1976 Dodge Royal Monaco Brougham Dodge Monaco

1976 Dodge Royal Monaco Rare Finds

Big Bad Brougham - Rare Finds

From the July, 2010 issue of Mopar Muscle

By Dave Young

Just like our readers, we're always on the lookout for a good deal on a Mopar of any sort, knowing that the best deals are sometimes scored on the most unlikely cars. We keep our eyes open on the trips we take and pay attention to the neighborhoods we drive through, understanding that it sometimes takes a while to cultivate a relationship with a car's owner before he's comfortable selling you his Mopar. Such was the case with this '76 Dodge Royal Monaco Brougham, as it took us several years of off-and-on communication to score a deal on this loaded C-Body.

It all started when we noticed the car at a neighborhood rental, and upon checking it out, saw that it was an amazingly clean car. We stopped to ask about it one day and were told "not for sale" by the owner, a man in his early 20s, who had purchased it from the original owner with plans to drive it and fix it up. Leaving our phone number, we told him if he ever reconsidered to give us a call, and we left.

Over the next couple of years, we'd see the car driving, then not so much, and it sat parked more often than not. Seeing the owner in the neighborhood, we asked what was up with the Monaco and he told us the transmission was acting up and asked us to recommend a shop. Later that month, the car was up on jacks as the owner and a friend attempted a transmission swap. The car remained in that state, often covered with a tarp, for months without moving so we kind of assumed the owner had lost interest, leaving the occasional note with no response.

Then out of the blue, the car's owner came over to tell us that he and his girlfriend were splitting up, that he had to move and didn't have a place to keep the car. Since he didn't want to see the Dodge get impounded, he wanted to know if we were still interested. We asked how much and he said, "I'd like to get a couple hundred bucks for it, but it has to be moved today." We offered a hundred dollars, which the owner reluctantly accepted, then drove over with a tow strap to pull the car a block to its new home.

Upon inspecting our find, we were happy to see that it was overall in good shape with very little rust and low mileage. This Dodge was likely one of the highest priced from the factory as a two-door, Royal Monaco Brougham, with options including a 400 four-barrel big-block, cruise control, tilt-telescoping steering column, power seats, and power locks among others. After hooking up the transmission lines and linkage and giving the engine a tune-up, the car fired right up and ran well, so we decided it was just too nice to part out. Already having an abundance of projects, we eventually sold the car to a friend and C-Body enthusiast in Georgia who we know will give the car a proper restoration.

Have you just found a Rare Find? Do you want us to show it off for you in the Pages of Mopar Muscle Magazine? Send all the pertinent information along with a couple images of your find, and we'll make you famous. Send your Rare Finds to; mopar.muscle@sorc.com; or snail mail your info to Mopar Muscle Magazine C/O Rare Finds, 9036 Brittany Way, Tampa, FL 33619