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1970 Dodge Coronet

Dodge used the Coronet nameplate for many years, from 1949 through 1959, and then from 1965 through 1976. When it reappeared during the 1965 model year, it was an intermediate-sized B-body vehicle rested on a 117-inch wheelbase, taking over the position in the lineup previously held by the Polara which moved up, once again, to full-size status. The Coronet was immediately popular, with sales exceeding 209,000 units for 1965, making it the most popular model sold by Dodge that year. Initially, Dodge offered the Coronet in base, Deluxe, 440, and 500 trim levels. The base and Deluxe trim levers were offered as two- and four-door sedans, and station wagons. The Coronet 440 was positioned in the middle of the Coronet lineup and offered as a two-door hardtop, convertible, or station wagon. (The 440 name did not reference the engine displacement). The top-of-the-line Coronet trim level was the Coronet 500 offered as a two-door hardtop or convertible in 1965. These versions came with bucket seats, a padded dashboard, chrome floor console, exterior trim and badging, and a 273 cubic-inch V8 engine.

1970 Dodge Coronet photo
440 Series Hardtop
Chassis #: WM23VA184037
View info and history
The Coronet Deluxe trim level was introduced and positioned between the base Coronet and the Coronet 440. A year later, the Coronet R/T joined the lineup, available as a two-door hardtop or convertible. It came with the largest Chrysler engine available - the 440 cubic-inch 'Magnum' V8 with 375 horsepower. The 426 cubic-inch Hemi was optional, now in its second year in 'Street' trim and rated at 425 horsepower.

The Coronet and its sibling, the Plymouth Belvedere, were completely redesigned in 1968, along with the Dodge Charger which also rested on the B-body platform. Another mild facelift occurred in 1970. Initially, trim levels included the base Coronet, Coronet Deluxe, Coronet 440, Coronet 500, and Coronet R/T. The 'Super Bee' trim level was introduced in 1968 and produced through 1971, during which time a little over 53,000 were produced. The Super Bee was based on the Coronet 440 and included improved shocks and suspension components, larger brakes, and a revised hood. It featured a bee wearing a helmet, a prominent stinger, fat tires, and headers. It served as a companion to the Plymouth Road Runner.

There was an internal rivalry between the two MOPAR divisions, Dodge and Plymouth. Plymouth had produced their Road Runner, a vehicle that focused on acceleration and speed and was stripped of amenities such as carpet, radio, ac, and cruise control. Out of the two cars, the Road Runner enjoyed greater success.

1970 Dodge Coronet photo
R/T Hardtop
Chassis #: WS23R9G219666
View info and history
When introduced in 1968, the Super Bee sold for $3,030, approximately $100 more expensive than its Road Runner sibling, with about the same weight, identical engines, interior carpeting, and closely mirrored it in performance. An optional 426 Hemi engine was available for an extra thousand dollars. Bumblebee racing strips circled the tail of the vehicle and a Super Bee emblem was placed on the rear fenders. The base 383 cubic-inch V8 produced 335 horsepower and 425 ft-lbs of torque while the 426 Hemi produced 425 horsepower. During its introductory year, 7,842 examples were produced.

In 1969, Dodge placed a 'Scat Pack' emblem on the front and rear of the vehicle. A new cold-air induction, Ramcharger system became standard on the cars equipped with the Hemi engine. The 440 Six Pack V8 engine was offered with 390 horsepower and 490 ft-lbs of torque. Although not as powerful as the Hemi engine, it did provide an excellent alternative and cost about half as much. A two-door, hardtop body style was added to the line-up. There were 7,650 coupes and 18,475 hardtops produced during the 1969 model year.

The 1970 Dodge Coronet
The Dodge model lineup for 1970 included the entry-level Dart, the mid-level Coronet, the full-size Polara, and the sporty Charger. Ford had the Mustang, Chevrolet had the Camaro, and Dodge offered its buyers the Challenger either as a two-door hardtop or convertible. Prices on the Dart ranged from $2,490 to $2,790, while prices on the Coronet ranged from $2,670 to $3,800.

1970 Dodge Coronet photo
R/T Hardtop
Chassis #: WS23U0E115189
View info and history
Auction entries : 1
Styling change applied to the 1970 Coronet included a new grille with two oval openings encased with chrome trim, with dual, delta-shaped headlights located at the far end of either opening. The base trim level was the Deluxe which came with either a 225 cubic-inch Slant Six or the 318 CID V8 engine. The 225 CID Six had overhead valves, a cast-iron block, four main bearings, solid valve lifters, a one-barrel carburetor, and delivered 145 bhp at 4,000 RPM. The 318 CID V8 also had overhead valves, a 9.0:1 compression ratio, a two-barrel carburetor, five main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, and delivered 230 bhp at 4,000 RPM.

