Market Watch the Other F-Body

Every Mopar freak is watching The Black Ghost, I'm over here looking at a 1978 Volaré.
I'm just getting ready to pull out Hiram's, an old school hot dog stand. A woman hops out of her man's Challenger R/T Scat Pack phone in hand, "tell me about your car, can I video"? I'm reminded of the love/hate relationship the Mopar F-Body has. Everywhere I go in the COVID Twenties the 1978 Dodge Super Coupe gets love. On occasion, mostly by other Mopar guys via keyboard, I'm reminded of the F-Body stink of rusty fenders, firewalls, rocker panels, frame rails, and the stink of Lean Burn.

If you've been paying attention the sticker package faux muscle cars of the malaise era have been increasing in value. In fact the F-Bodies everyone knows, the late 2nd generation Camaro and Firebird, are now out of the affordable window*. The Aspen and Volaré have since 2017 been seeing a real value rising trend. Despite the classic car value guides not indicating so, I'm watching transaction prices even if the guide books aren't. At cars 'n coffee the R/T and Road Runner get the vague head nod of "I remember these".  Then there are the special F-Bodies, as special as broke ass Chrysler could afford in 1978, the Super Coupe and the coequally known Petty Kit Car.

The Street Kit Car came in both Aspen and Volaré flavor. These cars were meant to evoke the all business look of the Richard Petty NASCAR and Direct Connection Kit Car track machines. Only 392 Street Kit Cars were built, 247 of them in Plymouth livery.  All are equipped with a 360 4 barrel with a 727 automatic transmission, heavy duty suspension and 15x8" wheels. Strangely the Sure Grip rear axle was not standard.

This example at Mecum Indy 2023 appears real clean and straight. The 11,445 on the odometer may be legit. The King has signed in a couple spots. On cars he didn't drive I don't think his signature adds much value but in the boozy atmosphere of Mecum I doubt it hurts. As a top dog F-Body it's value  can be indicator of where the market is for the more common Road Runner, R/T or any nice V8 F coupe. As a Super Coupe owner myself I was certainly watching this. The community has been buzzing of late, talking breaking the $30K ceiling. I'm not believer at this time. That is crossing into the much more desirable A and B-Body territory, real muscle. Bidding on this Petty car stopped at $27K, if money was the goal I think the owner should have taken the check.

*I define the Affordable Window as $25K or less for a number 1 or 2 condition car.