I owned about 7 Volare/Aspens from 1978 through the early 1990's. All were second hand, and all were wagons except for one T-top Aspen coupe. All were great cars which is why I kept buying them. About 7 years ago, I found a rust free '78 Aspen wagon survivor in Colorado with only 27k miles, the slant Super Six engine and four speed overdrive transmission. I flew out to get it and drove it home to Pennsylvania with no problems. I still have it to drive to car shows and cruises and for weekend rides. I don't plan on ever letting this one go! I love it!
A ‘78 Volare sedan was my dads first new car ever. He always had second or third hand cars before. We made a lot of memories in that car. She was a great car. After he passed, I searched for one. Took me years, but I’m a proud owner of a 1978 Volare sedan, 318 w original ELB. She runs great.
We had a '78 Volare wagon bought used in 1982 - didn't give it up until 1996 when it had almost 190K miles. Slant 6 power with a high rear gear ratio - 2.76:1, together with posi differential(Chrysler called it something else) so it was a long range cruiser even if it was slow in acceleration (0 to 60 mph was about 15+ seconds). Many long trips all over the Midwest and one trip to FL. One of the best cars we ever had! Thanks Mr. Tramain for the video.
It would have been tested for wind noise. Very small features would have been done to this and I think this it marketed as areo styling. I miss these "simple" cars when compared to today's rolling I phones.
My Dad worked for a Chrysler-Plymouth dealer and my grandfather at a Dodge dealer. I did not like the Volare/Aspen as much as some of the older traded in cars I could "play with" that were on the back lots (like Valiants, Darts, Lancers with gadgets like the push button transmission and even Simcas and the Cricket) but now in retrospect they seem so nice/easy to live with everyday. This movie makes me feel so nostalgic for the 70's which is something I never thought would happen.
Growing up, my family had a 1963 Dodge 330 with the pushbutton transmission. It never gave us any trouble in the 13 years that we kept the car, and it was always an attention-getter!
A friend of mine has a 1978 Volare station wagon, slant 6, automatic. 1 major overhaul of the engine at 265,000 miles, now just passed 500,000 miles. No rust New Mexico helps, even the AC still works.
the legendary slant six - I had one that had >lot< of miles on it such that the oil light flickered at every stop and then went out again. But it was necessary to keep one item in the glove box - a ballast resistor.
@@BobBlarneystone I had a ballast resistor go out on my 1978 Plymouth Fury, car would not start because of a $4 part, I just wired around it and kept from being stranded
Jeff Beyer: Fantastic!!! Awesome! I should have considered this car instead of the 1972 AMC MATADOR I purchased. I would have purchased the Volarie with the 360 cubic inch V8, the same engine I had in my 72 Matador.
I had a '79 Volaré sedan with the slant 6. My dad had an '85 Dodge van with the same motor. I'm sure both vehicles are still running somewhere out there! Can't kill those motors!
My friend! The lovely music which you were admiring is a part of a wonderful world of library music or production music! The foremost labels are KPM, De Wolfe and ammphonic!
My dad bought a Volare wagon new in '77. It was a good car. He loved it. His '68 Fury ll sedan became my high school/go to work car. I loved that Fury. Good old day's. Great automobile's. I miss them.
Had a 77 Premiere exactly as in this ad for twenty one yrs in NE. Loved the design and slant six engine. Rust patching became to extensive and had to let it go, so sad.
Dad buy a Monaco in 1977. A great car. It remaind on our family for years. And now, I own that legendary Monaco. So hard to own, but is my pride, since 1977. Greetings.
@@rogozzy1 I have often wondered if yesteryear's car designs had today's technology and steel alloys that things might have worked out better for "Detroit". My dad used to say the cold-rolled stamped steel parts would rust out between the layers of paint.
They showed you so many mechanical specs and ergonomic features that make the vehicle reliable and comfortable. Now they show you the screen in the dash and how many apps it can handle.
In 1978 I was given a 1978 Dodge Aspen coupe to drive as an insurance replacement for about two weeks. It was a beautiful Red on Red package and ,wow, what a New Car Smell! It was a fantastic car to a twenty-year-old driver. I still remember the Southwest Leasing stock number: CA8078.
These types of videos are very nostalgic. I find myself watching these types of videos when feeling stressed, and they help. That I also happen to be a car guy, so it's nice to learn little trivia tidbits about cars I remember from my childhood. I also liked the Volare. I had a friend in highschool that had the V8 sedan and it actually kinda ripped, not gonna lie. Thank you for putting up this video. I really liked it.
2:15 Volare drivers seat is alllllll the way back, 2:26 Granada drivers seat is alllllll the way forward. 2:35 Volare drivers seat is now allllll the way forward, 2:43 Granada drivers seat is now alllll the way back. Camera filming angles are also shifted relative to the respective cars, too. Very sneaky, Volare. Whoa-ohhh. Love the old commercials from a better time, though! Thanks for posting this!
The Granada's dirty little secret was that it was a 1960 Falcon in a new, wide-lapeled polyester leisure suit. The Chevy Nova comparatively wore its' carryover-ness on its' sleeve. The Aspen/Volare were really, completely new and had the teething troubles to show for it. In the end, they were the last Chrysler cars with carburetors by 1988-89. Even the Omni/Horizon got single-point EFI for '88.
Hi! The last Chrysler Corporation cars equipped with carburetors were the Dodge Diplomat, Plymouth Gran Fury and Chrysler Fifth Avenue for 1989. But, interesting as it is, those were also the first Chrysler products equipped with a driver side airbag.
@@LUMAGAMO They claim that the Aspen/ Volare in addition to recalls also had starting problems, but I think that was only slant six models since the carb on the slant six sat right on top of the exhaust manifold.
@@Dinkymaster7 the Aspen and Volare were actually on the F body platform, the Diplomat, Grand Fury, and New Yorkers were based on the M body platform. The F body, M body, and J body (Mirada, Cordoba, Imperial) were very similar though, with the M and J body being and improved version of the F body.
We had a Volare station wagon. I remember being eight years old and the family went to the beach. The vinyl seats were so hot when you got back that you had minor burns on the back of your legs.
@jkanclark Yes! We learned the hard way and only did that once. Then there was the sand on the bathing suit all the way home (about 3 hours). They say youth is wasted on the young...
My first 3 cars were 1980 Volare's, 2 sedans and lastly a wagon (wagon was way easier to haul guitars and amplifiers). I also gotta say--love me the Wink Martendale voice over....
