@@ekop1778 They were buying them dirt cheap from auctions. They could just respray them when different movies or TV shows came along. They were a dime a dozen. They used the Ex-LAPD Matadors in Movies for years
Holy cow! In the early 80’s I was in my 20’s and piss poor and in bad need of a ride. I went to the Oregon State police auction in Salem where they had a couple of dozen these in this exact package. White on gold. I bid $200 for a low mileage (56k) and it cost a fortune to keep rear tires on it. 0-60 was a smoke show but 40-100 was a blast! The one car I wish I had never sold.
Before the Crown Victoria/Caprice, there was this and the Fury. So nice to see one of these in good shape, giving how rare classic police cars are nowadays in functional condition. That's a piece of history right there.
You gotta go a little further back before you had a 1978 Dodge Monaco to a 1990 Ford Crown Victoria and Chevy Caprice. You are missing the 1980s interim vehicles
@@torque-ej4nu they sure did but the MOST popular police car in the 1980s was the Diplomat/Gran Fury AND the cheapest. The Crown Victoria didnt seriously win police bids until 1989 when the Diplomat was discontinued. The Caprice 9C1 as well wasnt a big seller until the same year, 1987. The real unicorns for police cars are the one you didnt expect like Delta 88s(B body then H bodies), Cutlass(G bodies and then W bodies), Bonneville G bodies, Bonneville H bodies, Malibu G bodies.
Again two new not a cop engine it's all.smogged out with pollution garbage moter cant pull.or breathe.. a real cop car was a 1968 coronet that's a ass hauler.the younger generation never saw infotinutly the stuff mopar had back then if the did they would be scared shittles
Mine was a '73 Coronet, same body shell with slightly different trim, but mine was a 225 slant six with three-on-the-tree. I really loved The Green Latrine.
That’s great you have one of those! 1978 was the last year for the 440 in cop cars. After that, a 360 was around for another year or two then it was the 318 till the end in 1989. Read an article once that said many CHP Officers were extremely disappointed with the Mopars after ‘78, thus the term “Big Block Withdrawals” was coined. It wasn’t until 1982 when the Ford Mustangs came about that the CHP had something that could give them a little performance that was needed to run the pace to capture the moving violations of the motoring public.
The transmissions they put behind those pursuit engines, and the torsion bar suspension up front. And the sound a thermoquad Carter made when the secondaries opened. Smell of rose put to sound... Congratulations
They are fun! I used to have a '77 Fury Pursuit with the 400 240hp motor, also white with a tan interior, but mine had vinyl seats and rubber floor. This was my first Mopar and it taught me about ballast resistors. Then I bought a 1980 Gran Fury, 360 4bbl unmarked car that actually felt stronger than the 77, partly because Chrysler had started using higher stall speed converters. Later I had an '87 Diplomat Police.
I was an explorer with my local sheriff,”’s department in the late 70s. The department still had some 75 B-bodies with 400 4 barrels as spares. When gas got expensive, the shop plugged the secondaries to purportedly save money. A reserve deputy I occasionally road with took one home a couple of days before a weekend shift, tuned it up and rebuilt the carb. With the less-than-aerodynamic dual light bar/siren/plaquards and a still well worn motor, it would hit an honest 110 and ran quicker than the 400 2V LTD IIs and the 79 LTDs with 351W 2V 139 HP cars that were main line in the road patrol fleet at that time. Great video featuring a great car.
I believe that as my father had a '79 R body Newport ex-state cop car with the E58 360 and it ran pretty decent off the line and would go an honest 118 mph+.
Love these Monacos, they would still be great police cars today. The old retired guys on every department talk fondly about the Monacos from this era. So many good cars from the 60s and 70s that we cant match today. With the death of the Charger, there is nothing left to compare.
When I was a kid I remember seeing an article on this car in Car & Driver magazine. Loved the car it looked mean. Now I know its exact spec thanks to these guys. Thank you for enlightening me! Dave from UK
These cars were definitely no joke. As a kid growing up in the 80s I always enjoyed seeing them on The A-Team or Hunter....and they could really light up the tires to be sure!! You're right, they definitely wrecked too many of them. That and combined with their hard use in police service really makes them rare....you were Very lucky to find this one. Congrats!
its not rare. Its common to find a Monaco, Fury or coronet police car or 4 door. What makes it rare is the 440, which really isn't "Rare" by any means.
@Adrian Vegas they aren't trust me, i can still pick them up for 1500-3500 in no rust condition. and thats with a 360, and 440 the 77 and 78 are by no means going extinct. Look at the production numbers.
@Adrian Vegas finding a 440 police car isnt like finding a SS 396, or a K code 289 65 mustang, or a yenko, or shelby. rare is not by how much they buy them for, its how many there are, and there are alot of 77-78 monaco's, Furys, and coronets, and their kin by the Chrysler Corporation.
I don't know if i'm more impressed with that 1978 Dodge Monaco or the couple driving it. Wow what a great couple. They both have a passion for automobiles that it makes me so jealous. Great video.
When I was 20 in 82 I had a 77 Monaco Pursuit that was light blue with the nicer interior. I went to a junk yard and stripped out a regular Monaco for it's cloth power seat, matching rear seat and door panels, I had it for about a year then ended up trading it to a guy at work for a tricked out 72 Chevy Luv. Prior to that I had a 75 Plymouth Fury, which looked exactly like it except for round headlights and a 318 engine. That Monaco and a 69 Polara convertible are two of three cars that I wish I'd never got rid of. The other was my first car, that I had bought in high school which was a 70 Chevelle. If we only knew back then...
