1970 Dodge Coronet Super Bee in Sublime
Today we have a Johnny Lightning Muscle Cars USA edition 1970 Super Bee.
The Coronet was a full-size car from Dodge in the 1950s, initially being the division’s highest trim line but, starting in 1955, the lowest trim line. In the 1960s, the name was transferred to Dodge’s mid-size offering.
The Coronet’s fifth gen encompassed model years 1965-70 with a complete redesign in 1968 and a mild facelift for 1970. Trim levels initially included the base Coronet, Coronet Deluxe, Coronet 440, Coronet 500 and Coronet R/T.
Even with the Charger and Coronet R/T already in the stable, Dodge added the Coronet Super Bee, part of Dodge’s Scat Pack and a copy of the Plymouth Road Runner idea, midyear in 1968; it had a standard 383 with 335 horsepower, and not much else other than a heavy-duty suspension. The name was a play on the B-body chassis (“Super B.”) On introduction, the Coronet R/T had a bigger engine than the Super Bee, but its with numerous comfort-and-convenience features the R/T also weighed more and cost considerably more. In keeping with Dodge’s position as a step above Plymouth, the Super Bee shared the Charger’s Rallye instrument cluster and the Coronet 440’s rear finish panel.
In 1970, the base Coronet was dropped and the Coronet Deluxe took over as the bottom of the line, without the Deluxe name on the outside. The other series - 440, 500, R/T, and Super Bee - continued. Sales dived for this year despite the “Scat Pack” advertising campaign.
The 1970 Super Bee’s engine/transmission options were:
- The 383 Magnum with the 440’s heads and a single 4-barrel Holley carburetor making 335 gross hp. The base transmission with this engine was a 3-speed standard.
- The 440 Magnum with a single 4-barrel Carter carb making 370 gross hp. The base transmission with this engine was a 3-speed automatic.
- The 440 Magnum Six-Pack with three 2-barrel Holley carbs on a high-rise aluminum intake manifold making 390 gross hp. The base transmission with this engine was a 4-speed standard.
- The 426 Hemi with dual 4-barrel Carter carbs making 425 gross hp. The base transmission with this engine was a 3-speed automatic.