1968 coronet.. can it be saved?

[TX73SE]

Looking at a 68 coronet

Would appreciate input on whether it’s saveable, and worth saving.

2 door 318 car.

I would swap in a stroker 451

 

[haywire 440]

Being a 318 car doesn’t help in justifying the expense to do a project like this, IMO. If you have the time and expertise than that’s helpful. I happen to have a 4-door cousin of your car that came from Texarkana.

 

[4speed68rt]

Depends on how "froggy" you feel... it is possible.

 

[dadsbee]

Got a 100 grand to spend and 4 years full time?

 

[Dodge33]

Anything can be saved....... but it really comes down to whether you can do all the work yourself, or if you have to pay another
fab shop to install all the panels in the car.
If you have the knowledge and the drive in you to do all the work, good for you. Another
object is money too. You can buy all the panels and parts for this car also. It is your call on this...... but the car is a 2dr, so I think if you can do it, it is worth saving. Good luck!

 

[Sam69sat]

Not worth it! If it's free or super cheap, grab it for parts. Find a shell that needs minimal metal work or none and you're be so far ahead of trying to fix that coronet. They're out there.

 

[#41]

Can it be saved? Sure. Worth saving? That really depends on your motivation, funding, and ability to do work on it. Personally, I would leave this one to someone else and find a more solid car. Even if a more solid car costs more initially, you save a lot of money and time down the line.

 

[440Coronet500]

You're in Texas, there has to be more solid cars to start with then that. 440'

 

[hunt2elk]

That sure doesn't look like a Texas car to me, more like a rust belt Wisconsin beater. Can it be saved? Sure can, just takes a pile of cash...

 

[eldubb440]

NO!


not without a donor....... but if you have a donor; build the donor

 

[Nxcoupe]

Asking the group if it's worth it or not will get a bunch of opinions that are worth what you paid for them. Mine included. They don't make these any more. They make every piece of sheetmetal pretty much you'd need to make it nice. With the right color combo and a strong powerplant and driveline, it would be a valuable 2 door coronet. Bottom line is, can you do the work yourself or do you need to pay 100 bucks an hour to get it done? If you have a welder, gumption and time, you could do this pretty quickly. Jmho.

 

[R413]

What is your time worth?

What is re useable?

Did you look at the front frame rail?

It is toast, stick a fork in it!

 

[Matthew J]

I don't see anything on that car that doesn't need to be replaced. Could it be saved? Sure, if time and money are no object. Is it worth saving? Only you can answer that. But it will take years of your life and a lot of money to do it. And being a garden variety 318, the finished product will be worth much less than you will need to dump into it regardless of how much of the work you do yourself. You could buy a decent driver just for the cost of all the panels you would need from AMD. (Ask me how I know )

 

[Sahara]

I’m reminded of the old story of stone soup where a guy was making soup from a stone. Told everyone they could have some if they tossed in one ingredient. When enough others had tossed in ingredients he threw the stone out and they drank the soup. This car is kind of like that stone. I’m definitely not trying to be a Debbie Downer or rude but if you start on that car it’ll never get done and a bunch of time, money and enthusiasm will be wasted. If it’s dirt cheap grab it for parts like trim screws and hardware.

 

[eldubb440]

I’m reminded of the old story of stone soup where a guy was making soup from a stone. Told everyone they could have some if they tossed in one ingredient. When enough others had tossed in ingredients he threw the stone out and they drank the soup.

you brought back a memory from probably first grade......... a school play, I brought a potato

 

[icetech]

Don't do it... if you can buy that for like $500 i see a lot of good parts, but that front frame.. that's just the **** you can see, you would end up replacing 80% of the metal in that car and spend a insane amount of money..

 

[icetech]

BTW.. you are in texas.. hit some of the old junkyards and i bet you could find a WAY WAY better shell and use that car for the glass/trim and ****...

 

[Kern Dog]

NO!


not without a donor....... but if you have a donor; build the donor

Pay strict attention to the quote above.
THAT guy knows classic cars and how their structures go together. If anyone here can rebuild that Coronet, it is him...YET he advises against it because he knows the amount of time and effort it takes PLUS the tremendous amount of money.

 

[Dennis H]

Skeered just looking at it.

 

[Kern Dog]

I saved a wrecked 383 2 barrel Charger....

Lookie what $5000 buys you....

This car had no rust in structural areas. The trunk floor and a couple quarter sized spots on the lower quarters and that was it.
Back to your point though, Cutting all of the bad parts off that car won't leave much to rebuild.
Some look at these projects based on their market value when they are finished. That is smart but for me, not the only concern.
A man trying to restore a car that has been in the family for 50 years will motivate you more than a car you just bought with no connection to it.
A rare model with unique equipment can motivate a man.