Thank you. This brings me back to my first car in high school. My Monaco was a retired Iowa state trooper with blue Interior with a shotgun mount on the dash that didn't work. 440 intercper 747 torcflight transmission heavy duty suspension. It could pass anything on the road except for gas stations lol I loved that car. In 1989 I was in the process of restoring it and rebuilding the 440 When I lost it in a garage fire. I miss that Monaco
In the summer of 1981, a green 1978 Dodge Monaco 4-Door Sedan like this car was the first car I ever drove. I was a high school student and the city-owned Monaco was used for driver's training. It had an additional brake pedal on the passenger side of the front seat for the training instructor. We began our training by driving very slowly around a Kmart parking lot.
Thanks, for commenting... We kind of MOPAR FAMILY, ETC. ( my first new Car purchase: 70 CORONET 500/383 turquoise)), our in Laws::bunch of Polara’s ( one SPECIAL HD), Monaco’s, Aspens, )....
@@opera93 My grandfather had a 1925 Dodge Brothers Coupe before he was married, then he bought a new 1935 Plymouth 4-Door sedan. That Plymouth was replaced with a new 1950 Dodge Coronet 4-Door Sedan. As an elderly man he drove a used 1972 Chrysler Newport Royal 4-Door Sedan.
I’ve only ever seen 2 of the civilian spec sedans up here in Canada the last 10 or more years. Most of these that weren’t destroyed by tv shows dissolved in the winters up here. Still a cool car and if you’ve got the right parts you can still make the 318 scream pretty good
Great looking Monaco, great find. The interior is almost perfect and the dash ain't cracked, as a Mopar lover, whatever you paid was well worth it. Cool that your wife shares the passion, that's rare in todays world.
Cool video, Tom & Elana! I also have a '78 E86 440 A38 Monaco of my very own that actually never saw service! A Tennessee car believed to be originally ordered new by a Fire Dept, but was rejected by them upon arrival at the dealer because it had been optioned wrong... Such as not having A/C! So, the dealer placed it in their regular inventory and sold it to a private owner where it changed hands a few times until I ended up with it 10 years ago! Like yourselves, I always wanted a car like this also!
Bad ass video Elana & Tom! This car is in EXCELLENT CONDITION for any police vehicle from that era!! It was definitely not used for patrol duty. The dash shows no signs of being modified for the usual police equipment of the late 70's. GREAT FIND!!!
Was that posi!!! Those 440’s were monsters! In my family Dad traded a beautiful 64 Imperial Crown Coupe in on a new Chrysler Town&Country Beach Wagon. That he ordered special for the additional children Mom an Dad had planned, after myself, a sister an brother, there was not enough room in the Imperial, so before minivans families bought 9 passenger wagons! This one was a beauty in dark metallic maroon with matching leather interior, every option and power everything. Towing package with hitch, wiring and a decent 3:09 posi trac! But best of all? A honking 440/4 brl dual exhaust Commando engine, marked 375 hp on the air cleaner! Plus rated at 475 lbs. ft. torque! That car could light up BOTH rear tires and not only bury the speedometer, but send the needle past the 120, into the clock to the right all the way to 3 o’clock!!! With the engine screaming! All 6 of us siblings learned how to drive in that car. Dad used it to tow the families 5,500lb wooden Lyman inboard Chrysler 440 boat, lime it wasn’t there! In 1976, when I came home after Honorable Discharge, Dad let me use the car as a daily driver, for about 6 months! Dad finally sold that car with 160,000 hard but trouble free miles, in 1982, after we were all done with it! The only problem we had with that car, other than gas, tires, brakes, oil was freeze plugs! One alternator and a starter! That was it! Ran strong till the day Dad sold it to a proud immigrant family with 6 kids also! Mater of fact Dad just about gave the father that car! I remember seeing it running around for years after! Very strong durable car! Built like pickups are now!
Hello there! I'm 48 and have recently been rewatching The A-Team, my favourite childhood programme. I've always liked the military police cars that always seemed to end up on their roofs - and I also remember them from TJ Hooker and Dukes of Hazzard, so I finally decided to look them up as I never knew what they were. This was the first video that came up when I typed Dodge Monaco.... well done, what a survivor! I so would love to own one... but it's a tough call. I live in Malta in the Mediterranean (we've always had American cop shows on our TV - in original English not dubbed) and though there's a healthy US car collector scene here (mostly Corvettes and Mustangs - though one guy has a collection of TV car replicas) locating, importing and maintaining a car like this would be too complicated. But thanks for the video - really nice to see one of these cars still looking and driving so well!
I had a 78 Monaco brougham 2 door with a vinyl top, split bench butterscotch seats. I loved that car, when asked what was my favorite over all car and it is the Monaco. Congrats on your purchase. Oh at the time owned it I was a volunteer firefighter and ran the car with a light bar, loved driving the speed limit on the highway.
Greetings from France! I like Dodge Monaco and Plymouth Fury with this body, my favorite chase cars in the 80's TV series like Hunter, the A-team etc... Thank you very much for your video!
I'm playing catchup now. As a new subscriber, I'm enjoying all your older videos. Thank you Elana & Tom @Challengeher for the informative presentation. I think you two work very well together, complementing each other with titbits of info about each car, and facts about how it was "back in the day" ... keep up the great work. Love the little chirps at 16:17 & 16:31 ... not many cars can do that =)
Drove one just like that one in late '77 and '78. Sitting still they just rumbled and shook, ever so slightly. That 440 rocked me to sleep more than once working the graveyard shift running radar on the highway. Relax, I always woke up right away. These were much more nimble and quick than the '76 and earlier versions. We had these with the 383 and the 440, and those of us with seniority got the 440's. That's how fun they were. The front suspensions were prone to issues, though.
