1966 Dodge Coronet - Jay Leno's Garage

The 1966 Dodge Coronet is exactly how Jay likes his muscle cars. No hood scoops, no stripes, only dog dish hubcaps, and a 426 Hemi engine!
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A new video every Sunday! Visit Jay Leno's Garage, the Emmy-winning series where Jay Leno gives car reviews, motorcycle reviews, compares cars, and shares his passion and expertise on anything that rolls, explodes, and makes noise. Classic cars, restomods, super cars like the McLaren P1, sports cars like Porsche 918 Spyder and Camaro Z28, cafe racers, vintage cars, and much, much more.
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1966 Dodge Coronet - Jay Leno's Garage
• 1966 Dodge Coronet - J...
Jay Leno's Garage
/ jaylenosgarage

[@jamesgannon8914]

My Dad was an executive for Chrysler. One weekend in 1966, I remember he brought home a 426 Hemi Dodge Cornet with a four-speed. I was 11 years old. I fell in love with the car. We took it to church on Sunday, and after church, while driving home, I asked him to "get on it," and he did! I had no idea he could get through the gears so well. My Dad was usually very stern, but it was like he had turned into a teenager for a few minutes; he was a different guy. I will always treasure that memory.

[@ronbaker7501]

His intelligence, laid back humor, and exuberance are an inspiration. How to live. A truly great entertainer.

[@pixelnazgul]

Nah. More like a funny guy

[@leokimvideo]

Stunning car style, when on the road all the other cars around it look plain boring

[@samsonn25]

Belvedere

[@northwards2218]

Love how friendly he is to the fan. God bless him.

[@mmdun775]

I have my dad's 67 Coronet R/T and it throws you back in the seat when you floor it. Jay is right at high speeds over 100 mph the car sinks/ settles down with no floating what so ever. Mine is the same color green but with the gold and black interior. The car has been in the family since my dad bought it off the show room floor in 1967.

[@stuckinmygarage6220]

I wonder if the original designers knew it would hug at higher speeds? My oldie C-body begins to feel less connected to the road around 80

[@gregglouis2969]

We have the same 67 in B5 blue with the 440 4 speed. It just feels like she wants to tear you in half.

[@Uwilldyeeventually2]

Cool

[@crowningchristopher8273]

I love that color. It says "I'm driving this car to work everyday but I'll always get there early"

[@Logoned]

It is a nice color.

[@kyokogodai-ir6hy]

That is the color Pop's and my Uncle Ed's 1967 Charger was. From a distance, couldn't tell them apart. But, get up next to them and it was easy, because Pop's had a black interior, while Uncle Ed's was white. I miss that car!

[@nephetula]

Ah yes, the '66 Coronet, I remember it well. Goes like a rocket...and corners like a cannonball. Those old Torque-flites were boss; always loved that 1-2 chirp with a floored throttle...which told everyone you had a Chrysler big block.

[@albertcarello619]

Don Steele: I had a 1972 AMC MATADOR with the 3 speed Torqueflight automatic transmission. At full throttle from a standing start I stayed right besides a 69 or a 70 Cadillac Seville and we stayed right besides each other at full throttle until we automatically shifted up into 2nd gear and then the bigger Caddy started to pull away from me. This shows the real efficiency of the Torqueflight transmission. AMC did the right thing by switching over to Torqueflight transmissions for all their cars in 1972 and beyond! I stayed right alongside that Caddy up to 45 miles an hour.

[@tonygull9323]

My small block (modified) chirped pretty good too!

[@michaelvaladez6570]

BOSS OMG..LOL How old are you ????

[@michaelwallbrown3726]

you don't need a big block MoPar to get a 1-2 chirp my 360 4bbl 727 in my '74 Cuda would do just fine

[@johnmacmillan1436]

Love the smile on Jay's face when the car was chirping its way along the on ramp.

[@cameronwyant8267]

You don't see cars like this anymore, but when you do see them, they are masterpieces

[@Chuck59ish]

Jay's personal cars are always the best.

[@Pecetos]

Yes. I feel it flows the best when he talks about hes collection. BTW they should film start up of every car and slow speed maneuvering. I just love how this classics flow over stuff .

[@BigRedPower59]

Charles Damery He has exquisite taste and the financial ability to indulge himself whenever he chooses.

[@Chuck59ish]

Something we all wish we had too.

[@SquillyMon]

He does indeed have Paramount Tastes in cars... None finer, besides a museum or Art collection methinks.

[@colekitten1367]

Charles Damery agree

[@johntechwriter]

That was one beautiful design: so clean, unadorned, and those fantastic rear window pillars. Mopar at is best.

[@chipper442]

The smile on your face as you accelerated down that ramp and it caught second gear says it all.

