Hi everybody...I'm a car guy in general and I love big Chryslers but have never owned one. My wife and I were on an overnight vacation and I came across a '65 New Yorker 2 door HT with a claimed 93,000 miles. It was probably in a low 3/high 4 condition. I only gave it a cursory lookover, but I have a couple of questions. I have no space for this thing and it's a 2.5 hour trip to look at it again, so don't convince me too hard!
1. What's too much to spend? The owner's asking 3,500, but I'd take cash and see what happens. He says it runs and drives fine, but I get the vibe it sat for awhile. The driver's seat has a tear, and the paint's not great. The vinyl inserts in the c-pillars are torn. I would never be looking to restore it to perfection, so these aren't huge deals.
2. What are problem areas I should be looking for? Not general old car stuff, but specific to the model...
sub frame rot, being in Michigan they use salt just like ontario my car's sub frame was swiss cheese until recently. if everything looks (and feels)to be mechanically sound it could be worth up to what the guy is asking. as far as 66 specific you'll have to wait for one of the 60's c-body experts to reply.
Joined: Tue Nov 06 2007, 04:01PM
Location: detroit
Posts: 41
The 65's have a few one year only parts that can be very expensive to find, notably the drivers side motor mount. A lot of the tinsel is 65 only, New Yorker only - grille, tail-lamps (hard to find the clear ones), side trim. The more common trim pieces that are shared,(but only with 65 and 66 Chrysler) like the door handles and some fender peak and bumper outline moldings are pot metal and pit easily, so few good pieces survive. I would look hard at any car that has problems in this area. The 65 torqueflite has a one year only cable shift setup, but as long as it works OK it is reliable, but make sure it works also; the cables themselves are scarce. The park position seems to be the most problematic - they often jam in park if out of whack. Look under the front floor and trunk mats for rust, caused by leaking body seams that is trapped under the mats rusting the floors; a problem for a unibody car. Otherwise, go for the usual mechanical/ body/ electrical checks for any old car in the salty midwest - make sure everything works (especially any power accessories), and your should be informed on your buy. These were a popular car when new, so there are good ones around. Mark
Joined: Sat Aug 19 2006, 05:03PM
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 2919
@michiganhotrod1: While they look very similar, the bumper outline moldings and fender peak moldings are not interchangeable between 1965 and 1966 Chryslers. Otherwise, that's a good summary. !thumb
Thanks guys...I'm still on the fence; like I said, I'd have to find a spot to park it. I'll let you know! It seems I sometimes fall in love with cars with limited parts availability!
Joined: Wed Aug 11 2010, 10:15AM
Location: E WA
Posts: 1230
Aaron65 wrote ... Hi everybody...I'm a car guy in general and I love big Chryslers but have never owned one. My wife and I were on an overnight vacation and I came across a '65 New Yorker 2 door HT with a claimed 93,000 miles. It was probably in a low 3/high 4 condition. I only gave it a cursory lookover, but I have a couple of questions. I have no space for this thing and it's a 2.5 hour trip to look at it again, so don't convince me too hard!
1. What's too much to spend? The owner's asking 3,500, but I'd take cash and see what happens. He says it runs and drives fine, but I get the vibe it sat for awhile. The driver's seat has a tear, and the paint's not great. The vinyl inserts in the c-pillars are torn. I would never be looking to restore it to perfection, so these aren't huge deals.
2. What are problem areas I should be looking for? Not general old car stuff, but specific to the model...
I think that's about it...thanks in advance!
I do not think that any one else mentioned this but the 65 will have a 413 engine which is not as "desirable' as the 440 in later New Yorkers. Not a big deal unless you want to rebuild the engine then pistons are much less available.
I would look for rust as the biggest concern and figure that the car will probably never be worth much more than what you pay for it regardless of what you do to it!
Joined: Sat Oct 15 2005, 04:54AM
Location: Spokane,Wa.
Posts: 170
Dont be frightened away now !nervous . IMO, hands down, 1965 was the best lines of any "C". But If 65 is your year, FIND A CLEAN ONE! 65 Donor cars are hard to come by let alone clean ones. As mentioned above, most if not all of the exterior is 1 yr only. Quality repop motor mounts & shift cables are available through the aftermarket. Replacement motors require special castings to fit the 65 motor mounts. Fortunatly you have found the greatest support network in the world!!! Three years ago my 65 had 3 wheels in the grave, thanks to everyone on the dock its a runner/driver !driving . Good Luck!
Hey guys, I've decided against pursuing this car. It sounds like fun, but I have 4 examples of fun right now and I think that's enough for the time being...it may have been different if the car were a Newport or a 300 (I like their rooflines better). I've had a good time cruising your forum and hope to have a C-body someday and join in the conversations! Thanks for your advice!