I picked up a 78 Monaco last thanksgiving. Ex county detectives car. Starlight blue, light blue interior. Not as clean as that one, but it lived it's entire life in WI. No rust. I attribute that to it being a county car kept in the county garage where it was washed every time it left and came back. Someone took the cop wheels and put these odd steel wheels in full chrome on. Like giant saucers, full chrome. The paint was faded, I spent two days with an orbital polisher and compound to save it, only original once! BEUTIFUL blue metallic color, that Starlight Blue. I have a non tilt wheel, but that means I got the much, much cooler tri spoke steering wheel with the little circle horn cap. Cop engine was a 400(no lean burn) but it is total trash, cracked head. I have a line on another ex police close by I want to get the drivetrain from plus some other goodies. Cop goodies may include: engine Rear end(some got 9.25 rear) 28" radiator (vs 21", it's HUGE) HD transmission cooler Trans temp gauge 140mph speedo($$$$) Full gauges Bigger brakes(wider drums in back, discs in front) Sway bars(not nearly as common as they are now days) 3.23 traction lok rear Cop wheels(usually 15x7) "Map" light on the ceiling up front(shown in video) Pretty sure I missed something, maybe the alternator.... The Dodge emblem was a decal on the trunk, and built into the front grill May or may not have had a Monaco decal on the driver side trunk To anyone wondering about acceleration- first gear in a 727 is pretty tall, and some of these cars came with 2.76 gears. No overdrive remember. These will do 40mph in first, so they might not get off the line so well. But on the highway, once you get going into the 30mph range, it is like a rocket, it pulls and pulls. Sure, obviously 40 years later there are faster cars. Duh. But there is a fun factor to these old cars that will never be replicated.
That car was most likely kept for the detective unit of a police department or any related government agency that had access to purchase and used similar vehicles. Regardless, it’s an amazing time capsule. That electronic spark control/lean burn was a dysfunctional nuisance and almost always swithced over to regular electronic ignition. Having driven numerous HP 440, 360 and 318 cars, Mopars were by far the best of the bunch back then. Flip the lid on the air cleaner of any 440 with a thermoquad and I swear you can see the hood buckle when those secondaries open up. Great video. Enjoy that ride, she’s a beauty.
Better drivetrain. Better brakes. Better suspension. Mopar police cars were a total package. Back in 78 car&driver had high praise for this car. Made me smile when you lit em up
I had a 1978 Plymouth Fury, RL41U8A..., just as yours is WL..., the U means 440 high performance ( higher lift cam, high stall converter etc). E86 was the engine code. I regret selling it in 1987 for 750 Canadian, just so I could go back to university and screw up yet another year. Yours is so clean. No rust. Envy.
Oh wow, love that car, I remember seeing these and Plymouth furys in a lot of television shows back when I was a kid and I'm also a big fan of the R-bodied Dodge St. Regis and the R-bodied Plymouth fury, I own a 2001 Ford Crown Victoria P71 and they're very popular cars as well😊😊❤❤👍👍
Fantastic! I wanted one of these for pretty much the same reasons you mentioned, from aged 8 - well, I'm 44 now, and I found one last year. Not a police package like yours, but a civilian 318, still, they are awesome menacing cars and I'm excited for you ! Great vid and great car!
Oh My God that was the car that I loved and wish I had growing up. I still love it. You are so lucky you found that 1978 Monaco/Fury 440 Police Spec. Good luck with it I hope you enjoy it.
I love how you guys did the 80's car chase stuff at the end! Peel out then, perfect! "Get on it again like your going after the violator" - felt like we were about to go Code 3 in the 1980s. Love it! I truly wish I could own one of those. Always loved the 78 Fury...
These old Mopars can run forever, they used to build them in Australia. Best car I've ever owned and will never sell the old girl. They put most modern cars to shame . The police here swore by them, our cars were A body based . Mate had a 1979 highway patrol cm Glx with a 318 , 360 heads factory. Very fast car and would leave my ls1 behind.
I love you guys !! That car is so much up my alley.1978, I had drivers ed in one of those, and like Tom, I wanted one so bad. I had to settle for a 73 Coronet Custom. I know Tom cringed at beginning of Beverly Hills Cop when they were smashing those babies with the big GMC Semi, lol lol. They even smashed the little Diplomats. CPD put awesome heat in those cars and they starts every time, especially in the cold. good find & luck !!!!!
just found your channel,....wow this car is so nice,...the pattern in the seat material,..wow !,.i also found out that,....you are one lucky dude Tom,......Elana is so COOL,...a 10 !!!! thanx for sharing this video,...cant wait to see the others.
Excellent video! Loved watching these on telly back in the day here in the UK. Oooh yes and that Thermoquad moan.........I quite like the frontend styling of the '74 Coronet.
Back in Mass, I had a buddy with a late 80s (88 or 89) Crown Vic with the 351 and old Mass State Police cruiser. I *think* it had a factory 4 barrel, it was a very cool car. Handled well, and could hit 120-125
I had a 78 Dodge Aspen Police Interceptor. It was a county sheriff car in Indiana. They took out the 360 and put a 440 in it from a wrecked 1971 Dodge Interceptor that the Aspen replaced. It could do mid 12's in the quarter with drag radials. It wasn't worth trying on regular street tires. I sold the motor and transmission and put a 340 in it. That was a perfect match.
This is Major! This is Real This is Deep! Might as well get it out in the open- This 1978 Dodge Monaco Police Pursuit Package 440 is More than a classic police car-More than a mid-century masterpiece-This is a national treasure in the highest order
thanks. Now I want my 73 Polara interceptor back again! Tennessee Highway Patrol had very few if any of the big block cars when I got my license, the small blocks couldn't get close to my 73.
I had two of them back in the early 80s, one was a black and white with blue interior,the other was beige with beige interior. Both were stripped down with the vinyl seats that probably still to this day are holding up,as I recall the one had the lean burn removed as well as some exhaust work,there were many corvettes and such that got a beating with that one,funny thing is back then it seemed fast but by todays standards many pick up trucks and suvs would run away from it. But back then it was funny to see how people would slow down as soon as I would come up behind them,there were still plenty of them in service when I had them.
