Catch Mopar fever with these five finds $30K and under
There are a lot of great brands and models that fall under the Mopar umbrella. There are trucks, SUVs, sports cars, and of course, muscle cars.
We took a quick look around Hagerty’s Marketplace to find some interesting rides that we’d consider adding to our stable. Here are five, each from a different Mopar brand, that we spotted.
Be careful, though—once you have one Mopar, you’re surely gonna want to add another to the stable. That’s just the way it is.
1966 Chrysler Newport
We could hardly think of a better vehicle for a family road trip than this gigantic, big-block-powered Newport. The mellow, metallic green is practically the official color of late-’60s and early-’70s cruisers from the Big Three and it looks fantastic with the gray Torq Thrust–style wheels.
Inside, the ’66 Chrysler’s fan-shaped gauge cluster is a sculpture and its twin bench seats and column shift allow for plenty of room for everyone. This car was originally powered by a two-barrel version of Mopar’s 383 big-block V-8, but it has been treated to a new intake manifold and carb for better breathing. The engine wears them proudly.
1974 Jeep CJ-5
The CJ-5 was the shorter-wheelbase predecessor to the CJ-7, the 4×4 that evolved into the Wrangler. Although it has some modifications and upgrades, this resto-modded CJ still keeps things simple with its carbureted AMC 304 engine and three-speed manual transmission. Its 29-inch tires aren’t very tall compared to those on a lot of modern Jeeps, but this ’74 is also a bit more compact and would make for a fun, maneuverable runabout and trail rider.
We can practically hear the little V-8 rumbling through its headers already.
1993 Dodge Dakota
This truck hauls more than just groceries. If you’ve been waiting to dip your toes into drag racing, perhaps this turn-key NHRA Stock Eliminator Dakota is your ticket into the sport.
Its 318 small-block uses a dual-plane intake and looks rather traditional, but there appears to be a set of fuel rails that give the drag racer multi-port fuel injection. Its best elapsed time is a respectable 12.47 seconds with a trap speed of 105 mph, suggesting that the Dodge launches very hard and makes good use of its available power.
1972 Plymouth Road Runner
It doesn’t get much better than a Mopar muscle car in a High Impact color.
These fuselage-body Road Runners bridged the end of the muscle car era and by 1972 were no longer available with 426 Hemi power. Instead, they brought 340, 400, and 440 V-8s to the table, each with a four-barrel carb.
This Limelight Roadrunner is not wearing its original color, but it does come with a correct, numbers-matching 340 small-block V-8 that makes it lighter up front, a setup that’s perfect if you’re after a more nimble ride and a pro-touring build is your goal. Of course, the 340 has lots of performance heritage and potential as well.
1969 AMC Javelin
AMC was purchased by the Chrysler Corporation in 1987, so this is a retroactive Mopar.
AMCs tend to be accepted as part of the Mopar fold, however, so you would probably be welcomed with open arms at most shows. Maybe they’re included because both AMC and Chrysler had 360 V-8s, or maybe it’s because AMC was also willing to give its muscle cars wild paint colors.
This piece of AMC pony car history doesn’t have a monster engine or flashy graphics, but it does appear to be well-preserved as it still has its original engine and upholstery. The early Javelin has elegant, sporty lines that embody American style and this beautiful machine would likely be the only one of its kind at just about any car show you’d take it.
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Well, I once said here that tourque thrusts look good on anything , I have been proven wrong. That Chrysler does not look good with the tourque thursts at all. Its a nice car and all and an awesome cruiser.. not get the tourque thrusts off. @RG440…we all have out memories as we want them.. its good. I am darn certain that I was not as fast at 18 as I think that I was. Sounds like you had a lot of fun with that big Chrysler and that is a good thing. I had a friend who had inherited his parents 66 Newport 383, it was fast.. not so fast. But those big Chryslers did surprise many people with “muscle cars”.
I was a Police Officer in Alexandria, VA back in 1967 and our Plymouth Fury cruisers, with the 383 and 4-barrel, had no problems when chasing the muscle cars of the day back then. They were driven hard and never let us down…
One vote in favor of the Torq-Thrusts on the Newport. Period correct, pretty much, and they, and the tires, fill the wheel wells nicely without overdoing it. I see a a/c condenser, I believe, on the front, but no V-2 compressor. Perhaps a Sanden unit could fill in somewhere…?
The Road Runner is an okay driver, but not for $30K. The painted bumpers (not urethane) are fair, but the visible bumper bolts make them look a little silly. The grille is not a Road Runner grille, but a Satellite grille (the one-year-only ’72 RR grilles are near unobtainium, but what happened to the original, if it IS a Road Runner?). The rear taillights are Road Runner, but they are being reproduced. Additionally, the quarter panels where the Road Runner bird is should have emblems between the bird and the rear wheel well openings. In ’72, they were post-style emblems, not stick-ons, so there should be 4 holes in each quarter where the emblems went. My conclusion, Satellite Sebring or Satellite Sebring Plus, not Road Runner. Not a bad-looking clone, but a clone nonetheless, IMO.
Seems like the Newport is the best value here. And would be a fun driver.
Interesting comments. My choice(s) would be the ’66 Newport and the ‘ 72 Road Runner.
In all the years of our club MoPar or NOCAR shows do I remember an AMC of any kind.
Of course my memory isn’t as good as it used to be.
We all have car stories to amuse others, I’ll save mine because few would believe it.
I like that Road Runer body style much better than the original 1968, but I could not live with the green colour. I know a guy who has a red 1973, and it is really sharp.
Any way you look at it a ’70s Jeep and AMC anything are NOT Mopars, any more than anything after Daimler/Chrysler is either. I was always a Mopar man but they will never sell me anything new again. The Stellantis crap (Fiat, Renault, Peugeot, etc) is an insult to real Mopar men. I’ll bet Walter P. is rolling over in his grave.
American Motors Ain’t Mopar it’s AMC. Let’s not stretch it that far.
Dodge Omni GLH Turbo.
Chrysler didn’t own AMC until 1988 — WAY after the Javelin was built! That’s why the writer said “retroactive MOPAR”. I don’t understand the comment about why MOPAR shows accept AMCs — nothing to do with paint or anything, simply the fact that Chrysler bought AMC. A meticulously restored Javelin won the MOPAR Nationals “Best of Show” in 1999. I’m sure that upset a lot of die-hard MOPAR guys! https://www.motortrend.com/features/mopp-0001-1970-mark-donohue-javelin/