My 1971 Chrysler Town & Country 440

[ThisAwesomeCOLA]

I have decided to make a thread about my wagon seeing that I am now in it for the long haul, and will (Hopefully) stick with it as long as I can. Lots of text to follow.

It is a 1971 T&C, 9 passenger, 440, 727, Sandalwood Beige exterior paint, Tahitian Walnut Metallic interior paint, 3-in-1 divided bench seat in Saddle brown.

I have some documentation of the car while it was in the US. In 1975 it got the registration renewed in Glendale, California. In 1982 another owner got new tires, also from Glendale.
In 1983 yet another owner got a service at a gas station in La Canada, California. From Carfax I can see that In 1990 it was titled in Arizona, and yet again in 2008, in April 2009 it was registered in Norway.
The car appears to have been in various states in all the pictures I could gather online, starting in 2016, along with a periodical control note from 2011 stating that the horn was defective, still is to this day.
Have a little gander, the interior one fascinates me, with the radio and trans tunnel storage removed today, notice the crooked parking brake pedal, which broke the week after I got it, and had to be welded back. It is straight now thankfully.

I bought this car a year ago, after staying in the US for a while through work and coming home for 2 weeks, becoming the 5th owner here in Norway and probably at least the 9th owner in total.
I picked it up in midwestern Norway, having to cross a few mountains to get there, my Tesla with fresh winter tires did not appreciate this, and I therefore decided to take my rear wheel drive wagon on summer tires home the long southern route, through windy narrow roads. There I discovered that the suspension is worn, with the car feeling like it was on ice everytime I exited a turn and the rear end just kept going. It did make it the 500 miles home, with the only mishap being that it jumped out of drive on the highway once. However, just before I got home, a valve started ticking just to help me sleep that night.

After I got home Changed the oil (Did not seem to have been changed for a while), made exhaust mounts since they were non-existent and gave it some TLC before I had to take it into storage as I went to sea for a while.

Heres a photo of it after I took it back out of storage.

I pulled the build sheet (What was left of it, quite torn on the back of the rear seat, will look for another one) and have done some decoding.
It appears to have the towing package, and is certainly rated for it in the registration, but it does not appear on the fender tag, and the build sheet is missing the group codes.
Here is the Broadcast sheet and Fender tag for those interested:

Decoded Build sheet (some codes are missing/wrong as the build sheet is incomplete and I am also no decoding wizard)

C - Chrysler Newport / 300 / New Yorker - Premium Price Class
46 - 9 Passenger Wagon 1 - Unknown
T - 440 V8 Single 4 Barrel Carburetor (8 Cylinder)
1 - 1971 model year
C - Jefferson, MI
Serial Number (VIN) - 270166


Vehicle Build Sequence - D17625
6 - Scheduled to be built June 1970 on the 29 Day
147942 - Vehicle Order Number (VON)

Y01 - A/C Edit Waiver
E85 - 440 V8 Single 4 Barrel Carburetor (8 Cylinder)
D32 - Heavy Duty Automatic Transmission
D53 - 3.23:1 Rear Axle Ratio
U58 - Tires
T7 - Saddle Brown interior
GT8 - Interior paint color: Tahitian Walnut Metallic
V01 - Monotone Paint
BL1 - "Sandalwood Beige"
BL1 - Painted Top (no Vinyl Roof) "Sandalwood Beige"

5 - Steering Column for an Automatic Transmission
1 - Column Shift Steering Column
8 - Crusie Control
5 - Ignition Key Lamp
57 - #2863257 Inlet Radiator Hose for 383 & 440 w/ AC & Max Cooling
16 - Fan Assembly #2863216 w/ 7 Blades 18.5" Diameter
92 - #1944092 Power Brake Hose Check Valve 2 WAY w/AC without ATC
29 - #2538929 Speedometer Pinion with 29 Teeth BLACK
TX9 - Wheel Color "Black" in Dodge / "Black Velvet" in Plymouth
8 - Automatic Trans Brake Pedal #2950878 w/ Cruise Control
0 - No Clutch Pedal
51 - #3404551 Exhaust Pipe w/ Resonator Right Side Barracuda 440
00 - No Left Side Muffler
P - Power Steering
1 - Built Sheet Print Hour on 24 Hr Clock (00 = Midnight / 14 = 2pm)
7 - Decimal Hour Minute (example 25=15 min / 63=38 min, 82=49 min)