When I was a kid, my home town's police force and fire dept ( chief, inspectors and marshalls ) all used Mopar police cars like this 1 but the Fury sister car. The city was under contract with Kirr/Hickman Chrysler/Plymouth from 72-87. These B cars replaced aging C body Fury 1 sedans. Those were 383 cars. Our police chief was a bit of a 'car guy' and ordered ALL the cop cars with the 440s, and every HD part he could check off the list, even on patrol cars. They kept them as long as possible. Wrecked cars were kept for spare parts. Eventually R body 360 4bbl cars replaced some of them, then we got the M bodies with the 318 4bbl. After 88, the city switched to the Caprice and soon after Fords. Now all we have are Fords, mostly the Explorers. When the fire chief retired in 89, the city let him have the bright red 78 Fury he puttered around in as a parting gift. It had just 56k on it and was in incredible condition.
My first car was an Australian 1978 Chrysler Valiant with 4.0 litre six which just missed on the ELB feedback carburettor system this has. The 318 V8 version already had it but the sixes didn't receive it until the slightly revised version later that year. The sixes really responded well to the ELB system, recording remarkable fuel economy figures over the older ones.
Little known fact, this car could be ordered in canada with lean burn and cat delete but only for leo's. Hot car of the day. Freind of mine did a full blown resto on that very (canadian) model. I personally was riding shotgun when he hit 135 and STILL going.... impressive for the day.
Really love the car. Always wanted to have one since I watched "Hunter" in the 80s :). I had a -94 Chevy Caprice 9C1 with the LT1-engine for a couple of years. Thats a great car too and one of the few police cars that can match this one for top speed and acceleration.
That’s true! I have basically the same car. A 1976 Coronet retired CHP police car. It is as long as my 69 Charger. It doesn’t look like it but in person, the front end huge!
I’ve wanted one of these for years. Back in 1997 I nearly bought a 78 440 Coronet police car as my first car...way back then they were still around. I kick myself every time I think about it.
I've just bought a 70 'Cuda 340 with a 440 HP, I wasn't so excited about that swap but upon running the numbers, it's from a 78 car made in Lynch Road, so a 78 Fury or Monaco, which means a Police Patrol car. I can't wait to try it ! The car is a project so I haven't been able to test it yet but it runs and drives.
Elana has more balls behind the wheel than 95% of all Corvette owners - Hats off to you! Very very cool car, love old cop cars all types.
NO SHE DOES NOT...WHATS WRONG WITH YOU!
This lady has the "car geek" thing only really true car guys have. My mind was blown. She's awesome!
THESE CARS WERE USED IN A LOT OF TV SHOWS DUKES OF HAZZARD ATEAM TJ HOOKER ETC
@@ekop1778 They were buying them dirt cheap from auctions. They could just respray them when different movies or TV shows came along. They were a dime a dozen. They used the Ex-LAPD Matadors in Movies for years
Yes, I would definitely work for her.
She works for car magazines and has for years, so would have a lot of first-hand knowledge.
@@culcune She is an amazing writer.
Holy cow! In the early 80’s I was in my 20’s and piss poor and in bad need of a ride. I went to the Oregon State police auction in Salem where they had a couple of dozen these in this exact package. White on gold. I bid $200 for a low mileage (56k) and it cost a fortune to keep rear tires on it. 0-60 was a smoke show but 40-100 was a blast! The one car I wish I had never sold.
Before the Crown Victoria/Caprice, there was this and the Fury. So nice to see one of these in good shape, giving how rare classic police cars are nowadays in functional condition. That's a piece of history right there.
You gotta go a little further back before you had a 1978 Dodge Monaco to a 1990 Ford Crown Victoria and Chevy Caprice.
You are missing the 1980s interim vehicles
@@broncomcbane6382 A lot of 1980s Diplomats out here in CA. I think 318 4BBL
@@bananaspartan2234 i ll have to take a look. What website
@@broncomcbane6382 they had crown vics and caprices all the way thru the 80s dude.
@@torque-ej4nu they sure did but the MOST popular police car in the 1980s was the Diplomat/Gran Fury AND the cheapest.
The Crown Victoria didnt seriously win police bids until 1989 when the Diplomat was discontinued. The Caprice 9C1 as well wasnt a big seller until the same year, 1987.
The real unicorns for police cars are the one you didnt expect like Delta 88s(B body then H bodies), Cutlass(G bodies and then W bodies), Bonneville G bodies, Bonneville H bodies, Malibu G bodies.
"Cop engine, cop suspension, cop lights..." sounds like the beginning of a certain Blues Brother movie.
"It's dark out and we're wearing sunglasses." ;-)
@@anthonyc1883
Full tank of gas, half pack a' cigarettes and 110 miles. Hit it.
Again two new not a cop engine it's all.smogged out with pollution garbage moter cant pull.or breathe.. a real cop car was a 1968 coronet that's a ass hauler.the younger generation never saw infotinutly the stuff mopar had back then if the did they would be scared shittles
Blues Brothers car was a 1974 Dodge Monaco.
@@clintadams8451 yep
I have a '78 Monaco also. Mine is a California Highway Patrol car. Love these cars, absolutely the greatest of the great. -David
TODAYS CARS ARE PLASTIC AND SELF DRIVING JUNKS THAT LAST A MONTH BEFORE BREAKING DOWN
Mine was a '73 Coronet, same body shell with slightly different trim, but mine was a 225 slant six with three-on-the-tree. I really loved The Green Latrine.
For fun i would put a 650+bhp Tesla drive unit in it and also reckon the full Tesla battery pack modules would disappear in there too :):)
That’s great you have one of those! 1978 was the last year for the 440 in cop cars. After that, a 360 was around for another year or two then it was the 318 till the end in 1989. Read an article once that said many CHP Officers were extremely disappointed with the Mopars after ‘78, thus the term “Big Block Withdrawals” was coined. It wasn’t until 1982 when the Ford Mustangs came about that the CHP had something that could give them a little performance that was needed to run the pace to capture the moving violations of the motoring public.
