SOLD 1971 Dodge Monaco 440 coupe

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I still maintain both are optional . Perhaps when you order the dual exhaust you get the dual snorkel?
 
I say two snorkels:

71_Monaco_Polara0013.jpg


When the single exhaust 440 got a dual snorkel air cleaner, it would be logical that the dual exhaust version got the same.
 
OK folks, time for a few details. As a few of you already know, and as the rest of you guessed, I bought the car early this week and Wyatt has since then transported it to his place for a thorough check-up later this month!

This deal would not have happened without the help of a number of folks on this board and on the Polara/Monaco Yahoo group. You know who you are, and I am grateful to every single one of you! I would be remiss if I did not give a special shoutout to the following members:

--> @polara71, for alerting me to the fact that the seller had dropped his asking price by almost half and for sharing (among other things) his opinions of the car and suggesting what to look out for. He put up with a non-trivial nbr of evening calls and texts in the past 2 weeks :D

--> @saforwardlook, @fc7_plumcrazy and @Bill Watson (here, and also on the Yahoo board with Kevin) for also generously sharing their expert opinions and vast knowledge so that I could be more confident that the car was what it was represented to be;

--> @'69FuryIIIConvertible, for making a substantial detour from his planned trip between Ontario and Ohio in order to go inspect the car for me, in the middle of a snow storm (@Big_John did the same thing for a '70 Polara 'vert in Syracuse last December -- both of them got into the snow to get a good look at a car for me, just wow -- and thanks!) and for writing me a super-helpful review;

--> @71Polara383, for meeting me in Medina, checking out the car alongside me there, and carrying it safely halfway across the country. If you think that Dave got a lot of texts and calls, ask Wyatt how many he got :rolleyes:


I had been looking at getting a fusie driver with a BB, and I have a special fondness for 1970 and 1971 Polara's and Monacos. I'd looked at this specific car back in September, when it was first advertised for sale thanks go to @69monaco for posting the original CL ad), but the initial price and the lack of information from the seller dissuaded me from going much further. @Matthew Reynolds shared with me in October that he was local to the car and had seen it both before and after its repaint, and that it was virtually spotless. Fast forward to an alert from Dave 2 weeks ago that the car was still for sale at a new price of $8.5k, and I thought it was now worth looking into it again.

Turns out there were two reasons why the seller was not very forthcoming with information: he was afraid of scams, and he was not at all comfortable using smart phones. Over the course of a few days and some rather difficult exchanges, though, trust built on both sides. I took it as a sign (i.e., a huge break for me) that Nick was able and willing to go see the car under really bad conditions. Immediately after getting his 3-page detailed inspection report and his high-resolution photos, and conversing about his photos with several of the members listed above, I decided to take the plunge. I flew up to Buffalo to check out the car myself one last time. The weather was much better than when Nick went (I timed the flight between a snow storm and an ice storm), and I found that the car drove well and braked strongly, that the heater and rear defroster worked (as did all the items I could check, except for the clock), so I decided to buy it. After Wyatt picked it up, we had a quick dinner at a local place in Medina, then he headed out West while I returned my rental pickup (you can see its hood in one of the photos above) and flew back out.

The car was manufactured at the Newark, DE plant -- one of 20,278 C-body Dodge automobiles built in Delaware for the US market in the 1971 model year (Fuselage Quality).

It is originally GY9 with white interior (buckets with buddy seat -- my favorite seating combo) and white vinyl top. From the trunk lid badge, it seems that it was sold at White Marsh between Baltimore and DC at some point in its life (Edit on 2-8-2019: that was probably the new-car dealer). It was bought 15 or so years ago by one of two brothers at Carlisle, who brought it to upstate NY. It lived there in a barn, its front visible from the road -- which is how the last owner learned about it. After several years of seeing it, he took up the courage to go and inquire about the car. Turns out the barn was getting structurally weak and the brothers were ready to sell. They had replaced the vinyl roof not long before selling it (about 3 years ago). John, from whom I bought the car, had a complete tune-up done, the tank cleaned and one (brake?) line replaced, the exhaust changed to duals, air shocks installed in the rear, and the car repainted. The mirrors, which several folks have already pointed out are incorrect, were already there before he bought the car from the brothers.

Here is a photo of what the car looked like before it was repainted. The repaint is not perfect, but I plan to keep it as such for the time being -- my goal is to have a good driver for shows in the Midwest -- Volo 2019, here I come -- and, hopefully MoparFest!