They forgot to mention how in the winter when the door latches froze open, you could tie the seatbelts through the handles so they didn't fly open going around corners 😉
@@buckgonsalvez384 The Volare is 112.7-inch, in comparison the 2021 Chrysler 300 has a 120.2-inch wheelbase. Volare/Aspen is closer to the 111.2-inch wheelbase 2021 Camry. I think the F-body should have been a larger car. After the 118.5-inch wheelbase R-body was dropped in 1981 Chrysler didn't have a big car. The R-body was dropped after 1981 due to poor quality and low sales
Had one, a 4 door sedan with the 6. bought it used for a very good price in the late 90s. I have absolutely no complaints whatsoever. Wish I had never traded it in for that convertable.
I like much these old times commercial promos, they explain and compare different models very wonderful. Something that is missing these days. Great American cars!!!!
After I joined the Air Force in 1981, I bought a 1976 Plymouth Volare with the 225 slant 6 and a 3 speed manual transmission with a bench seat. Yes, a bench seat with a manual. The car was very dependable. Here was the shifting pattern: First gear, left and down, smashed against the bench seat. Second gear was up and to the right with your knuckles in the radio, and of course third gear was smashing the gear shift back to the bench seat! The car never let me down!
No matter what anyone says, there is no way that car could ever have let you down. The Engine was proven and so was the transmission and the rest of the drive train. There was no new technology on that model for sure.....tried and true
I hit a big buck with my ‘78 slant 6 Volare. Killed the deer and after the radiator was repaired and the carcass was cleaned off the front bumper she drove just fine.
I love vinyl roofs! I've had three new one's installed recently. On two of my Matadors and on my 72 Plymouth Fury, Oh, and on my Dodge St Regis too. I love the look and feel of a vinyl roof.
Pinto wagon? An AMC Hornet Sportabout wagon might have been a little closer. Of course we take these sales films with a grain of salt. Thank you for posting this great piece of automotive history.
first car i remember as a kid was my moms 1976 Ford Granada Ghia triple blue. My pops, is a GM guy and he still talks about what a great car that was. My mom still remembers how that ($40) clock kept the best time LOL. She drove it until 1986 when they traded it in on a Celebrity. Fond memories. Thanks for the upload! Always love the effort you take getting these online!
@@ATLcentury334 I was still driving it in the early 2000s. The body rusted out, from the top down, where the paint baked off. It was still a solid driver, but the front end of the hood rusted through and peeled up.
It's funny how this car started as the F body compact of the 70s and ended production in the late 80s as the M body, Chrysler's largest top of the line models with little change
If you look back in the mid seventies, the only other wagon at that time was the AMC Hornet Sportabout that could be either with or without the D/L package that had the woodgrain trim. It wasn't until '78 you could get power windows and locks when it was renamed the Concord, but there's the skinny on compact wagons.That would be a interesting comparison
well, they don't compare it to the Volare, one year off. I'm fairly sure I have the film strip at home of the 76 Hornet Sportabout vs the Volare Wagon?.....I think....??? Have to look. I don't have a way to upload these film strips, they are seen on a special proprietary Monitor and can't be easily transferred to video format. th-cam.com/video/_O0f-O4KNlk/w-d-xo.html
@@timothykeith1367 I liked the looks of the Sportabout too. But the sloped rear roof and hatch severely reduced cargo-room. And Compared to Granada/Monarch, Volare/Aspen, and Concord, Hornet interiors and trim were strictly bargain-basement!
Dad worked at a Chrysler dealer in the late 70s. He had a school to go to in Paramus, NJ. So, Mom drove...a 1978 Volare, 318. She said it was very comfortable, and actually got 20 mpg. We lived 50 miles north if Charlottesville. The next year, they took an Omni 024, auto, 2.2.to VA TECH to visit me..18 mpg....go figure. Mom did buy a 1980 Omni 024, manual, 1.7 VW engine. It never got over 20 mpg...ever. Yet, they had a 1973 Mercury Marquis coupe, 429 4V...2 trips to Florida...17-19.5 mpg.
I have a '72 Fury with a 318. I put a Holley 600 4bbl. True dual exhaust and converted it to electronic ignition. This car gets great gas mileage. I consistently average 18-20 mpg. Also a very noticeable bump in power.
@@OsbornTramain I agree. Had both a 318 Aspen SE sedan, could get about 22 on the hiway if drove at about 60mph, and an ‘85 GLH turbo, which could get 30 on the hiway if you kept it at about 65mph, which was hard to do. It wanted to run.
My mom had a Volare for years upon years, drove it everywhere. Including weekend trips to the beach. I asked her years after she had purchased (used) if she ever changed the oil or tune up. Never did. Years of running on same oil/filters. I did a tune up on it, changed the nasty sludge and that dang thing kept running forever afterwards. Those old slant 6 motors were work horses.
These compact cars from Chrysler had bulletproof engines and transmissions which would out last the bodies. My parents way back in 76 drove a Dodge Aspen sedan with a slant six engine, in which believe it or not held up pretty well we had the car for 15 years, my parents bought a Pontiac Parisienne wagon after our Aspen gave us reliable service .
Bought a Used 1977 Volare at a Dealer Auction, I thought it had a Slant six ,but it was a 360 V8 Wow that Car had Guts to say the least it would smoke the Tires at 40MPH Nice little Rocket !!
I had a base model plymouth Volare Sedan it was maroon exterior and a tan interior or beige interior I guess and slant six motor had air-conditioning had an a.m. radio power steering and it was a fantastic car absolutely fantastic terrific car every point that was covered about the Valare not withstanding the Ford Granada at all just what was said about the Valare in this video was absolutely true and I’m a six footer I’m a big man and it fit me like a glove it was quiet wouldn’t win any races but it had plenty of power very roomy and everything just felt right in my car did not suffer from any of the failures or recalls I just loved it it was a 1978 Plymouth volare
My parents bought a ‘76 Volare Station Wagon when I was a kid. I drove it some in high school and loved driving it. It was easy to drive and had ample power with the slant-six. It was a copper/brown color, low trim model. I miss that car!
I had a 1976 Volare in Petty Racing Blue. It was the only American car I ever owned that went over 100,000 miles. Slant 6! Got me from California to Kansas City, completely overloaded, no problem. I loved that car! I think the ad copy is hilarious _ a "small car?" Wish they built cars that "small" today! Go Volare, or don't Go at all!
Wow. I watched this post feeling sad about soon-to-come repeated recall and low quality scandals - then read many comments below that praised (or raved about) this car line. How interesting! Not a disaster for everyone.
I had a friend who loved his Volare so much that he would Armourall the vinyl bench seats and them seatbelts would keep us in place insted of slip/sliding away!
I drove both the 76 Volare/Aspen. Good solid cars. Drove nicely. A little trouble with dieseling after engine shutdown due to unleaded gas and smog controls, but that was not uncommon for the era. The Mustang II of the time was terrible about dieseling.
