Rip's New '73 Navajo

[Ripinator]

Isn't there a Monroe Sensatrac in the right dimensions? The Sensatrac has a groove in the middle of the cylinder that allows for greater oil flow in the more-or-less center position, resulting in a smoother ride on good roads. When the road gets bumpy or the car leans and the shock piston moves towards either end past said groove the shock gets tighter resulting in a firmer ride under those conditions.

I don't know about the Monroe Sensatracs. In my searches, I didn't see them listed. In fact, there seems to be a general dearth of available shocks for the rear of '73 Chryslers. I like the KYBs that are installed on my '66 300 coupe so much, that I really wanted KYBs for the '73. We'll see what the Shocks Surplus guys have to say. Basically, I need a shock that is at least 25 inches long - extended.

 

[commando1]

WOW. Talk about slim pickings...

The Gabriels are 25.14".

 

[rapidtrans]

The Monaco has HD Monroes all around which work fine for my tastes.
But in the past I’ve liked the Gabriel HD Adjustable shocks on our Mopars.
I set the front to to firm to control lean in the turns and normal setting in the rear so car doesn’t want to hop at every expansion joint in the pavement. They weren’t cheap but did make my old Cordoba handle like my Uncle’s Chevys with the F41 handling pkg.

 

[Ripinator]

WOW. Talk about slim pickings...

The Gabriels are 25.14".

View attachment 389939

Yep!

 

[rapidtrans]

I leave mine on because I am an originality freak, and doing so also keeps my vocabulary of cuss words at its peak when I bump into them when walking between cars with them and bang my knees!

Remnants of the ever changing bumper standards in the ‘70s.
In ‘73 the test was to run into a wall square on at a about 4 mph with no damage.
Next year the pendulum test began. They swing a heavy weight at any part of the bumper.
Then they had to withstand a front quarter impact also but minimal damage was acceptable.
Between this, epa and mpg standards constantly changing, for cars designed two years prior, engineers often had to resort to add-on fixes to meet the stds.

 

[ceebuddy]

I just wonder whether a 1973 Chrysler will sit higher than a 1969 to 1972 model, perhaps due to bring the bumper to the height required by the new bumper standards, thereby requiring longer shock absorbers in the rear?

 

[ayilar]

I just wonder whether a 1973 Chrysler will sit higher than a 1969 to 1972 model, perhaps due to bring the bumper to the height required by the new bumper standards, thereby requiring longer shock absorbers in the rear?

Interesting guess. Looking at the Dealership Data Books on the Hamtramck Registry, we see that the overall height on 2dr Chryslers was supposedly up, from 54.8” regardless of model in 1972 to 55” (Newport 2dr) or to 55.3” (NYer 2dr) in 1973.

Then again, @73Coupe had no issue with KYB 5512s on his ‘73 NYB. So, I went looking again and investigated a bit further in the hope of finding the AMA Specification Reports for both years.

The Hamtramck Registry has a copy of the 1973 AMA Specifications, and the relevant page is here. While the Registry does not have a scan of the 1972 AMA Spec report to compare it to, I found a copy for the Imperial at the Hathi Trust Library here but not for Newports or NYers. The AMA report confirms the figures for overall height -- what would be really nice to have are the rear ground clearances.

 

[sixpkrt]

I saw your car at Carlisle. What a beauty.
Wish we had talked more, but being my first time at Chryslers at Carlisle, I felt like a kid in a candy store wandering around the show fields and swap areas most the time.

 

[Ripinator]

I saw your car at Carlisle. What a beauty.
Wish we had talked more, but being my first time at Chryslers at Carlisle, I felt like a kid in a candy store wandering around the show fields and swap areas most the time.
View attachment 390329

Thanks a lot, Tim. I think I'm the same way every year at Carlisle.

 

[bigmoparjeff]

Isn't there a Monroe Sensatrac in the right dimensions? The Sensatrac has a groove in the middle of the cylinder that allows for greater oil flow in the more-or-less center position, resulting in a smoother ride on good roads. When the road gets bumpy or the car leans and the shock piston moves towards either end past said groove the shock gets tighter resulting in a firmer ride under those conditions.

I believe that the Sensatrac line has been discontinued across the board. They have been replaced by the OE Spectrum line. More popular items continue on and actually carry the same part numbers as the Sensatrac parts, but the slow movers are gone from what is now their premium line.

