1949 New Yorker...Worth Parting Out?

[keithb7]

Hi folks. Recently a 1949 NY’r showed up for sale locally. It looks dead with its tongue hanging out. Flat tires. Rear window smashed. Its a straight 8 engine. Fluid drive I assume. Well Patina’d.   The price is quite low and may likely be had for a song. 

 

I am not interested in restoring this car. However the idea of parting it out may be attractive. If the engine is not frozen, are these straight 8’s hard to find? Thinking this engine might be worth pulling and selling. Tranny. Diff. All the chrome and trim is there. Stock hub caps. Plenty of good glass. Etc, etc. Might be a fun project. If there is a healty market. I watch a few web sites for used flat head Mopar engines. I don’t see too many come up. Especially the straight 8.  Shipping an engine would be interesting lol. I could build a stand though. I have access to a engine hoist. 

 

I am interested in hearing your experiences. Is there much of a used parts market for these parts?

 

Y’all want pics I suppose?

 

Thanks, Keith

[keithb7]

Pics:

[knuckleharley]

1 hour ago, keithb7 said:

Pics:

That's rough? Other than the back window being gone,it looks better than the majority of my project cars. 

Obviously I have bad judgement,but in MY opinion that car is worth restoring. Straight 8 NY'ers are  hard to find.

 

BTW,I have never seen a house lean over that far. Is it really leaning,or does it just look that way in the photo?

Edited June 21, 2018 by knuckleharley

[John Reddie]

I fully agree with you Knuckleharley. These cars are rare especially with the straight 8....and that house. It almost looks like a small puff of wind would topple it.?

[jeffsunzeri]

15 minutes ago, John Reddie said:

I fully agree with you Knuckleharley. These cars are rare especially with the straight 8....and that house. It almost looks like a small puff of wind would topple it.?

The house looks like it would go for around $900,000.00 in our neck of the woods, and have several bidders!

[Dodgeb4ya]

The starter and the exhaust manifolds are rare as hens teeth.

If the starter is good and appearance looks good $200 -$300.00 my guess. A hard one to find.. fits 42-49 Chryslers six and eight and some DeSoto's.

The exhaust manifold if carefully removed and not broken $500.00 on up.

I have owned sold all of the above parts over the last 35 plus years... all straight eight cars.

The 10" FD coupling can be hard to find as it's for the Chrysler eights and Dodge trucks with fluid drive too. You might sit on these parts if not marketed right. Shipping will be high on all.

Craigslist or the equivalent is NOT the correct market place ⛔!.

[mmcdowel]

I've seen much worse cars restored!  Of course, the bottom of the car not being rusted out I think is more important that whats up on top.  Doesn't Hemmings have a classifiedparts listing?  

 

[keithb7]

Thanks for the comments so far. I'll start with the house comments: It appears that the car is sitting on a side hill. The images, likely taken with a cell phone, the phone was twisted sideways so the car looks level in the pics. Now the house appears to be leaning! LOL.

 

I agree @Dodgeb4ya, local classifieds are not my target audience here. Shipping won't be cheap, but if the parts are as rare as you say, it is what it is. Items would be shipped at actual shipping cost. Someone with a valuable convertible or Town & Country with a Straight 8 likely has money. If the parts are needed to make their $80,000 + car complete I'd wager that freight costs won't be a deal breaker.

 

@mmcdowel Yes, I follow the parts classifieds on the Hemming's site. Using it as a marketing tool is certainly on my radar. I think I will contact the seller next and enquire about seeing the car in person. More to come.

[Don Coatney]

Hens teeth are not that rare if you check the comic books.

[keithb7]

I went and checked it out. Pretty rough. I can’t image restoring something like this. Yet there are some here who do. That’s quite a task. 

 

The engine seems all there. Starter and manifolds look good. Lots of chrome and stainless pieces. I’d summarize that the powertrain are its strengths. Engine, fluid drive, tranny, diff, steering parts, brakes etc. The interior is really bad. 

 

The story goes like this. Original owner bought new in 1949. Drove it regularly until 1972. Some type of ceramic bushing (?) failed in the fluid drive. Then it was parked. Been sitting since 1972. Lots of stuff vandalized. Brass rad and heater core gone. Hood ornament gone. About ½ windows smashed for fun it seems. I will decide what to do and come up with an offer. 

 

Edited June 22, 2018 by keithb7

[Dodgeb4ya]

Most people with the eight cylinder cars never need an engine... they run a long time and when not they pony up the dough to rebuild their engine as they are not available like the 23/25" engines.

Sounds like another failed FD coupling...kinda common in the eights.

[keithb7]

 

 

 

[Worden18]

If it was me Keith, I’d snag that thing, start taking things off the engine, clean em up and ebay them starting at $1 each, no reserve.  You’ll get your bidding wars that way.  Its when you list the manifold for a buy it now of $500 that your sale turns cold.  

[Dodgeb4ya]

That's a real late 1949 - 50 eight cylinder Chrysler starter... still a tough one to find. I'd like that. but am too cheap to pay? Looks pretty good though.

 The solenoid sticks straight up.... 49 and back tilt into the engine block.

[Tim Keith]

 I did not know the starters were hard to find.  I think the rear axle is a 3:54:1