Build sheet print time: 01:42

C02 - Cargo Compartment Dress Up
ST - (Seatbelts)
C23 - Rear Arm Rest / Ashtray
C34 - Front Seat Shield
C51 - Bench Seat Split 50/50
C71 - Air Foam Front & Rear Seat
C93 - Carpeting
B41 - Front Disc Brakes w/Standard 10" RR Drum
B51 - Power Brakes
F11 - 50 Amp Alternator
F25 - 70 AMP Battery Heavy Duty (Series 27 with RED Caps)
G11 - Tinted windows
G33 - Chrome Driver Side Racing Mirror (Left) Remote Adjusting
G41 - Day/Night Inside Rear-View Mirror
H51 - Air Conditioning with Front Heater
J11 - Glove Box Lock
J15 - Cigar Lighter
J21 - Electric Clock
J25 - 3 Speed Variable Wipers
J31 - Dual Horns
J41 - Pedal Dress Up
J51 - Rear Compartment Lock
J52 - Inside Hood Release
J55 - Undercoating w/ Hood pad
L05 - Map / Courtesy Lamp
L11 - Glove Box Light
L15 - Ash Receiver Lamp
L21 - Cargo Compartment Lamp
L31 - Turn Signal Light Hood / Fender
L56 - Var / Load Turn Signal Flasher
L61 - Dome Lamp Switch Rear Doors
L65 - Ignition Switch Lamp With Time delay
T - 440 V8 Single 4 Barrel Carburetor (8 Cylinder)
M15 - Door Quarter Upper Frame Moldings
M21 - Drip Rail Moldings
M82 - Step Pad
M84 - Tail Step Sill Plate
M85 - Front & Rear Bumper Guards
M91 - Luggage Rack
M95 - Assist Handles
N51 - Maximum Engine Cooling
N77 - Aux. Vacuum Reservoir
N88 - Cruise Control
N98 - Exhaust Emissions Standards Label
N95 - Emissions Control
P31 - Power Windows
P35 - Power Tailgate Window
P41 - Power Door Locks
R35 - 10 Watt Radio AM / FM Stereo
R32 - Dual Rear Seat Speakers
S13 - Heavy Duty Suspension / Rallye
S61 - Tilt/Telescopic Steering Column
S77 - Power Steering
W11 - Wheel Covers Deluxe
X55 - Radiator Air Shield

1299

I wil continue later, right now I have to change the towing connector while it is still evening.

 

[ayilar]

Belated welcome and thank you for posting about CP26T1C270166 -- wonderful BL1 T&C you have. I am sure that C-body wagon fans such as @Xenon (1971 T&C), @saforwardlook (1969 T&C and many others), @hergfest (1969 T&C), @My65cuda (1969 Monaco wagon), @LocuMob (1971 Monaco wagon), @MonacoBlue (1972 Monaco Wagon), @BLIMP (many fusie wagons), and many others will join this thread. @SwissABC in Switzerland has a great Monaco wagon.

@69CoronetRT and @cuda hunter will love the tag and build sheet -- thank you for posting them!

Have you seen the wagon thread? Let's see some Wagons!

 

[ayilar]

My list is of course not exhaustive, for example I omitted @bigmoparjeff

 

[fury1]

That is an awesome wagon! Excited to see where you take this car! Always good seeing more of these cars being saved and enjoyed.

 

[Mbaird]

Welcome . Love the wagon .
I once pulled a floor mount cassette with dictaphone and AM/FM radio out of one . A guy in Florida gave me 750$ for it . Not bad junk yard find ?

 

[Lefty71]

Awesome...thx.
I'm not very good at reading the broadcast sheets. Was expecting a three spoke steering wheel. Is yours an option?, or is that a T&C thing??

 

[MonacoBlue]

Great T&C. They have good interiors. Welcome to the forum!

 

[69CoronetRT]

Vehicle Build Sequence - D17625

D = printer station D. Given the spring marks, this probably indicates a station within the interior trim deparment.
The Jefferson plant used the consecutive sheet format meaning this is the 17625th BS/sheet associated with a car printed. It it administrative in function and not be related to actual production.

However, it does give you a relative position of construction. Meaning this car was probably built after D17522 but before D17756. So there is that. This format means the sequence number typically trails the VIN by ~100,000 units. Other plants used the same format or a different format to number broadcast sheets.

U58 tires = L84x15 WSW

 

[68 4spd Fury]

Velkommen og fin vogn!

 

[cuda hunter]

Wow! What a sweet wagon!! Thanks for the info!

 

[Loadrunner]

The stock wheels really do it for me, nostalgia.

