1966 Chrysler Newport or cars I buy on the side of the road

[Retroman]

Well, I bought another one. You guys should have a warning label on this site like on tobacco products that C bodies are addictive and will seriously affect your bank account or may have an impact on your relationships or something like that. I found a 1966 Chrysler Newport on the side of the road for sale. I have realized that is how I buy cars, I find them on the side of the road and if they meet the criteria it happens. An offer was made and we picked it up. 383 2bbl carb, automatic.Man says he rebuilt the carb pump and did the brakes. It moves! Yes its a four door, but with the Newports that configuration seems to work. I will create a garage I promise but for now please enjoy a poor O. Winston Link style tribute image of the car.

 

[Gerald Morris]

Nice lookin one at that! I LOVE mine. Find me a station wagon sometime.

 

[Imperialist67]

Nice to read of another "slab-side" finding a good home - congrats. What you're saying about C-bodies is the same for me, here's the one (also a sedan w/white top) I picked up from "casually looking around" on this site last year, which I'm thoroughly enjoying. 66's are actually my favorite, but it seems to be '67's that come into my fleet, which I can hardly manage now. The blue w/white top is nice on this one. Looking forward to seeing more of it, AND since you're in the DC area, hopefully I can see it sometime in person.

View attachment 210632

 

[Retroman]

Really nice Newp you have there Imerialist67, love the two tone gold and white color scheme on yours. They truly are beautiful cars that have a unique aesthetic. My wife found a image she took of our 66 Newp when we brought it home in the daylight. How many of these things do you have to have before you rank commodore? I remember seeing these cars as a kid and thinking they looked like battleships. Just had to have it.

I just realized looking at these images that the Newport from this period is the ultimate act of true rebellion. Think about it...Retroman

 

[Gerald Morris]

I'll say it again, the slab-side C bodies were THE BEST CARS EVER MADE BY ANY AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE PRODUCER, PERIOD. If betters cars were made by Man, they're FEW and always WERE.

For cost effective, ease of repair or other mechanical operation, safe, reliable automotive transport, slab side C bodies are both AFFORDABLE (even now!) yet CAN be enhanced to LUXURIOUS STANDARDS! All that range, quality and flexibility in one superb family of cars has not appeared before or since to the best of my knowledge. I literally prayed for a good ride before finding Mathilda, and again, my prayer was answered to my FULL satisfaction.

You've done VERY well indeed.

 

[BillGrissom]

I found my 1965 Newport 4 dr at the sale lot in Edwards AFB, CA in 1991. Being from GA, I was amazed to see not a spot of rust even on the exhaust pipes or behind the rear bumper. It is still almost rust-free after 7 yrs outside in Atlanta and back in CA now. They are about as easy to work on as my 1960's A-bodies, with similar suspensions, but parts are rarer and more expensive (ex. lower ball joints, Pitman arm, torsion bars). Easier to work on than my FWD cars. The 383 engine is easy to get parts for and after-market upgrades, plus the wider engine bay insures few clearance issues than in B bodies (some A's have big-blocks, but real tight). Some parts interchange with my 1965 Dart (even door handles).

 

[Gerald Morris]

I found my 1965 Newport 4 dr at the sale lot in Edwards AFB, CA in 1991. Being from GA, I was amazed to see not a spot of rust even on the exhaust pipes or behind the rear bumper. It is still almost rust-free after 7 yrs outside in Atlanta and back in CA now. They are about as easy to work on as my 1960's A-bodies, with similar suspensions, but parts are rarer and more expensive (ex. lower ball joints, Pitman arm, torsion bars). Easier to work on than my FWD cars. The 383 engine is easy to get parts for and after-market upgrades, plus the wider engine bay insures few clearance issues than in B bodies (some A's have big-blocks, but real tight). Some parts interchange with my 1965 Dart (even door handles).

I'm looking for a nice little mid-60s A body for the wife; ideally w a /6 and standard trans. Or an A body VAN, but those have become dear.

 

[Duncan]

BillGrissom, I notice you live in Sacramento, I live in Woodland. Do you have pictures of your car? I will keep an eye out for it on the road.

 

[steve340]

I just got this 1966 Newport on the road after being stored 30 years in a garage by my father-in-law who's brother bought it new in 1966. I went through the items that went bad from sitting: brake system, tires, fuel pump, hoses, belts, carb (rebuilt the original). The exhaust muffler and tailpipe were missing also. I had to replace 2 freeze plugs also ( maybe that's why he stopped driving it).. I started it up and it runs great! I did have to replace the radio speaker (Advanced Auto had one that fit in stock) and I had to re-solder the dash circuit board pins back on (they all broke off). It has 70K miles on it. 383 2 barrel. I started driving it and then the transmission was pouring tranny fluid out the front. I had it pulled and new seals put in. The guy that did it said it had been rebuilt early in its life and whoever did, put hemi parts inside. He said he they where very hard to find parts and that they were like new still. This car was used to pull a travel trailer so that may be why it was rebuilt that way.

 

[Dobalovr]

I have to do the circuit board pins on my 66 yet. Did you bypass the ammeter while you were in there?

 

[steve340]

I have to do the circuit board pins on my 66 yet. Did you bypass the ammeter while you were in there?

No. Did you have a problem with yours? I did polish the speedo clear plastic since I had it out, now it looks like glass! My gas gauge is showing 1/4 of a tank lower than what it has in it. I changed the voltage limiter but that didn't help so I think the sender is off a little. The dash lights would go out when the dimmer was turned up all the way, you can see in one photo the headlight switch is missing. I had to just clean and polish the contact pad on the dimmer and that fixed that. The new speaker fit perfect except I had to remove the plastic spacer around the cone and install the one from the old speaker since the new one was twice as thick and the bolts would not reach to mount it back into the dash. Only thing wrong with the car is the left rear window regulator is frozen, but that's it. Also, when you solder the pins back on, be sure to solder the 2 copper ground rivets that the ground screws go through, they get corrosion and loose contact. Polish all soldering points before you solder. It has to be bright shiney copper for solder to stick to it, use flux also. The pins on the circuit board have to be aligned perfect while soldering so they line up with the holes in the plug.

 

[detmatt]

Well, I bought another one. You guys should have a warning label on this site like on tobacco products that C bodies are addictive and will seriously affect your bank account or may have an impact on your relationships or something like that. I found a 1966 Chrysler Newport on the side of the road for sale. I have realized that is how I buy cars, I find them on the side of the road and if they meet the criteria it happens. An offer was made and we picked it up. 383 2bbl carb, automatic.Man says he rebuilt the carb pump and did the brakes. It moves! Yes its a four door, but with the Newports that configuration seems to work. I will create a garage I promise but for now please enjoy a poor O. Winston Link style tribute image of the car.

View attachment 210622

Silver on silver?
Whatever the case I like it, nice score!

 

[Retroman]

Son did it again and made a cold start video of the 66 Newport starting and underway with a twist.