[ImperialFan]

This one's a bit too old and a lot too expensive for me, but what a beautiful survivor!

For Sale: 1968 Chrysler New Yorker in Old Bethpage, New York

 

[AceHanlon]

Wow that is very gorgeous. That website always asks too much for their cars.

 

[ImperialFan]

This article is very timely! Like they were reading my mind.

Malaise Monday 8/3: Chrysler New Yorker Brougham - The AutoTempest Blog

 

[Adventurer55]

We had a new 77 New Yorker, silver, 440 Lean Burn, and maroon tufted leather. Beautiful car. My grandfather ordered a 78 New Yorker, it was Jasmine yellow with vinyl roof. Tufted leather. It came with a 400-4 with Lean Burn. He ordered a 440 but they had a long delay. They were good cars.

 

[ImperialFan]

I'm glad to hear that, Adventurer55. I hope I can get one as good!

Which might or might not be this one. But man, that interior is sensational! The interiors in these cars must be pretty durable--they often look good while the outside is looking seedy.

https://www.carneyauto.com/details/used-1978-chrysler-new-yorker/83429761

 

[Adventurer55]

Looks decent from outside. Missing the fender skirts. Any rust?

 

[AceHanlon]

I'm glad to hear that, Adventurer55. I hope I can get one as good!

Which might or might not be this one. But man, that interior is sensational! The interiors in these cars must be pretty durable--they often look good while the outside is looking seedy.

https://www.carneyauto.com/details/used-1978-chrysler-new-yorker/83429761

I like that one. Needs a little work but a good one.

 

[ImperialFan]

Yeah, I really think this one has potential. By going to the dealer site I found more pix--the skirts and the missing wheel trim are all in the trunk.

I exchanged some e-mail with the dealer. He got back to me really fast, which impressed me. They don't always.

Here's what he said:

Thanks for your interest in the new yorker.
This is a decent shape classic car unrestored. It’s been sitting for years in a shed . It will turn over and fire but gas tank needs to be replaced or cleaned out and should have a new fuel pump put on . It will not drive in current condition. I am selling this and a few more for an estate sale . ( my relative passed away)

I didn't ask about rust, so I don't know about that.

But anyway, I'm pretty well concluding, reluctantly, that it's a bigger project than I want to take on. For somebody with all the resources needed, I do think it could be a very neat ride.

 

[AceHanlon]

Hope you get it

 

[Bob Lincoln]

A friend had a 1975 New Yorker Brougham around 1982 or so. It was a phenomenal car that ran great. 440 V-8 and 3-speed Torqueflite that just have a soft whir when it took off like a rocket. Lots of luxury. It even had a momentary pushbutton switch on the floor, next to the high beam switch, for seek-scan feature on the radio. Highly recommended if you don't mind 13 mpg highway.

 

[ImperialFan]

Well, Bob L, two of my other rides are a Thunderbird and a Town Car. 13 MPG seems normal to me.

And, here's another possibility. A bit shabby inside and out, but good color and equipment. And I don't think you can go far wrong with any $1900 car that runs.

1977 Chrysler New Yorker 4dr Sedan - cars & trucks - by dealer -...

 

[AceHanlon]

Well, Bob L, two of my other rides are a Thunderbird and a Town Car. 13 MPG seems normal to me.

And, here's another possibility. A bit shabby inside and out, but good color and equipment. And I don't think you can go far wrong with any $1900 car that runs.

1977 Chrysler New Yorker 4dr Sedan - cars & trucks - by dealer -...

What year Town Care? I owned 2 and still own 1.

Looks like minor surface rust, wouldn't be too hard to fix.

 

[ImperialFan]

'03 TC Cartier--last year for the Cartier edition. I used to have a '79, though.

I think that Rapid City car is worth a phone call. I'll ask about rust and what does and doesn't work on it.

 

[AceHanlon]

'03 TC Cartier--last year for the Cartier edition. I used to have a '79, though.

I think that Rapid City car is worth a phone call. I'll ask about rust and what does and doesn't work on it.

I had a 99 and a 05, wonderful cars.

I would say it's worth a call as well. Gotta watch out for that hidden rust as well.

 

[ImperialFan]

I would say it's worth a call as well. Gotta watch out for that hidden rust as well.

Had a good talk with the dealer today. As the ad said, it's on consignment, so he didn't know all the details. He did confirm for me that the rocker rust is perforated on one side, but not the other. He also confirmed they have driven it around a little.