[@SBluesBrotherhood]

When I worked for a Mopar-only restoration shop in Illinois I got to drive one of these that was a 17,000 mile original car that the owner's father had purchased new strictly to go drag racing. Unfortunately the father got cancer a few years afterwards and after he passed back in the late 60's, the car sat in a barn (literally!) until a rotting beam fell and put a small dent in the roof. The son had us restore it to running condition, but we didn't do anything to the exterior and only got the mechanicals back up to OEM style / performance. It had the 426 Hemi and the Inland 4 speed shifter in it, but it was still TIGHT like a brand new car! Well, it was almost a brand new car!!!

[@edrichards8196]

Good seeing them kept for the Future.

[@gsg9ff]

This car looks sharp, sophisticated & nostalgic. I can picture Inspector "DIrty Harry" Callahan behind the wheel.

[@harddrivin1le-970]

"Dirty Harry" drove underpowered 4 door Ford sedans that gave absolutely no hint of any sort of policy package. Indeed, the entire Dirty Harry series had nothing to do with fast cars. I therefore fail to see the connection you're attempting to make.

[@patkaczmarek7362]

@@harddrivin1le-970 Yeah, I didn't quite grasp that connection either. Detective Callahan was the star of the franchise, all of the storylines revolved around him. It wouldn't have made any sense to detract from his character with a Hemi-powered vehicle.

[@Texas_Cruiser]

@@patkaczmarek7362 I would've loved to see Colombo with a Toronado. Lol

[@captinbeyond]

I was thinking Dragnet team drove this car . Sgt Friday and Co.

[@gsg9ff]

58👍to your 3 👍=😏🤌

[@pointlessfailure]

The denim industry owes jay a debt of gratitude.

[@vividvulpe9842]

what's better than denim and muscle cars?

[@CommodoreFan64]

A nice lady to ride in the passenger seat next too ya ;-)

[@sacooper802]

CHRISTOPHER FOX wrote: "what's better than denim and muscle cars?" I say...a muscle car with denim interior of course, oh and oh ya a hot chick sitting next to you. remember american motors sold cars with denim levi's interior back in the day when when levi's were made in USA, now denim is crappy as well, god help USA, hope trump brings DENIM BACK TO USA LOL

[@lookoutforchris]

soupercooper there's a lot of good denim made in the USA, just not from Levi's.

[@Marauder252]

But the brown shoes, what's up with that?

[@Snake-ms7sj]

Clean looking car. Great color. Great engine sound. A classic.

[@jamessmith5535]

90 days warranty sounds like Harbour freight power tools

[@jamesslick4790]

Chrysler KNEW that these were NOT gonna be grocery getters. A warranty is calculated not just on the device, but the perceived use of it.

[@patkaczmarek7362]

@@jamesslick4790 Precisely. With minimal tweaking, these Hemi cars would run 11's all day long.

[@ourtime-downhere6931]

Pat Kaczmarek exactly, you didn't check the 426 hemi box to just cruise around. I've always loved these coronets. My first car was a 69 coronet 440 with the 318 in it. I'm currently looking for one to build with my daughter. She has my love of classic mopars which I got from my own father.

[@KoeWaffle]

I have to compliment the camera crew on this one. The shots inside the Dodge were beautiful. Beats a go pro hands down. Nicely done!

[@stuckinmygarage6220]

Did u catch the lit engine? @4:12

[@jeremythompson9895]

Maybe my favorite car in your collection. Love the no nonsense style and brute horsepower of those early hemi cars

[@TheFRiNgEguitars]

One of the great MoPars, good to see an all original car, 323 rear, no choppy idle, no bad consumer "engineering" that steals the quality of the car, just the same raw torque, same sound, same tire chirp, instant throttle response, as delivered in 1966.

[@davidpesekmuller3883]

"if u don't plan on stopping anytime soon, the brakes are actually Ok" 👌

[@wilmamcdermott3065]

Disc brakes off any b body fit

[@jthev]

It also helps to have a 4-speed so you could downshift and take up the slack of the drum brakes. Experience teaches us this.

[@JoesGoldenGarage]

Never knew this car existed. I love how plain it is. Blackwalls and dog dish caps...love it. Beautiful

[@Ignignokt5150]

That's what made them a great sleeper .

[@danokerr9929]

joegolden481 things dont change i have a 50 coronet and a 50 wayfarer talk about being under promoted

[@pookatim]

You know what I enjoyed the most about this era, driving with your elbow out the window and your other arm on the back of the passenger seat as Jay is doing. You just felt like the king of the road.

[@andyharman3022]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="715">11:55</a> He gets the tires to break free on a 1-2 upshift, and his smile is pure mischief. That's no better sign of a true car guy.

[@norristammislideshowmulgre877]

Most of the mopars would bark the tires from 1st to 2nd gear.

[@dennisd4452]

More like 11:48

[@constantdarkfog49]

Super nice Dodge , it's a beast. A sleeper car for sure. 60's car's were so cool, classic styling, love them.

[@samodom7241]

I have been a Mopar fan for as long as I can remember. This is my favorite car, color and year. I was born in 1966.

[@kfrerix9777]

Definitely in my top few. I'm pretty weird about darts.