Dad had a 77 Volare Premier 4dr, and the interior truly was luxurious compared to what other small (this was a 'compact' then) cars offered. Came off as quite classy, and only a Granada/Monarch Ghia could touch it - but they cost more with no real benefit and sloppier handling. However, the 318 was a slug, gas mileage was nothing to brag about and eventually the front fenders rusted out (or course). Still, it was comfortable and it took years for most American cars to offer dual reclining seats - you got passenger side only if at all in those days.
My parents bought a brand new 76 Dodge Aspen. I was about 4, I still remember there were lots of Darts on the lot. The smell of a new Dodge (or Plymouth) was intoxicating. I liked the little lights on the front fenders that indicated that your blinkers were blinking.
I remember family friends had one new and my wife and I owned a used one in the mid 1980's. Had no real issues other than many would rust out the front fenders fairly quickly. Ours had the fenders already replaced with fiberglass ones by the time we owned it.
1:30 The steering wheel is mounted on a straight, stiff, non-jointed column from the passenger to the front wheel system which is a part of the crumple zone. Seems safe to me 🤷🏻♂️
This was golden. No room in the front seat for that beautiful model. Of course she’s about 6ft tall, plus heels, and they pushed the seat all the way up. My dad had a ‘76 Granada, and yes, the cigarette ashes burned half of the velour seat; great engine though.👏✌️
I knew a guy who had a Ford Grenada, it has the 300 inline 6 cylinder and he could keep up with V8 powered cars, but it rode like a city bus. I had a 79 Aspen (same thing as the Volare) that was a 2 door, and it had the 225 Slant 6. I got it when I was 18, it had 165,000 miles on it, drove it all over the place but I preferred my 71 Dart Swinger, that had a 318 in it. The girl I sold it to sadly beat the snot out of it and the last time I saw it, the car had 230,000 miles on it and it was still going. It was a damn shame though what had happened to that car.
Both the Granada and Volare/Dart are classics that would be welcome in my driveway. So would a Pinto for that matter but that is a totally different class of car.
In 1980 my wife and I were 25 years old with 3 kids under 6. We looked at all car brands and on one stop at Lakewood Chrysler Plymouth, we found a stripped down Chrysler Lebaron wagon in the back of the lot they had for 9 months. Sticker price 6,700. They wanted that car gone so bad, they knocked $500 off! The only it had only air conditioning and auto trans no other options. Slant 6 and am radio. My kids grew up knowing how to roll windows up and down and make sure all the locks on the doors were pushed down. My daughter took it to College in 1993! She rear ended a truck and totaled it, 185k. We sold it for a parts car for $300.
In the very end of 1978 model year, while working for a Dodge Dealer, we had a Stripped down Diplomat. It had the padded roof, but otherwise no options. It was a 1977 model, the last 77 on the lot and the 79's were starting to arrive. I forget the sticker price but my parents got the car for 4700 bucks which was a give away price. (No AC either) We had the car until the late 80's until my idiot brother sold it to someone with out telling me. I'm still angry to this day that he sold it to a third party and never even mentioned it me until a week or two after the car was gone. What a Prick his was and still is.
We made a small fleet of Turbine power voloares and they really ran strong, they had the variable pitch power turbine. I thought they were going into production soon.
My aunt loved her Granada, it was always hard to start in the morning especially in the winter, she would have to pump the gas alot to get it to start, and the ashtray, always overflowing as she was a very heavy chain smoker, she would just point the vents upwards to stop the air from blowing ashes everywhere.
These cars were fairly reliable yeah they had some recall issues in the first year, but they offered solid engines and transmissions and the were comfortable and roomy ! CHEERS ...
Lot of myths out there, the only recall issue they had of any consequence was the front fender replacement due to premature rust. other than that, they didn't have any major recalls. It was at the time the most expensive recall in history. there were also quality issues in the first model year, but that too by and large was trivial, stuff to complain about but not safety or reliability issues with the overall car. There are many myths out there that this car was plagued with problems and it's simply not true, it was a solid reliable car post mid year 1977. Very few of these cars had Lean Burn which some how people now thing was on every one of these cars. It wasn't and Lean Burn represents only a small percentage of all Aspen and Volares sold
@@OsbornTramain Thx for your reply , I totally agree with you the Volare/Aspen were pretty reliable/durable cars and they sold well next to GM's downsized large cars . CHEERS ..
MY grandfather had the Dodge sister...he passed away in 1983 and my grandmother gave the car to my dad, I was already driving my 73 Nova and would be caught dead in the 1976 Aspen.Till coming back from my grandmothers house, my dad pulled over and told me to get behind the wheel. He said 'HIT IT" I laid a patch about 20 feet long before I took my foot off the gas pedal. I told him...this thing needs tires!!!! It still had the polyglass oem factories rubber on it. 318 lean burn and about the fastest car ( that time I'd ever driven ) He said he'd race just about anyone that pulled along side of him, even with my grandmother and his aunt in the car with him...
It didn't have a 318 Lean Burn. Lean Burn was only available as optional equipment in 1977 on the Aspen. Only Chrysler products in 1976 had Lean Burn as an option, the Cordoba and the New Yorker which didn't offer a 318
I post all brands, foreign and domestic and do my best to delete all negative comments about all cars (except the Vega, the worst car ever made) , it's the "We like all cars channel" (except the Vega)
@@OsbornTramain Ahh yes - Vega! The car that did so much to boost the Japanese makes in this country. What a disaster for GM, when they could've tooled up to build a version of their Opel in North America - which they finally did later with the Chevette and Cavalier.
My parents special ordered a ‘77 wagon with a slant six & 4 on the floor. Unfortunately my memories of it are with the hood constantly open being fixed. Of course there were also the recalls. My dad said they chose the Volare because was the right size with the right power plant, but he was very disappointed with it’s reliability.
My neighbor had a 2dr Plymouth ROADRUNNER stemming from a Volare, wo wo wo. Cantare... we would sing that song when he was in it. It was pretty good 318 -2bbl. Not exactly a muscle car, but, certainly fun to drive.
This is funny, I had both a Volare AND then later a Granada back to back while in high school back in the 80's! The video doesn't lie about the roominess of the Volare, but the Volare was a a bigger car and so the Granada to me always had me feeling more cramped. The Volare had a 100 hp, 160 tq, 225ci slant six, while the Granada had the factory smogged out 142 hp, 255 tq, 351W shoehorned in it. They both weren't terribly reliable though for me as a teen anyways, as they both ended up getting junked-the Volare for a knocking rod bearing & slipping transmission, the Granada had caught on fire and burned up (very quickly to boot) due to a dash panel wiring short! Ah well, I was hard on cars at that time as a teen that was for sure! Awesome video!