I wrote this short write-up last night and am posting it during a coffee break, but I should be able to revert with more details later this weekend. That should include a few high-resolution photos. I will post the tag pic in a future thread, regarding cross-plant variations of the tags on '71 C-bodies.

Meanwhile, here is the decoding thanks to Nick, with the A07 package info added by yours truly. The car has a full 6-line tag:

Line-1-
E85: 440 - 4 Barrel, 335 HP rating
D32: A727 3 speed Automatic
DH23: Dodge High (Monaco) 2DR Hardtop (Edited — thanks @69monaco )
T: 440-4 Barrel “Low Performance”
1: 1971
F: Newark, Delaware Assembly

Line-2-
GY9- Dark (“Tawny”) Gold Poly
H6XW- High (Trim grade), Vinyl bucket seat, White & Black
000- Full door panels (No door frames)
B16- November 16th 1970 build date
007833- 7,833 Order number

Line-3-
V1W- White vinyl top
U- Build for US market
A03- “Deluxe Light package”, Map/courtesy light, Ignition switch lamp with timer, headlamp switch lamp with timer, Fender turn signal lights, Lock doors lamp, Low fuel warning lamp.
A07- "Factory A/C Special" Package
A94- “Reminder light package”
C21- Center front cushion/armrest, “Buddy bucket”

Line-4-
C55- Bucket seat
H51- Air conditioning with Heater
L31- Fender turn signals
L35- Cornering lamps
M25- Body sill moldings
M26- Wheel lip moldings

Line-5-
M28- Front bumper periphery moldings
M31- Body belt moldings
M36- Rear bumper periphery moldings
M85- Bumper Guards, front and rear
N88- Auto Speed Control

Line-6-
P45- Power deck lid release- Electric
R13- AM Radio, High Powered, 5 ½ watt
V5X- Body side molding with black vinyl insert
Y14- Special Order
26- 26” Max cooling package (Required equipment when ordered with H51 code)
END- End of option codes

before IMAG0176.jpg
 
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I still maintain both are optional. Perhaps when you order the dual exhaust you get the dual snorkel?

I say two snorkels.

Bill and Kevin on the Yahoo board, after reviewing their vast library holdings, have concluded that (i) as Dave opined, the N41 option of dual exhaust was indeed available on T-codes but that (ii) the car should have had a dual snorkel. So, my car either has a special build (or a mistake), or the air cleaner was changed. Once Wyatt inspects my car, we'll get numbers on the air cleaner and a good look at the carb -- and (hopefully) we'll also find the build sheet. I'll keep everyone posted on his findings.
 
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I still maintain both are optional . Perhaps when you order the dual exhaust you get the dual snorkel?

my 71 Brougham has a dual snorkel air cleaner on its 440 but single exhaust.
Pretty untouched car.
Despite what I did:D

it is a very early car, too built in august 1970
 
My assumption is this is a single snorkel from a later vehicle. Should be this one pictured. 71 Dual Snorkels are a one year design, they have a nipple for the breather on the left snorkel, with the breather tube going around the back and to the right valve cover.

20180726_102504.jpg
 
Members helping members....that’s what it’s all about!

Well done everyone!
 
@ayilar, What a great score on the Monaco you just picked up. The a fender tag must be pretty full with all those codes. Can't wait to see it when you bring it to Volo.
I have to say, the membership on this board is phenomenal when it comes to helping out other members, and your car will be in good hands during its temporary home in Illinois.
 
Always happy to help. Little bit of snow never scared a Canadian boy before...

Should you choose to put the correct 71 only dual snorkel on. I have one I'm willing to part with.

Anyway, see you at Volo...
20190126_101414.jpg
20190127_134641_HDR.jpg
 
Line-1-
E85: 440 - 4 Barrel, 335 HP rating
D32: A727 3 speed Automatic
DH23: Dodge High (Monaco) 2DR Hardtop (Formal roof)
T: 440-4 Barrel “Low Performance”
1: 1971
F: Newark, Delaware Assembly


((((( DH23 is not a Formal roof )))))
 
Line-1-
E85: 440 - 4 Barrel, 335 HP rating
D32: A727 3 speed Automatic
DH23: Dodge High (Monaco) 2DR Hardtop (Formal roof)
T: 440-4 Barrel “Low Performance”
1: 1971
F: Newark, Delaware Assembly


((((( DH23 is not a Formal roof )))))
No you're correct it's a fast top, forgive my one error after driving 1600 miles in a blizzard in just under 22 hours...
 
