![]() We stopped, pressed “N”, then “DRIVE” and it took off normally, and never had any problem with the Torqueflyte transmission. we got up to about forty and pressed the reverse, preparing for a possible sudden stop, but it just started coasting as if it was in neutral. We used a dirt road as we thought that would be easier on the transmission if it did go into reverse. ![]() I think it was in the owners manual that it would do no harm to press the reverse button at speed, so my Dad and I went to a dirt road to try it. It would be more likely for a column shift lever to be knocked into reverse than the reverse button to be pressed. I never knew why this would even be on anyone’s mind as the buttons were to the far left and only in reach of the driver. One of the topics that came up occasionally, which was actually highly unlikely, was that the reverse button would accidentally get pressed while driving. Regarding the comments about the push buttons, we had a 57 Desoto when it was new and the push button shift was somewhat of a discussion point in conversations with people who had never seen one. I hope someone will get it who is capable of restoring it. It wouldn’t be cheap but would be worth the expense. This Dodge is very restorable and would be worth restoring due to the rarity of it. Maybe the 4-door parts car will help with the restoration, but it has no engine or title. Besides missing the carb, this car is devoid of its air cleaner, and the water pump has been disassembled. All in tune with the Jet Age that was the late 1950s/early 1960s. The Matador sports “half” fins with jet pod taillights mounted at the ends, and it has a speedometer with a see-through gauge and push-button automatic transmission controls. These cars were a continuation of the styling excesses that Virgil Exner became noted for in the late 1950s. But would a 2-door hardtop have been a choice for this type of work? Inside the passenger compartment, there is a mount for radio along with a large whip antenna on the rear. Evidence for the seller’s supposition is that it has a mount for a spotlight, a cherry light mounted to the roof (or used to be), and a siren on the right front fender. We’re told this hardtop may have been a police or fire department vehicle at some point. Nearly 28,000 Matadors were produced in 1960 across a variety of body styles. Since the carburetor is missing from this car, we’re not sure which engine is onboard. That may be what’s under the hood of the seller’s primary car, but a 383 was also available. The Dodge Matador came with a 361 cubic inch “Super Red Ram” V8 that was good for 295 hp. American Motors later used the name for its mid-size cars in the 1970s. The Matador would be a one-year offering as Dodge would mix things up again in 1961. The project pair is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $3,500. This is a cool tip from “Iowa Farmer” and is located in Fordland, Missouri. The seller has a 1960 Matador 2-door hardtop which will need loads of work and has a 4-door parts car (maybe a Matador, too) to potentially borrow items from. The Matador had a lower level of trim but shared the same 122-inch wheelbase as the Polara which was also deployed by DeSotos and Chryslers. Out were the Coronet, Custom, Custom Royal, and Lancer, and in were the Dart, Matador, and Polara. Dodge began the 1960s with a whole new naming logic for its automobiles.
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