Detail Info for: Dodge : Polara 500 NO RESERVE Documented Matching #'s 383 & Hemi 4 speed 85,000 miles RARE Rust-free Survivor

Transaction Info
Sold On:
04/03/2012
Price:
$ 10309.00
Condition:
Mileage:
85710
Location:
Portland, Oregon, 97214
Seller Type:
-
Vehicle Specification
Year Make Model:
1967 Dodge Polara 500
Submodel Body Type:
NO RESERVE Coupe
Engine:
8 - Cyl.
Transmission:
Manual
VIN:
DM23H74168896
Vehicle Title:
Drive Train:
Fuel Type:
Gasoline
Standard Equipment:
Optional Equipment:
Vehicle Detail
Special order, Black plate California car since day-one. Factory and numbers matching H-code 383 and 4 speed with console and tachometer. 2 owners with 85,710 original miles. Rare doesn't begin to describe this unique Mopar. Both myself and the Mopar "guru's" I've spoken with can't even find any production numbers on this car. I'm sure that information exists somewhere but my research hasn't found it. My collection consists of primarily General Motors products from the 60's and 70's. I do have a couple from the Chrysler family but my 71 HEMI 'Cuda and 70 Challenger 440 Six-Pack Convertible are no where near as rare as this Polara. How many could they have made? Two, five, possibly ten, but I highly doubt it. Who knows? Galen Govier might be able to answer that question. At the suggestion of a close friend, I am calling Galen's office tomorrow (Friday the 30th) and I'm hoping he can shed some light on this. I will update this write-up if I'm able to speak with him and share what he says about the car. With the exception of one closed-door correct color repaint 25 years ago and the cassette radio from the mid-1980's, this car is original-original-original. Even the starter, fuel pump and water pump appear to be factory original components. All components are intact as the factory assembled them. Purchased new on January 18th, 1967 at Norton Motors in Kelseyville California. That Dodge dealer has changed names but it is still there and they know this car. Both original license plates and dealer frames are on the car. 1 owner for the first 41 years and the 2nd owner had the car until his passing at the end of last year. Upon his death, his brother went to California and drove the car here to Oregon. Yes, drove! Until coming to Oregon, the car had never left that small town. This has got to be one of the rarest, low production, low mileage, documented, 4 speed, Survivor Mopar Muscle cars left in existance. Yesterday I looked under the drivers seat and in the springs was a portion of the assembly line Broadcast Sheet (photo'd below). Untouched all these years. How lucky could I get? The small portion that I removed was the section that showed the engine, transmission and axel codes!! Even the tachometer code is there. Based on the research I have done, it's very likely that another Broadcast Sheet is located somewhere else in the car. Under the original carpeting or back seat is a possibility. Not that myself or anyone else would ever question the authenticity of the car, but once I verified the drivetrain codes, factory 4 speed etc, on the Broadcast I already found I chose not to look any further. To my knowledge, the interior is 100% original and has never been removed. Even the Certicard was still in the factory plastic holder on the radiator support. It had never been removed. I gently wiggled it for a few minutes to get it out. Looks like the day it was put there. The 3 following paragraphs with describe the car. The body and undersides are rust-free. Not even a rust pimple! One closed-door repaint in the factory color was performed 20+ years ago. A mid-range job was done at that time. The drivers rear quarter panel was backed into in a Sears parking lot. Still the original quarter panel. All panels are factory. During that repair the first owner decided to have the entire car painted because the original finish had faded. He also chose to have the top painted white. This is NOT a vinyl top, nor did the car ever have one. They did a good job and it is a pretty car but the paint is showing it's age in the form of small chips and tiny blems. Other than the minor repair that was done on the drivers quarter, there has been no other damage. All glass is gorgeous. Exterior trim, stainless moldings and entire grille area are excellent. Even the original bumpers are very nice. The wheel molding on the drivers quarter is missing. I have made no attempts at locating a replacement. The undercarriage is outstanding. The original undercoating has a light covering of roadgrime, dirt and drivetrain fluid residue. I scrapped a few areas to expose the factory metal flooring, etc... Beautiful! The trunk is extremely solid. The rear window seal had a small leak years ago that allowed water to collect in a small area (photos provided) An issolated repair was done to that very small affected area. Not noticable unless pointed out. A beautiful car that presents well. Based on how exceptionally solid and rust-free the car is, taking the body and paint to the next level would be an easy and rewarding task. The original interior is impressive. Minor wear showing on the drivers seat and a hole in the carpet under the rubber floor mat where your clutch foot would rest are the only flaws to mention. Door panels, headliner, all seats (other than the minor blem on drivers bucket) and entire dashborad area are in near mint original condition. The center console and shifter are also beautiful. Other than the missing piece of exterior trim on the drivers quarter panel, the only other missing item is the original radio. Ordered with factory AM/FM. All lights, gauges, speedometer, heater, wipers, horn, etc, are