The First Magnum: 1978-1979:
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The First Magnum: 1978-1979:
The Dodge Magnum's place in history (by Lawrence E. Cole):
The car had a design that lent itself to those who grew up in the muscle car era of Dodge, but who were now family people. After spending my teens and early 20s in R/Ts and Super Bees, I now had to worry about a wife and two children and long trips for vacations. Yet, burning inside of me was the need for something that didn't look like my dad's car.
Enter the Magnum. The car represented a muscle car look with comfort and room for a family. As noted, performance wise, the car had a front and rear sway bar, torsion bar suspension, and rear leaf springs. Contrary to popular belief, the torsion bar/leaf spring gave the car an unequaled performance gain to standard coil cars like the Mustang/Camaro. It sported hideaway headlights, and a sloping nose. The car also came equipped (the XE Edition which I own and have since 1983) with factory fender flares on all four wheels, and 15" Goodyear GT Eagle tires, and aluminum wheels. The 3 speed Torqueflite transmission had a floor mounted console shifter, and a lock out torque converter that provided an overdrive.
Inside, a factory tach was installed along with a full instrumentation panel. This all added to the flavor of the "muscle car" look. However, you now add A/C, electric antenna, leather interior, prism dashboard, cruise control, and other luxury item, you now have a car that is comfortable to ride in, and impressive to the "muscle car" nerve we still carried.
The styling of the Magnum was much sharper then the [1978] Dodge Charger, and in fact, it was the replacement car for Dodge's then defunt NASCAR racing effort. In fact, the Magnum was the last Dodge car to win a super speedway race (Kyle Petty, ARCA), and it was also the car that Buddy Arrington raced, the last of the NASCAR Winston Cup Dodge drivers, to achieve his best year racing as an independent. This added to the "muscle car" image that the car indeed did have. The car was also accorded an honor when Tyco Toy Company released its 25-year anniversary electric "Magnum" HO race set, which featured a silver plated Magnum.
The down side to the Magnum was that it could not bring in "new" racing people to the Dodge garage. The lack of Dodge's involvement with racing at the time (more on that later) did not allow the Magnum to live the "Win on Sunday, Buy on Monday" syndrome. Its size and lack of 4-speed transmission was not going to bring anyone in from the younger set who might look at it as a comparison to the Mustang, Camaro, or Firebird. In fact, Dodge had nothing in its arsenal to do that, and even today, still doesn't.
The Magnum was replaced by the Mirada, but that was really based on two factors. The most important being Lee Ioccoca. Lee wanted Chrysler back into NASCAR racing, remembering what the Mustang had done for Ford. He knew that what won on Sunday, still sold on Monday. The Mirada was Lee's answer to it.
To those of us who owned them, and in my case, still do, the Magnum was the last Dodge throwback to the Dodges we grew up with. That, in a single sentence, is why the Magnum is still popular today.
History of the Dodge Magnum:
This history is based mainly on the Standard Catalog of Chrysler.
In 1978, Chrysler introduced the Dodge Magnum XE and XS, a pair of hardtop coupes with squareish styling. It was most likely intended to replace the 1978 Charger SE, a vehicle which, though nice enough, did not have the temperament of the 340-, 440-, and Hemi-powered predecessors. The 1978 Charger was a Dodge version of the Chrysler Cordoba, and its front clip (grille, headlights, and bumpers) was nearly identical to the early Cordobas. The Magnum's appearance was, save mainly for its rectangular-themed front clip, identical to the Charger SE.
In 1977, when the Magnum was put into production, Chrysler produced three basic carlines in the United States. The Volare and Aspen were essentially third-generation Valiants, the Cordoba, Monaco, Fury, and Charger SE were considered to be mid-sized, and the Gran Fury, Newport, New Yorker, Town & Country, and Royal Monaco were the last remaining dynosaurs. With a 115 inch wheelbase, the Magnum and its kin fit right between the 107 inch Volare/Aspen and the 121-124 inch full-size line.