My Dad had a 76 two door, with the 1/2 vinyl top. It did ride good, but the /6 and an automatic, it was a slug really and I don't think the Super Six was available then. X Girlfriends Mom had a later 4D Volare with the Super Six. You could tell a big difference in response and power. In the early 80's I purchased a 76 Road Runner with 360. After adding a new intake with 4bbl, ditching the 2bbl, rebuild with new cam, little porting...that thing would roll.
In the late 90's I had an'80 Aspen with a slant 6. I was a fantastic car. Super dependable and ran great (no surprise with the slant 6). I sold it in 2 hrs. with 133,000 mi.
I owned a 1977 two-door with a slant 6, standard shift. It was roomier than the Fords (I am tall so that was important.) The front suspension was a great idea but spoilt with cheap shocks, put Koni shocks and it was greatly improved. The door had a metal flash that jammed into my thumb, giving me a staph infection. Took it through all the recalls, no problem before or after. Basically a good car in Texas, got to East TN and the engine/shift combination just didn't work on the hills. Next car, however, was a Dodge Diplomat with a 318, big improvement.
I had a 1977 Dodge Aspen station wagon. It was a good car; always reliable, it was equipped with the indestructible 318 V8. I still don't understand why the Volare/Aspen got such a bad reputation, it was basically a larger version of the Valiant/Dart platform which was always considered a good car. It wasn't really any worse than any other American car of the era. maybe even a little better. As for Lean Burn, it was a good system, the biggest problem was that Chrysler was the first to have an ECU engine management system, and most mechanics at the time were either unfamiliar or simply too stuck in their ways and didn't have the training or the desire to learn how to deal with it.
I've read that the engineering for the F-body was mostly done by 1969. Chrysler had several plans to replace the A-body but it kept selling and there were other bigger needs. They spent a lot for the new '74 C-body and then the fuel prices spiked - couldn't sell them. The '73 Plymouth C body had sold well. They could have released the Volare by '73, if it had been a priority instead of the C-body. When the Fox body Fairmont became very popular in '78 Chrysler was in danger of losing its bread and butter market. The Volare was an old design when it was released, but if they had made it larger they could have had more success as it was the basis of the popular M-body fleet model in the '80s, which was tweaked to look like a bigger car during the K-car era. I like Mopars and the F-body is no exception, but product planning is like juggling.
I'm not sure they could have had more success with the F body. It was extremely successful for the despite the recall issues of the 1976 year. There's a limit to production capacity and also dealers capacities. The pumped out a lot of the Volare and Aspen cars between 1976 and 1980, millions of them.
I'd love to have the old Grenada. It's the same chassis used for the Mustang so the parts bin is deep and easy to install. They ma kin e great and inexpensive sleepers.
Ok, I'm convinced. The Volare is my next new car. I'm on my way to the Plymouth dealer today.
Go see "The Dodge Boys". I'm sure they can rustle you up a deal!
Are you getting the wagon?
That digital clock though. Standard, that seals the deal
Please! Let me hop in your time machine with you. I miss those days.....
I’ll pick you up I’m on my way to my amc dealer to buy a javelin sst
I owned about 7 Volare/Aspens from 1978 through the early 1990's. All were second hand, and all were wagons except for one T-top Aspen coupe. All were great cars which is why I kept buying them. About 7 years ago, I found a rust free '78 Aspen wagon survivor in Colorado with only 27k miles, the slant Super Six engine and four speed overdrive transmission. I flew out to get it and drove it home to Pennsylvania with no problems. I still have it to drive to car shows and cruises and for weekend rides. I don't plan on ever letting this one go! I love it!
That is so awesome! I haven't seen a Volare or Aspen in many years. It would be so cool to have one now.
A ‘78 Volare sedan was my dads first new car ever. He always had second or third hand cars before. We made a lot of memories in that car. She was a great car. After he passed, I searched for one. Took me years, but I’m a proud owner of a 1978 Volare sedan, 318 w original ELB. She runs great.
We had a '78 Volare wagon bought used in 1982 - didn't give it up until 1996 when it had almost 190K miles. Slant 6 power with a high rear gear ratio - 2.76:1, together with posi differential(Chrysler called it something else) so it was a long range cruiser even if it was slow in acceleration (0 to 60 mph was about 15+ seconds). Many long trips all over the Midwest and one trip to FL. One of the best cars we ever had! Thanks Mr. Tramain for the video.
Limited Slip
My jaw dropped when the voice-over said the word 'aerodynamic' on a shot of the square shaped front of the car - compared to what? A refrigerator?
@Mike Harris
My Valore wagon with a 318 got 20+ and would bury the needle. Aerodynamic is not a synonym for round.
Well, they just meant the windshield of course!
How about a brick
It would have been tested for wind noise. Very small features would have been done to this and I think this it marketed as areo styling. I miss these "simple" cars when compared to today's rolling I phones.
@@steverobsondiecast I agree totally.
My Dad worked for a Chrysler-Plymouth dealer and my grandfather at a Dodge dealer. I did not like the Volare/Aspen as much as some of the older traded in cars I could "play with" that were on the back lots (like Valiants, Darts, Lancers with gadgets like the push button transmission and even Simcas and the Cricket) but now in retrospect they seem so nice/easy to live with everyday. This movie makes me feel so nostalgic for the 70's which is something I never thought would happen.
Yo tengo mi volare 1978 19 años
Growing up, my family had a 1963 Dodge 330 with the pushbutton transmission. It never gave us any trouble in the 13 years that we kept the car, and it was always an attention-getter!
A friend of mine has a 1978 Volare station wagon, slant 6, automatic. 1 major overhaul of the engine at 265,000 miles, now just passed 500,000 miles. No rust New Mexico helps, even the AC still works.
the legendary slant six - I had one that had >lot< of miles on it such that the oil light flickered at every stop and then went out again. But it was necessary to keep one item in the glove box - a ballast resistor.
@@BobBlarneystone I had a ballast resistor go out on my 1978 Plymouth Fury, car would not start because of a $4 part, I just wired around it and kept from being stranded
Is it red?
Jeff Beyer: Fantastic!!! Awesome! I should have considered this car instead of the 1972 AMC MATADOR I purchased. I would have purchased the Volarie with the 360 cubic inch V8, the same engine I had in my 72 Matador.
I had a '79 Volaré sedan with the slant 6. My dad had an '85 Dodge van with the same motor. I'm sure both vehicles are still running somewhere out there! Can't kill those motors!
I love the funky jazzy Hammond organ background music mixed in with the Herb Alpert like trumpet. The best part of this video is the music
My friend! The lovely music which you were admiring is a part of a wonderful world of library music or production music! The foremost labels are KPM, De Wolfe and ammphonic!
Made me remember the supermarkets back in the day.
Agreed! The music was very cool!
God how I wish these were still available today!
My first car was a 1979 Volare...it has 18k when I bought it for $800 in 1988. I then put 200,000+ miles on it. Was the best car I ever owned.