The interior of the Coronet Deluxe housed an all-vinyl front bench seat, and there was a cigarette lighter, heater and defroster, and color-keyed floor mats. F78-14 fiberglass belted black sidewall tires were located at all four corners.

In 1970, the Super Bee received minor styling changes. A hood tachometer and spoiler were now offered as optional equipment. Sales were not as good as the prior year, selling a little more than half when compared to 1969, with 3,966 coupes and 11,540 hardtops. They continued to be the high-performance, intermediate-sized counterpart to the Dodge Dart Swinger 340 Series. The standard engine was the 383 CID 'Magnum' V8 backed by a three-speed manual transmission with a floor-mounted shifter. The 383 CID V8 was offered with two- or four-barrel carburetion. They had hydraulic valve lifters, five main bearings, overhead valves, and a cast-iron block. With the BBD two-barrel carburetion and 9.2:1 compression, the engine delivered 290 bhp at 4,400 RPM. The four-barrel version with 10.0:1 compression produced between 330 to 335 depending on the setup.

1970 Dodge Coronet photo
440 Series Hardtop
Chassis #: WM23V0A124286
View info and history
Auction entries : 1
The Super Bee had automatic adjusting drum brakes, heavy-duty front shock absorbers, a Rallye suspension with sway bar, and F70-14 fiberglass belted white sidewall or black sidewall tires with raised white letters. The interiors received a three-spoke steering wheel with a partial horn ring, carpeting, and all of the features found on the Deluxe trim level.

The Coronet 440 was available as a sedan, coupe, hardtop, and station wagon with either 6- or 9-passenger seating. They were distinguished by the Coronet 440 nameplate, in block letters, on the leading corners of the front fenders. They had a three-spoke steering wheel with a partial horn ring, carpeting, and cloth and vinyl front bench seats on the sedans.

The top-of-the-line Coronet trim level was the Coronet 500, which was endowed with all the features of the 440 plus added belt moldings on hardtops and convertible. They had all-vinyl front bucket seats, 14-inch wheels wrapped with G78-14 fiberglass belted tires, a pedal dress-up kit, and the Coronet 500 nameplate.

1970 Dodge Coronet photo
440 Series Hardtop
Chassis #: WM23VA184037
View info and history
The high-performance version of the Coronet 500 was the Coronet R/T and came with a 440 CID 'Magnum' V8, a TorqueFlite automatic transmission, heavy-duty 70 amp/hour battery, and heavy-duty automatic adjusting drum brakes. They had a heavy-duty suspension with heavy-duty front and rear shock absorbers, F70-14 fiberglass belted white sidewall tires or black sidewall tires with raised white lettering, and three-speed windshield wipers. The front bucket seats were wrapped with all vinyl, and there were two hood scoops near the outside edges of the hood. The simulated hood scoops carried the R/T model designations, proudly declaring the high-performance status.

All Coronet R/T vehicles had blacked-out escutcheon panels and bumblebee stripes down the rear fender sides and across the trunk lid.

The 440 CID V8 had a cast-iron block, overhead valves, hydraulic valve lifters, and five main bearings. With 10.0:1 compression and a Carter AFS four-barrel carburetor, the engine produced between 350 and 375 bhp. With a two Carter AFB four-barrel carburetor and 10.25:1 compression, the engine offered 390 bhp at 4,7000 RPM. The top-of-the-line 426 'Street Hemi' V8 produced 425 bhp at 5,000 RPM. It is believed that 32 examples of the Super Bee two-door hardtop received the 426 Hemi and 4 of the two-door coupes. An additional 13 two-door hardtops were Coronet R/T models that received the 462 Hemi. Additionally, 1,072 examples were two-door hardtops equipped with the 440 CID 'Six Pak' V8 and 196 of the two-door coupes. 194 were Coronet R/t two-door hardtops and 16 were convertibles with the 440 CID 'Six Pak'.