The Magnum was a good-looking car, with four rectangular headlights behind retracting, clear covers. Narrow opera windows helped rear visibility. Vinyl-covered, T-bar, and power sunroof options were available, in addition to the (probably best looking) plain roof. Standard features included power steering and brakes, and low-profile vinyl bucket seats (with a cloth and leather/vinyl seat options).
The suspension incorporated longitudinal front torsion bars with lower trailing links and an anti-sway bar, coupled with semi-elliptical rear springs and a rear anti-sway bar. This provided the large, heavy car with surprisingly good handling.
The base engine was the 318 V-8 with Lean Burn system coupled with a TorqueFlite automatic, which did not exactly make the 3,895 lb car a hot performer. However, like the nearly-identical Charger SE, it could also be ordered with a four-barrel 360 or 400 cid V-8, which provided good pickup. Most models seem to have come with the 360/2-barrel lean burn engine.
A GT option included exterior and interior styling cues coupled with better tires and wheels.
1979 brought exterior changes, including new tail-lamps, and the loss of the Charger on which the Magnum was based. The TorqueFlite now had a standard lock-up torque converter, except on the heavy-duty 360 or the 3.2:1 axle.
The Magnum's brief life ended in 1979, when it was replaced by the Mirada, which was 400 pounds lighter, six inches shorter, and powered by a base slant six, 318, or an optional 185 hp 360.
On reflection, it is hard to figure out why Chrysler created and then dropped the Magnum so quickly. Perhaps someone simply did not want to see the Charger name linger on any longer, though it shortly resurfaced on a two-door Omni-based four-cylinder...which could triumph over Mustangs and Camaros like the Chargers of old, if you had a twisty road!
Chrysler's decision to end the Magnum so quickly, and to replace it with yet another nearly-identical but differently-named car, is bewildering - at least unless you consider Mike Sealey's explanation:
As for why the name change from Magnum to Mirada, as much as I love the '78-'79 Magnums (probably the only car from that era I seriously want!), I have to admit that in smog-legal street tune the Magnum name suggested a level of performance that the car was not able to back up at the lights. It is also possible that Chrysler wanted to use the Mirada name on something. The original planned names for what became the Horizon TC3 and Omni 024 were Plymouth Mirada (!) and Dodge Solo, according to a contemporary account.
On the other hand, given the continued interest in the Magnum, perhaps its creation was perfectly justified...
Interchangeability with the Dodge Charger (by Tannon Weber):
The suspension, drive train, and the bulk of the front part of the exhaust systems are compatible with the 1973 and later Dodge Charger, if they are not outright interchangeable. My father has a beautiful 1973 Charger SE with a 1979 Chrysler 300 center console that was installed for the armrest for comfort on long trips, and everything on the transmission tunnel just fit stock to the later year console.
I've met other people who have made use of later model or earlier model parts on a different body; one guy swapped the front subframe out of a Cordoba into his Charger when it needed replacing, another guy put an 8.75" rear off of a Satellite into his Magnum. I've put headers and polyurethane suspension bushings into my Cordoba; the headers were specifically listed for '71 through '74 Charger/Satellite on the info that came with them, and the bushings were the same kit that my father used on his '73 Charger in front, the rear difference only being the front oval spring eye on the Cordoba. That Charger enjoys torsion bars, front sway bar, and 12" front rotors and caliper mounts off of a 1981 Dodge St. Regis police interceptor. (The R bodies continued to use the same suspension setup as the 1973 and newer B bodies, so factory police suspension components are sometimes in wrecking yards, and they bolt right in.
The only kit-style performance upgrade that I can't use from the pre-1975 Charger is the full dual exhaust system out to the back, as the fuel tank was positioned over against the driver's side frame rail instead of centered. I'd have to either modify the trunk floor to move the tank over, or go with a smaller gas tank if I wanted to go with a pre-existing full exhaust system.
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redriderbob
The car had a design that lent itself to those who grew up in the muscle car era of Dodge, but who were now family people. After spending my teens and early 20s in R/Ts and Super Bees, I now had to worry about a wife and two children and long trips for vacations. Yet, burning inside of me was the need for something that didn't look like my dad's car.
