chrysler Another wagon followed me home

[Bob Riding]

Well, I did not need another project, but this was too nice to go to the scrapper. A friend told me about an old Chrysler wagon with a hemi, that had been sitting in the same spot for 39 years, up in the mountains of northern CA, about 3 hours from my house. I talked with the owner, a nice fellow, a lumberjack, sawmill owner who used it for his business in the 70's and in 1981, parked it when it began to smoke and drip oil a bit. He covered it up, and although the snow caved the roof in a bit here and there, everything else is in remarkable shape, even for a California car. It is a 1954 New Yorker Town and Country wagon on a 125 in wheelbase. It has the last big old-style hemi- the 331 cu in motor with the 2 bbl Carter carb making 195 hp. If you swap it out for a 4 bbl Carter, it jumps to 235 hp. It has the Powerflite 2 speed auto trans and power steering. There is one small rust spot under the driver's foot area, but the frame, floors, rockers, etc and all solid. I may switch horses here, shift concentrating on the '52 Plymouth Suburban, and begin restoring this one, as it will hold the grandkids and make a great, comfortable cruiser. I need to find some folks who have restored Chrysler wagons, to see where the pain points are.?. So much fun!

[JerseyHarold]

Congrats on the find.  Looks like it will be a fun project.

 

Silly question time.....are the taillights the same as a '51-'52 Plymouth fastback?  They look very similar.

[casper50]

I really like that split rear seat.  Gives you more options.

[greg g]

Were it me, I do a mechanical and safety once over, clean it up and drive it just as it is.  There was one here about ten years ago.  Don't know if it was factory but the interior was trained in a reptile skin like leather or vinyl.

Being a NYerr can we assume the  interior is leather? You got to save that steering wheel it pretty unique.

 

 

Now you need to be on the look out for a vintage camper, map out a x country trip and visit all of us to show it off. Good find looks like it's found a good home.

Edited June 25, 2020 by greg g

[Bob Riding]

1 hour ago, greg g said:

Were it me, I do a mechanical and safety once over, clean it up and drive it just as it is.  There was one here about ten years ago.  Don't know if it was factory but the interior was trained in a reptile skin like leather or vinyl.

Being a NYerr can we assume the  interior is leather? You got to save that steering wheel it pretty unique.

 

 

Now you need to be on the look out for a vintage camper, map out a x country trip and visit all of us to show it off. Good find looks like it's found a good home.

I may just do that. It has what looks to be a factory installed (or dealer) trailer hitch...possibilities

[Los_Control]

Los just shakes his head and wanders away .... thinking what a pretty face Bob Riding has ... some day I may get a good deal ... not all that ugly, just not pretty.

 

[Bob Riding]

?California iron is still out there. I bet West Texas is also the land of Mopar opportunity!

[pflaming]

Bob, it is now called Vintage California Gold!

[Go Fleiter]

what a beauty!

I consider hornring and rear bumper as irresistible attractions!

Go on!

Greetings from Düsseldorf!

Go

[Plymouthy Adams]

two too many doors...…oops gotta keep my distance......?

[Greg51T&CWagon]

Nice. The body on yours is better than my 51. Can't tell you much about pitfalls, still in the early stages on mine. The pandemic has me stalled at the moment. Hope to get back to it soonish. Is the motor free?

[Bob Riding]

7 hours ago, Go Fleiter said:

what a beauty!

I consider hornring and rear bumper as irresistible attractions!

Go on!

Greetings from Düsseldorf!

Go

Danke schon! I hope to find a replacement wheel, but will transfer the horn ring if necessary.

[61spit]

Looks like a great project. Will make a perfect family cruiser/hauler. V-8 Hemi and power steering - perfect. Love the old wagons. Keep us informed as it progresses.

[Bob Riding]

4 hours ago, Greg51T&CWagon said:

Nice. The body on yours is better than my 51. Can't tell you much about pitfalls, still in the early stages on mine. The pandemic has me stalled at the moment. Hope to get back to it soonish. Is the motor free?

Not sure-plan to clean out the rat droppings and do an assessment today. Question: did the wood floor behind the back seat extend to the tailgate? Mine's missing and I've seen body color and wood, both with the SS skid strips.

[joecoozie]

Sent you a PM

[Greg51T&CWagon]

The wood on mine does not cover the tailgate. but it's a 51. 

[Los_Control]

I wonder if it breaks down to a matter of opinion?

My personal opinion worth exactly what you paid.

The tailgate is up and closed most of the time, and it matches the painted sides.

You put wood on it, .... wood is for the floor, tailgate is a door and not technically a floor. At the grocery store when you lower it, in my mind it is still not a floor but more a gate or door.

 

I feel it should be painted, it will match the rest of the car 99% of the time, when loading groceries 1% of the time it may look like a floor. But it really is not a floor.

 

I imagine the factory had opinions and released it a certain way, to me it just looks wrong with wood on the tail gate.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I an not sure without a closer look if the wood by thickness alone would dictate where it goes of if the gate and seat are molded in said manner to allow the same thickness of wood on application...either would work AS LONG AS the two surfaces were parallel when used as a floor extension….

[Los_Control]

Good point ... the shovel strips, is either tight against the metal, or loose because of missing wood.

I would assume if the strips are flip flopping around, originally they had wood under them to hold them tight.

 

If the strips are tight against the metal, Is possible but unlikely, someone went in after the wood rotted away and tightened the strips.

[Bob Riding]

On 6/25/2020 at 2:48 PM, greg g said:

Were it me, I do a mechanical and safety once over, clean it up and drive it just as it is.  There was one here about ten years ago.  Don't know if it was factory but the interior was trained in a reptile skin like leather or vinyl.

Being a NYerr can we assume the  interior is leather? You got to save that steering wheel it pretty unique.

 

 

Now you need to be on the look out for a vintage camper, map out a x country trip and visit all of us to show it off. Good find looks like it's found a good home.

X Country trip sounds great. I will call you when I get close!

[greg g]

Have hosted several forum folks over the years.  Not far from New York Wine Region, St Lawrence Seaway, Niagara Falls etc lots to do and see. Parking for campers with water and electric. Drop by sit a spell.

[Bob Riding]

On 6/27/2020 at 11:05 AM, Greg51T&CWagon said:

The wood on mine does not cover the tailgate. but it's a 51. 

Just sent you a PM

[Greg51T&CWagon]

Sent you a DM.

Greg

[Bob Riding]

Making progress on the T&C. I founds some cheap ($50) radials and had my cousin (Ball Tire, Fresno CA) mount and balance them. I cleaned up the interior, vacuumed 40 years or rodent droppings, pine needles and spider webs out and cleaned up the vinyl upholstery. I de-rusted as much of the body as possible, then sprayed some rattle-can primer that just happened to almost exactly match the paint.☺️ A fellow T&C owner that I met on the Vintage Chrysler Facebook group, sold me all of his spare parts from his '51 T&C wagon, (that he had recently sold to one of our Forum members). I was able to find an NOS back window regulator (rare as hens teeth, I'm told) from Andy Bernbaum Auto Parts and an NOS crank off eBay. I'm working with Michael from Vintage American Parts Company to source a steering wheel, ignition switch and LH wheel bolts. I pulled all the plugs and squirted in some Marvel Mystery oil into the cylinders. Don't know if the engine is free, but I'll check in a few days. So much fun!

 

 

Edited August 1, 2020 by Bob Riding
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[Bob Riding]

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