The next time I buy a car I’m going to bring a giant circle to the dealership to test the trunk. And I will be judging door handle position. Harshly.
Cheeky, but Ford put the handles "sideways" in big trucks in the early 2000's I prefer it.
And don't forget to compare it to a Pinto so it will always look good.
Sadly, we had a Pinto to go with our Aspen. The Pinto was a lot better car.
I'm thinking..Card Table ? ......they should have included four folding chairs as well.....
Not bad, just annoying
I always liked the Aspen/Volare styling. we had a frind whose family owned a volare and it rode like a cadillac...smooth, quiet and so comfortable!
My dad bought a Volare wagon new in '77. It was a good car. He loved it. His '68 Fury ll sedan became my high school/go to work car. I loved that Fury. Good old day's. Great automobile's. I miss them.
Had a 77 Premiere exactly as in this ad for twenty one yrs in NE. Loved the design and slant six engine. Rust patching became to extensive and had to let it go, so sad.
Dad buy a Monaco in 1977. A great car. It remaind on our family for years. And now, I own that legendary Monaco. So hard to own, but is my pride, since 1977. Greetings.
@@teaser1950 Super! Enjoy best wishes!
@@rogozzy1 Thank you very much!
@@rogozzy1 I have often wondered if yesteryear's car designs had today's technology and steel alloys that things might have worked out better for "Detroit". My dad used to say the cold-rolled stamped steel parts would rust out between the layers of paint.
They showed you so many mechanical specs and ergonomic features that make the vehicle reliable and comfortable. Now they show you the screen in the dash and how many apps it can handle.
@mikeharris510oh don’t worry that’s coming soon lol
Well, I'm sold. I'm heading out to my Plymouth dealer right now and buying a brand new 1976 Volare.
Let me know when you find a Plymouth dealership still in business. 😬
Me too
In 1978 I was given a 1978 Dodge Aspen coupe to drive as an insurance replacement for about two weeks. It was a beautiful Red on Red package and ,wow, what a New Car Smell! It was a fantastic car to a twenty-year-old driver. I still remember the Southwest Leasing stock number: CA8078.
All I remember for sure from those days of Chrysler was use of "real, corinthian leather". KhAn!!!
Funny considering Ricardo did so many commercials at that time.
These types of videos are very nostalgic. I find myself watching these types of videos when feeling stressed, and they help. That I also happen to be a car guy, so it's nice to learn little trivia tidbits about cars I remember from my childhood. I also liked the Volare. I had a friend in highschool that had the V8 sedan and it actually kinda ripped, not gonna lie. Thank you for putting up this video. I really liked it.
A small car from Plymouth for '76. Today it's a limo! Sergio Franchi did the commercials if I remember correctly.
2:15 Volare drivers seat is alllllll the way back, 2:26 Granada drivers seat is alllllll the way forward.
2:35 Volare drivers seat is now allllll the way forward, 2:43 Granada drivers seat is now alllll the way back.
Camera filming angles are also shifted relative to the respective cars, too.
Very sneaky, Volare. Whoa-ohhh.
Love the old commercials from a better time, though! Thanks for posting this!
Are you surprised that advertising is deceptive?
The Granada's dirty little secret was that it was a 1960 Falcon in a new, wide-lapeled polyester leisure suit. The Chevy Nova comparatively wore its' carryover-ness on its' sleeve. The Aspen/Volare were really, completely new and had the teething troubles to show for it. In the end, they were the last Chrysler cars with carburetors by 1988-89. Even the Omni/Horizon got single-point EFI for '88.
Hi!
The last Chrysler Corporation cars equipped with carburetors were the Dodge Diplomat, Plymouth Gran Fury and Chrysler Fifth Avenue for 1989. But, interesting as it is, those were also the first Chrysler products equipped with a driver side airbag.
@@LUMAGAMO They claim that the Aspen/ Volare in addition to recalls also had starting problems, but I think that was only slant six models since the carb on the slant six sat right on top of the exhaust manifold.
@@LUMAGAMO But all of those where based of the Aspen/Volare
@@Dinkymaster7 the Aspen and Volare were actually on the F body platform, the Diplomat, Grand Fury, and New Yorkers were based on the M body platform. The F body, M body, and J body (Mirada, Cordoba, Imperial) were very similar though, with the M and J body being and improved version of the F body.
@@mopar_dude9227 nice, didn't know that detailed! Thanks for info
We had a Volare station wagon. I remember being eight years old and the family went to the beach. The vinyl seats were so hot when you got back that you had minor burns on the back of your legs.
That’s why you sat on your beach towel.
@jkanclark Yes! We learned the hard way and only did that once. Then there was the sand on the bathing suit all the way home (about 3 hours). They say youth is wasted on the young...
Very luxurious placing that ashtray well below the air vents - and right next to the high fidelity AM radio sound system.
I prefer low fidelity
I had a 78 Dodge Aspen wagon. It was my first car and a hand me down from my parents. I loved that car and miss it.
My first 3 cars were 1980 Volare's, 2 sedans and lastly a wagon (wagon was way easier to haul guitars and amplifiers).
I also gotta say--love me the Wink Martendale voice over....
They forgot to mention how in the winter when the door latches froze open, you could tie the seatbelts through the handles so they didn't fly open going around corners 😉
Miss the seventies. Had a friend who had a Volare, that thing was a tank! Love these old commercials. Ty 4 sharing and uploading!
In 1976 The Plymouth Volare was not a big car. It was not even considered to be a midsize car. It was considered SMALL in 1976.
@@jameswillett7186 But in today's standards it would be considered full-size . Cheers ..
@@buckgonsalvez384 The Volare is 112.7-inch, in comparison the 2021 Chrysler 300 has a 120.2-inch wheelbase. Volare/Aspen is closer to the 111.2-inch wheelbase 2021 Camry. I think the F-body should have been a larger car. After the 118.5-inch wheelbase R-body was dropped in 1981 Chrysler didn't have a big car. The R-body was dropped after 1981 due to poor quality and low sales
in 1976 everything was a tank compared to some of todays cars
Had one, a 4 door sedan with the 6. bought it used for a very good price in the late 90s. I have absolutely no complaints whatsoever. Wish I had never traded it in for that convertable.
I like much these old times commercial promos, they explain and compare different models very wonderful. Something that is missing these days. Great American cars!!!!
After I joined the Air Force in 1981, I bought a 1976 Plymouth Volare with the 225 slant 6 and a 3 speed manual transmission with a bench seat. Yes, a bench seat with a manual. The car was very dependable. Here was the shifting pattern: First gear, left and down, smashed against the bench seat. Second gear was up and to the right with your knuckles in the radio, and of course third gear was smashing the gear shift back to the bench seat! The car never let me down!