OK folks, time for a few details. As a few of you already know, and as the rest of you guessed, I bought the car early this week and Wyatt has since then transported it to his place for a thorough check-up later this month!

This deal would not have happened without the help of a number of folks on this board and on the Polara/Monaco Yahoo group. You know who you are, and I am grateful to every single one of you! I would be remiss if I did not give a special shoutout to the following members:

--> @polara71, for alerting me to the fact that the seller had dropped his asking price by almost half and for sharing (among other things) his opinions of the car and suggesting for what to look out for. He put up with a non-trivial nbr of evening calls and texts in the past 2 weeks :D

--> @saforwardlook, @fc7_plumcrazy and @Bill Watson (here, and also on the Yahoo board with Kevin) for also generously sharing their expert opinions and vast knowledge so that I could be confident that the car was what it was represented to be;

--> @'69FuryIIIConvertible, for making a substantial detour from his planned trip between Ontario and Ohio in order to go inspect the car for me, in the middle of a snow storm (@Big_John did the same thing for a '70 Polara 'vert in Syracuse last December -- both of them got into the snow to get a good look at a car for me, just wow -- and thanks!) and for writing a super-helpful review to me;

--> @71Polara383, for meeting me in Medina, checking out the car alongside me there, and carrying it safely halfway across the country. If you think that Dave got a lot of texts and calls, ask Wyatt how many he got :rolleyes:


I have been looking at getting a fusie driver with a BB, and I have a special fondness for 1970 and 1971 Polara's and Monacos. I'd looked at this car back in September when it was first advertised for sale thanks go to @69monaco for posting the original CL ad), but the initial price and the lack of information from the seller dissuaded me from going much further. @Matthew Reynolds shared with me in October that he was local and had seen the car before and after its repaint, and that it was virtually spotless. Fast forward to an alert from Dave 2 weeks ago that the car was still for sale at a new price of $8.5k, and I thought it was now worth looking into it again.

Turns out the seller was not very forthcoming with information for two reasons: he was afraid of scams, and he was not comfortable using smart phones. Over the course of a few days and some difficult exchanges, trust built on both sides. I took it as a sign (i.e., a huge break for me) that Nick was able and willing to go see the car under really bad conditions. Immediately after getting his 3-page detailed inspection report and his high-resolution photos, and conversing about it with several of the members listed above, that I decided to take the plunge. I flew up to Buffalo to check out the car myself one last time. The weather was much better than when Nick went (I timed the flight between a snow storm and an ice storm), and found that the car drove well and braked strongly, that the heater and rear defroster worked (as did all the items I could check), so I decided to buy it and proceeded with it. After Wyatt picked it up, we had a quick dinner at a local place in Medina, then he headed out West while I returned my rental pickup (you can see the hood in the photos above) and flew back out.

The car was manufactured at the Newark, DE plant -- one of 20,278 C-body Dodge automobiles built in Delaware for the US market in the 1971 model year (Fuselage Quality).

It is originally GY9 with white interior (buckets, buddy seat -- my favorite seating combo) and white vinyl top. From the trunk lid badge, it seems it was sold at White Marsh between Baltimore and DC at some point in its life. It was bout 15 or so years ago by two brothers at Carlisle, who brought it to upstate NY. It lived there in a barn, its front visible from the road -- which is how the last owner learned about it. The vinyl roof was replaced not long before the latter bought it (about 3 years ago) from the brothers. He had a complete tune-up done, the exhaust changed to duals, air shocks installed in the rear, and the car repainted. The mirrors, which are incorrect, were already there before he bought the car from the brothers.

Here is a photo of what the car looked like before it was repainted. The repaint is not perfect, but I plan to keep it as such for the time being -- my goal is to have a good driver for shows in the Midwest. In particular -- Volo 2019, here I come!

I am posting this short write-up during a coffee break, but should be able to revert with more details later this weekend. Yes, that includes high-resolution photos. I will post the tag pic in another thread, about cross-plant variations of the tags on '71 C-bodies.

