John Kelly
Member
When I was a boy, around 8 or so, I would ride with my dad in his International Harvester Travel All, wing windows open, to pick up my older sister from dance class. At her dance school was an older girl, she was 18 and her name was Amy and I was absolutely smitten with her. Weekly, I ignored the 10-year age difference and would go out of my way to say hi to her just so I can hear her voice and have her smile at me. She was the most beautiful thing my 8 year old self had ever seen and she drove what I later figured out was a 1971 New Yorker hence the burning into my brain the connection of beauty and the New Yorker forever.
Fast forward a lifetime and numerous cars, 4x4s, and motorcycles later, I bought a 1970 New Yorker. I got the car from a member on this forum and had it shipped to me. It's a perfect car for me because it is not a perfect car; the body and engine do not have matching numbers so I don't have to worry trying to restore the car to 100 percent perfection, there is just the right amount of rust so I can "experiment" with body work, and the drivetrain has just enough issues will prompt frequent research for someone who has just enough knowledge on this topic to warrant caution.
My plan of attack is to get a new exhaust system asap as the one currently on the car sounds like the Ukraine after Putin went on a bender. I may need to replace the fuel pump (not sure about that yet) and the carburetor may need some tweaking. AND there is the power break booster; that needs fast attention also. Once I get the mechanical issues sorted out, I'll start my dive into the body. The vinyl roof needs replacing and there are small areas of rust on all four fenders. Luckily that's all the rust to worry about, the rest of the car is solid.
In the end, I am shooting for a driver, not a show car. I drove the car around my neighborhood when it arrived and, ignoring the exhaust, it felt really good. Really, really good. I am sure the interior being near perfect added to that feeling. That and the wing windows. I've always loved wing windows.
Fast forward a lifetime and numerous cars, 4x4s, and motorcycles later, I bought a 1970 New Yorker. I got the car from a member on this forum and had it shipped to me. It's a perfect car for me because it is not a perfect car; the body and engine do not have matching numbers so I don't have to worry trying to restore the car to 100 percent perfection, there is just the right amount of rust so I can "experiment" with body work, and the drivetrain has just enough issues will prompt frequent research for someone who has just enough knowledge on this topic to warrant caution.
My plan of attack is to get a new exhaust system asap as the one currently on the car sounds like the Ukraine after Putin went on a bender. I may need to replace the fuel pump (not sure about that yet) and the carburetor may need some tweaking. AND there is the power break booster; that needs fast attention also. Once I get the mechanical issues sorted out, I'll start my dive into the body. The vinyl roof needs replacing and there are small areas of rust on all four fenders. Luckily that's all the rust to worry about, the rest of the car is solid.
In the end, I am shooting for a driver, not a show car. I drove the car around my neighborhood when it arrived and, ignoring the exhaust, it felt really good. Really, really good. I am sure the interior being near perfect added to that feeling. That and the wing windows. I've always loved wing windows.