Enter the Magnum. The car represented a muscle car look with comfort and room for a family. As noted, performance wise, the car had a front and rear sway bar, torsion bar suspension, and rear leaf springs. Contrary to popular belief, the torsion bar/leaf spring gave the car an unequaled performance gain to standard coil cars like the Mustang/Camaro. It sported hideaway headlights, and a sloping nose. The car also came equipped (the XE Edition which I own and have since 1983) with factory fender flares on all four wheels, and 15" Goodyear GT Eagle tires, and aluminum wheels. The 3 speed Torqueflite transmission had a floor mounted console shifter, and a lock out torque converter that provided an overdrive.
Inside, a factory tach was installed along with a full instrumentation panel. This all added to the flavor of the "muscle car" look. However, you now add A/C, electric antenna, leather interior, prism dashboard, cruise control, and other luxury item, you now have a car that is comfortable to ride in, and impressive to the "muscle car" nerve we still carried.
The styling of the Magnum was much sharper then the [1978] Dodge Charger, and in fact, it was the replacement car for Dodge's then defunt NASCAR racing effort. In fact, the Magnum was the last Dodge car to win a super speedway race (Kyle Petty, ARCA), and it was also the car that Buddy Arrington raced, the last of the NASCAR Winston Cup Dodge drivers, to achieve his best year racing as an independent. This added to the "muscle car" image that the car indeed did have. The car was also accorded an honor when Tyco Toy Company released its 25-year anniversary electric "Magnum" HO race set, which featured a silver plated Magnum.
The down side to the Magnum was that it could not bring in "new" racing people to the Dodge garage. The lack of Dodge's involvement with racing at the time (more on that later) did not allow the Magnum to live the "Win on Sunday, Buy on Monday" syndrome. Its size and lack of 4-speed transmission was not going to bring anyone in from the younger set who might look at it as a comparison to the Mustang, Camaro, or Firebird. In fact, Dodge had nothing in its arsenal to do that, and even today, still doesn't.
The Magnum was replaced by the Mirada, but that was really based on two factors. The most important being Lee Ioccoca. Lee wanted Chrysler back into NASCAR racing, remembering what the Mustang had done for Ford. He knew that what won on Sunday, still sold on Monday. The Mirada was Lee's answer to it.
To those of us who owned them, and in my case, still do, the Magnum was the last Dodge throwback to the Dodges we grew up with. That, in a single sentence, is why the Magnum is still popular today.
History of the Dodge Magnum:
This history is based mainly on the Standard Catalog of Chrysler.
In 1978, Chrysler introduced the Dodge Magnum XE and XS, a pair of hardtop coupes with squareish styling. It was most likely intended to replace the 1978 Charger SE, a vehicle which, though nice enough, did not have the temperament of the 340-, 440-, and Hemi-powered predecessors. The 1978 Charger was a Dodge version of the Chrysler Cordoba, and its front clip (grille, headlights, and bumpers) was nearly identical to the early Cordobas. The Magnum's appearance was, save mainly for its rectangular-themed front clip, identical to the Charger SE.
In 1977, when the Magnum was put into production, Chrysler produced three basic carlines in the United States. The Volare and Aspen were essentially third-generation Valiants, the Cordoba, Monaco, Fury, and Charger SE were considered to be mid-sized, and the Gran Fury, Newport, New Yorker, Town & Country, and Royal Monaco were the last remaining dynosaurs. With a 115 inch wheelbase, the Magnum and its kin fit right between the 107 inch Volare/Aspen and the 121-124 inch full-size line.
The Magnum was a good-looking car, with four rectangular headlights behind retracting, clear covers. Narrow opera windows helped rear visibility. Vinyl-covered, T-bar, and power sunroof options were available, in addition to the (probably best looking) plain roof. Standard features included power steering and brakes, and low-profile vinyl bucket seats (with a cloth and leather/vinyl seat options).