 

[ThisAwesomeCOLA]

Belated welcome and thank you for posting about CP26T1C270166 -- wonderful BL1 T&C you have. I am sure that C-body wagon fans such as @Xenon (1971 T&C), @saforwardlook (1969 T&C and many others), @hergfest (1969 T&C), @My65cuda (1969 Monaco wagon), @LocuMob (1971 Monaco wagon), @MonacoBlue (1972 Monaco Wagon), @BLIMP (many fusie wagons), and many others will join this thread. @SwissABC in Switzerland has a great Monaco wagon.

@69CoronetRT and @cuda hunter will love the tag and build sheet -- thank you for posting them!

Have you seen the wagon thread? Let's see some Wagons!

Thank you for the warm welcome, good to know there are others with these fusie wagons here, I'll probably be needing some assistance when I inevitably get stuck on something.

 

[ThisAwesomeCOLA]

Welcome . Love the wagon .
I once pulled a floor mount cassette with dictaphone and AM/FM radio out of one . A guy in Florida gave me 750$ for it . Not bad junk yard find ?

Those cassette players certainly expensive, I would not mind one, though if I can just get the radio working I will be pretty pleased I think.

 

[ThisAwesomeCOLA]

Vehicle Build Sequence - D17625

D = printer station D. Given the spring marks, this probably indicates a station within the interior trim deparment.
The Jefferson plant used the consecutive sheet format meaning this is the 17625th BS/sheet associated with a car printed. It it administrative in function and not be related to actual production.

However, it does give you a relative position of construction. Meaning this car was probably built after D17522 but before D17756. So there is that. This format means the sequence number typically trails the VIN by ~100,000 units. Other plants used the same format or a different format to number broadcast sheets.

U58 tires = L84x15 WSW

Thank you for the insight! Would this mean that if I found another sheet, in the engine compartment for example, it would have a different printer station and sequence number? Or would they just print several sheets at the same time?

Also I appreciate the tire code

 

[ThisAwesomeCOLA]

Awesome...thx.
I'm not very good at reading the broadcast sheets. Was expecting a three spoke steering wheel. Is yours an option?, or is that a T&C thing???

This was indeed optioned with a Tilt & Telescope rim blow steering wheel, it was an option on all Chrysler & Co. cars, though no telescope on Dodge and Plymouth C-bodies.

Problem is not many cars were optioned with this it seems, getting a new rim-blow insert was hard enough, finding a color coded non cracked steering wheel is practically impossible. Hoping I can fit the new insert so I can finally get a horn, though it seems to have expanded due to cracking in the sun.

 

[ThisAwesomeCOLA]

The stock wheels really do it for me, nostalgia.

The wheels which are on it now are the ones I got with it, I guess the originals were discarded at some point, I like them, but I have bought a set of deluxe wheel covers in case I decide to fit it with steelies at some point.

On a related note:
Would the deluxe wheel covers fit on a standard 5.5 15" steel wheel? like this one:

 

[69CoronetRT]

Thank you for the insight! Would this mean that if I found another sheet, in the engine compartment for example, it would have a different printer station and sequence number? Or would they just print several sheets at the same time?

Also I appreciate the tire code

It would likely have another print station but I do not know if two sheets from the Jefferson plant share the same number as I don't have examples on hand.

 

[Loadrunner]

Yes, those caps would fit those new wheels, but real Mopar wheels that take holy "Police" poverty "dog dish hub caps might be a lot sportier, on the cheap, than the full wheels covers, which are amazing in their simplicity, also insanely clean if they're all that nice.

 

[ThisAwesomeCOLA]

So last spring i started working on her again, took her to a garage for the bi-annual inspection, where they discovered most of the front suspension was shot, the horn was nonfunctional in every way, doors where hard to open etc. they also replaced the battery, flushed the trans and welded the parking brake pedal back in place.
Safe to say she did not pass, so I turned in the plates until she has received an overhaul.

I will spare you the exhaustive list of repairs needed, but the major things for getting her roadworthy:
-Fix the tick in the engine at idle, seems to be a valve.
-Replace horns and rim-blow switch
-rebuild front suspension
-Replace front bumper
-Replace bulbs speedometer
-Repair Towing electrics

Hopefully she will be back on the road this summer!

 

[ThisAwesomeCOLA]

Most of the interior is pretty worn, the front and rear seats need to be redone, the wayback seats are okay, but have been cheaply fixed at some point. The cargo carpet and floor carpet need to be replaced, I’d also like some cloth floor mats instead of the rubber ones, which are pretty ineffective in the drivers well.

I have not yet decided how I’d like the seats redone, I would like some quality material which feels and ages better than vinyl, ideas are welcome.

Also, the door and tailgate are pretty poor / nonexistent. Too bad there are no real replacements. The tailgate window seal and driver door rubber are the most dire.

Some pics: