For Sale Let's return to normal with a $2500 1978 NYB

[commando1]

New or updated (Posted about 22 hours ago)
CHRYSLER NEW YORKER
have a 1978 CHRYSLER NEW YORKER for SALE - light blue in color , four door hard top , 440 engine , automatic transmission , 80,800 mileage , good daily driver , needs vinyl top replaced , has a crack in the windshield , good tires , other than that it makes a good driver (719) 244-7816

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[1978 NYB]

Another MAJOR project car....

Vinyl top needs to be replaced equals a lot of rust under the vinyl. Windshield cracked....no NOS or repops available. Formal windshields are very,very difficult to get out of a donor car without cracking or breaking. By the location of the wipers....I would say they don't work. I would walk away from this car.

 

[Carmine]

I'm starting to think a broken door pull strap, (that's easily fixed with a screw) is as "normal" as a $2500 ask or a garden hose.

 

[1978 NYB]

You aren't going to fix or restore this car with a screw. LOL!

 

[Carmine]

You aren't going to fix or restore this car with a screw. LOL!

No, but I could re-attach the door pull.

 

[commando1]

Bob, good parts car for you.

 

[1978 NYB]

No, but I could re-attach the door pull.

Door panels on Formal's can be a real problem too because of the flimsy cardboard construction and the push pin attachment ripping out of them. No one making repopped door panels for Formal's either......another reason to embrace the derby guys.

 

[1978 NYB]

Even harder to find.....roof rail seals for Formal 4 door HT's.

 

[commando1]

Door panels on Formal's can be a real problem too because of the flimsy cardboard construction and the push pin attachment ripping out of them. No one making repopped door panels either......another reason to embrace the derby guys.

The big problem with Formal doors is the fiberglass armrest is molded fiberglass fused to that cruddy pressed sawdust backer panel.

 

[CBODY67]

From what I see in the posted pictures, many things that would be "par for the course" on that age of vehicle. Vinyl top and related unseen rust? Fixable, provided the correct vinyl top fabric could be found. Otherwise "paint".

The wipers? I'd suspect that they work, but the motor needs a park switch.

Windshield? Not sure about that one, but possibly a "patina item". The underhood items I'd be concerned with look to be "unmolested".

Needs some correct width whitewalls! ​

Might need some HD shocks and some brake attention. Some new rubber hoses for the fuel system, maybe better plug wires and iridium spark plugs, other normal maintenance items? Not too favorable of the lighter metallic paint, which usually fades, though.

Put a roller timing chain in it and drive it. After spending some money on it, then it might be worth what some of the other ones posted might be worth?

CBODY67

 

[1978 NYB]

Bob, good parts car for you.

Not much good for me....wrong interior. Rest of the stuff is cracked or broken. All of the chrome on my car is NOS quality....from the car in New Mexico. I have a lot of back up pieces already......probably nothing compared to the hoard that you have. LOL!

 

[CBODY67]

The big problem with Formal doors is the fiberglass armrest is molded fiberglass fused to that cruddy pressed sawdust backer panel.

That door panel "board" is available. The fiberglass/plastic support can be stapled, rather than "bonded" to the replacement board. Unless the door trim panel needed to be removed, the clips could still be in good shape. Otherwise? Velcro attachments.

For example, on my '77 Camaro, the trim panels can be built in a trim shop. A flat board with the curved plastic section at the top stapled to the flat board. From that, it's just transferring the trim and moldings to the new board. The existing metal clips will be replaced by selective Velcro dots or similar.

I watched the video on adjusting the door glass on the '74 C-body cars. That upper roof rail weatherstrip on the hardtops looks like a "designed to fail" issue . . . . UNLESS you have the window rolled down when the door is closed, then raise it. Might be a better replacement that could be built?

CBODY67

 

[commando1]

I watched the video on adjusting the door glass on the '74 C-body cars. That upper roof rail weatherstrip on the hardtops looks like a "designed to fail" issue . . . . UNLESS you have the window rolled down when the door is closed, then raise it. Might be a better replacement that could be built?

When I first got my present NYB, I took it to a car wash for its water torture test.
I was extremely lucky in that only one window leaked. I adjusted it per the manual (quite easily, actually) and I have watertight doors and it's relatively very quite at high speeds (considering it has 4 frameless windows.
Still gotta get around to installing my replacement roof rail rubber, tho. One of these days...