The suspension incorporated longitudinal front torsion bars with lower trailing links and an anti-sway bar, coupled with semi-elliptical rear springs and a rear anti-sway bar. This provided the large, heavy car with surprisingly good handling.
The base engine was the 318 V-8 with Lean Burn system coupled with a TorqueFlite automatic, which did not exactly make the 3,895 lb car a hot performer. However, like the nearly-identical Charger SE, it could also be ordered with a four-barrel 360 or 400 cid V-8, which provided good pickup. Most models seem to have come with the 360/2-barrel lean burn engine.
A GT option included exterior and interior styling cues coupled with better tires and wheels.
1979 brought exterior changes, including new tail-lamps, and the loss of the Charger on which the Magnum was based. The TorqueFlite now had a standard lock-up torque converter, except on the heavy-duty 360 or the 3.2:1 axle.
The Magnum's brief life ended in 1979, when it was replaced by the Mirada, which was 400 pounds lighter, six inches shorter, and powered by a base slant six, 318, or an optional 185 hp 360.
On reflection, it is hard to figure out why Chrysler created and then dropped the Magnum so quickly. Perhaps someone simply did not want to see the Charger name linger on any longer, though it shortly resurfaced on a two-door Omni-based four-cylinder...which could triumph over Mustangs and Camaros like the Chargers of old, if you had a twisty road!
Chrysler's decision to end the Magnum so quickly, and to replace it with yet another nearly-identical but differently-named car, is bewildering - at least unless you consider Mike Sealey's explanation:
As for why the name change from Magnum to Mirada, as much as I love the '78-'79 Magnums (probably the only car from that era I seriously want!), I have to admit that in smog-legal street tune the Magnum name suggested a level of performance that the car was not able to back up at the lights. It is also possible that Chrysler wanted to use the Mirada name on something. The original planned names for what became the Horizon TC3 and Omni 024 were Plymouth Mirada (!) and Dodge Solo, according to a contemporary account.
On the other hand, given the continued interest in the Magnum, perhaps its creation was perfectly justified...
Interchangeability with the Dodge Charger (by Tannon Weber):
The suspension, drive train, and the bulk of the front part of the exhaust systems are compatible with the 1973 and later Dodge Charger, if they are not outright interchangeable. My father has a beautiful 1973 Charger SE with a 1979 Chrysler 300 center console that was installed for the armrest for comfort on long trips, and everything on the transmission tunnel just fit stock to the later year console.
I've met other people who have made use of later model or earlier model parts on a different body; one guy swapped the front subframe out of a Cordoba into his Charger when it needed replacing, another guy put an 8.75" rear off of a Satellite into his Magnum. I've put headers and polyurethane suspension bushings into my Cordoba; the headers were specifically listed for '71 through '74 Charger/Satellite on the info that came with them, and the bushings were the same kit that my father used on his '73 Charger in front, the rear difference only being the front oval spring eye on the Cordoba. That Charger enjoys torsion bars, front sway bar, and 12" front rotors and caliper mounts off of a 1981 Dodge St. Regis police interceptor. (The R bodies continued to use the same suspension setup as the 1973 and newer B bodies, so factory police suspension components are sometimes in wrecking yards, and they bolt right in.
The only kit-style performance upgrade that I can't use from the pre-1975 Charger is the full dual exhaust system out to the back, as the fuel tank was positioned over against the driver's side frame rail instead of centered. I'd have to either modify the trunk floor to move the tank over, or go with a smaller gas tank if I wanted to go with a pre-existing full exhaust system.
Allpar.com
redriderbob
RE: The First Magnum: 1978-1979:
The new Magnum was not a rebirth of the original magnum....