1970 Dodge Coronet photo
440 Series Hardtop
Chassis #: WM23VA184037
View info and history
In 1971, sales continued to decline, and the hardtop was the only body style offered, with just 5,054 examples produced. The Super Bee was now being built on the Charger platform. For $3,271, the Super Bee came equipped with the standard 383 cubic-inch V8 and produced 300 horsepower, backed by a standard three-speed manual gearbox. The 440 Six Pack and 426 Hemi were still available but had been detuned and now produced less horsepower than prior years. Increasing government safety and emission regulations were partly to blame. The entire muscle car arena was being 'phased out'. Fuel prices were increasing, insurance costs were becoming more expensive, and the government was implementing strict regulations for how vehicles were to be built. In order to satisfy these requirements, many muscle cars, such as the Super Bee was no longer being offered. 1971 was the final year for the Super Bee.


by Daniel Vaughan | May 2009

Related Reading : Dodge Coronet History

In 1949 Dodge introduced the Coronet which was the top trim level offered by Dodge. It was similar to the Meadowbrook models in many respects, deviating in their interior appointments and minor differences with trim. The base-level four-door sedan body style was offered for under %241930. The top of the line version was the two-door station wagon which had seating for six and cost %242865. An L-head six-cylinder....
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1970 Dodge Coronet Vehicle Profiles

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Price Comparison

1970 Coronet
$3,782-$28,120
1970 Dodge Coronet Price Range: $2,665 - $3,782

Compare: Lower | Higher | Similar

Other 1970 Dodge Models
$2,465 - $2,805
$2,720 - $4,055
$3,000 - $3,710

Coronet

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
87,500
117.00 in.
6 cyl., 225.00 CID., 145.00hp
8 cyl., 273.50 CID., 180.00hp
8 cyl., 318.00 CID., 230.00hp
8 cyl., 361.00 CID., 265.00hp
8 cyl., 383.00 CID., 330.00hp
8 cyl., 413.00 CID., 340.00hp
8 cyl., 426.00 CID., 365.00hp
8 cyl., 426.00 CID., 415.00hp
8 cyl., 426.00 CID., 425.00hp
$2,345 - $2,825
250,900
117.00 in.
6 cyl., 170.00 CID., 101.00hp
6 cyl., 225.00 CID., 145.00hp
8 cyl., 273.00 CID., 180.00hp
8 cyl., 318.00 CID., 230.00hp
8 cyl., 273.00 CID., 235.00hp
8 cyl., 361.00 CID., 265.00hp
8 cyl., 383.00 CID., 270.00hp
8 cyl., 383.00 CID., 325.00hp
8 cyl., 440.00 CID., 365.00hp
8 cyl., 426.00 CID., 425.00hp
$2,265 - $2,925
184,609
117.00 in.
6 cyl., 170.00 CID., 101.00hp
6 cyl., 225.00 CID., 145.00hp
8 cyl., 273.00 CID., 180.00hp
8 cyl., 318.00 CID., 230.00hp
8 cyl., 273.00 CID., 235.00hp
8 cyl., 383.00 CID., 270.00hp
8 cyl., 383.00 CID., 325.00hp
8 cyl., 440.00 CID., 375.00hp
8 cyl., 426.00 CID., 425.00hp
$2,360 - $3,200
196,242
117.00 in.
6 cyl., 170.00 CID., 101.00hp
6 cyl., 225.00 CID., 145.00hp
8 cyl., 273.00 CID., 180.00hp
8 cyl., 318.00 CID., 230.00hp
8 cyl., 273.00 CID., 235.00hp
8 cyl., 383.00 CID., 270.00hp
8 cyl., 340.00 CID., 275.00hp
8 cyl., 383.00 CID., 290.00hp
8 cyl., 383.00 CID., 300.00hp
8 cyl., 383.00 CID., 325.00hp
8 cyl., 440.00 CID., 375.00hp
8 cyl., 426.00 CID., 425.00hp
$2,460 - $3,610
27,800
117.00 in.
8 cyl., 383.00 CID., 325.00hp
8 cyl., 440.00 CID., 375.00hp
$3,075 - $3,135
7,200
117.00 in.
8 cyl., 440.00 CID., 375.00hp
8 cyl., 426.00 CID., 425.00hp
$3,440 - $3,660
114,955
117.00 in.
6 cyl., 225.00 CID., 145.00hp
8 cyl., 318.00 CID., 230.00hp
8 cyl., 383.00 CID., 290.00hp
8 cyl., 383.00 CID., 330.00hp
8 cyl., 383.00 CID., 335.00hp
8 cyl., 440.00 CID., 375.00hp
8 cyl., 440.00 CID., 390.00hp
8 cyl., 426.00 CID., 425.00hp
$2,665 - $3,782

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