However, the previous owner is a friend of his and he gave me his contact info. I left him a message. If we can connect, I should be able to get all the lowdown. At the moment, I'm feeling favorable. I probably will want to see pictures of the underside before making any decision, though. Body rust might be workable but what's under there might not.

 

[AceHanlon]

Had a good talk with the dealer today. As the ad said, it's on consignment, so he didn't know all the details. He did confirm for me that the rocker rust is perforated on one side, but not the other. He also confirmed they have driven it around a little.

However, the previous owner is a friend of his and he gave me his contact info. I left him a message. If we can connect, I should be able to get all the lowdown. At the moment, I'm feeling favorable. I probably will want to see pictures of the underside before making any decision, though. Body rust might be workable but what's under there might not.

That should be workable. I would even try to get it down to 1500, worth a try.

 

[ImperialFan]

Well, I talked to the former owner. Seems fairly favorable overall. He is the third owner, acquired it at 60,000 mi from an older fellow who had to give up driving. About five years ago he drove it from SD to CA. He pulled out and replaced the Lean Burn system. He says there is rust, but not excessive. However, it appears he may have it sold already in his hometown. So I told him if that jells and he has a buyer ready to hand, he should do what he needs to do. But if that falls through, we could talk again.

 

[AHBGuru]

Lean Burn gets a bad reputation because people believe what they read on the Internet (it’s junk, rip it out).
In reality, most Lean Burn problems are carb related. Any old carbureted car is going to need carb work from time to time, especially with modern gas and when a car sits a lot. Non-ethanol gas can help.

My 1979 Cordoba still has Lean Burn, but needs fuel system work. A few years back, I sold my 1981 Mirada, 1988 Gran Fury, and 1989 Fifth Avenue- all running their Lean Burn systems (though it was renamed on the later 1980s cars).

!000% correct. Actual failure of the computer was far more common when those cars were new/newish. Much of it had to do with placing the module right on the air cleaner, which is not the greatest environment for primitive electronics. That was later corrected, but only on 4bbl M-body squads (and that was an option in some markets, later made standard across the board in those cars).

Since then, after most of those cars had their computers replaced once or twice or ten times,they'd settle down and behave. Like Valiant says, 99% of the problems are NOT the Lean Burn (later referred to as the Electronic Spark Advance/Electronic Fuel Control system, both functions were contained within the computer). Most of the people that are buying these cars today never had anything like them before, and are not familiar with how they are to be maintained. When a problem comes up, they default to the standard internet response: tear it out. Then it becomes a nightmare of expensive automotive education, usually resulting in a sale, as they can never get them to run right afterwards. Replacing the Lean Burn system requires a new ignition system, a new carb, and a new intake (most of these guys and gals believe a 4bbl carb will help things). That's $500, not counting installation. Then, once they get it wired up right, they find the lousy Edelbrock sucks fuel, and makes some noise, but not much power. They also find out the hard way that the kickdown linkage won't adjust properly, so they smoke the transmission. That's when the car winds up on fakebook for double what it's worth, and the comment "ran when parked" is often seen.

This is particularly troubling, because these late 70's to late 80's models were some of the better products they had (in the case of the M-body, the best) at the time. There aren't many left anymore that haven't been hacked up to one extent or the other, and it gets to be fewer and fewer as they get hacked up or smashed up in a derby. That kills the hobby, but worse than that, it eliminates history.

 

[Adventurer55]

The people that did understand them are getting on in age now as well. Common to recommend, put a 4bbl on it and it'll be fine while they never understood the system to begin with. Usually some sort of GM analogy follows as well. I ran into something similar when I was having an issue with my Dakota trans. Just rip everything out they said. Well I did fix it because I took the time to understand how the 42RE actually works.

 

[valiant67]

!000% correct. Actual failure of the computer was far more common when those cars were new/newish. Much of it had to do with placing the module right on the air cleaner, which is not the greatest environment for primitive electronics. That was later corrected, but only on 4bbl M-body squads (and that was an option in some markets, later made standard across the board in those cars).

Years ago I bought two 1980 Plymouth Gran Fury police cars. Both were E58 cars. Once came from the West Virginia State Police and the other from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The Oklahoma car had the expected Lean Burn computer on the air cleaner.
The West Virginia car did not. Instead it had a code or a notation on the build sheet (I forget which) for relocated spark control. I followed the wiring and sure enough there was the Lean Burn computer behind the glove box. I wish I'd saved pictures of that.