The Original magnum was 1st seen as a concept and was only a GT with full flaring and spoilers just like 1 of the 2 GT 78's i own, it was it's use in Nascar that made it famous, was also the last MOPAR that won a race....that was all MOPAR not like todays nascar..then th xe/se spun off. Mopar lost all interest in racing after 78 and why it no longer existed after 79, the Magnum was also the last with factory help and when they stopped it stopped
The Magnum was not a 4 dr car nor a station wagon, just like the charger wasn't a 4 dr car
The Original magnum was 1st seen as a concept and was only a GT with full flaring and spoilers just like 1 of the 2 GT 78's i own, it was it's use in Nascar that made it famous, was also the last MOPAR that won a race....that was all MOPAR not like todays nascar..then th xe/se spun off. Mopar lost all interest in racing after 78 and why it no longer existed after 79, the Magnum was also the last with factory help and when they stopped it stopped
The Magnum was not a 4 dr car nor a station wagon, just like the charger wasn't a 4 dr car
Joined: Feb 2007
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RE: The First Magnum: 1978-1979:
Too many people overlook these cars...by simply adding mag wheels and increasing the compression you can trurn these sleepers into a mucle car. The biggest mistake Chrysler made was dropping the compression too low for the new fuel in the 70's.
My dad's 1975 Plymouth Fury Sport 400-4 brl was my first car. I turned it into a stroker 451 by adding a 440 crank to the 400. The rear end gear ratio is 2.43 and I decided to leave it that way just to keep a nice top end, besides the car weight is too high for racing.
My dad's 1975 Plymouth Fury Sport 400-4 brl was my first car. I turned it into a stroker 451 by adding a 440 crank to the 400. The rear end gear ratio is 2.43 and I decided to leave it that way just to keep a nice top end, besides the car weight is too high for racing.
RE: The First Magnum: 1978-1979:
ORIGINAL: hemifury
The biggest mistake Chrysler made was dropping the compression too low for the new fuel in the 70's.
besides the car weight is too high for racing.
The biggest mistake Chrysler made was dropping the compression too low for the new fuel in the 70's.
besides the car weight is too high for racing.
The car being heavy is true, but i have quite a few magnums that are anything but slow, 1 i road race and is very good at that especially once you know how good the car is to make better, and that 1 will go 11 0's easy, the other makes many lighter cars feel heavy.
The magnum is a B body, lose the isolated torsion bar crossmember and move the anchors the frame in front and now you have a true b body, and not any heavier
Joined: Feb 2005
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From:
RE: The First Magnum: 1978-1979:
Cool story about the Magnum. I currently have 4, 3 of the 4 w/t's. I have one I bought new in '78. I plan on a real thorough resto soon.
As far as the dual exhuast, I had one put on a 78 Magnum a couple summers ago, never had to move or replace the tank. It might be easier, but not a necessity.
Late B body Magnum are one of the most unique of any Mopar built. No Plymouth, or Chrysler version that's a clone, many sheetmetal parts are inidigenous to a Magnum. Doors, hood, front header panel, bumpers.
Just plain cool cars.
As far as the dual exhuast, I had one put on a 78 Magnum a couple summers ago, never had to move or replace the tank. It might be easier, but not a necessity.
Late B body Magnum are one of the most unique of any Mopar built. No Plymouth, or Chrysler version that's a clone, many sheetmetal parts are inidigenous to a Magnum. Doors, hood, front header panel, bumpers.
Just plain cool cars.
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RE: The First Magnum: 1978-1979:
I always thought they were cool looking. I love the front end on them, the lights and grill. I have a 73 Charger SE that I bought back in 79. I about ralphed when I saw the 75 charger model...ugly. The Magnum is definitely a nice looking car from the 70's. I own a 05 Magnum now too. Hard to believe so many years have gone by and that I've owned my Charger for almost 30 years now. Keep it running!! It's an awesome car.
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From: cleveland
RE: The First Magnum: 1978-1979:
people overlook the originals till they see a nice one then they wonder what it is
mine is 78 360 t-tops (wagons dont have those lol)
[IMG]local://upfiles/92657/FE0AEE970FD146E68DEE1842D543B220.jpg[/IMG]
mine is 78 360 t-tops (wagons dont have those lol)
[IMG]local://upfiles/92657/FE0AEE970FD146E68DEE1842D543B220.jpg[/IMG]