Tag Archives: Chrysler

Car Swap Meet Gems

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It’s not that often that I get out to a car swap meet.  Here in Arizona you are in  for a hot time…tempature-wise, do to the lack of shade.  Car parts so hot you’ve got to have oven mitts to handle ’em.  But the are still fun.

Down the street at the local drag strip they had one this weekend and I thought I’d pass on a few of the gems they had for sale.  There was a bit of a car show there as well.

You could pick-up some ‘Field Fresh’ projects like this coupe:

 

“Trailer Not Include”read the sign

 

Love the rear window

The floors are solid.

 

$3500 and the cob web are no extra charge.

 

 

Or this Pick-Up:

You could also find some project that the owner just couldn’t finish…some with some very extensive ‘restoration damage’  like tons of bondo holding the fender together.

This Chevy wasn’t the worst, but it had a lot of bondo.

This Dodge pickup wasn’t horrible. It would make a nice starter project.

This Plymouth Barracuda was pretty stripped down.

I actually think the owner had a lot of the parts laying on the ground for sale separately.

This ’65 Chevy is has been lowered and that’s about all.

Lot work left on this project.

Some cars did find new homes:

This Dodge found a new home.

This Imperial looks like it’s going to its new garage under its own power.

 

I love this car!!!!

Going to need some interior work. This one sported the push button shifting.

 

Coming up… some of the show cars.  Some nice rods.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Car Production Numbers. They Made How Many? 1956

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Well I wasn’t present for the 1956 year but it was an interesting year.  Lincoln and Continental were separate makes and interestingly enough the Clipper (a model of Packard) tried ‘independence’ on for size.  Oh…and there were some very cool show cars.

The finished out with Chevy and Ford way out in front with 1,567,117 and 1,408,487 – respectively.  They were followed over 500,oo behind, were Buick with 573,024, Plymouth with 571,634 and Oldsmobile with 485,458.  The rest of the field looked like this:

Pontiac – 405,730

Mercury – 327,943

Dodge – 240,686

Cadillac – 154, 577

Chrysler – 128,322

DeSoto – 109,442

Nash – 83,420

Studebaker – 69,593

Lincoln – 50,322

Hudson – 22,588

Clipper – 18,482 (out paced Packard by nearly 8,000 cars)

Imperial – 10,684

Packard – 10,353

Metropolitan – 9,0868

Continental – 2,550

Here is an ad for a 1956 Clippard Super…Looks alot like…>>>

…this 1955 Packard Clipper…doesn’t it?

1956 Show Cars were really hot looking.

1956 Centurion by Buick. Come on!!! Warp speed Mr. Sulu!!

Pontiac was in the game with their 1956 Pontiac Club de Mer show car. I like it!!!

What? A Parkard you say?!!!! Yup this was the Predictor (name only would have killed this model). But just think how cool that would have been!!!!

A few other things were happening in 1956 like:

– Studebaker’s Goldenhawk was given Packard’s 352 cid V8

– American Motors developed a 200 pound air-cooled V4 engine

– Plymouth ran a gas-turbine car from New Your to L.A.

It’s ugly!!!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

The Chrysler TC

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I find the interaction between automakers an interesting topic to investigate. Either out of just pure collaboration, strategic partnership or partial complete ownership the results of these relationship produce some cars that were awe-inspiring and some that were “what the ‘H’ were they thinking??!!! This car falls somewhere in between. The U.S., U.K., Japan and Italy intermix I found very interesting.

The Chrysler TC as jointly developed with Maserati and became available in late-1989 with only some 7,300 units manufactured in Milan, Italy when production ended in 1991. Lee Iacocca‘s friendship with the late Alejandro De Tomaso whilst at Ford, which had led to the development of the De Tomaso Pantera. With Iacocca in the 1980’s now heading Chrysler and De Tomaso now the owner of the legendary Maserati brand, the two men decided to create a sports car between the two companies which became the TC by Maserati with Chrysler having become an investor in Maserati at that time. The engine was assembled by Maserati and has a Maserati-branded cast valve cover with the 200HP 16-valve 2.2 L ‘Maserati’ engine’s cylinder head being cast in the UK at the iconic Cosworth plant and then finished in Milan by Maserati. The ‘Maserati’ engine used a specially-made 2.2 block, upgraded crankshaft and rods. A Japanese turbo-charger was used. The rest of the engine used common Turbo II parts manufactured in the USA. The special wheels were made in Italy by Formula One supplier Fondmetal.