@@kylereese4822 AINT GONNA DRIVE A TESTICLE MAN
CHEAP JUNKS WITH ION BATTERYS THAT BLOW UP
Back when I was younger I saw many of these grilles in my rearview mirror.
UA-cam algorithms recommended Elana and a unique old Mopar. Nice.
Algorithms...lol
Dream car for me, greetings from the UK 🇬🇧
The transmissions they put behind those pursuit engines, and the torsion bar suspension up front. And the sound a thermoquad Carter made when the secondaries opened. Smell of rose put to sound... Congratulations
747 TorqeFlite? Absolutely bullet proof.
@@richardmerriam7044" 727" torqeflite...
@@dang223434 All big blocks had it. There was no other option for an automatic.
You could hear the engine intake a mile away with the siren off. Very reassuring to hear it and know the calvary was coming.
They are fun! I used to have a '77 Fury Pursuit with the 400 240hp motor, also white with a tan interior, but mine had vinyl seats and rubber floor. This was my first Mopar and it taught me about ballast resistors. Then I bought a 1980 Gran Fury, 360 4bbl unmarked car that actually felt stronger than the 77, partly because Chrysler had started using higher stall speed converters. Later I had an '87 Diplomat Police.
I feel somehow that I know you...
I was an explorer with my local sheriff,”’s department in the late 70s. The department still had some 75 B-bodies with 400 4 barrels as spares. When gas got expensive, the shop plugged the secondaries to purportedly save money. A reserve deputy I occasionally road with took one home a couple of days before a weekend shift, tuned it up and rebuilt the carb. With the less-than-aerodynamic dual light bar/siren/plaquards and a still well worn motor, it would hit an honest 110 and ran quicker than the 400 2V LTD IIs and the 79 LTDs with 351W 2V 139 HP cars that were main line in the road patrol fleet at that time. Great video featuring a great car.
I believe that as my father had a '79 R body Newport ex-state cop car with the E58 360 and it ran pretty decent off the line and would go an honest 118 mph+.
My favorite cop car of all time
Love these Monacos, they would still be great police cars today. The old retired guys on every department talk fondly about the Monacos from this era. So many good cars from the 60s and 70s that we cant match today. With the death of the Charger, there is nothing left to compare.
A friend of mine had a retired Highway Patrol Monaco and it was a beast.
When I was a kid I remember seeing an article on this car in Car & Driver magazine. Loved the car it looked mean. Now I know its exact spec thanks to these guys. Thank you for enlightening me! Dave from UK
“This is Sherrif Rosco P Coltrane going after the Duke boys!” 🤣🤣🤣
I thought of Roscoe as soon as I saw this LOL!!
So many of those were trashed in that show....
James Best. I met him at a restaurant once as he lived in the area. Very soft spoken gentleman. Real class.
Gkhuh-gkhuh-gkhuh! Hot pursuit, i love it! I love it!
Duke off hazzard. Love this car.
beautiful car!! nothing better than driving a car from the late 70's... greetings
I've wanted a late 70's Fury pursuit package car forever, this video just reinforced my need for one
Back in 1985 in high school, I had a ‘76 Grand Fury unmarked highway patrol car. 440 and a 140mph certified speedo. It was super fast!
These cars were definitely no joke. As a kid growing up in the 80s I always enjoyed seeing them on The A-Team or Hunter....and they could really light up the tires to be sure!! You're right, they definitely wrecked too many of them. That and combined with their hard use in police service really makes them rare....you were Very lucky to find this one. Congrats!
its not rare. Its common to find a Monaco, Fury or coronet police car or 4 door. What makes it rare is the 440, which really isn't "Rare" by any means.
@Adrian Vegas they aren't trust me, i can still pick them up for 1500-3500 in no rust condition. and thats with a 360, and 440 the 77 and 78 are by no means going extinct. Look at the production numbers.
@Adrian Vegas finding a 440 police car isnt like finding a SS 396, or a K code 289 65 mustang, or a yenko, or shelby.
rare is not by how much they buy them for, its how many there are, and there are alot of 77-78 monaco's, Furys, and coronets, and their kin by the Chrysler Corporation.
I don't know if i'm more impressed with that 1978 Dodge Monaco or the couple driving it. Wow what a great couple. They both have a passion for automobiles that it makes me so jealous. Great video.
When I was 20 in 82 I had a 77 Monaco Pursuit that was light blue with the nicer interior. I went to a junk yard and stripped out a regular Monaco for it's cloth power seat, matching rear seat and door panels, I had it for about a year then ended up trading it to a guy at work for a tricked out 72 Chevy Luv. Prior to that I had a 75 Plymouth Fury, which looked exactly like it except for round headlights and a 318 engine. That Monaco and a 69 Polara convertible are two of three cars that I wish I'd never got rid of. The other was my first car, that I had bought in high school which was a 70 Chevelle. If we only knew back then...
Thank you. This brings me back to my first car in high school. My Monaco was a retired Iowa state trooper with blue Interior with a shotgun mount on the dash that didn't work. 440 intercper 747 torcflight transmission heavy duty suspension. It could pass anything on the road except for gas stations lol
I loved that car. In 1989 I was in the process of restoring it and rebuilding the 440
When I lost it in a garage fire. I miss that Monaco
In the summer of 1981, a green 1978 Dodge Monaco 4-Door Sedan like this car was the first car I ever drove. I was a high school student and the city-owned Monaco was used for driver's training. It had an additional brake pedal on the passenger side of the front seat for the training instructor. We began our training by driving very slowly around a Kmart parking lot.
