Volare!

[dishdude]

Am I crazy for thinking this Volare is kinda sweet? I can see this as an occasional DD. I've had the Jeep for 3 years and I'm ready for something different. Looks clean and someone checked a lot of boxes in 1977.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1977-Plymouth-Volare-Premier/253476583847?hash=item3b0461b9a7:g:ns0AAOSwG7FajMZt&vxp=mtr

 

[CharBaby]

Be careful!
I realize this would be for occasional use only for you and it certainly is a good looking car however, it seems overpriced. And those Plymouth Volares and Dodge Aspens of the 70's were notorious headaches in any trim(Slant 6 or V8). And it's not as though the car got better with age as in a fine wine.

I remember them quite well as they were built in the pre Iacocca years. Not that the Iacocca years were much better. And I don't suspect the aftermarket parts that this car will most likely need frequently are anything to brag about(as are many AF parts).

IMHO, if you know anything about these cars at all, you'd stay away unless you just want it for show and the occasional ride. Again, it is a nice looking car!

IDK, maybe it's just me!

CB

 

[dishdude]

The 318 is solid, as is the TorqueFlite. Rust and the lean burn were a concern, we can eliminate rust in AZ and at worst I can remove the lean burn and carry an extra ballast resistor with me. Otherwise I think...

Bigger question - what's it worth? 47 people are following the auction so clearly these cars have a following.

 

[CharBaby]

I wish you the best of luck and I'm sure you won't have any issues with the car. Pre Congrats should you buy it.

CB

 

[skyactiv]

If you like being stared at by everyone when you drive the car, buy it because you will. It will also turn into a conservation piece
every other time you get fuel.

 

[AZjeff]

Dang it, now that old Volare jingle is in my head. No way to resist with the white landau top and white interior. You can research value easy enough but that feels a bit stout.

 

[eljefino]

That would be fun for $4-5k. I'm sure before this point it's been through a bunch of hands painting it, "adding value", and pawning off on some new sucker.

That car brings nothing technological to the table-- the engine probably makes ~150hp with all the smog stuff. Jalopnik refers to the late 70s as the "Malaise era" and this car certainly qualifies. If you actually WANT to remember malaise because it's the car from your childhood or whatever, there are cheaper examples out there that will satisfy this itch.

The only way this is breaking five digits in asking price is if so-called mopar fanatics can't get their 1971 hemi cuda and are looking for a substitute. This is no hot rod.

My dad had a 1980 Fairmont with vinyl seats, no AC, a K-mart radio, etc. When I was a toddler he brought this junker home brand new from the dealer. I rolled the rear window down 2/3 of the way and it stopped (by design.) The last car didn't do this. I immediately hated it, and I'm still right!

 

[bullwinkle]

At least it's not the flooding carbureted, gas sucking, basically gutless slant 6! I had 3 of these-a '78 Aspen that looked almost as good as this one, a '78 Volare that was a rusted beater, and an '80 LeBaron wagon that I rebuilt a 225 for it and put in. All slower than molasses and lucky to get 13 MPG. Not the highlight of American auto tech, even for Mopar.

 

[Speak2Mountain]

Does it have "Reech, Corinthian Leath-UHR"

 

[knerml]

Check brake lines near battery for corrosion. I remember some Volares where recalled for this issue.

 

[fdcg27]

My sisters shared a '78 four door with 318/auto back in the eighties. It was their college car.
It was a decent car that did nothing especially well but that did prove to be as reliable and durable as a hammer.
It neither rode nor handled particularly well nor did it offer any real power or fuel economy.
Interior room was unimpressive although trunk space was decent.
You could easily burn the tires, but that was the result of poor traction and not massive torque.
These were pretty decent looking cars, with their BMW/Mercedes inspired greenhouse, like the Nova of the same period.
Overall, I don't think that this car makes any sense at this kind of price.
If you look, you can probably find a decent one for a fraction of the money this one appears to be going for.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

A woman used to race an orange Volare at the strip near my home town in the early '90s. I think it had the "Road Runner" decal package.

She ran deadly consistent 20-second ETs.

 

[Chris142]

I had a 77 for a short time. It was a 77 and did not have the lean burn system. The 318/904 worked well. The 2.2 axle left a lot to be desired. I remember that the goo inside the fender mounted ignition module was running out of it. I carried a spare but never needed it.

 

[JLTD]

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
At least it's not the flooding carbureted, gas sucking, basically gutless slant 6! I had 3 of these-a '78 Aspen that looked almost as good as this one, a '78 Volare that was a rusted beater, and an '80 LeBaron wagon that I rebuilt a 225 for it and put in. All slower than molasses and lucky to get 13 MPG. Not the highlight of American auto tech, even for Mopar.


Hey that engine had a stout 90HP!

I don't know how you got only 13mpg, I got a solid 22 on the highway. Although my '74 with the 318 did get mid-teens.

OP, the only bad thing I know that's consistent on that year was the frame rails would rust out in the area just behind the engine/front wheel area. If this one doesn't have that rust (and from the one picture of the undercarriage from the rear it shouldn't) then it should be a solid car. As mentioned, the 318/torqueflite combo is pretty much bulletproof, you just might have to replace the alternator every 70000 miles and might need the occasional timing chain (replace with the correct aftermarket parts and these issues will go away)

Price seems a little high for me, but it IS a very well preserved example.


edit: OTOH after reading the entire post, it's a show car so should be in near-perfect condition.

 

[tomcat27]

It appears to be in great shape - it would be hard to find a nicer one. certainly there are very few on the road. if I got it, that 318 would get stroked and built!

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
The 318 is solid, as is the TorqueFlite.


NO - not in these years they were NOT!!

I had a 1976 Dodge Aspen.... 318, A904, 2 door and TONS TONS TONS of electrical problems!

This is the lowest quality "low period" of any Chrysler V8 products.
The read diff failed, the trans failed, and the engine died.

.
.

I really wanted to sort of make a "Super Coupe" clone:

 

[JLTD]

Originally Posted By: Linctex
Originally Posted By: dishdude
The 318 is solid, as is the TorqueFlite.


NO - not in these years they were NOT!!

I had a 1976 Dodge Aspen.... 318, A904, 2 door and TONS TONS TONS of electrical problems!

This is the lowest quality "low period" of any Chrysler V8 products.
The read diff failed, the trans failed, and the engine died.

.


If it's still on the road, then any electrical gremlins and other problems didn't exist, or were fixed, years ago. I'd agree with you if it was 1981, but it's not.

 

[Jett Rink]

If I was you, I would hold off on the Volare and wait for a Chrysler Cordoba to turn up, instead. Same era, and would definitely turn some heads. If it comes with a Ricardo Montalban mask, then that's a bonus.

 

[JHZR2]

There's something about those late 70s land barge v8 coupes that appeal to me; not sure Id want to rely upon one though...

 

[Inspecktor]

Originally Posted By: Speak2Mountain
Does it have "Reech, Corinthian Leath-UHR"
I believe that was only available in the Cordoba. Volares came with corn fed Nebraska leather.