1980 DODGE ASPEN
The car has a certain raw eagerness and pulls willingly from standstill. The engine revs well and the automatic gearbox behaves well, pulling away and shifting smoothly in drive and kicking down when asked. The steering is not too heavy and the car doesn’t wander or pull. There are no issues with the brakes, with no pulling to either side or signs of worrying judders. The suspension gives a fairly fi rm ride, and feels harsh over bumps, but nothing rattles.
BODYWORK CHECK
The last owner spent a lot on restoration, including a full respray, so the paint is excellent, with a good shine, with no marks. The bodywork is extremely good, with even panel gaps, dings or corrosion; the white vinyl of the landau roof looks like it could be new. Under the car there is fresh underseal. The bumpers are generally presentable with some light pitting, but the rear one has a couple of small rust holes in it and one of the front indicator lenses is cracked. The car has lift-out glass targa roof panels, which don’t appear to be leaking. The car retains its factory alloy wheels with well-treaded Firestone tyres all round.
HOW’S THE INTERIOR?
Someone at Dodge really liked purple because everything inside the car is maroon – even the headlining! The steering wheel has an attractive wood insert and there is faux wood surrounding the instruments, which include an AM radio. Overall the condition is very good: the vinyl seats have almost no visible wear and the cushions are still springy and the correct shape. The carpet is barely worn but there’s a small tear near the driver’s door and the lid of the cubby box between the front seats has a broken hinge. Only front seat belts are fi tted.
UNDER THE BONNET
The engine bay looks largely undisturbed with a patina of road grime. Given the reputation of the venerable cast iron Slant Six for long life and general reliability it’s likely that it’s never had anything more than regular servicing (and what looks like a recent battery). The engine runs well and the transmission and final drive all behave as expected.
THE CCW VIEW
This is an unusual car in the UK so it’s certainly one that will attract plenty of attention. However, it’s a fairly common (F-body) platform and engine, so general maintenance shouldn’t be an issue, not least because this particular example’s previous owner lavished plenty of cash and attention on its bodywork. It just needs a few details sorting out because he moved on to a new project before the fi nishing touches on this car could be completed. Overall, this looks like a sound buy.