For Sale 1970 Polara convertible

[5wndwcpe]

Congratulations and good luck with it.

 

[gransedan]

They can only be original once.... beautiful car. Show me another one for this money...probably not there at the moment.. I have a vert but wouldn't hesitate to buy this one if i was looking for such a car. Thanks for taking care of this beautiful machine!

 

[vidsal]

Thank you!

The last time the car ran was in 1986. It was fine at that time. I took the gamble on the engine (I don't even know if it turns) and will see how it is. The battery is the one from back in 1986, so I take some comfort that no one has tried to start the car since it went on sale.

Wow, that car looks great outside in the light. You've done very well!

Please keep posting updates with pictures. We'll all enjoy seeing that car on the road again.

Maybe pull the plugs and let some marvel mystery oil soak the cylinders for a few days. Rotate the engine by hand if possible. I bet it will start up just fine. Obviously, that fuel tank needs replacing just like mine does, but an IV gas bottle will suffice for testing the motor.

 

[ayilar]

The car arrived from Reading (central Pennsylvania) today. Nice driver, on time, rate as agreed yesterday -- would recommend him highly. The weather cooperated, which is good.

Please keep posting updates with pictures.

Your wish is my command. Here are three pics I snapped while the car was on the flatbed. Looks solid to me!

 

[ayilar]

Here is another one.

 

[commando1]

Very nice and I'm guessing the gas tank is near the top of the to-do list.

 

[ayilar]

Comment from the person I have retained to fix the car: looks in really good shape, engine is a bit worse looking than he'd hoped given the mileage but he liked the fact that it is untouched (all of the original hose clamps are still on and undisturbed, a good sign according to him) and the caps on the air cleaner were "clean" (no crud at all).

 

[ayilar]

He and I agreed that he'd fix the mechanicals right away and get it running "pretty quickly" so that I can enjoy it with the nice weather, and then in the later Fall and/or Winter he and I can deal with the cosmetics.

The only thing the car may need at some point is a new top -- some of the seams are starting to give a bit and/or to fray. The plan? I'll keep the top down this Summer and only raise it if absolutely necessary. Then in the Fall we can revisit and see how the top has performed.

 

[ayilar]

Very nice and I'm guessing the gas tank is near the top of the to-do list.

Thank you! The tank is near the top. At the top are the brakes

 

[vidsal]

Thank you! The tank is near the top. At the top are the brakes

Thanks for the pictures. It's really cool to see this car.

You may want to take as many pictures as you can of every inch of that car if some of the OEM stuff is still there. It may help a lot if restoring to a meticulous original later. Saving some of those unusable, but old original parts would be a good idea too. Btw, putting the top down may make putting it back up interesting, but no worries if you don't go far, have a garage and plan to replace it. The original design may need to be documented though. I remember a long afternoon as a teenager with my 67 Chrysler Newport Convertible (light yellow with black interior, 383, auto). I had put the top down for a few days while in the garage. It may have been the original top, but was intact and decent enough for me. When I tried to put it back up the header bow (if that's the right term) at the windshield was three inches from latching! The whole thing was super tight. I attached a come-along with two weight distributing hooks. I wet the top with a light mixture of armor all (not sure how I came up with that) and water. Every half hour or so I sprayed the tight areas and gave the come-along a click. Later that day I was able to disconnect my cables and latch the top with no ill effects.

 

[ayilar]

Thanks for the pictures. It's really cool to see this car.

That's the least I could do after all the help I got from folks on this forum!

You may want to take as many pictures as you can of every inch of that car if some of the OEM stuff is still there. It may help a lot if restoring to a meticulous original later.

Saving some of those unusable, but old original parts would be a good idea too.

Agreed. I had asked my restorer to take pictures of the process, but will stress I'd really like a full documentation of before/after. Had not thought about the parts -- will ask him.

Btw, putting the top down may make putting it back up interesting, but no worries if you don't go far, have a garage and plan to replace it. The original design may need to be documented though.

I'd prefer to keep the original. Thanks a lot for your suggested procedure -- will pass it along. Was it a one-time-only issue, or did you keep the process handy going forward?

I remember a long afternoon as a teenager with my 67 Chrysler Newport Convertible (light yellow with black interior, 383, auto). I had put the top down for a few days while in the garage. It may have been the original top, but was intact and decent enough for me. When I tried to put it back up the header bow (if that's the right term) at the windshield was three inches from latching! The whole thing was super tight. I attached a come-along with two weight distributing hooks. I wet the top with a light mixture of armor all (not sure how I came up with that) and water. Every half hour or so I sprayed the tight areas and gave the come-along a click. Later that day I was able to disconnect my cables and latch the top with no ill effects.

 

[ayilar]

For future readers, here is the decoded fender tag (using www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=87). Thanks again to Dave for posting the tag picture back in February (170979-2014-fender-tag-2-jpg.166859)

DL27:
Dodge Polara,Monaco
Low
Convertible

G0D: 318 230HP 1-2BBL 8 CYL
1970
Belvidere, IL, USA

170979: Sequence number

E44: 318 cid 2 barrel V8 230hp
D31: A904 3-Speed Auto Trans.

ER6: Red Exterior Color
L2X9: Trim - Low, Vinyl Bench Seat, Black
TX9: Black Int. Door Frames

CO4: Build Date: December O4
163454: Order number

V3X: Black Convertible Top
A04: Basic (Radio) Group
G11: Tinted Glass (all)
M25: Wide sill moldings
M31: Belt Moldings
M81: Front Bumper Guards

R11: Radio Solid State AM (2 Watts)
V01: Mono Tone Paint Treatment
V5X: Body Side Stripes, Black
Y05: Build to USA Specs
Y16: Sales Bank

END: End of Sales Codes

 

[ayilar]

Wow, that car looks great outside in the light.

Thank you. Do I see another red 1970 Polara convertible in your avatar? I guess so -- just read the thread you started about your car. I'd missed it, glad to have found it:

Welcome vidsal to FCBO!

 

[polara71]

Here is another one.

View attachment 175631

Look at that ....! Almost none better

 

[Samplingman]

Tinted glass, but no AC, interesting. I always thought they went hand in hand.

 

[ayilar]

Might have been bought for the glare? The original owner passed away in 1977, so I can only guess.

 

[Rwc]

My Fury convertible is tinted glass with no ac. Optioned very much like your Polara, and built at Belvadier on Dec.10th.

 

[Fratzog]

Fender tag of Nessie is the same. Thanks for the update. I will monitor with interest to see what your guy finds as he tries to get it running.

 

[detmatt]

My Imp is also alltinted glass with no ac, makes perfect sense.

 

[vidsal]

That's the least I could do after all the help I got from folks on this forum!

Was it a one-time-only issue, or did you keep the process handy going forward?

On the Newport top, I was careful not to leave the top down for long periods or especially while it was in any way humid out because I think it shrank a bit drying out. It did ok until I sold the car a year or so later. This was probably spring of 1990. My Polara's top was a different material and more vinyl through-out verses whatever material the Newport had on it with the glass back window.