Jeff

 

[bigmoparjeff]

By the way, Nice score Rip!

It would be interesting to see a bunch of Navajo fender tags to see if Chrysler built them in a big group or if they were interspersed among the standard production going down the line. They all seem to be optioned just about the same, which makes me think that most or all Navajos came from dealer stock. They may have been built during a short window and a certain number allocated to each dealer. Once they hit the lots, it might have been too late to order one with your chosen options.

Jeff

 

[Ripinator]

By the way, Nice score Rip!

It would be interesting to see a bunch of Navajo fender tags to see if Chrysler built them in a big group or if they were interspersed among the standard production going down the line. They all seem to be optioned just about the same, which makes me think that most or all Navajos came from dealer stock. They may have been built during a short window and a certain number allocated to each dealer. Once they hit the lots, it might have been too late to order one with your chosen options.

Jeff

Thanks a lot. I would also like to see some fender tags from other Navajos. There is a code on my tag that indicates chrome dual exhaust extensions, which makes me wonder whether the car was ordered with dual exhaust, or did every Navajo come with dual exhaust, and the chrome extensions were optional. . .?

 

[bigmoparjeff]

Thanks a lot. I would also like to see some fender tags from other Navajos. There is a code on my tag that indicates chrome dual exhaust extensions, which makes me wonder whether the car was ordered with dual exhaust, or did every Navajo come with dual exhaust, and the chrome extensions were optional. . .?

That must be one of those A/B/E codes that's completely different for a C body. Not surprising that the fender tag decoders are set up for the "popular" cars and not ours.

As far as I know, dual exhaust was not available on civilian cars in '73.

Jeff

 

[polara71]

That must be one of those A/B/E codes that's completely different for a C body. Not surprising that the fender tag decoders are set up for the "popular" cars and not ours.

As far as I know, dual exhaust was not available on civilian cars in '73.

Jeff

I agree with with Jeff in the top paragraph .

 

[bigmoparjeff]

I had my eye on a Navajo 4dr HT that was for sale near me, probably 15 years ago. I should have bought that one. I think the asking price was $1900.

Jeff

 

[Ripinator]

I agree with with Jeff in the top paragraph .

I tend to agree too, Dave.

 

[bigmoparjeff]

I agree with with Jeff in the top paragraph .

Does that mean you disagree on the dual exhaust? I should have said civilian C bodies, since we know that it was available on the smaller cars. I should also qualify it as "not available as a regular production option". There's always the possibility that someone with connections could get whatever they wanted. The all time prime example of that being the 1972 Fury wagon with the factory sunroof.

Jeff

 

[ayilar]

@Ripinator -- I don't know where you see the tips on your tag. Here is the decode:

CL: Chrysler Newport
23: 2 Door Hardtop

M: 400 cid V8
3: 1973 Model Year
C: Jefferson Avenue, MI, USA

317117: Sequence number

E63: 400 cid V8
D34: Automatic Transmission
JK3: Navajo Orange Exterior Color
B1KW: Trim - White Vinyl/Burnt Orange Navajo Cloth Interior
000: Full Door Panels
703: Build Date: July 03
200521: Order number

V1W: Full Vinyl Top, White
H51: Air Conditioning with Heater
R13: Deluxe AM Radio (5 1/2 Watts)
L31: Hood/Fender Mounted Turn Signals
N88: Auto Speed Control

G11: Tinted Glass (all)
V7V: Accent Stripes, Orange

Do you have the build sheet?

In related matters, your build date is July 3 -- the last Navajo tag I have seen. Here is the fender tag of CL23M3C256755, a car that I looked at seriously in June of this year -- the SPD is March 29:

It would be interesting to see a bunch of Navajo fender tags to see if Chrysler built them in a big group or if they were interspersed among the standard production going down the line.

I would also like to see some fender tags from other Navajos.

 

[bigmoparjeff]

Looks like production was well spaced out through the latter half of the model year.

The fact that we don't see much in "luxury" options on them may just be that they are "standard" Newports and not one of the higher line models.

Jeff

 

[300rag]

Looks like production was well spaced out through the latter half of the model year.

That would seem to be consistent with a spring special model offering.