Hooniverse “Antti” Fastback Friday – A 1979 Dodge Magnum GT for your Pleasure
Welcome to another Hooniverse Fastback Friday Feature, only this time it’s an “Antti-Fastback” feature because I found the most delicious Malaise Era Dodge ever. This particular feature started when our own Antti Kautonen highlighted a Dodge Mirada hibernating in Finland, and I decided to try and find one that is for sale on eBay, or some other special interest car site. When this Dodge Magnum appeared within one of my searches, I knew it was time to show it off to the rest of the Hooniverse Fans, and name the feature in honor of the guy who inspired it…
The Dodge Magnum came about because Chrysler needed a more aerodynamic car to compete in NASCAR. The 1974 Charger bodies the Dodge teams were using would no longer be eligible to race after the 1977 racing season. The 1975-78 Dodge Chargers, which were really nothing more than slightly restyled Chrysler Cordobas, were about as aerodynamic as bricks and the Magnum was a response to that problem. The design was settled in 1977 for the following race season, and featured a grill treatment reminiscent of the Cord 810 coffin-like nose, with rectangular headlamps housed behind retractable clear covers. The cars showed promise on the track, but did not handle all that well in high speed traffic conditions. (To be honest, none of the “Personal Luxury Cars” that were on the high banked track handled especially well). Chrysler reduced factory support after the 1978 season, and most of the Dodge teams switched over to Chevrolet.
The Dodge Magnum, in this configuration, soldiered on for two years. It really is a great looking car, and this particular Magnum is a truly outstanding example. According to the listing:
You are viewing my 1979 Dodge Magnum GT. It is white with red interior and is in marvelous condition both inside and out. It was originally purchased by a couple from Garden City, MI in December of 1979 at Crestwood Dodge also located in Garden City. It was owned by this same couple until around 2001 when it was purchased by a collector who owned a restoration shop in Dearborn, after which it was driven very little. This shop performed a beautiful, smooth-as-glass repaint of the car, but otherwise it is, to the best of their recollection, original. The original window sticker, owner’s manual and other initial paperwork were still in the glove compartment! Like many people, when I first laid eyes on this car I was completely unfamiliar with this particular model, but its condition really peaked my interest.
The GT was a low production option, and mine may be only one of two in this color combination with a moonroof. The silver dash, wheel flares, 360 cu in engine and the wheels are all elements of the GT package. It also carries the correct “A75″ on the data plate. The paint is as flawless as any I’ve seen and the interior feels, looks and smells like new, as you can see from the photos. And speaking of the photos, please make sure to use the scroll tab just to the right of the large photo panel to scroll up and down through all of them. If you don’t do this, then you only see about a third of the pictures, and you miss the ones I think are the most spectacular, those of the interior. This Magnum drives with a smoothness and tight feel that are a real joy to find in a classic.
Every time I take it out I end up driving a lot further than I’d planned to just because it is so much fun, especially with the moonroof open and the AM/FM/CB radio on my favorite station. The body lines are distinctive, and twinned with the period GT wheels and tires it looks like the showroom racing car that it was intended to be as an aerodynamic replacement for the Charger that would be eligible for the NASCAR circuit.
This car shows a little over 42,000 miles, and the asking price is a reasonable $15,000. I expect more that a couple of you to call this a crappy Malaise mobile, but let me point out a few joys to owning a gem like this:
- Where else can you get an interior in this shade of Red anymore?
- It is equipped with a 360 CID V-8 that is begging for some performance upgrades
- It has a Factory Sunroof, and it has what the American Car Companies excelled in, Factory A/C.
- There is enough room in this car for six full sized adults.
- It is equipped with the bullet-proof Chrysler Torqueflite Automatic, only this time it has a lockup torque converter.
- There is no car offered today with this much surface detailing, unless you want a 5-series BMW.
- It’s a Magnum, you know, for your pleasure….
Take a look at the eBay listing, and tell me what you think.
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Mmmmm, malaise-y.
I was born in 1976. I remember when these automotive mega-fauna roamed the highways and byways. Covered in velour and decorated in chrome, they caused an instinctual dislike in my still developing gearhead brain. Yes, I remember seeing them live and in motion, but I've never understood why. Why were they designed and built? Why were they bought? Why were they driven? I need to understand why.
One of my favorite malaise cars ever, just purely based on evil styling.
MIND. BLOWN. Oh my god what a beautiful Magnum. This unicorn would look nice sitting next to another unicorn, the Dodge St. Regis.
It is in very nice shape, but if I was going to shell out fifteen grand for a 79 Dodge, it would need to be red with twin chrome exhaust stacks.
Also, the fender flares don't seem to fit well. I can't blame that on malaise-era assemblers, because the car has been repainted. I also can't find similar flares on other period Magnums–chrome trim instead.
<img src="http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/4/276/3061/38189030077_large.jpg">
Those flares were GT only. They are in the parts catalog. Yes, they fit like a saddle-on-a-sow. To make 'em fit right, you'd have to drill some more holes in them that could be seen in the wheel openings. It's kind of a trade off.
Hey, I'm flattered. Also, I need one of these in my town.
You should be….the esteemed Mr. Brennan chooses his references with reverence. Congrats.
Ah yes, the bad old days, before they invented rich Corinthian leather. Your parents, and other neanderthals, really had it rough back then.
technically speaking, not before it was invented… as I remember the '75 Cordoba commercials referring to it.
It really is a good looking car in that color scheme. I'll even forgive the landau roof.
But $15k? CP.
My favorite mid-size Mopar malaise machine.
I would rock that car so hard. Retractable clear headlight covers + Mopar cop car steelies = swoon. But it'd be even better with a modern Hemi under the hood.
I always liked the looks of these. Too bad it's so smog choked that it can barely get out of its own way. It's so original that it would be a shame to hot rod the 360, but I would, anyway. Or, a 440 would probably drop right in.
A 400 was an optional engine for 1978 Magnums., so it should be fairly straightforward to drop one in. A 400 actually has a bigger bore than a 440, and weighs less due to the lower deck height. Put in a stroker crank and top everything off with aftermarket aluminum cylinder heads and you can end up with a package that weighs about the same as the original 360 but packs a lot more cubes.
Oh, hello Lean Burn… Isn't this still basically a B-body or is it smaller?
It's a B-body platform.
Pretty cool for domestic malaisey 1979, but I wouldn't want this – after all, I've already had one malaise-Mopar "muscle car" in my life and that's enough.
You have come to the right place to begin your journey.
I'd have named that interior colour "Egredgious".
You know it's 1978 when there's a mysterious electronics-containing looking box sitting on your valve cover with a vacuum line hooked to it.
It is amazing the influence that NASCAR has had on US car styling. I'm not just talking about Superbird homogolation (sp?) special either. I remember in the mid-1990s we had somebody from the GM/Pontiac motorsports group come and talk to our FSAE team and the design refresh of the Grand Prix was done with NASCAR in mind, especially the nose treatment. Into the mid-1990s the stock cars had to retain the stock nose profile. I remember the same buy brought a Petty Grand Prix with him, this was when the roof flaps were first introduced, so it was a real race car not a show car. I was amazed that car still used a stock trunk lid, I think it was the only factory part on the car.
Some day soon, someone is going to build one of these with a modern Hemi and a six speed. It's going to be lowered and it's going to have those black, steel NASCAR style wheels. The internet is going to go nuts for it and I am going to be jealous.
Interesting choice of options. Personal luxury cars tended to have consoles and tunnel mounted shifters. I can't find any other Magnum interior photos of a bench seat and column shifter.
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