Thanks, for commenting... We kind of MOPAR FAMILY, ETC. ( my first new Car purchase: 70 CORONET 500/383 turquoise)), our in Laws::bunch of Polara’s ( one SPECIAL HD), Monaco’s, Aspens, )....
@@opera93 My grandfather had a 1925 Dodge Brothers Coupe before he was married, then he bought a new 1935 Plymouth 4-Door sedan. That Plymouth was replaced with a new 1950 Dodge Coronet 4-Door Sedan. As an elderly man he drove a used 1972 Chrysler Newport Royal 4-Door Sedan.
I’ve only ever seen 2 of the civilian spec sedans up here in Canada the last 10 or more years. Most of these that weren’t destroyed by tv shows dissolved in the winters up here. Still a cool car and if you’ve got the right parts you can still make the 318 scream pretty good
Had a few 318,s here in Uk - great drivetrain and as you said they can be made to really fly
Great looking Monaco, great find. The interior is almost perfect and the dash ain't cracked, as a Mopar lover, whatever you paid was well worth it.
Cool that your wife shares the passion, that's rare in todays world.
"But THIS car always caught THAT car".... I like the way you think brother 👍
The official police car of every 70s and 80s TV show and movie.
The smiles on both of you having a blast is amazing ! Good for you guys 😊
Cool video, Tom & Elana! I also have a '78 E86 440 A38 Monaco of my very own that actually never saw service! A Tennessee car believed to be originally ordered new by a Fire Dept, but was rejected by them upon arrival at the dealer because it had been optioned wrong... Such as not having A/C! So, the dealer placed it in their regular inventory and sold it to a private owner where it changed hands a few times until I ended up with it 10 years ago! Like yourselves, I always wanted a car like this also!
Bad ass video Elana & Tom! This car is in EXCELLENT CONDITION for any police vehicle from that era!! It was definitely not used for patrol duty. The dash shows no signs of being modified for the usual police equipment of the late 70's. GREAT FIND!!!
THIS IS A REAL CAR NOT LIKE THE SCHITTS OF TODAY
@@ekop1778 Todays cop cars will wipe this old Dodge out.
Was that posi!!! Those 440’s were monsters! In my family Dad traded a beautiful 64 Imperial Crown Coupe in on a new Chrysler Town&Country Beach Wagon. That he ordered special for the additional children Mom an Dad had planned, after myself, a sister an brother, there was not enough room in the Imperial, so before minivans families bought 9 passenger wagons! This one was a beauty in dark metallic maroon with matching leather interior, every option and power everything. Towing package with hitch, wiring and a decent 3:09 posi trac! But best of all? A honking 440/4 brl dual exhaust Commando engine, marked 375 hp on the air cleaner! Plus rated at 475 lbs. ft. torque! That car could light up BOTH rear tires and not only bury the speedometer, but send the needle past the 120, into the clock to the right all the way to 3 o’clock!!! With the engine screaming! All 6 of us siblings learned how to drive in that car. Dad used it to tow the families 5,500lb wooden Lyman inboard Chrysler 440 boat, lime it wasn’t there! In 1976, when I came home after Honorable Discharge, Dad let me use the car as a daily driver, for about 6 months! Dad finally sold that car with 160,000 hard but trouble free miles, in 1982, after we were all done with it! The only problem we had with that car, other than gas, tires, brakes, oil was freeze plugs! One alternator and a starter! That was it! Ran strong till the day Dad sold it to a proud immigrant family with 6 kids also! Mater of fact Dad just about gave the father that car! I remember seeing it running around for years after! Very strong durable car! Built like pickups are now!
So great to see old cop cars getting some love.
Sheriff Rosco and Rick Hunter would be proud of this beauty.
That looks like a constable or investigators old car being in that perfect of condition. Nice ride.
Hello there! I'm 48 and have recently been rewatching The A-Team, my favourite childhood programme. I've always liked the military police cars that always seemed to end up on their roofs - and I also remember them from TJ Hooker and Dukes of Hazzard, so I finally decided to look them up as I never knew what they were. This was the first video that came up when I typed Dodge Monaco.... well done, what a survivor! I so would love to own one... but it's a tough call. I live in Malta in the Mediterranean (we've always had American cop shows on our TV - in original English not dubbed) and though there's a healthy US car collector scene here (mostly Corvettes and Mustangs - though one guy has a collection of TV car replicas) locating, importing and maintaining a car like this would be too complicated. But thanks for the video - really nice to see one of these cars still looking and driving so well!
I had a 78 Monaco brougham 2 door with a vinyl top, split bench butterscotch seats. I loved that car, when asked what was my favorite over all car and it is the Monaco. Congrats on your purchase. Oh at the time owned it I was a volunteer firefighter and ran the car with a light bar, loved driving the speed limit on the highway.
Thanks for sharing!
This reminds me of Sheriff Roscoe P Coltrane From the Dukes Of Hazzard... Great find BTW!
I'm in HOT PURSIUT!! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! CUH JUH JUH!!
Greetings from France! I like Dodge Monaco and Plymouth Fury with this body, my favorite chase cars in the 80's TV series like Hunter, the A-team etc... Thank you very much for your video!
Cool! I once owned a 1975 Fury ex-police car with a 400 engine and a thermoquad. It easily smoked the tires like yours did. Paid $400 for it in 1982.
In Iowa,I owned a 1974 Monico Custom.It was an uncover police Pursuit Vehicle North Carolina State Patrol.
400 c.i. motor,and it was fast!
What a rare find. In such great shape to. Love the fact it has the 440 and the sound of the carbs and the tires breaking loose is music to my ears.