[@vettekid3326]

In 1975 I was shopping dealers for a good price on a new Camaro. While I was waiting on a salesman to return with a quote I wandered around to the back row of the used car lot and saw what I thought was a 1969 Plymouth Satellite. When I got a little closer I saw the Roadrunner badge on the front fender, When I looked it over it was completely plain Jane blue metallic with white bench seat interior, taxi cab hub caps. I popped the hood and saw it had a 426 Hemi without power steering or brakes. The salesman came back and I asked him what it listed for and he said $1595.00, somebody had traded it in on a new Vega!

[@writerconsidered]

Nice story but I have a question. Why would a 69 Plymouth in 75 be listed at $1595? Are you sure it wasn't $595?

[@arthurlangford5861]

Even in 1975, it was still a Road Runner with a Hemi! It would have listed brand new for close to $5,000! Even in the gas shortage catalytic converter era, this car was a bargain, at least from a dealers lot, for $1,595.

[@culcune]

I recall reading a similar story in the 80s in Hot Rod about a '68 L88 Vette they were featuring. The guy who owned it said he was car shopping and saw the Vette in the back row of a used car lot. If I recall the details it was 1974 during the gas embargo. He made a remark to the salesman about 'that old hot rod' and 'gas guzzler' and got it cheap, and again, if I recall the details of the article, because it was a big block and nobody wanted them, big blocks of any car were cheaper than smaller engined cars of the same type because dealers feared they would be stuck with them. I do understand that Hemis were always collector cars because of their usefullness in drag racing, but without the internet and dealers not reading magazines, surely there were Hemi cars sold cheaply alongside cars with smaller or more mundane engines because dealers traded them in and did not want to be 'stuck' with gas guzzling hot rods languishing on their lots.

[@captainjim6300]

@Robbie H Maybe it depended on shortage at drag strip they always had racing gas if you had money..lol Who knows I am not going to say impossible just improbable..

[@radioguy1620]

dont forget the price of gas went from 32 to 45 cents !!! ,no wonder people freaked out

[@waynewisecarver]

This is the car I would most want from Jay's garage. It just speaks to me.

[@grandpabill6684]

The classic sleeper until you punch the gas always fun to listen to Jay talk about cars !

[@beitie]

It's vids like this that really get me to respect and admire Jay. It's so rare to see a car like that in it's stock form, and in such great shape. I really love it.

[@Titus-as-the-Roman]

Thanks once again for this channel. As a lower middle class kid growing up in the 60's (graduated H.S. 1976), I mowed yards (Sears 5 HP totally manual push mower) for extra cash to feed to our beaters to keep them running (as a collective, we in our little circle was always helping each other out, no one wanted to be the one perceived as selfish, and it was no fun having your buds without a ride, never knew when you might need to borrow it). In the early 70's I mowed a yard for a retired elderly lady who had parked in her garage a pristine, low mileage 1968 light blue Dodge Coronet with a 440 wedge, it had belonged to her husband who almost never drove, she herself rarely drove it, pardon the very true pun, mostly to the grocery and church. Man did I ever lust after that car, no way could I afford it. Don't know what ever happened to it but man I sure did want it.

[@dbs555]

Love that MOPAR sound the real HEMI puts out. Breathe, indeed.

[@davidsteiner7392]

My father and me took one like this from our Chrysler dealer. When he opened it up, it sounded like it was sucking the hood into the engine. I said I want it, he said NO. About a month or so later it was back at the dealership wrecked. I will never forget that ride!

[@rsattahip]

1966 was a great time to be alive in America.

[@wemartin12]

Um, unless you were a young man about to be sent to Vietnam.

[@mattrobson3603]

Or a woman, or gay, or nonwhite...

[@concretewave2339]

YUP

[@atlcorvette]

Unless you were a Black man...

[@kfrerix9777]

As a blonde symmetrical white man, I would tend to agree, but....

[@terrywho22]

"There's your air conditioning, pal!" XD

[@captainjim6300]

I never even cared I did not have AC in my 64 Belvedere 426 Wedge, I was so thrilled with the massive Hurst Shifter for the 4 speed with bench-seats. I was a teenager bench seats were great even if they may not have been cool. I only disliked one thing the 4mpg but that had a lot to do with the driver. lol Two fours especially in that weird horizontally and offset configuration was not gas friendly. lol

[@miller7759]

The two sixty and four sixty air conditioning was very popular back in those days.

[@bobjohnson2920]

What a cool guy, no amount of money could change him. I bet he still uses coupons 😂

[@sas6561]

"amoligated" ... huh?

[@anthonygordon9483]

He uses coupons for cloths and food. Everything else is cars and motorcycles. Jay was more of a motorcycle guy back in his younger days.