No matter what anyone says, there is no way that car could ever have let you down. The Engine was proven and so was the transmission and the rest of the drive train. There was no new technology on that model for sure.....tried and true
I hit a big buck with my ‘78 slant 6 Volare. Killed the deer and after the radiator was repaired and the carcass was cleaned off the front bumper she drove just fine.
And I bet you didn't have to claim the n your insurance.
Ha I ran over a Volare with my 56 caddy and it just dented the lip over my head light......the Volare was DOA
Good cars 318 or slant six both good engines good rides.
Wow, coolant overflow reservoirs used to be an option on some cars (like the Ford Granada) in the 70s?
Imagine paying extra for a vinyl roof, like it's a good thing!
I love vinyl roofs! I've had three new one's installed recently. On two of my Matadors and on my 72 Plymouth Fury, Oh, and on my Dodge St Regis too. I love the look and feel of a vinyl roof.
OsbornTramain You have a St. Regis??
That look on the dude's face, like "Yehhhhh baybeh, we takin this Volare on a cruise. E cantare ohhhh ho ho ho."
It's Newbomb Turk!!!!!
She did lay the seat back later on in the video
Pinto wagon? An AMC Hornet Sportabout wagon might have been a little closer.
Of course we take these sales films with a grain of salt.
Thank you for posting this great piece of automotive history.
of course the Hornet would be stiffer competition, but the Pinto would be less impressive and easier for the saleman to bash
Why go against AMC when more buyers are going for the Ford product
Smoking blunts in the Volare is way better than in the Granada.
first car i remember as a kid was my moms 1976 Ford Granada Ghia triple blue. My pops, is a GM guy and he still talks about what a great car that was. My mom still remembers how that ($40) clock kept the best time LOL. She drove it until 1986 when they traded it in on a Celebrity. Fond memories. Thanks for the upload! Always love the effort you take getting these online!
My pleasure and always a fan of your stuff too outside of youtube...love that St Regis film you posted!!!!
I had a '76 Valore wagon 318. Most practical vehicle Ive ever had and fun, fun, fun! Drove it till it rusted apart.
16 months?
@@ATLcentury334
I was still driving it in the early 2000s. The body rusted out, from the top down, where the paint baked off. It was still a solid driver, but the front end of the hood rusted through and peeled up.
It's funny how this car started as the F body compact of the 70s and ended production in the late 80s as the M body, Chrysler's largest top of the line models with little change
Yeah... all that engineering they talk about. Mine drove just like any valiant, dart or duster
Yes then built at AMC’s Kenosha main facility when Chrysler had more orders than they could fill. Awesome cars
If you look back in the mid seventies, the only other wagon at that time was the AMC Hornet Sportabout that could be either with or without the D/L package that had the woodgrain trim. It wasn't until '78 you could get power windows and locks when it was renamed the Concord, but there's the skinny on compact wagons.That would be a interesting comparison
well, they don't compare it to the Volare, one year off. I'm fairly sure I have the film strip at home of the 76 Hornet Sportabout vs the Volare Wagon?.....I think....??? Have to look. I don't have a way to upload these film strips, they are seen on a special proprietary Monitor and can't be easily transferred to video format. th-cam.com/video/_O0f-O4KNlk/w-d-xo.html
I've always liked the Sportabout.
@@timothykeith1367 I liked the looks of the Sportabout too. But the sloped rear roof and hatch severely reduced cargo-room. And Compared to Granada/Monarch, Volare/Aspen, and Concord, Hornet interiors and trim were strictly bargain-basement!
Dad worked at a Chrysler dealer in the late 70s. He had a school to go to in Paramus, NJ. So, Mom drove...a 1978 Volare, 318. She said it was very comfortable, and actually got 20 mpg. We lived 50 miles north if Charlottesville. The next year, they took an Omni 024, auto, 2.2.to VA TECH to visit me..18 mpg....go figure. Mom did buy a 1980 Omni 024, manual, 1.7 VW engine. It never got over 20 mpg...ever. Yet, they had a 1973 Mercury Marquis coupe, 429 4V...2 trips to Florida...17-19.5 mpg.
I owned two Omni O24's new and always got between 25 and 30 mpgs, I suggest your Mom was a lead foot or couldn't do the calculations correctly
I have a '72 Fury with a 318. I put a Holley 600 4bbl. True dual exhaust and converted it to electronic ignition. This car gets great gas mileage. I consistently average 18-20 mpg. Also a very noticeable bump in power.
@@robhargis6980 '72 Fury is an underrated car, great looking with the fuselage styling. The first year, the '69 didn't come off so good looking.
@@OsbornTramain I agree. Had both a 318 Aspen SE sedan, could get about 22 on the hiway if drove at about 60mph, and an ‘85 GLH turbo, which could get 30 on the hiway if you kept it at about 65mph, which was hard to do. It wanted to run.
The level of shade this reviewer threw at the other makes and models was a think of beauty 👌🏽
My first car was a Volare Coup with a 225 Slant-6.
My mom had a Volare for years upon years, drove it everywhere. Including weekend trips to the beach. I asked her years after she had purchased (used) if she ever changed the oil or tune up. Never did. Years of running on same oil/filters. I did a tune up on it, changed the nasty sludge and that dang thing kept running forever afterwards. Those old slant 6 motors were work horses.
Just one more thing.. that soundtrack reminds me of the NFL Halftime highlights during the early 70’s LoL 😆
NFL films 👍
These compact cars from Chrysler had bulletproof engines and transmissions which would out last the bodies. My parents way back in 76 drove a Dodge Aspen sedan with a slant six engine, in which believe it or not held up pretty well we had the car for 15 years, my parents bought a Pontiac Parisienne wagon after our Aspen gave us reliable service .
Most people will believe it. The slant 6 is famous for reliable, durable duty.
I love these compared models films.
Bought a Used 1977 Volare at a Dealer Auction, I thought it had a Slant six ,but it was a 360 V8 Wow that Car had Guts to say the least it would smoke the Tires at 40MPH Nice little Rocket !!
Bill Alexander: I would have loved to have this car with the 360cube V8. It would win many races from the stoplights when going to green!
Hot rodders liked to steal the bolt on front suspension to retro older cars for a while. We used to ask, "Does it have the Volare front end?
nice car commercial i love the 1970s
I had a base model plymouth Volare Sedan it was maroon exterior and a tan interior or beige interior I guess and slant six motor had air-conditioning had an a.m. radio power steering and it was a fantastic car absolutely fantastic terrific car every point that was covered about the Valare not withstanding the Ford Granada at all just what was said about the Valare in this video was absolutely true and I’m a six footer I’m a big man and it fit me like a glove it was quiet wouldn’t win any races but it had plenty of power very roomy and everything just felt right in my car did not suffer from any of the failures or recalls I just loved it it was a 1978 Plymouth volare
I had a 79 volare with a slant 6. Very good car.