The TC featured a removable hardtop with port holes or opera windows as they were referred to and a manually operated cloth lined soft top that was available in either tan or black. For the 1989 model year, interior leather colors were either ginger or bordeaux. Exterior colors were only available in yellow, red or cabinet. The TC’s dash, door panels, seats, armrest, and rear facia panels were all covered in hand-stitched Italian leather. Inside door jambs were finished with stainless steel panels and sill plates. The convertible boot over which the hardtop rests is a body color keyed metal panel. A special interior storage compartment came with an umbrella, tool kit, and small spare tire that allowed the use of the full-sized trunk even with the top down. Standard equipment included a 10-speaker AM/FM cassette stereo, power windows, 6-way power seats, power door and trunk locks, map lights, puddle lamps, cruise control, and tilt steering wheel. Total production for each model year was 7,300 cars with only 3,764 built-in 1989 and with extraordinary base prices starting at $33,000 in 1989 and rising to $37,000 in the last year of production only three years later in 1991. The TC was sold by only 300 selected Chrysler dealers.

The TC

89 TC – look familiar? Take a look at the LeBaron below.

The LeBaron – same shape and front end. Even the honeycomb wheels.

The question is – the TC a Maserati design or Chrysler design?

Thanks for reading.

Tim

TOTD: Will More Models and Sales Water Down the Maserati Brand?

In my opinion the real watering down of the brand occurred in the 80’s under the ownership of de Tomaso, with the launch of Biturbo (and all the models based off of it) and the Chrysler TC by Maserati. TrollHater 5pts. Its possible. Look at how watered …
OLD PARKED CARS.: 1989 Chrysler TC By Maserati.

Anonymous said… I’ve only seen these in grandma yellow. Wikipedia sez it was available in yellow, red or cabernet. Which means…yellow, red or red. Go figure. February 2, 2014 at 6:44 PM · Tony Piff said… bah. i know ben …
A Chrysler TC By Maserati Is Only Worth A Couple iPhones These …

Long before Fiat took the reins at Chrysler, the Chrysler TC by Maserati was a shining example of Italo-American industrial cooperation. Easily the finest luxury car of its time — perhaps even the entire 20th century — it is now …

New ‘Cuda or Here We Go Again!!!

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So I’m thumbing through one of the latest “here are the new cars” periodicals (I don’t spend much time with them…I don’t care much if a Mazda sedan and out perform a VW sedan…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz) and ran across  that stated “Chrysler looks to the ‘Cuda to replace Dodge‘s Challenger.”

Ok…come on heee…er (New York accent).   Didn’t we just have the conversation about the “Dodge Dart“???  Like how it looked more like a Neon!!! And correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t we all agree that the Charger was a cool as “Honda Accord“?     Yes, I believe we did!

So now lets take the Challenger the one they got “right’ in a retro sense.  So why replace it?   Well some could argue in the 70’s the Cuda was a better looking car and you know they bring a lot more money.  So just maybe….but read this!!!

“A Barracuda replacement would be much more trim, though still on a RWD platform.  Chrysler and…(cough) Fiat are said to be jointly developing a new platform that’s smaller the current Charger… Gille’s Barracuda will be far less literal interpretation of its namesake.”

So let me see if I have this straight….you’re gonna take the Challenger that looks somewhat similar the orig…and you’re gonna replace it with a car that won’t look like this original?

Smart?  What do you think?

Tim

Engine Line Up 1965 Oldsmobile

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This is the series where I list up the power plant offerings for the year.

Now you would think that being a GM division that Oldsmobile would have the 350 and the like, but the had their own unique engines.

First up was the 225 cid.  Oh…a straight six….NO…..a V6!!!!!  This was an iron blocked overhead valve engine.  The bore and stroke were 3.75″ x 3.40″ and with a compression of 9.0:1 it laid down 155 hp.  It had four main bearing and topped with a 1 barrel Rochester Type BC one barrel.  This was the lowest level engines and refered to as the  F-85 and Vista Cruiser series.

Next up is the  smallest of the V8’s offered that year, the 330 cid also in the F-85/Cruiser series.  It was an iron block engine as well.  The compression was 9.0:1 with a bore of  3.939 and stroke 3.39″.  When ou topped that off with a two barrel Rochester Type 2GC carb you could manage a stout 250 hp.