[@neilsullivan5301]

@@sas6561 Homolgated - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homologation_(motorsport)

[@sas6561]

@@neilsullivan5301 ... just teasing ***

[@sas6561]

@@neilsullivan5301 ... teasing, but you forgot the 3rd "o" ......... ***

[@JohnCillis]

I love Jay's videos. Doug Demuro on KZbin also has great car videos. My parents loved Dodges--we had a Coronet, then a Polara wagon, and also a K car, then they moved to Nissan because my first car was an '86 Sentra Wagon, and they liked it as well. My Dad went from a Polara to a Ford Truck which towed our 23 foot Wilderness trailer better. I remember our Coronet we bought in the mid-60's in Burbank, I was just five when we got it in '66. It was midnight blue. My Mom's long time car was a Ford Maverick, before she bought a Dodge Omni, then later a Nissan Sentra. I have been a car buff a long time, loving the old 1900-1920 cars as well. I am so glad KZbin has these vids, and also happy Jay survived his recent accident--he is such a great comedian and also historian.

[@metsot]

The 60's muscle cars look the best imo. ..compared to the 70's equivalents etc.

[@Geardos1]

It's weird seeing those old catalogues from the 60s. Something about 60s America is so iconic and timeless, but also very alien compared to today.

[@orwellknew9112]

The 60’s were a great time to be alive. Much, much simpler than today.

[@imperiallebaron2391]

My first car was a 1966 Coronet 440. 318 V8 power steering, power brakes, factory air conditioning (Chrysler Airtemp) Dark green, white interior. Best car I ever owned.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Have you checked out the MyMopar Channel?

[@imperiallebaron2391]

@@rightlanehog3151 No. I have to check it out. Thanks for mentioning it. I didn't k ow it existed.

[@rightlanehog3151]

@@imperiallebaron2391 You will like it.

[@shawnoelrich4228]

Thank you once again Jay for saving such a beautiful piece of America.

[@Lostenso]

"thats okay, that's alright". I love Jay

[@TomzTrainzandAccessories]

Fabulous car. I own a 1966 Plymouth Satellite 4spd for the last 36 years, and believe this year vehicle for both Plymouth and Dodge was a great sleeper car. Only the badges on the fenders told you that this wasn’t the car to mess with.

[@aguruattapiano]

I love this car! it seems to have a special place in Jay's heart

[@unclemikeb]

Seeing that Coronet reminded me of a really funny story from the 60's. I think I read it several years ago in an issue of Mopar magazine. It seemed that cars that won drag races on Sunday sold more cars on Monday. So a couple of engineers at Chrysler in Detroit decided they were going to up the odds of selling more Dodges. They had a Coronet built with no sealer between seems no back seat very bare bones. They prepared a 440 engine and had it bored and stroked to the max. I think it was a 492. They were engineers so they had background and a whole machine shop to their disposal. Mind you, they had a generous budget to play with back then and could do a lot of free lance stuff that they would report on later. This might not even have been authorized by their superiors but the hey, it was the 60's! The heads were reworked to the largest possible opening and given a three angle valve job. The cam shaft was a very wild grind such that they had to idle the engine at 1200. Compression was really high, they ran aviation fuel to prevent spark knock and used a dual point distributor and there were two batteries to make sure it would start. They installed headers that fed into a massive exhaust system with four mufflers. Only two of the exhaust pipes were visible from the back. One engineer said at 4000 rpms and full throttle the exhaust sounded like a machine gun hammering away. The intake manifold was a brand name, can't remember which now, to accept two four barrel carbs. They had a stock looking air cleaner housing made to fit the dual 4 barrels. There were two large hoses from the air cleaner that fastened to the grille for cold air induction. They used a 3.91 rear axle with sure grip and sticky Mickey Thompson race tires. To reduce weight they had it built with no glass except the windshield. They put plexiglass in the side and rear. The hood and trunk were made of some really lightweight aluminum and steel alloy, If I remember correctly, their Coronet was 350 pounds lighter than a stock one. To really taunt the GM and Ford guys, they went cruising with a trailer connected. In the trailer were two refrigerator boxes, empty of course reinforced with plexiglass so the wind wouldn't crush them. They would cruise around and try to get next to a hot GM or Ford and when the light changed only give it enough gas to stay even with the other car until they were up to about 40, then mash the gas just in time for the trans to shift to second and squeal the tires before running away. The other guy of course was stepping harder and harder on his gas pedal because he sure didn't want some old ladies car pulling a trailer to get ahead. Then when the Coronet blew the guy off of course he was overwhelmed. Word got around the Dodge was beating everything even pulling a trailer. Eventually some guys found the Coronet in a parking lot and had to look under the hood. It appeared totally stock except for having two batteries. Local dealers noticed a big increase in interest of Coronets. Sales increased by leaps and bounds. I bet those engineers were having a really hard time to keep from laughing their hind ends off. You have to know they had a blast. I had a good laugh just reading the article. I sure miss those days.

[@whatyoumakeofit6635]

Great story !

[@FreddyFunderbunz]

Ok.

[@ericball6000]

@IT'SME Epping New Hampshire Drag way,back in 1977 I would bring my 1967 gtx 426 4 speed there,good time's.

