For Sale 1970 chrysler - $3750
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330dTA
Senior Member
A running and complete CH2x0... is always a delight to the eye. But: "Odometer says 52200 miles and car looks like it"- I'd say it looks like a 152 thou mile car. At least. - 45 years on a regular family car, and only 52K miles? Oh come on, guys.
Samplingman
Old Man with a Hat
No title is a deal killer in Jersey.
polara71
Old Man with a Hat
No its not
Samplingman
Old Man with a Hat
Ok...do tell....
tbm3fan
Old Man with a Hat
easily 152,000
I used to own a 70 Newport like that one not too long ago. It had just over 100K documented miles on it, and its identical vinyl seats were torn to shreds - the vinyl was too thin and the indentations seemed to be stressed after that amount of use and tore easily. Given my experience, I would not be so quick to say it isn't low miles since there are no tears in the seats according to the seller. In blowing up the photos, it also looks like the wheel lip trim and lower sill trim that is in the trunk looks pretty decent from what I can see, which is also unlikely on a 150K mile car. Likewise, the front lower valence is nice looking, not bent, also very unusual on a high mileage car. But a personal inspection of a car like that is always wise - such as look for brake pedal wear, presence of the roll-pins at the front of the strut rods (if the suspension feels tight, and the roll pins are in place, it likely is low miles - when the strut rod bushings are replaced, almost no one replaces those roll pins), and inspect the overall buildup of oil residue in the engine compartment, etc. Given the claimed condition of the trunk pan and frame rails, it just might not have seen a lot of bad weather use that is hard on cars in that state.
MrMoparCHP
Old Man with a Hat
In the last 10 years I have owned well documented cars with less than 100k on them, all three of them looked like crap. Forty plus years is still forty plus years.
Alan
Alan
True, generally, but I would rather deal with a low mileage powertrain than a high mileage one - you might be able to avoid an engine rebuild and minimize other mechanical systems repairs. I agree that old seals, however, would still need attention - the usual ones even at low mileage that frustrate are the transmission selector shaft and pan seals, rear axle seals, steering box input and output shaft seals, and others. In your case Alan, you might be buying relatively "low mileage" police cruisers, that have been hammered generally too.
MrMoparCHP
Old Man with a Hat
Nope,
1967 Valiant 2-door sedan 170-3 speed, 80K not counting a round trip to Korea (sold)
1970 D-200 383-4 speed, 75k (Still have), not a bad looking survivor.
1969 Polara 4-door sedan 318-Auto, just rolled 100k a few weeks ago.
My CHP car is the only Police package car I have ever purchased. 165k
Alan
330dTA
Senior Member
So it seems that many of you own, or have seen and/or owned low mileage, decades old cars. Contrary to my estimates. What would you say would be the most common explanation to those low miles?
My only guess is: there used to be times, when people swapped into new cars every couple of years. Nobody really wanted the "old" one, so many times it was just left standing with 3 to 4 years of use, and perhaps forty to fifty thousand miles on it. In less than ten years, say by the late '70's, nobody would even sniff at a '70 C-body. Years rolled on, but this basic picture would not change. Until they became virtually extinct, and the demographic cycle had rolled over by a generation or two, bringing along new attitudes and motifs.
Any better explanations?
My only guess is: there used to be times, when people swapped into new cars every couple of years. Nobody really wanted the "old" one, so many times it was just left standing with 3 to 4 years of use, and perhaps forty to fifty thousand miles on it. In less than ten years, say by the late '70's, nobody would even sniff at a '70 C-body. Years rolled on, but this basic picture would not change. Until they became virtually extinct, and the demographic cycle had rolled over by a generation or two, bringing along new attitudes and motifs.
Any better explanations?
Most of the "low miles, decades old" cars I have come upon seem to be because the owner/driver simply didn't drive much. House wives who avoided the road, retirees who may have limited vision or little reason to venture far from home, a low value car in the garage or driveway that wasn't worth a trade-in but didn't get enough fuel economy so a second car gets driven more often. The big exception during the 80's and 90's was the Formals... I knew a lot of customers when I was in PA who had bought the "last of the big ones" thinking they would be a good investment.
The late 70's seemed (to me at well below driving age) to have a lot of speculation on the "last of" cars and muscle cars started to show investment values. I knew a guy who spent a fortune restoring a 63 Riviera in the early 80's when values where wildly high, just finished it in time to watch the bottom fall out of the prices in the mid 80's... offered me the car for $1500 a year later... shoulda bought that one.
The cars squirreled away as an investment come up from time to time as a low mile offering, and unless it was a particularly valuable model... are almost worthless. Aside from an owner who thinks they should recoup their investment, or children convinced dad's investment is ready to pay out, you wind up with a car that never drove enough to heat and circulate fluids. Internal corrosion of mechanical components is combated by the heating, circulating and changing of fluids. Electrical contacts oxidize and seals dry up... not to mention other storage issues like moisture, mildew and rodents. I gauge the condition of the items I feel least equipped to deal with reasonably, interior...trim...paint, and expect to reseal everything and need electrical repairs when I place value on a car of age.
Now if someone else would chime in... I know several of you were actively buy and driving well before I was.
Tink
Well-Known Member
That analysis pretty much sums up the picture of cars living their lives in the rust belt. They really don't have very far to travel daily, they were usually driven year round and after a few years, they had rust issues. Those used by seniors in typical retirement locations fare the best. Cars from other locations like Texas, can travel vast distances daily and rack up the miles. My '99 E350 has 260,000 on the clock and the chassis is in great condition. No rust anywhere. The body and interior is in rough shape from use. A lot factors into an old vehicles condition.
I don't know about Texas, but Florida is weird... population explosion along with increased desire to find a "clean southern car" seems to have dried up the local supply of clean, modestly priced old iron. Lots of beaters, but the nice stuff is usually overpriced and flippers always get in the way if its reasonable. I look locally, but I find more interesting stuff out of state.
FWIW, Connecticut does not require a title on 20 years or older cars. You do have to show continuity between the last registered owner and you. I did this on my 53 Windsor with minimal problems in New York State.
http://www.ct.gov/dmv/lib/dmv/title_letter.pdf
[url]http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=801&Q=244524&dmvPNavCtr=|#30280
[/URL]
http://www.ct.gov/dmv/lib/dmv/title_letter.pdf
[url]http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=801&Q=244524&dmvPNavCtr=|#30280
[/URL]
NWPT70
Active Member
I bought this car and was concerned with the no title issue since in connecicut they do not issue titles for car over 20 years old. Thankfully NJ acknowledges this and simply with a notarized bill of sale and the owners last registration card I was able to Title it here in NJ! From the looks of it up close I think it could be a 52k car. It sat outside many years and was owned by an old lady you seldom took it out on the road. It is currently under restoration . Its getting paint and a new top soon!
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
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