these since the mr..roger neighborhood and such
Very Good Question, I honestly don't know, I always think of it as Game Show Music, used when they are showing the products that could be won. lol
lol
I would guess it's something like Muzak, you know, elevator music but I'm sure these were probably just generic tracks that were applied. I'd like to know where they got it from also...
As for the genre, you're guess is as good as mine, it kind of resembles the stuff that David Shire made for Saturday Night Fever.
Look up sounds of the supermarket
Lots of very similar song's
BigWheel - Thanks for the heads-up! I have it playing right now! Easy Listening genre!
dope
he vsito casi todos los videocomerciales de autos de este canal y lo que mas me llama la atención es la discriminación que tenían a california; ford, chevrolet ,dodge , chrysler etcc . not available in california , que les hicieron (your money was not whort )
I wiil have to check out my fenders, will let you know if they are rusted
Does that thing have a hemi?
How's your Aspen?!
The pre 76 Darts and Dusters were better cars
my mom owned 2 dusters one with slant 6 3 speed one with 318 automatic trans both were nice
Good times
Was all music from the 70s off key?
I don’t get that front suspension, I think the traditional torsion would be better.
I bought a new 1976 Aspen R/T coupe and it was a dog! It was a 318 and 4 speed version in Jamaica Blue Metallic with white bucket seat interior. yes it had blue stripes and R/T insignia. It ran ok but was no performance car. A 258ci 4 speed Gremlin X could run away and hide from it. The car was so bad i kept it less than a year.
Holy crap. A 318 with a 4-speed sounds like a lively package. I had a Hornet with a 258 and it was no powerhouse.
Agree, hmmmm, I wonder if the timing was off on it? My Dad's '73 318 Coronet had no issues outrunning my grandmother's '71 Delta 88 rocket 350. BUt his car was in top tune set up by an enthusiast Mopar guy, grandma's may have been conservatively tuned by the old guy that regularly tuned it up for her.
Interesting display, no symbol for fuel and which side of the car the tank is on, it just says GASOLINE
I don't think that was invented yet, that's a relatively new feature on vehicles.
OsbornTramain just think it’s odd that they wrote Gasoline instead of fuel, kinda of an odd Mopar touch
I love my super coupe
Too bad I can’t find any of these things for sale
Me gusta el carro; un Dodge Aspen; es mejor qué el Ford Fairmont; es un excelente automóvil; prefiero más con el motor 318 V8; transmisión manual o automática; frenos de disco en las cuatro ruedas; Aire Acondicionado; le hizo competencia al Ford Fairmont; también me gusta el Dodge Aspen SE; de cuatro puertas; vidrios eléctricos; motor 318 V8 de fabrica; transmisión automática frenos de disco en las cuatro ruedas; también me gusta la ranchera; saludos y buenas noches.
No wonder the US came up with a war on drugs, this commercial clearly shows there was a problem with drugs
why do you hate America?
Aristocratic!!!
there is a 79 aspen rt in great shape in my area for 2,800 should i buy it i've never seen one i think it would be great for a pro touring or drag car :)
Not if you'd be chopping it up; they're pretty rare. Running right, cleaned up and polished, it'd be a great cruiser; different than the Camaros and Mustangs that EVERYBODY else has, and with actual, HUMAN space inside.
NiiTr0GeN Bl4sTz - If you’re wanting a unique Pro Touring coupe... I say hell yes! I think it’d be badass! I think they were still body on frame, so your imagination is the limit.
They were never body-on-frame
Check for rust. If it is clean , it's a great platform to do a restomod. I had a '76 Volare w/ 318 and 4speed manual on the floor w/ 4th gear overdrive. I loved that car!...25 mpg on the highway.
what was the recall for
There were a few recalls, it was the most recalled car ever at the time, GM and Toyota have since broken that record many times over....but it was all in the first year.....The big expensive recall was the rusting front fenders where were all replaced on cars. It was extremely expensive to do that..body work, paint..etc etc. It was a simple fix, putting in a plastic shield to keep the muck from building up in the fenders
The Super coupe is always parked.
likely because it couldn't start.
I could see that, not everyone was keen on repairing the old Lean Burn systems and the fussy carbs at the time. My father's '79 ex-cop Newport lean burn computer for some reason wouldn't die. The lean burn computer in his car actually lived on in two other Chryslers for many, many years after it was removed from his (he totaled it).
Nice 70s porn music.
Funny
Baby making music.
They were good car's at 1970s standards but by this time the Japanese were taking over the small car market
Not so sure I agree with this. The American Companies weren't in the small car market. Prior to the 1980's, you had Gremlin, Vega and Pinto, that was it...and the Japanese cars. As Americans moved to smaller cars due to the Arab Oil Embargo and also the recession of 1975 and 1979, The American Car Companies began to make small cars (very late 1970's). The went in, in a big way. K Cars, Omni and Horizon, Ford Escort, GM X cars and J Cars and AMC with the Alliance and Encore. They were everywhere and accounted for a major share of the small car market. American Share of the overall USA car market began to shrink in the 1980's, but that doesn't mean Japanese took over the small car market. The Japanese also started to move up into the compact and intermediate car market as well to compete head to head with the American and European car companies..
@@OsbornTramain the pinto and Vega were in production by the mid 70s unfortunately the were not very good car's
@@oscarwalton1188 yes, my point being in 1971, those were the only three American Small cars. the shift started in the late 70's with products that were far superior to them. The Small car market by default in the USA in the 60's was 100% foreign cars.....you're point about the Japanese taking over the market is not what I agree with because the market was entirely Japanese and European prior to 1970......When the USA did get into the market, they got into it in a big way. The Vega, Pinto and Gremlin may not have been good cars, but they sold about 5 million copies of them before the USA started making better small cars in the late 70's. If anything the Japanese actually lost a foot hold for a bit in the 70's when they faced more competition from Europe and the USA in that small car market.
The Japanese cars back then were just like the ones today...terribly ok very rated. My grandmother had a 1962 Chevrolet impala 327 4bbl that was the proverbial "little old lady's car". She got scared she couldn't afford to put gas in it so she traded it in for a datsun b210 sedan that was the biggest pos ever to roll on 4 wheels. You needed a stick of dynamite to start it on a cold day and the tiny 4 cylinder engine was so underpowered, it used more fuel than the impala.
That lean burn ignition system was a absolute joke. U don't put the ignition box on the air cleaner horrible spot where it doesn't get air flowing just 2 keep it cool. Lousy engineering on Mopars goofs!
Lean Burn was far from a joke, it was a pioneering technology. The Joke was back yard mechanics trying to repair or replace it on a 10 or 15 year old car with out proper training, books or tools. Our 77 Diplomat 318 with Lean Burn ran flawlessly for 14 years. We sold it at that point. Lean Burn is the basis of all computer control technology on cars today. Series I which was "optional equipment" had some inherit problems but was only on the 400 Engine and only in the Chrysler models as an "option" Series II introduced and rolled out over three years in 1977 was far superior. This video highlights the Series II product, not the Series I product.
I knocked up 3 women in my dodge Aspen