 

[1978 NYB]

From what I see in the posted pictures, many things that would be "par for the course" on that age of vehicle. Vinyl top and related unseen rust? Fixable, provided the correct vinyl top fabric could be found. Otherwise "paint".

The wipers? I'd suspect that they work, but the motor needs a park switch.

Windshield? Not sure about that one, but possibly a "patina item". The underhood items I'd be concerned with look to be "unmolested".

Needs some correct width whitewalls! ​

Might need some HD shocks and some brake attention. Some new rubber hoses for the fuel system, maybe better plug wires and iridium spark plugs, other normal maintenance items? Not too favorable of the lighter metallic paint, which usually fades, though.

Put a roller timing chain in it and drive it. After spending some money on it, then it might be worth what some of the other ones posted might be worth?

CBODY67

No wiper park switch on a Formal. 1978's had a one year big wiper cam that failed and there isn't any replacement for it unless you fabricate a SMALL CAM from 74-77 donor Formal.

If the vinyl needs to be replaced on a Formal ALWAYS means rust under the vinyl. If a Formal has rust under the vinyl I can almost guarantee that the lower rear quarters are rusted out too.

But then again.....I don't know that much about Formal's.....

 

[CBODY67]

One observed issue with older Chrysler products, compared to some similar GM cars, is that the trim quality on the Chryslers was much better, plus Chrysler usually built enough soft trim to use for warranty repairs, from that point, when they were sold out, they were gone or "liquidated". By the time they needed to be replaced, the only real way was a parts car, it seems. In general, more GM cars got into the restoration pipelines before many Chrysler products did, which is where the backer board items can be found, in universal sizes.

Not to forget the need for these construction items in the street rod area of things! But that's another price level, too. While C-body cars might have been neglected until more recent times, sources for factory-production level restoration items have been around for a good while, in the B-body arena, or prior model years with Gary Goers (catalog illustrations are a plus).

On the GM side of things, muscle car restorations are much more well-supported than full-size cars, outside of Chevrolets. But there is some crossover in the small parts. Just have to look around at these alternative sources to see what's there, by observation. I"ve got a '68 LeSabre convertible (a deal I couldn't pass up!). Same convertible top fits the same year Impala. Same with the body mounts (which have Chevrolet numbers cast into them). But as a Chevy vendor if these items might fit my LeSabre? "NO way!", usually. Anything sourced via Fisher Body usually had some crossover, but not mechanical stuff outside of the carline. Doesn't always work, but sometimes it does.

Perhaps, one day, the '74-'78 C-bodies will get the respect they deserve. They do deserve better as most of the issues I saw with the '69-'73 cars were addressed and fixed on the '74-generation cars. Maybe not the swoopy styling of the '69-generation cars, but better-designed cars, from what I've seen, which reminds me of the '65-'68 cars in that respect.

Have a great week!
CBODY67

 

[CBODY67]

No wiper park switch on a Formal. 1978's had a one year big wiper cam that failed and there isn't any replacement for it unless you fabricate a SMALL CAM from 74-77 donor Formal.

View attachment 162477
View attachment 162478

If the vinyl needs to be replaced on a Formal ALWAYS means rust under the vinyl. If a Formal has rust under the vinyl I can almost guarantee that the lower rear quarters are rusted out too.

View attachment 162480 View attachment 162481

But then again.....I don't know that much about Formal's.....

Thanks for that graphic information. From what I've seen, GMs had more issues with vinyl top rust issues than '74-'78 Chryslers did. Most of those Chryslers I saw were new or recent used cars at the local Chrysler dealership, so long-term issues were something I didn't or haven't seen as those cars were not that prevalent in my area of the world. A LOT of GM cars go add-on vinyl roofs, so that meant they had cured paint under them rather than "a dusting".

The automotive hobby has many examples of luxury-brand vehicles which might need "more money than they're worth" to fix right. Rust issues included. Not really different than getting "upside-down" in repairing a model year 2005 car at 175K miles, with a "high retail" value of $3K.

Perhaps, with the knowledge base in this forum, some sort of stickys could be put up to mention all of the quirks of particular model year C-body cars?

CBODY67

 

[live4theking]

Another MAJOR project car....

Vinyl top needs to be replaced equals a lot of rust under the vinyl. Windshield cracked....no NOS or repops available. Formal windshields are very,very difficult to get out of a donor car without cracking or breaking. By the location of the wipers....I would say they don't work. I would walk away from this car.

Is this the voice of wisdom speaking???