Meanwhile, here is the decoding thanks to Nick, with the A07 package info added by yours truly. The car has a full 6-line tag:

Line-1-
E85: 440 - 4 Barrel, 335 HP rating
D32: A727 3 speed Automatic
DH23: Dodge High (Monaco) 2DR Hardtop (Edited — thanks @69monaco )
T: 440-4 Barrel “Low Performance”
1: 1971
F: Newark, Delaware Assembly

Line-2-
GY9- Dark (“Tawny”) Gold Poly
H6XW- High (Trim grade), Vinyl bucket seat, White & Black
000- Full door panels (No door frames)
B16- November 16th 1970 build date
007833- 7,833 Order number

Line-3-
V1W- White vinyl top
U- Build for US market
A03- “Deluxe Light package”, Map/courtesy light, Ignition switch lamp with timer, headlamp switch lamp with timer, Fender turn signal lights, Lock doors lamp, Low fuel warning lamp.
A07- "Factory A/C Special" Package
A94- “Reminder light package”
C21- Center front cushion/armrest, “Buddy bucket”

Line-4-
C55- Bucket seat
H51- Air conditioning with Heater
L31- Fender turn signals
L35- Cornering lamps
M25- Body sill moldings
M26- Wheel lip moldings

Line-5-
M28- Front bumper periphery moldings
M31- Body belt moldings
M36- Rear bumper periphery moldings
M85- Bumper Guards, front and rear
N88- Auto Speed Control

Line-6-
P45- Power deck lid release- Electric
R13- AM Radio, High Powered, 5 ½ watt
V5X- Body side molding with black vinyl insert
Y14- Special Order
26- 26” Max cooling package (Required equipment when ordered with H51 code)
END- End of option codes

View attachment 257731

WOW !!! Way-ta-go on scoring such a neat car. Can't wait to see it - hopefully at Carlisle.
 
Thank you again, Wyatt -- both for your help with Medina and for the pics!

Folks, in Wyatt's last pic, you can see a dealer tag screwed into the trunk. Here is a close-up. Two questions:

1. what is with the "scaling" or "metal dandruff" (for lack of a better word) on the tag?
2. Smith Motor Company in White Marsh, MD these days seems to be a used-car dealership, but there used to exist a Dodge dealership by that name (the 1963 card attached below is courtesy of that site). Does anyone from the area know more about it? @1978 NYB, do you?

Smith Motors 1963 card.png


IMG_2152_cut.png
 
My assumption is this is a single snorkel from a later vehicle. Should be this one pictured. 71 Dual Snorkels are a one year design, they have a nipple for the breather on the left snorkel, with the breather tube going around the back and to the right valve cover.

View attachment 257735

Exactly Wyatt. I hope I am not sharing something Michel that you wanted to save for later, but the reason I still maintain that every 71 Dodge C body produced with the 440 engine had a dual snorkel air cleaner is because of the photo Michel shared with me earlier of his "new" Monaco - this air cleaner is clearly an add on from another year, maybe earlier than 1971 because even a single snorkel air cleaner in 1971 only had the long breather hose (Michel's has the short one - see below), not just the dual snorkel at least on a 440. I have never seen a Dodge Polara or Monaco with a 440 that didn't have a dual snorkel air cleaner. And that is a lot of those cars I have seen over many years.

I was told by a friend of mine years ago that also worked for Chrysler back in those days that 440s in Dodge full size cars got the dual snorkel air cleaners because most of the 440s in those cars went into patrol cars, and it was less production plant complexity to just specify it on every 440 built for those cars (at least from 1971 - 73).

engine-received_541011229709697-jpg.252305
 
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Exactly Wyatt. I hope I am not sharing something Michel that you wanted to save for later, but the reason I still maintain that every 71 Dodge C body produced with the 440 engine had a dual snorkel air cleaner is because of the photo Michel shared with me earlier of his new Monaco - this air cleaner is clearly an add on from another year, maybe earlier than 1971 because even a single snorkel air cleaner in 1971 only had the long breather hose (Michel's has the short one - see below), not just the dual snorkel at least on a 440. I have never seen a Dodge Polara or Monaco with a 440 that didn't have a dual snorkel air cleaner. And that is a lot of those cars I have seen over many years.

I was told by a friend of mine years ago that also worked for Chrysler back in those days that 440s in Dodge full size cars got the dual snorkel air cleaners because most of the 440s in those cars went into patrol cars, and it was less production plant complexity to just specify it on every 440 built for those cars (at least from 1971 - 73).

engine-received_541011229709697-jpg.252305
73 U code cars don't have and never have had anything but single snorkel trap door air cleaners.
 
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