[@JackF99]

Sounds like pure folklore but no harm done

[@duygukayhanisaskank4915]

@@JackF99 Actually, the story he told is true...for the most part. I clearly remember & it's not an "urban legend". Although, I can't vouch for his telling of the parts about racing that Coronet on the street while pulling a trailer loaded with boxes...to imply hauling 2 refrigerators. Never-the-less, The rogue, gearhead engineers did build that engine, modify the Coronet & drag race it for the company...with the intention to impress young men to buy a Dodge; rather than a Chevy, a Ford, etc. To a young, impressionable teen...with an untrained eye, it looked like a normal Coronet with rear drag-tires. ( marketing at its' best ) Kind regards, Ben

[@radioguy1620]

Jay made a great point about guys imitating the seat belt click from the Bullitt movie, probably saved a lot of lives. Amazing how a little thing like that could work.

[@brentaudi9354]

What an awesome car! I always think that those men that design and actually built this car are smiling down from Heaven, so happy that you are driving this car and taking care of it. Not to mention showing off their brilliant work!

[@GhostOfRT300]

💯

[@alcoleman5261]

This was my favorite sleeper car too. I saw one at the Shelby car lot in Chicago. The one I saw was light green with bench seats.

[@SirFrucka]

Reminds me of when I had a 68 Charger R/T. 440 Auto. The sound, feeling and enjoyment is hard to reproduce any other way.

[@ihaveacoolhat1]

That tire chirp from first to second would always bring a smile to my face.

[@deanwilliams9621]

Probably a good recourse what you just said was getting anything from the 70s 80s or 90s and all do the same thing!

[@constructivecritique4049]

Of all the people in Hollywood that I'd like to meet, it'd be Jay Leno. He' my type of guy. Just a regular old dude, that just so happens to be famous.

[@Coolyards]

Whats Hollywood got to do with it? This is next to the Burbank Airport Google Maps will put you in the seat, and around the trip each car makes???? Meet Jay? He's available at his garage all the time. ALL old dudes are famous, by respect. If you're 40, anyone 50 is famous...........................

[@BlueHopi144]

i would add Denzel Washington and a few other great guys

[@benjamins9121]

@@Coolyards When most people think Hollywood they don't really realize Burbank is the actual Hollywood. It's just something people who haven't lived in soCA would know. And secondly, Jay is at his garage all the time and it's easy to see him. I've went to his garage 3 time and saw jay twice. He always stops and talks to guests during the tours. Super nice guy

[@stevethomas760]

You know Jay is cruising when he's putting his right arm over the top of the seat. I was at the Mecum auction in Kissimmee and watched the Bullitt Mustang go through. Got some love at 3.4M.

[@williamkeith8944]

I learned to drive in the family 1966 Plymouth Fury II with 383 V8 and Torqueflight transmission. It was a fun car.

[@jaywest4102]

Lane markers really are just a suggestion to Jay.

[@charger19691]

jay west , I've always respected the people that aren't afraid of going outside the lines.

[@mousearebec]

haaaa

[@camleee]

That's why he keeps his signal on all the time.

[@123ninjapower]

his camera car is behind, does he have to indicate to his own car where he is going?

[@7cougar0]

Yes he does. He already explained that in earlier videos.

[@billtimmick112]

He loves it because it is a sleeper. Everyone loves a sleeper.

[@zelphx]

My wife doesn't! :(

[@benperez6075]

My buddy has a 4 door model w a 440 with a designation in the vin for police service. He's restoring it as a detective car

[@thomaszimmerman146]

Eugene Piurkowsk

[@jquest43]

@@zelphx simp

[@tammyforbes2101]

This is a 60’s demon if Hellcat has it ain’t no sleeper people know these was fast.

[@williamkeith8944]

My family had a 1966 Plymouth Fury II with a 383 V8 with a 4 barrel carburetor. It was what I learned to drive in at the age of 15 in 1967. Sure wasn't a 426 hemi but it did run strong.

[@brucekenkel3688]

Less than 6 4DR hemi coronets were built and not very well documented. Jays coronet 500 was top of the line for that year. Great car

[@regsparkes6507]

Love that green color, really love that transmission/engine set. Man those 727 transmission's where bullet proof too.

[@TheSleepyMechanic0524]

Reg Sparkes know the difference between the 727 and 904?

[@dmitriy.suhanov]

you mean its explosive temper ?

[@rcnelson]

About 177.

[@TheSleepyMechanic0524]

R C Nelson hahaha

[@purplexenno]

their isn't much of a difference. The 904's were used behind the slant 6's and small long blocks (273, 318 and 340's). They both used aluminum cases versus the original torqueflites which would have been the A-488 from the 50's. Other than that the only other difference was in the two pumps. After about 66 or so they got rid of the rear pump, changing the transmissions to single pump units (the double pump units were of far better quality).

[@gene978]

What a pretty car on the highway at speed! Miss the looks of these cars.