functioning properly. The factory tachometer and vintage oil gauge are also working. Factory rear defogger also. There is no substitute for low mileage, good care and a lifetime in the California climate. The upcoming photos will the story. The numbers matching H-Code 383 with original four barrel carburetor starts easily and performs well. No smoke, misses, ticks or hesitations. Throttle response is crisp even when opening the secondaries. This is nothing short of impressive based on everything being original. The original 4 speed manual transmission is quiet and shifts correctly. You can feel the second gear synchro just a little when cold but once warm all gears are smooth and easy to find. I was told that the transmission was also correct for HEMI applications. Again, this entire car was a special order. The rear-end function as new. The 3:23 gearing is a perfect ratio for stop light to stop light while being comfortable at highway speeds. Suspension, steering and brakes are working properly but appear all original. While picturing the undersides I inspected as much as I could and found some steering components that should be replaced due to their age. She drives very nice in all speed ranges but a thorough servicing would be advisable. I simply wanted to keep everything as original as possible. Again, she made the journey from California to Oregon with no issues or glitches. Typical fluid leaks car be found on my garage floor. The valve cover gaskets have obviously been seaping for many years! Even the dual exhaust is completely factory original up to the mufflers. The exhaust system is solid and provides an era correct sound. I have enjoyed every minute behind the wheel. She is mechanically trustworthy but as I just said, a full going over would be smart before a long road-trip. It is unheard of for all of these drivetrain components to be original. Nothing short of amazing. I will make a few brief comments under some of the upcoming photos. All of my eBay experiences have been enjoyable over the years as I've sold members of my collection. I'm grateful for the kind words and compliments I've received. My opinions have guided me well and I stand behind them but please keep in mind that these are my personal opinions and observations and they may differ from your own. I welcome showing my Dodge in person to anyone with genuine interest. I live very near the Portland Oregon Airport and would gladly pick you up. Each photo shows the car clearly and accurately. It is my intention to make this as close to you seeing and touching the car for yourself as possible. Feel free to click on the "ask a question" link here in the auction and I will respond to all polite questions. Phone calls are great too. My number is 503-887-1231 and calls between 8AM and 9PM Pacific time are just fine. My auction runs for 5 days and is scheduled to end on Tuesday evening, the 3rd of April at 8PM Pacific. I reserve the right to end my auction early in the event I accept a genuine offer and the car becomes no longer available. If you are outside of the U.S. or Canada or have a low (0) eBay score-Everyone PLEASE, read my terms of sale located near the bottom of this screen. I'm a reasonable person but I will not bend on these basic terms unless previously discussed during the auction. A little communication goes a long way. NO RESERVE AUCTIONI did not set a reserve price on my Polara. All that I ask in return is for your bids to be real and your intent to purchase be sincere. I took every picture you're about to see 4 days before this auction started. No photo has been altered or enhanced in any way. This is my car and these pictures are true to her in-person appearance. Thanks for your time, DAVE The small porcelain dish on the console use to hold water for the orignal owners little dog that would ride with him. It is stuck in-place but could be removed. I liked the story so I felt compelled to leave it. Yes, factory 4 speed. As original as they come. I also have a close-up picture that more clearly shows the drivetrain codes. Crossing one of Portland's bridges heading into Downtown the day I took these photos. All glass is excellent. As I said earlier, not even a rust pimple or blister of any kind. Left side back-up light lense is cracked. All others are MINT. Chrome is not pitted or heavily tarnished. These items never survive like this. This rear wheel lip quarter molding is missing as I mentioned. I almost forgot. This wheel lip molding is not correct. Possibly from a Dodge Monaco or other model. These small paint chips are noticable exterior flaws. Other very minor blems are only visible under close scrutiny. Again, paint is certainly presentable and the car shows well but far from perfection. When I said every light worked, I meant every light! Even the license plate light. My favorite photo. No bragging intended but I own some incredible cars and nothing compares to the rarity or originality of this Polara. Small dark spots showing in the aging paint. Yes, they work. All 4 hubcaps are MINT. Drivers seat show some wear but still impressive. Original headliner is MINT. Rear seat is also perfect. Even the dashpad is MINT. The interior really is in spectacular original condition and shouldn't be touched with the exception of installing an original radio. I only looked away from the raod for a second. Original miles. All gauges and even the e-brake light work perfectly. Yes, original shifter. The chrome and interior brightwork are all excellent. Everything works. This is the area I mentioned. Water came through a small leak in the rear window seal. Since rectified and this was the result. Trunk is still in hard to find condition. Trunk seal area is gorgeous. Trunk really is very nice. The black and yellow rubber hose is for the factory rear defrost. VERY rare. I did clean the fender wells and fire wall to show how spectacular they are. I left the engine alone. The grime is all original. I'm pretty sure that the alternator is the only replaced mechanical component. The radiator is a unique mystery. It is 100% original but the numbers don't show in ANY literature. 