I'm playing catchup now. As a new subscriber, I'm enjoying all your older videos. Thank you Elana & Tom @Challengeher for the informative presentation. I think you two work very well together, complementing each other with titbits of info about each car, and facts about how it was "back in the day" ... keep up the great work. Love the little chirps at 16:17 & 16:31 ... not many cars can do that =)
Great car and great find. Thanks
Drove one just like that one in late '77 and '78. Sitting still they just rumbled and shook, ever so slightly. That 440 rocked me to sleep more than once working the graveyard shift running radar on the highway. Relax, I always woke up right away. These were much more nimble and quick than the '76 and earlier versions. We had these with the 383 and the 440, and those of us with seniority got the 440's. That's how fun they were. The front suspensions were prone to issues, though.
I picked up a 78 Monaco last thanksgiving. Ex county detectives car. Starlight blue, light blue interior. Not as clean as that one, but it lived it's entire life in WI. No rust. I attribute that to it being a county car kept in the county garage where it was washed every time it left and came back.
Someone took the cop wheels and put these odd steel wheels in full chrome on. Like giant saucers, full chrome. The paint was faded, I spent two days with an orbital polisher and compound to save it, only original once! BEUTIFUL blue metallic color, that Starlight Blue. I have a non tilt wheel, but that means I got the much, much cooler tri spoke steering wheel with the little circle horn cap.
Cop engine was a 400(no lean burn) but it is total trash, cracked head. I have a line on another ex police close by I want to get the drivetrain from plus some other goodies.
Cop goodies may include:
engine
Rear end(some got 9.25 rear)
28" radiator (vs 21", it's HUGE)
HD transmission cooler
Trans temp gauge
140mph speedo($$$$)
Full gauges
Bigger brakes(wider drums in back, discs in front)
Sway bars(not nearly as common as they are now days)
3.23 traction lok rear
Cop wheels(usually 15x7)
"Map" light on the ceiling up front(shown in video)
Pretty sure I missed something, maybe the alternator....
The Dodge emblem was a decal on the trunk, and built into the front grill
May or may not have had a Monaco decal on the driver side trunk
To anyone wondering about acceleration- first gear in a 727 is pretty tall, and some of these cars came with 2.76 gears. No overdrive remember. These will do 40mph in first, so they might not get off the line so well. But on the highway, once you get going into the 30mph range, it is like a rocket, it pulls and pulls.
Sure, obviously 40 years later there are faster cars. Duh. But there is a fun factor to these old cars that will never be replicated.
Nice old sleeper, very stealth
Love the Blues Brothers reference there :)
The only time I ever saw these was usually chasing a certain orange Charger on television :)
Sorry. Now that the video is over Im a fan. That lady really pushed it. The burnout was epic and it did it so easy! Awesome car weirdos!
That car was most likely kept for the detective unit of a police department or any related government agency that had access to purchase and used similar vehicles. Regardless, it’s an amazing time capsule. That electronic spark control/lean burn was a dysfunctional nuisance and almost always swithced over to regular electronic ignition. Having driven numerous HP 440, 360 and 318 cars, Mopars were by far the best of the bunch back then. Flip the lid on the air cleaner of any 440 with a thermoquad and I swear you can see the hood buckle when those secondaries open up. Great video. Enjoy that ride, she’s a beauty.
Love this car! Brings back memories of late 70's early 80's. 440 makes it even better! I would love to own it.
My dad had a 78 Monaco with the 360! what a fast car!
Better drivetrain. Better brakes. Better suspension. Mopar police cars were a total package. Back in 78 car&driver had high praise for this car. Made me smile when you lit em up
Impressive how much your granddaughter has learned about old cars. Nice job.
Just an awesome example... fantastic piece of history ! I'd love to own it.
I had a 1978 Plymouth Fury, RL41U8A..., just as yours is WL..., the U means 440 high performance ( higher lift cam, high stall converter etc). E86 was the engine code. I regret selling it in 1987 for 750 Canadian, just so I could go back to university and screw up yet another year. Yours is so clean. No rust. Envy.
I grew up riding in all kinds of huge 70's cars. They all have a special place in my heart. Still nothing better for a road trip.
Oh wow, love that car, I remember seeing these and Plymouth furys in a lot of television shows back when I was a kid and I'm also a big fan of the R-bodied Dodge St. Regis and the R-bodied Plymouth fury, I own a 2001 Ford Crown Victoria P71 and they're very popular cars as well😊😊❤❤👍👍
Fantastic! I wanted one of these for pretty much the same reasons you mentioned, from aged 8 - well, I'm 44 now, and I found one last year. Not a police package like yours, but a civilian 318, still, they are awesome menacing cars and I'm excited for you ! Great vid and great car!
This lady sure like driving old cop cars, thats for sure.
Oh My God that was the car that I loved and wish I had growing up. I still love it. You are so lucky you found that 1978 Monaco/Fury 440 Police Spec. Good luck with it I hope you enjoy it.
These were the perfect size police cars. Your example is a very loaded car. I’ve always loved that body style
I love how you guys did the 80's car chase stuff at the end! Peel out then, perfect! "Get on it again like your going after the violator" - felt like we were about to go Code 3 in the 1980s. Love it! I truly wish I could own one of those. Always loved the 78 Fury...
Oh man, that thing rules!
I used to have a 77 Plymouth Fury - wish I could have one again.
Me too. Was Coffee with tan interior
WOW super cool car great video I am impressed have fun with it I know I would 😀
Love the Monaco Police Package...that’s a beautiful car. 440 power, heavy duty suspension/cooling and utilitarian good looks. What a find.
These old Mopars can run forever, they used to build them in Australia. Best car I've ever owned and will never sell the old girl. They put most modern cars to shame . The police here swore by them, our cars were A body based . Mate had a 1979 highway patrol cm Glx with a 318 , 360 heads factory. Very fast car and would leave my ls1 behind.