An actual informative commercial! Most commercials nowadays I don't even know what they are for. Volare', hoh, oh, oh, oh!
My parents bought a ‘76 Volare Station Wagon when I was a kid. I drove it some in high school and loved driving it. It was easy to drive and had ample power with the slant-six. It was a copper/brown color, low trim model. I miss that car!
Plymouth Volare and Dodge Aspen were decent cars back in the day 👌. CHEERS.
My family owned the Volare Premier from 1977-1986.
The Volare was one of the hottest sellers in the lineup, even with all its alleged quirks!
Great '70s feel and music
I had a 1976 Volare in Petty Racing Blue. It was the only American car I ever owned that went over 100,000 miles. Slant 6! Got me from California to Kansas City, completely overloaded, no problem. I loved that car! I think the ad copy is hilarious _ a "small car?" Wish they built cars that "small" today! Go Volare, or don't Go at all!
Wow. I watched this post feeling sad about soon-to-come repeated recall and low quality scandals - then read many comments below that praised (or raved about) this car line. How interesting! Not a disaster for everyone.
Had 318 Dodge Aspen station wagon unbelievably fast
I had a friend who loved his Volare so much that he would Armourall the vinyl bench seats and them seatbelts would keep us in place insted of slip/sliding away!
I drove both the 76 Volare/Aspen. Good solid cars. Drove nicely. A little trouble with dieseling after engine shutdown due to unleaded gas and smog controls, but that was not uncommon for the era. The Mustang II of the time was terrible about dieseling.
Dad had a 77 Volare Premier 4dr, and the interior truly was luxurious compared to what other small (this was a 'compact' then) cars offered. Came off as quite classy, and only a Granada/Monarch Ghia could touch it - but they cost more with no real benefit and sloppier handling. However, the 318 was a slug, gas mileage was nothing to brag about and eventually the front fenders rusted out (or course). Still, it was comfortable and it took years for most American cars to offer dual reclining seats - you got passenger side only if at all in those days.
I had the '80 slant 6 Volare. It was a good car with above average ride for the time.
It’s pretty funny how people got tired of wagons yet that Volare wagon has almost the exact cargo space of today’s “compact” SUVs like the RAV4.
My parents bought a brand new 76 Dodge Aspen. I was about 4, I still remember there were lots of Darts on the lot. The smell of a new Dodge (or Plymouth) was intoxicating. I liked the little lights on the front fenders that indicated that your blinkers were blinking.
The Dart was sold in 1976 at the same time as the Aspen. Dart did have a full model year in 1976 but was gone for 1977.
I remember family friends had one new and my wife and I owned a used one in the mid 1980's. Had no real issues other than many would rust out the front fenders fairly quickly. Ours had the fenders already replaced with fiberglass ones by the time we owned it.
1:30 The steering wheel is mounted on a straight, stiff, non-jointed column from the passenger to the front wheel system which is a part of the crumple zone. Seems safe to me 🤷🏻♂️
This was golden. No room in the front seat for that beautiful model. Of course she’s about 6ft tall, plus heels, and they pushed the seat all the way up. My dad had a ‘76 Granada, and yes, the cigarette ashes burned half of the velour seat; great engine though.👏✌️
I knew a guy who had a Ford Grenada, it has the 300 inline 6 cylinder and he could keep up with V8 powered cars, but it rode like a city bus. I had a 79 Aspen (same thing as the Volare) that was a 2 door, and it had the 225 Slant 6. I got it when I was 18, it had 165,000 miles on it, drove it all over the place but I preferred my 71 Dart Swinger, that had a 318 in it. The girl I sold it to sadly beat the snot out of it and the last time I saw it, the car had 230,000 miles on it and it was still going. It was a damn shame though what had happened to that car.
Both the Granada and Volare/Dart are classics that would be welcome in my driveway. So would a Pinto for that matter but that is a totally different class of car.
I totally agree 👍Buddy ! I would also want a 1977 to 1979 full-sized Chevrolet Caprice/Impala as well.
The Dodge version was called the Aspen, not Dart.
Pintos are exciting and explosive.
In 1980 my wife and I were 25 years old with 3 kids under 6. We looked at all car brands and on one stop at Lakewood Chrysler Plymouth, we found a stripped down Chrysler Lebaron wagon in the back of the lot they had for 9 months. Sticker price 6,700. They wanted that car gone so bad, they knocked $500 off! The only it had only air conditioning and auto trans no other options. Slant 6 and am radio. My kids grew up knowing how to roll windows up and down and make sure all the locks on the doors were pushed down. My daughter took it to College in 1993! She rear ended a truck and totaled it, 185k. We sold it for a parts car for $300.
In the very end of 1978 model year, while working for a Dodge Dealer, we had a Stripped down Diplomat. It had the padded roof, but otherwise no options. It was a 1977 model, the last 77 on the lot and the 79's were starting to arrive. I forget the sticker price but my parents got the car for 4700 bucks which was a give away price. (No AC either) We had the car until the late 80's until my idiot brother sold it to someone with out telling me. I'm still angry to this day that he sold it to a third party and never even mentioned it me until a week or two after the car was gone. What a Prick his was and still is.
3:23 from a time when cars had ash trays.
Fun fact, you can actually order an ashtray from Subaru still to this day on their cars.
Fun fact, you can actually order an ashtray from Subaru still to this day on their cars.
And don't forget.....you could order them with automatic tampon removers as well. Uh, just sayin'........
But in present days, instead, we have ,,beer holder,, in standard equipment ;)
We made a small fleet of Turbine power voloares and they really ran strong, they had the variable pitch power turbine. I thought they were going into production soon.
Still remember when mom bought her '77 Volare with red interior. She loved that car, until someone rearended it while parked.
Ah yes the red velour interior, sort of like being inside a bordello.
My aunt loved her Granada, it was always hard to start in the morning especially in the winter, she would have to pump the gas alot to get it to start, and the ashtray, always overflowing as she was a very heavy chain smoker, she would just point the vents upwards to stop the air from blowing ashes everywhere.
Why Did She Not Just Simply Empty The Ashtray,LOL
@@charlesmurray4013 lazy I guess, she was always in a hurry, the car was always a total mess
I got my drivers license in a 76 Volare', it was as basic as you can get, but I still liked it.
If I was in the market for a new car, I would strongly consider the Volare'. This ad makes a good argument.
A great-looking affordable basic car with all the right stuff. I wish I could try one tomorrow.
I can see Wink Martindale's perfect teeth just listening to him....
These cars were fairly reliable yeah they had some recall issues in the first year, but they offered solid engines and transmissions and the were comfortable and roomy ! CHEERS ...
