1973 Dodge Sundancer
- Thread starter Carmine
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That badge on the Le Baron might have its origin as an attempt to mimic the 1955 Dodge La Femme package..............................
They also carried over the package for the women in 1956:
They also carried over the package for the women in 1956:
Carmine
Old Man with a Hat
It is now. Please don't flood the person who posted the ad. He should have pulled it. Will give more details later.
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That explains why he didn't answer my text.
You're killing me
cm23uoc
Old Man with a Hat
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Get outahere. 
I never thought this would be it even after someone hinted at the post.
Can't wait to get more info.
I never thought this would be it even after someone hinted at the post.
Can't wait to get more info.
78Brougham
"Chump"
Looks like something Liberace would have ownedThat badge on the Le Baron might have its origin as an attempt to mimic the 1955 Dodge La Femme package..............................
They also carried over the package for the women in 1956:
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
I hate you Carmine. Congrats! !
It is a love/hate thing in here sometimes... Carmine you just hit the "you suck" list again...
Carmine
Old Man with a Hat
No worries, I know what everyone means... Although I can assure you that you wouldn't think I "suck" so much if you knew how much I've been going through juggling cars. I do believe God must have been OK with it however; he's blessed us with unusually warm and sunny weather this weekend. I've been putting that to use, so I haven't been on here much. (This is a lunch break)
Anyways I'll offer everyone a few bread crumbs.
First of all, it was no joke when I said the last time I saw that car was in the 90s. In fact, I do believe it was even earlier than what I wrote at first. I recall it was in a bank parking lot, but it was a branch I was using only because I was dating a girl who lived nearby. We broke up around 1994, so I probably saw that car between 1992 and 1994.
Second, I have no idea why my memory added an "R"! I was positive the name was just slightly off from the Sundance name used just a year later on Plymouths as a trim package (and again from '87-'94). On the upside, I think I nailed everything else.
Third, a friend sent me a photo of the 1973 Plymouth Aspen showcar. See below:
And we know the Mariner still exists...
(2015 picture at the Harper Ave cruise in St. Clair Shores, MI)
Thus I believe this car is the 3rd (Dodge) of a set of Highland Park-modified C-bodies done for the show circuit:
Allow me to advance another theory... I now believe there may have been a forth special-build car! Back in the very early 90s, maybe even 1990, I looked at a 1973 Imperial that was trapped in a Detroit backyard. This car was a Rallye Red 4dr with a power sunroof, white top and interior. I know this car still exists. Murray Park owns it now. I don't know if anything else was "unique" about this car, but at the tender age of 17, I might have missed it! I'm not sure if they were building 4drs with sunroofs in '73, so that might have been unique. But for a kid living at home, there was no way I could justify another huge old car.
So back to the Sundance, bad news first. The subframe is toast. The car was sitting in a "pit" for at least 5 years and the front tires went flat, placing it right on the dirt. Now the good news... The body is amazingly well-preserved. So well-preserved that I believe it will be show-worthy with 95% of the original (code 999) paint. The graphics are faded, but they were painted (not decals) so re-freshing them shouldn't be an issue. It was aftermarket-rustproofed and it appears that they did it correctly (for once), not just plugging drain holes with tar.
Have a look at the trunk extensions and notice the sunroof rear drain tubes running on top of the wheelhouses:
The car is pretty much loaded with options and other custom goodies that I didn't notice 20 years ago. It is 100% unmolested down to the spark plug wires (well, I think a rat ate one of them while it was parked outside).
Here's the part where I'm sure you'll think I'm a jerk... I'm holding off publishing more photos because I would like to get Hemmings Collector Car to do a story on these cars. If I put all my info and photos out here, that hurts the case. Give me some time to shop the story and contact the Mariner owner (if anyone can help with that, please PM me. I'm pretty sure they live in Northern Macomb county). Sleep soundly knowing the car will be saved. I'm putting it into winter hibernation while I start documenting it.
cm23uoc
Old Man with a Hat
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Ended up in the right Hands.
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
Carmine... GL with Hemmings... be nice to see a good C body article from them. I suppose you will be as good a guy to preserve her as anyone else we could chose... just don't forget that you will owe us many pictures.
ceebuddy
Well-Known Member
Concerning the Imperial you mentioned: The sunroof was available on four-doors in 1973.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Richard Lentinello of Hemmings News and have talked to him about the unique C bodies that Chrysler did. In fact his staff selected my 1973 Chrysler Newport Navajo Edition to participate in the unrestored class of the Concourse D'Elegance show they put on in Saratoga Springs NY a few years back. This was by application only show and was invited. A nice honor for my C-body. In fact I saw him again this year at the show and it was mentioned that Hemmings should do an article on this unique car and option package. It takes time for them to get back to you but they usually do. Contact him or the staff and suggest a story. They are always looking for interesting cars and Chrysler had some interesting ones!!!Carmine... GL with Hemmings... be nice to see a good C body article from them. I suppose you will be as good a guy to preserve her as anyone else we could chose... just don't forget that you will owe us many pictures.
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