I love you guys !! That car is so much up my alley.1978, I had drivers ed in one of those, and like Tom, I wanted one so bad. I had to settle for a 73 Coronet Custom. I know Tom cringed at beginning of Beverly Hills Cop when they were smashing those babies with the big GMC Semi, lol lol. They even smashed the little Diplomats. CPD put awesome heat in those cars and they starts every time, especially in the cold. good find & luck !!!!!
just found your channel,....wow this car is so nice,...the pattern in the seat material,..wow !,.i also found out that,....you are one lucky dude Tom,......Elana is so COOL,...a 10 !!!! thanx for sharing this video,...cant wait to see the others.
Love these cruisers!
Motor still sounds friggin awesome!!!
Excellent video! Loved watching these on telly back in the day here in the UK. Oooh yes and that Thermoquad moan.........I quite like the frontend styling of the '74 Coronet.
That's a sweet ride. I daily a 2013 Charger Pursuit, cop cars are fun.
Back in Mass, I had a buddy with a late 80s (88 or 89) Crown Vic with the 351 and old Mass State Police cruiser. I *think* it had a factory 4 barrel, it was a very cool car. Handled well, and could hit 120-125
Owned the Coronet version when stationed at Norton AFB in so cal (circa 1986). Mine was a 1976. The 440 was a monster!
That's pretty awesome for 2.71 gears gotta say I LOVE IT I LOVE IT
I had a 78 Dodge Aspen Police Interceptor. It was a county sheriff car in Indiana. They took out the 360 and put a 440 in it from a wrecked 1971 Dodge Interceptor that the Aspen replaced. It could do mid 12's in the quarter with drag radials. It wasn't worth trying on regular street tires. I sold the motor and transmission and put a 340 in it. That was a perfect match.
This is Major! This is Real This is Deep! Might as well get it out in the open- This 1978 Dodge Monaco Police Pursuit Package 440 is More than a classic police car-More than a mid-century masterpiece-This is a national treasure in the highest order
JUST one more thing.. “Punch it Baby!!” 😂 Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw in “The Getaway”..😂👍
Love those secondaries opening up! Turn that lid over and do another vid lol
I never imagined it would have such good pick-up! very cool car!!
thanks. Now I want my 73 Polara interceptor back again! Tennessee Highway Patrol had very few if any of the big block cars when I got my license, the small blocks couldn't get close to my 73.
I had two of them back in the early 80s, one was a black and white with blue interior,the other was beige with beige interior. Both were stripped down with the vinyl seats that probably still to this day are holding up,as I recall the one had the lean burn removed as well as some exhaust work,there were many corvettes and such that got a beating with that one,funny thing is back then it seemed fast but by todays standards many pick up trucks and suvs would run away from it. But back then it was funny to see how people would slow down as soon as I would come up behind them,there were still plenty of them in service when I had them.
Much more finesse than I could muster.
I learned from your struggles. -E
That car sounds sooo nice just at idle and low revs, wow.
When I was a kid, my home town's police force and fire dept ( chief, inspectors and marshalls ) all used Mopar police cars like this 1 but the Fury sister car. The city was under contract with Kirr/Hickman Chrysler/Plymouth from 72-87. These B cars replaced aging C body Fury 1 sedans. Those were 383 cars. Our police chief was a bit of a 'car guy' and ordered ALL the cop cars with the 440s, and every HD part he could check off the list, even on patrol cars. They kept them as long as possible. Wrecked cars were kept for spare parts. Eventually R body 360 4bbl cars replaced some of them, then we got the M bodies with the 318 4bbl. After 88, the city switched to the Caprice and soon after Fords. Now all we have are Fords, mostly the Explorers. When the fire chief retired in 89, the city let him have the bright red 78 Fury he puttered around in as a parting gift. It had just 56k on it and was in incredible condition.
Hello Challengers. Awesome car, very nice survivor condition. It seems to be in good hands now. Have fun with it. Greetings from Germany!
Машина супер!Зверюга!
Спасибо что показываете и рассказываете о такой красоте!👍🚗
My first car was an Australian 1978 Chrysler Valiant with 4.0 litre six which just missed on the ELB feedback carburettor system this has. The 318 V8 version already had it but the sixes didn't receive it until the slightly revised version later that year. The sixes really responded well to the ELB system, recording remarkable fuel economy figures over the older ones.
Rosco P. Coltrane and Hunter would be proud of this 1978 Dodge Monaco
Little known fact, this car could be ordered in canada with lean burn and cat delete but only for leo's. Hot car of the day. Freind of mine did a full blown resto on that very (canadian) model. I personally was riding shotgun when he hit 135 and STILL going.... impressive for the day.
I learned to drive in a 1977 Fury. Cool
Really love the car. Always wanted to have one since I watched "Hunter" in the 80s :). I had a -94 Chevy Caprice 9C1 with the LT1-engine for a couple of years. Thats a great car too and one of the few police cars that can match this one for top speed and acceleration.
Very nice. I know these are considered the smaller Monacos but they are still a huge car. She moves pretty dang good!
That’s true! I have basically the same car. A 1976 Coronet retired CHP police car. It is as long as my 69 Charger. It doesn’t look like it but in person, the front end huge!
Sharp car I always liked the look of them. Kind of a sleeper it would be cool to surprise some people.
I’ve wanted one of these for years. Back in 1997 I nearly bought a 78 440 Coronet police car as my first car...way back then they were still around. I kick myself every time I think about it.
Great looking car and an awesome find.
Love these cars. I found a coronet wagon with the 400 high performance a few years ago. White on blue, can't wait to have it back on the road.
400 High Performance? What made it High Performance?
I've just bought a 70 'Cuda 340 with a 440 HP, I wasn't so excited about that swap but upon running the numbers, it's from a 78 car made in Lynch Road, so a 78 Fury or Monaco, which means a Police Patrol car. I can't wait to try it ! The car is a project so I haven't been able to test it yet but it runs and drives.
so beautiful! 😍Thanks!❤
omg thats great lov those old plymouth/chrysler power 440 awsume video