1971 Chrysler Newport Custom - 47,000 original miles

1971 Chrysler Newport Custom

I'm only going to list this car once due to the insanely high ebay fees for trying to sell a car and worse for actually selling it. This turned into a long winded description so please read all of it if you are really interested in it, there is a lot of important information buried in there. Also I'm listing a 1965 Valiant Signet Convertible for a friend soon and hopefully my Midnight Express Truck project, so check out my other auctions. Thanks for looking!

This is a true garage find (same as a barn find but in a garage) that has low miles and been sitting for a long time. I was on a lead looking for a Desoto but that car turned out to be bad info however this is what was actually there. When I found it I picked the tarp up so I could get inside and it had just 46,422 original miles on it. The lady I bought it from said it had been sitting in the garage for 20 years sense her husband's death. I brought it home on a Sunday afternoon, Monday morning I put a battery in it and it started! So enough of the back story, now what it is and is not.

383 2bbl carb, 2.76 rear gear ratio, front sway bar, AM radio with front and rear speakers, A/C (not working), rear defrost and heat, trunk release, 40/20/40 front bucket-bench seat, three speed wipers.

Here is what I have done to it to get it back on the road for safety and comfort.

Removed and cleaned the fuel tank out, replaced front brakes (calipers, pads and turned rotors), new front wheel bearings, new master cylinder, 4 new tires (extra load), 6.5 inch wide rims now instead of the 5.5 it came with, 4 new shocks -rears with overload springs, new thermostat, NOS heater control valve, new fuel pump, oil change, filters, U-joints, new muffler, aimed the headlights. I do have the build sheet.

As you can see from the pictures this car is very nice. It runs down the road nice. The mileage is nice too, about 14/15. The body has very few dings or blemishes, just a little rust starting on the very bottom of the quarter panels. The gold interior sparkles like a Incan temple. I'm not into C-bodies but there are a few things that I think are unique or unusual options with this Newport. 1) The rear heat. I have seen many Mopars of this vintage over the years that have rear defrost but never with rear heat. There is a small heater core in the trunk and vents under the back seat. The fan and venting work just fine but the heater core leaks so that is not hooked up right now. I'm fairly sure I know what heater core I can use (almost the exact same size and inlet/outlet), I just need to see if I have one in storage. 2) The front bench seat has uppers that are actually bucket seat tops (with center arm rest) not just a split square bench like I usually see. 3) Not as odd but very cool anyway is the antenna. It has a telescoping antenna that is crazy long. I'm 6'1" and I cannot reach the top when I'm on my tip-toes. And boy oh boy does it work. In SW Minnesota I have got radio stations from Salt Lake City, Cincinnati, Nashville, Central Texas, Several from French Canada and seemingly everything in between. It almost makes getting closer stations hard due to a lot of interference.

It's not all rainbows and unicorns, there are a few problems. It does need a wheel alignment, it pulls and the steering wheel is off center. The interior (and trunk) does need a good cleaning, that car was driven on gravel roads and there is a layer of dust on everything. The rear shocks that I put have the overload springs built into them and they do make the rear of the car ride a little rough. The fuel gauge does not work right, I put a new one in but I got a defective one. I'm going to try to get a different one as soon as I can. And as I mentioned before there is some rust starting in the bottom of the quarter panels, very minor for a car this age and from Minnesota. The vinyl top has a couple very small booboos that need to be looked for to be seen. It may be hard to believe but I have not done any carb or tune-up work to it. It does have a few exceptionally minor and random drivability issues but nothing that will cause any problems. The heater blows most of the air on the floor, the buttons push hard. The driver's window doesn't always roll up straight. They're just enough to be in that "I should fix that someday" category. I applied for a title on the 14th of November and the State of Minnesota's new and improved and faster system takes up to 4 months to get a title back (it was slow before but now it's downright criminal!). I did check the other day and all the system says is that a title has been applied for and that's it. So it might take a while to get a title into your hands, and don't tell me that I didn't warn you!!!

So to sum it all up this is a damn nice car that is still in good shape due to good care decades ago. No mechanical issues, it goes down the road like a dream even at 115 (that's where I had it topped out about a week ago). I'm driving it on a nearly daily basis, I'd like to put 1000 miles on it before I put it away for winter (or sell it). The way the car has been treating me lately I wouldn't have a problem taking it on a long trip if I needed to. You can fly into Sioux Falls, SD and drive it home. I have more pictures that I'll gladly send to you if you ask for them.

***** And now for some ebay specific information and it's important.

1) A $500 non-refundable deposit is due within 48 hours.

2) The deposit is the ONLY funds I will accept via paypal, due to the high fees. If you pay more than that I will reject the payment.

3) The remainder is cash in hand at the time of pickup or check of some sort long enough before pickup to ensure that it can clear the bank.

4) I have this for sale locally so I reserve the right to end the auction whenever.

5) It's for sale cheaper locally so if you want to come and test drive it maybe you can save a few bucks.