[@budwickman446]

My senior year in High School (1968) I worked at a Chevron gas station. By the way, gas was 36 cents for Premium. And whenever a Dodge or Plymouth would come in, we'd always check the engine badging. And when a Hemi rolled in (not very often) you KNOW we'd want to "check the oil"... Some guys would let us. Some guys would not, saying it was fine... LOL ! Those were the days !

[@ironhead9507]

I had a 66 coronet 500 with 440 auto bucket seats and console in the early 90s. I loved that car.

[@frankfitzpatrick5300]

I remember driving many Hemi cars when I was around 12 hears old . My dad owned a Chrysler/ Plymouth dealership . One day we took a Hemi GTX to deno his friend's new chassis dyno & with freash plugs , it put down just under 500 corrected r.w.h.p. THEY WERE MONSTERS .

[@dabielwright8479]

Frank Fitzpatrick lucky you

[@harddrivin1le-970]

As they rolled off the showroom floor, the 426 Hemi (with the improved '68 - '69 cam grind) produced roughly 315 peak HP at the wheels. www.hotrod.com/articles/mopp-9912-hemi-vs-viper-roadtest/ Back in the day, fully blueprinted and prepped 426 racing Hemis in Super Stock NHRA events (e.g., Sox and Martin) and in NASCAR were making no more than 585 peak HP at the flywheel, which is something on the order of 500 at the rear wheels on an inertia chassis dyno. Your suggesting than anything remotely close to a stock 426 street hemi produced "just under 500 corrected r.w.h.p" is nothing short of laughable. Here's are well documented (by Roger Huntington) vintage drag results of a 100% production line stock and essentially brand new 426 street Hemi fitted with 9" wide drag slicks. The car couldn't break 105 MPH in the quarter mile: www.flickr.com/photos/141864703@N03/39516163342/in/dateposted-public/ That's nothing by today's standards, and isn't remotely close to what the car would run had it actually made 500 HP at the flywheel. Per Hale's trusty formula, that car would trapped in the 116 MPH range with a true 500 HP under the hood. Get real.

[@fmx623]

no way. my dad had one when I was young. I know who has it now and I will own it before I die.

[@jerrycraig6522]

How about the smile on Jay's face when it shifted and "barked" that's a REAL car guy!!!

[@SteveTheFordGuy985]

I am two years younger than you Jay, one day I was driving down Lincoln Blvd, in Santa Monica , this was when the oil embargo was going on and we had gasoline rationing at the time, 1973 or 1974, the lines were down the street to get into the gas station. I passed a used car lot while driving down Lincoln blvd. There it was, a white 1966 Dodge Cornet all stock looking but very clean, I had to stop and have a look, it was a one owner very clean powered with the 440 Magnum & 727 Torqueflite Automatic. I made a deal on the car right then, $1100.00 I loved the car, it was very fast. 7 to 8 MPG. I wish I still had the car .

[@joltinjack]

Beautiful car. I too love the simplicity, clean lines, and a brute of an engine. Two of my uncles bought Plymouths back in the 1960's: a 1965 dark green 383 Fury III & a 1968 silver (black vinyl top) GTX with a Commando 440. Both cars had unique speedometer displays. The former had a rectangular display, and the latter just went from left to right, 0 to 15 (x10).

[@robertanderson7680]

Hahahahaha, that chirp in 2nd put a smile on Jay's face.

[@sacachu]

As much as I like to see Jay's guests with their cars, Jay's own cars are by far the best.

[@thomass4471]

When he was getting on the highway and puts it on the floor and he gets that wheel chirp. Can't beat that smile on his face LOL

[@Brock_Landers]

Jay has every single car guy's favorite cars. Jay worked so hard and always had such an awesome personality that all of us Americans just loved him because he made the show so entertaining for years and years. He took all of his success and turned it into his dream, Jay Leno's Garage. I live in Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, and I would LOVE to visit the garage with my family some day, but like my pap used to say, you can wish in one hand and s*it in the other and see which one fills up first...Jay lives my dreams...

[@robertbisson9161]

Had à 66 Coronet 500 with 383 and à 4 speed manuel trany, loved it. Reached à 120 mph. In 3rd gear, still had the fourth one to go.

[@hulado]

i had one with the 318 engine. was a great car. same color as jays. what i really liked about it was the rear torsion bar suspension. perfect stiffness. car sat high and even with worn out tires i never got it stuck in ohio snow. thanks for the memory jay.

[@rayvanhorn1534]

First car was a 72 Barracuda, dad got it for me when I was in the 8th grade back in 1982. Loved that car, in a panic over $$ I sold it. Sure do miss it. Would love to have another MoPar (dream cars are a 57-59 Dodge Custom Royal & a 70 E-Body) --I'm late to this party but I'll say thank you anyway Jay, from one gearhead to another. The joy you bring us cannot be measured. May Go continue to bless you & yours.

[@olderthandirt5267401]

I love all your trips down memory lane and love seeing all your cars. They are beautiful!