2785 948 doesn't exist in books. The books skip over 948 and go to 949. This car is extremely low production. Block pad behind alternator is clearly stamped C 383. ALL original, intact, rare and correct! Original carburetor. I couldn't believe it was there. I wasn't even looking for it. I found it while taking these photos. Cowl area is MINT. The undersides we pray to find, especially on a Mopar. The entire undercarriage is outstanding. Transmission numbers. More transmission numbers. Casting numbers on passenger side of block. Notice the exhaust heat-riser still in-place. After I layed out all of these photos I decided to put her up in the air again and look for more numbers. Bingo- On the drivers side of the block I found the date: 7.28.66 clear as day near the front of the block up high on the drivers side. Same as above pic. These numbers are on the transmission tail shaft. Rear-end stampings. Original gear ratio tag still in-place. 3:23 to 1 Stampings on starter. As I said earlier, I believe it's the original unit. Original brochures and owners manual. Inside the cover of the owners manual. Even matches the license plate frames. Close-up of broadcast sheet documenting engine, transmission, rear axel, etc. I do aplogize for being so long-winded. It's just such an interesting car and I'm sure there is more to share. I welcome any and all intelligent contact especially anyone with knowledge regarding in any aspect of this car. Production numbers, etc, would be neat information to have. This car deserves to be in an extensive collection. Would without a doubt be one of the rarest members of anyones collection. Thanks again-______________________________________________________________Terms of Sale: 45yr old vehicle being sold AS-IS: Please read and agree with the following: I have described my car honestly and to the best of my ability based on 25 years of owning and driving classic cars. I have 100% faith in the drivability of this car and to my knowledge everything is in excellent working order per my written description above. Free and clear California title is in my possession. I have recently been driving and enjoying the car without concern but she is 45 years old and routine service and repairs should be expected due to her age and originality. If you are not comfortable with a sight-unseen purchase, please come see the car for yourself or have an independent inspection performed PRIOR to bidding. I will not be responsible for the decisions of others. I would appreciate the winning bidder contacting me immediately upon end of auction just so the lines of communication are opened. My number is 503-887-1231. A $1000.00 deposit is due within 24 hours of auction ending preferably through PayPal just so we are both protected. Wire transfers and verifiable cashier checks are also acceptable. I'm an easy going person so if you need to make special financial arrangements just let me know BEFORE you bid and I'll try to help. I have been with the same bank here in Portland for over 8 years and the Management staff knows me. You are welcome to contact them for your own security if you like. The remaining balance is due within 7 calendar days of auction end in the form of secure funds. Some banks and credit unions do not finance vehicles of this vintage. Make sure if you are financing that your financial institution accepts the year and value of this vehicle before bidding. Please have your method of payment arranged prior to auction ending.TRANSPORT - SHIPPING I am happy to be an active and hands-on part of this process from start to finish but the buyer is ultimately responsible for pickup or shipping of this vehicle and any pre-purchase inspections need to be done BEFORE auction ending. If you wish to have it shipped using a service, I will gladly assist in loading and be present for the transport condition form and other reasonable help. Locating a transporter is the buyers responsibility but I can make recommendations and share the relationships I've built. Vehicle transport has become very reasonable. I personally use a privately owned trucking company. They have handled my transport needs perfectly for the last 4 years with careful handling, excellent rates and fast service even all the way to the East Coast. I will provide contact info at your request. Dependable Auto Shippers (D.A.S.) is a transporter that eBay recommends and my experiences with them were just fine. My location zip code is 97214. Coast-to-Coast transport is around $1200.00 and even less the closer you are to Oregon. Shipping to Australia, Europe and other Countries has also become affordable and easy to arrange. If you are outside of the United States or Canada, you MUST contact me BEFORE bidding. If you are an eBay member with negative history or have a (0) or low transaction score, I need to hear from you just to verify your sincerity and accept your bids as genuine. We all started from (0) and I'm happy to give a leg up. I reserve the right to cancel bids for these reasons. Communication is all I ask. I reserve the right to end the auction at any time if the vehicle is no longer available or otherwise SOLD.