Lot of myths out there, the only recall issue they had of any consequence was the front fender replacement due to premature rust. other than that, they didn't have any major recalls. It was at the time the most expensive recall in history. there were also quality issues in the first model year, but that too by and large was trivial, stuff to complain about but not safety or reliability issues with the overall car. There are many myths out there that this car was plagued with problems and it's simply not true, it was a solid reliable car post mid year 1977. Very few of these cars had Lean Burn which some how people now thing was on every one of these cars. It wasn't and Lean Burn represents only a small percentage of all Aspen and Volares sold
@@OsbornTramain Thx for your reply , I totally agree with you the Volare/Aspen were pretty reliable/durable cars and they sold well next to GM's downsized large cars . CHEERS ..
@@buckgonsalvez384 The drive trains were bullet proof. But as far as reliability they would nickel and dime you to death with minor issues
I liked the Aspen/Volare wagons.
MY grandfather had the Dodge sister...he passed away in 1983 and my grandmother gave the car to my dad, I was already driving my 73 Nova and would be caught dead in the 1976 Aspen.Till coming back from my grandmothers house, my dad pulled over and told me to get behind the wheel. He said 'HIT IT" I laid a patch about 20 feet long before I took my foot off the gas pedal. I told him...this thing needs tires!!!! It still had the polyglass oem factories rubber on it. 318 lean burn and about the fastest car ( that time I'd ever driven ) He said he'd race just about anyone that pulled along side of him, even with my grandmother and his aunt in the car with him...
It didn't have a 318 Lean Burn. Lean Burn was only available as optional equipment in 1977 on the Aspen. Only Chrysler products in 1976 had Lean Burn as an option, the Cordoba and the New Yorker which didn't offer a 318
My volare came from little old lady in Alaska, very low mileage, just sat in igloo,she preferred to drive a dog team instead.
I guess this is the official "Mopar Is The Best" channel.
I post all brands, foreign and domestic and do my best to delete all negative comments about all cars (except the Vega, the worst car ever made) , it's the "We like all cars channel" (except the Vega)
Archie you're free to host your own channel.
@@OsbornTramain Ahh yes - Vega! The car that did so much to boost the Japanese makes in this country. What a disaster for GM, when they could've tooled up to build a version of their Opel in North America - which they finally did later with the Chevette and Cavalier.
My parents special ordered a ‘77 wagon with a slant six & 4 on the floor. Unfortunately my memories of it are with the hood constantly open being fixed. Of course there were also the recalls. My dad said they chose the Volare because was the right size with the right power plant, but he was very disappointed with it’s reliability.
My neighbor had a 2dr Plymouth ROADRUNNER stemming from a Volare, wo wo wo. Cantare... we would sing that song when he was in it. It was pretty good 318 -2bbl. Not exactly a muscle car, but, certainly fun to drive.
This is funny, I had both a Volare AND then later a Granada back to back while in high school back in the 80's! The video doesn't lie about the roominess of the Volare, but the Volare was a a bigger car and so the Granada to me always had me feeling more cramped. The Volare had a 100 hp, 160 tq, 225ci slant six, while the Granada had the factory smogged out 142 hp, 255 tq, 351W shoehorned in it. They both weren't terribly reliable though for me as a teen anyways, as they both ended up getting junked-the Volare for a knocking rod bearing & slipping transmission, the Granada had caught on fire and burned up (very quickly to boot) due to a dash panel wiring short! Ah well, I was hard on cars at that time as a teen that was for sure! Awesome video!
Which car was better built, finished or modern feeling and better looking of the two?
This car and the TV commercials undoubtedly caused an unexpected spike in Dean Martin's "Volare" record sales. Wonder if Dean was a Mopar fan?
He did own some Dual Ghia's which was a collaboration between Chrysler and Ghia and an independent Dealer
My Dad had a 76 two door, with the 1/2 vinyl top. It did ride good, but the /6 and an automatic, it was a slug really and I don't think the Super Six was available then. X Girlfriends Mom had a later 4D Volare with the Super Six. You could tell a big difference in response and power. In the early 80's I purchased a 76 Road Runner with 360. After adding a new intake with 4bbl, ditching the 2bbl, rebuild with new cam, little porting...that thing would roll.
The Plymouth Volare isn't a bad car at all, I might find one someday, if possible
In the late 90's I had an'80 Aspen with a slant 6. I was a fantastic car. Super dependable and ran great (no surprise with the slant 6). I sold it in 2 hrs. with 133,000 mi.
I owned a 1977 two-door with a slant 6, standard shift. It was roomier than the Fords (I am tall so that was important.) The front suspension was a great idea but spoilt with cheap shocks, put Koni shocks and it was greatly improved. The door had a metal flash that jammed into my thumb, giving me a staph infection. Took it through all the recalls, no problem before or after. Basically a good car in Texas, got to East TN and the engine/shift combination just didn't work on the hills. Next car, however, was a Dodge Diplomat with a 318, big improvement.
I had a 1977 Dodge Aspen station wagon. It was a good car; always reliable, it was equipped with the indestructible 318 V8. I still don't understand why the Volare/Aspen got such a bad reputation, it was basically a larger version of the Valiant/Dart platform which was always considered a good car. It wasn't really any worse than any other American car of the era. maybe even a little better.
As for Lean Burn, it was a good system, the biggest problem was that Chrysler was the first to have an ECU engine management system, and most mechanics at the time were either unfamiliar or simply too stuck in their ways and didn't have the training or the desire to learn how to deal with it.
ahh... when power steering was considered luxury, we have it so easy today, and proof there were fewer roads in the 70s 9:24
I was 18 then. The add speaks to the higher I.Q., attention span, and educational level of the boomer generation.🙂
I've read that the engineering for the F-body was mostly done by 1969. Chrysler had several plans to replace the A-body but it kept selling and there were other bigger needs. They spent a lot for the new '74 C-body and then the fuel prices spiked - couldn't sell them. The '73 Plymouth C body had sold well. They could have released the Volare by '73, if it had been a priority instead of the C-body. When the Fox body Fairmont became very popular in '78 Chrysler was in danger of losing its bread and butter market. The Volare was an old design when it was released, but if they had made it larger they could have had more success as it was the basis of the popular M-body fleet model in the '80s, which was tweaked to look like a bigger car during the K-car era. I like Mopars and the F-body is no exception, but product planning is like juggling.
I'm not sure they could have had more success with the F body. It was extremely successful for the despite the recall issues of the 1976 year. There's a limit to production capacity and also dealers capacities. The pumped out a lot of the Volare and Aspen cars between 1976 and 1980, millions of them.
Two things... The Volare was a great car, especially with the 225 and Wink Martindale's voice will always be recognizable.
I'd love to have the old Grenada. It's the same chassis used for the Mustang so the parts bin is deep and easy to install.
They ma kin e great and inexpensive sleepers.