[@dougdobbins6533]

It is so much fun to listen to Jay, especially when he is around an awesome car like that!

[@christophermay4998]

Years ago I met a guy with a Super Bird and I asked him if I could see under the hood........he was super cool and he said yes.........was the first time I'd seen a Hemi..........that engine pretty much filled the engine bay..........I remember staring at it with my chin on the floor.........I thanked the guy and he roared away.........I will never forget that day..........was definitely an experience.........couldn't imagine getting a ride or owning one of your own..........thanks Jay for sharing yours with us...........

[@shempuhorn8261]

Totally agree! No scoops, stripes, silly gimmicks or cartoon characters... rubber hits the road with serious power, nice lines & class.

[@kevinkirk4285]

I LOVE original Hemi cars! Thanks for such a great show! BTW, love them 727 Torqueflite transmissions...

[@bg147]

Hands down, my favorite car in the collection. It was just the idea of a family guy going to the dealer to buy a family/executive type vehicle and opting for the hottest performance package around. The kids loved it but Madge... eh, she would rather focus on perfecting her lime, Jello mold. I agree it was a great looking motor on par with the dual quad wedges and the big wedges with the long runner intakes.

[@johnzuck6163]

Thanks Jay, I remember cruising around in one of these, you drive into town and when the locals see the hemi badge they pretty much leave you alone.

[@davidoverholt251]

OMG Jay, when you ran this car out loud (Speedometer went to 150 MPH) the brakes would not stop it after a run!) You are right, I bought the 440, and had the dealer replace my rear end and axels in 1969. I loved this car and called her Rosie! Thank you for sharing your love of our cars Jay! The 1966 and 1967 Cornet 500 were great! My 1967 Dodge Cornet 440, had power steering! From the factory it was rated at 375 HP! With an Elderbrock dual Quad Manifold, the HP would rise!

[@robertspence831]

What a sweet machine. Love it.

[@samiam5557]

This is my favorite of Jay's collection!!! PS: I owned a slant six '66 Coronet at one time, it was reliable.

[@gr7485]

The slant 6 definitely was as was the torqueflite. When in high school I had a '61 Plymouth with that combination. Not the prettiest car but very reliable.

[@rightlanehog3151]

I get misty eyed whenever someone mentions the super-sensible, super-reliable Slant 6. We had one in a 73 Duster, 75 Fury and 80 Diplomat.

[@MrSpad007]

Still driving my D200 W/225 slant six Super dependable.☺

[@bluecent65]

Hemi 6 from Australia was a beast compared to the old faithful slant.

[@rcnelson]

I have a slant six on an engine stand that I sing to.

[@larryharp2489]

My Dad had the same one in green , just with a black top and chrome reverse wheels. So fast and unforgettable!

[@jimmccoskey8253]

Holy mackerel! I had a '66 Coronet 500 with the 426 HEMI and a 4 speed. So many great memories with that monster! Thanks for the memories and the GREAT VIDEO!

[@tonycaffeine2642]

You love it because its a simple car that moves. I like the green with black wheels.

[@PlatinumPaladin915]

My father's First car was a 67 R/T Coronet, Glad to see you are again sharing more of Muscle Car history Jay!

[@dondressel452]

My second car It had a 440 under the hood

[@JustLikeParadise]

What a beautiful car. You truly are a blessed man. Thank you for sharing this car.

[@mikeb46]

I'm glad we have a "Jay Leno" to preserve cars like this. The wide open throttle sound reminds me of street races when I was 20 something, just trying to have a wee bit of fun. This reminds me of a story in one of the car magazines years ago. If I remember correctly the car was a 67 Dodge coronet. Two engineers who were allowed a bit of freedom at a Chrysler facility in Detroit had fun tweaking things and evidently had their own machine shop and assistants. When they heard, "What wins on Sunday, sells on Monday", they devised a plan to sweep the street races in the coming weekend. They took a 440 magnum engine block out of stock and went to work on it. They machined the heads to allow the largest valves that would fit, and did extensive work smoothing the dual quad intake. Then they built a stoker crankshaft and bored out the cylinders to the maximum safe limit. They had to do some extra machining on the block for the stroker crank to clear. They estimated it came to 502 cubic inches. They used a dual point distributor especially made for that engine. A very radical camshaft was machined and fitted with roller tappets. They didn't waste time trying to design headers for the beast, they bought some from a local supplier, I think they were Dougs, not certain. They had increased the compression ratio to <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="661">11:1</a> and had to use the highest octane available. To make certain it could start, they put two batteries in the trunk which also helped add weight over the rear axle. They ordered the body built without the usual sealer and used hole saws to remove as much weight as possible. Except for windshield all the glass was replaced with plexiglas. The trunk and hood were fitted with aluminum as well as both bumpers. They estimated they removed 500 pounds from the car compared to factory built body. They chose a bulletproof torqueflite trans and <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="189">3:9</a>1 sure grip rear axle since they planned to only do street racing at 1/4 mile or less. For exhaust they used 3 inch pipes with four free flowing mufflers so it could breath but still not be loud enough to attract the cops. Even so, at 6,000 rpm it sounded like a machine gun was firing. For tires they chose some sticky Mickey Thompson tires that were street legal. They put 383 engine symbol on the front fenders. They installed the engine and ran it at fast idle for several hours then went hunting. They would slip up next to a hot car at traffic light then step just hard enough on the gas to keep even with them. Then at next light they would let that car get ahead a ways then go blasting past them. They were smoking hot Chevys, Fords, Olds, you name it. Eventually one guy dared them to go out to a place where they could really run it hard. They needed the invitation because they weren't sure where it was. There was a 1/4 marked off and races continued into the wee hours of the morning. Most of the time you had to put up money to race. Their choice of <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="189">3:9</a>1 axle proved to be perfect, the big engine was reaching red line right at the 1/4 mile mark. They won every race. Of course no one believed it was a 383 so they opened the hood and let them look. 383 was stamped on the area next to the distributor. They admitted to a hot cam and the headers were obvious but no one figured it out. LOL A few days later they hitched up an open trailer and put some empty refrigerator boxes in the trailer that had been braced with plexiglas so they wouldn't bend in the wind. They went stop light racing again. Imagine how it would hurt your pride to have two guys in a 383 Coronet pulling a trailer with two refrigerators blow the doors off your nice, new 396 Chevelle. They had a blast and sure enough, that next week sales and orders for Dodges increased dramatically. Whatever they spent building that car was only a fraction of the profits that Chrysler made from their antics. The story was personally shared by one of the engineers to that car magazine.

