I always thought of all of the muscle cars Chrysler was building back then, that the Superbird & Daytona were going to be cars that had long term desirability. Yeah, the choice of engine has a lot to do with the $$$ involved. Chrysler pretty much got screwed, with some help from NASCAR by outlawing the cars and having to build so many to consider them "production". It's funny how their appeal grew as they aged. Hell, I had a client recently who had an IROC Daytona and wanted info on it. I saw the car at New Hamburg over the weekend - not hard to look at 1600+ Chrysler vehicles all in one place at one time.
When was the last production day for C-Bodies?
- Thread starter 1978 NYB
- Start date
I always thought of all of the muscle cars Chrysler was building back then, that the Superbird & Daytona were going to be cars that had long term desirability. Yeah, the choice of engine has a lot to do with the $$$ involved. Chrysler pretty much got screwed, with some help from NASCAR by outlawing the cars and having to build so many to consider them "production". It's funny how their appeal grew as they aged. Hell, I had a client recently who had an IROC Daytona and wanted info on it. I saw the car at New Hamburg over the weekend - not hard to look at 1600+ Chrysler vehicles all in one place at one time.
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
Amazing. You were a visionary and I was a stupid kid that had a lot to learn.
Future collectable? My future vision was to get my butt into college or it was the end of the world.
I got to university straight out of highschool and got married at the end of my first year. Got a summer job in a car plant and arranged to work afternoons/midnights while I went back to school full time. It wasn't until two weeks from the end of 4th year that I caught hell from the university registrar for working full time and going to school full time, but at that point it was a little late for them to kick me out. Everybody in the building I was in knew I worked full time and the profs all were quite happy to accommodate my situation. Had that damn summer job for almost 42 years. LOL!
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
While trying to figure out what you wanted to do when you grew up!
I know the feeling.
"Well, there's no Engineering jobs out there so I'll drive a truck until...."
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
"...I retire."
Something like that. Along the way I picked up a crapload of `stuff' on Chrysler products, had a great time meeting a lot of really interesting people. But I wouldn't mind going back to work. I could use the rest......
Fratzog
Old Man with a Hat
Kevin you need to write a book.
polara71
Old Man with a Hat
That would require carving out some spare time. I could LOL about that all day long.
Well, here's the latest known produced C-Body.....
06-20-78...the only one I know for sure that was produced in June.
http://www.forcbodiesonly.com/mopar-forum/showthread.php?14025-1978-Chrysler-New-Yorker
06-20-78...the only one I know for sure that was produced in June.
http://www.forcbodiesonly.com/mopar-forum/showthread.php?14025-1978-Chrysler-New-Yorker
So is the NY'er in the previous post the last and only Formal built in June or later?
polara71
Old Man with a Hat
No, but since we have no proof we may never know
Well.....it'll be the last known one built until something else pops up.
polara71
Old Man with a Hat
That's right and as long as that is clear, most don't seem to understand the concept of "known".
So much has been said about Chrysler wanting to quietly get out of manufacturing Formal's/C-Bodies. Sales slumped by 1978 and maybe production didn't go to the end of July. Retooling for the R-Body too.
polara71
Old Man with a Hat
OR they hung on for as long as they could to get as many of the last of the DoDos out there
Bill Watson
Active Member
The last D body was the 1966 Imperial. The 1967-68 Imperials were C body - basically a New Yorker with different sheet metal and a 3" longer front stub frame.
The R body was a reworked B body sedan. The 1979 Cordoba and Magnum were virtually identical to the 1978 models. No sheetmetal changes. Which is why many people believe the 1979 Cordoba and Magnum are B bodies while only the St. Regis and Chrysler are R bodies. Gran Fury would join the R body group for 1980. Besides quality problems, the biggest problem with the R body was it was a year late. They should have had the three in production for the 1978 model year. As it was, Chrysler had so many problems getting the R body cars built they did not get into full production until November.
The last 1978 Chrysler C body was built in late June - 6,686 for the month, down from 8,168 for May, 1978. The first R body Chryslers rolled off the line in late September - 4,080 for the month - at the Lynch Road plant.
The St.Regis also went into production in late September at Lynch Road - 1,816 for the month.
The R body was a reworked B body sedan. The 1979 Cordoba and Magnum were virtually identical to the 1978 models. No sheetmetal changes. Which is why many people believe the 1979 Cordoba and Magnum are B bodies while only the St. Regis and Chrysler are R bodies. Gran Fury would join the R body group for 1980. Besides quality problems, the biggest problem with the R body was it was a year late. They should have had the three in production for the 1978 model year. As it was, Chrysler had so many problems getting the R body cars built they did not get into full production until November.
The last 1978 Chrysler C body was built in late June - 6,686 for the month, down from 8,168 for May, 1978. The first R body Chryslers rolled off the line in late September - 4,080 for the month - at the Lynch Road plant.
The St.Regis also went into production in late September at Lynch Road - 1,816 for the month.
Bill with all the Chrysler knowledge you have did you work for the Company or is it just information you gathered over the years? I seem to remember a Bill Watson with Chrysler Corp many many years ago....
commando1
Old Man with a Hat
Bill is a huge contributer to Allpar and many other sites and is a premier historian on all things Chrysler.
Chronological history of Chrysler Corporation, Dodge, and Plymouth - 1864-1911
Chronological history of Chrysler Corporation, Dodge, and Plymouth - 1864-1911
Thank you, Sir!
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streetmachine
Active Member
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The Cordoba and Magnum were B-Bodies. There was a Magnum on CL a while back that had a 78/79 Cordoba front clip on it. If you want to hear something more crazy, I can swap some of the 71-74 B-Body gauges into my car like the 150 mph speedometer. Also, the front shocks are the same as a 73 charger and I've been told a front windshield from a 73-74 Charger could work. Not confirmation on that yet though. Here's something else, the door handles on a Cordoba/Magnum were also the same ones used an M-Body until 1989. Part # 3882621 IIRC.
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