[@kevinkirk4285]

I owned a black 1968 Charger back in my younger years. I loved Bullit but it was hugely disappointing to see my favorite car go up in flames...

[@Tuppoo94]

What an incredible machine. An absolute dream on wheels. I think there were 2 of these Hemis in Finland back in the 60's. One belonged to the owner of the importing company, the other belonged to a guy who was unhappy with the performance of his 6 cylinder Belvedere, and he went to that company and asked for the most powerful car they could get their hands on.

[@ditto1958]

My dad had a 1965 Coronet. Same body style. His was a four door sedan, three on the tree, slant six motor. He kept it for four years, as it was a really nice car. He traded it for a two door hard top 1969 Coronet. It had a torque-flite auto and the 318 V-8. Green, with a green vinyl top. I drove that car in high school and it was great. Put the pedal to the metal and WOW. It pushed you back into your seat.

[@adamhoryl1024]

Much respect for the Hemi engine. Amazing power.

[@jeremythompson9895]

Love this car. I'm a Ford guy but the 1966 426 Hemi Dodge Coronets and Plymouth Belvedere's are my favorite muscle cars of that whole era, other than possibly the 1969 A12 440+6 Dodge Super Bee/Plymouth Roadrunner

[@70stunes71]

Jeremy Thompson I owned a 70 Hemi Challenger with the pistol grip, a 70 440 six pack GTX 4 Speed with the Ram Air hood, Challenger ta 340 six pack and AAR Cuda 340 six pack. Several other 1960s Mopars, and currently putting a pro street duster together that is a former drag car that came from the factory with a 318 but the race team converted it to a 426 Hemi for super stock. Providence or not I'm putting the car on the street as the title is listed with a 318. I've Loved Chrysler's all my life. I do respect to the other vehicles from the auto manufacturers of Ford and Chevrolet, but the Mopars are my thing. Lots of wonderful memories

[@AtZero138]

Just love it... I own Twin 1968 Darts.. that are pretty much a Smaller twin of this beautiful Car. Even the Dash.. just Awesome

[@nyctreeman]

It's amazing I'm still alive ... I had some of these cars when I was 18 to 25 or so ... at that time they were old cars, but not crazy expensive yet ... and I drove all of them in excess of 100mph ... a lot. With bias ply tires. In these cars you went as fast as you could on straight road, and then braked hard before you power slid through the curve ... lol

[@ws678ta]

I have owned Mopars for almost 50 yrs, can;t get enough of them! Keep that '66 Jay, it is a spectacular example of a 'sleeper'. Keep the great videos coming.

[@donniepurvis3091]

grew up riding in a 1966 dodge coronet 440 , 2 door 383 4 barrel. was disappointed when i turned 16 and mama had traded it in for a plymouth fury 3/

[@codyclark9057]

For everybody saying this is nowhere near 7,000 rpms, click to <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="808">13:28</a> and think again..... that's at LEAST 6,500 rpm before it finally grabs third. On a side note this car reminds me of something Joe Friday would've had in Dragnet

[@hulado]

just the facts cody. good job.

[@FYMASMD]

Cops in those days ALWAYS had 4doors. Dragnet guys drove Fords. I grew up watching that crap.👮

[@Grundag]

I love seeing Jay "put his foot in it" That is a fast and powerful car.

[@jojojeep1]

I love the smile it put on your face when you chirp second gear