Here is a nicely restored 330.

 

Coming up is the 1965 Olds Jetstar series.

Thanks for reading

Tim

NASCAR Comment

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My last post  “Dodge Unveils Next-Gen Sprint Cup Car in Vegas…..” (http://wp.me/pKHNM-ZJ), invoked a few comments mostly on Facebook and at least one here that touched on something that ‘bugs’ me about where NASCAR has gone since the 60’s.

Here is an excerpt from Bill:

“….

I’m bittersweet about manufacturers participation in NASCAR, and have been since TOYOTA wrapped themselves in the American flag and joined the series. If manufacturers are to continue participation, then I would like to see rules such as motor sources must be manufacturer sourced, running pump gas, and back to body templates that must match their street versions.

Back when MOPAR was absent from NASCAR, the ideal was that there just was nothing to gain in NASCAR other than name recognition for Chrysler. Even TOYOTA admitted when they joined NASCAR that there was nothing to gain other than getting their logo on the field….”

In another post I talked about loss of innovation and brand loyalty and I have to expand on and disagree a bit with Bill.

When NASCAR started the templates and restricter plates and began the standardization of the cars that participated, I began loosing interest and a lot of other did as well.  One of the biggest complaints I hear among the fan I sit with during a race and talk to is that the cars a so similar there really isn’t much to the racing part.    Those rules are what killed the major benefits for the manufacturers.   It killed individual innovation.   The cars are now tube framed, bland sheet metal, sticker covered shell of what racing use to be, 200 per hour uninspiring billboards.  Headlights and logos…. STICKERS… people!!!!!

How can these compare?

New Dodge Charger for NASCAR

They don’t compare.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Gorgeous ˜Wood Vehicles 1948 – Part II

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In this part we are picking up with Chrysler.

For 1948 Chrysler had the Town and Country (yes…even way back then) model with wood panels, it even came in a woody-vert (vert short for convertible).

It also came in a coupe/sedan.

Love the roof rack!!!

The wooden frame was white ash (adding structural rigidity to the doors and deck lid), fitted with interlocking miters.  Mahogany veneer plywood filled the spaces within the frames.

Now that is craftsmanship!!!!

The engine was the Spitfire Straight Eight with 323.5 cubic-inch displacement and 135 horsepower coupled to a fluid drive transmission.

135 HP

The convertible was the most favored of the Town and Country line with 8,368 sold. In 1948, the price tag showed $3,395.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

They Made How Many? 1950

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Oh the cars of the 1950’s were great. So how did they start out that iconic decade?

Some fantastic car and shapes came out in 1950.

Leading the numbers game was Chevy and Ford with over a million each, Chevy with 1,498,590 and Ford with 1,208,912, not bad.

Plymouth was third with nearly 800,000 out of first place with 610,954, Buick with 588,439 and Pontiac finished up the top 5 with 446,429.

Here’s the rest of the 19 makers:

Oldsmobile – 408,060

Dodge – 341,797

Studebaker – 320,884

Mercury – 293,585

Chrysler – 179,299

Nash – 171,782 (produced it’s 2,000,000th car)

DeSoto – 136,203

Hudson – 121,408

Cadillac – 103,857

Packard – 42,627

Lincoln – 28,190

Kaiser – 15,228

Crosley – 6,792

Frazer – 3,700

Do you have a favorite?  I have a couple.  My first would be the Hudson, followed closely by the Studebaker with its bullet nose.

I don't know why but I love the shape of these cars. Here is the 1950 Hudson Commodore.

There is nothing more interesting than the Bullet Nose Studebaker. Here is the 1950 Land Cruisera.

What else went on in 1950?

Micro Cars!!!  Say WHAT???   Yeah!!!   The IMP – hailed as “The Little Car with the Big Future”. With an MPG of 10 miles per gallon and all fiber glass body, the hopes were high.  But the car didn’t sell and disappeared in the same year.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

First Look: Hyundai Genesis Coupe – 2013

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Ok  match this one up the 2013 Dart in the previous post.

What would rather pruchase?

Engine:    3.8-liter V-6 now goes Direct Injection, which helps bump the horsepower to 348 and torque to 295 lb-ft (using premium fuel). 

BUT TIM!!!..COME ON NOW.  The Dart only has 4 cylinders!!!   True!!!

So for the Genesis – 2.0-liter inline-four is now paired with a twin-scroll turbocharger and improved intercooler, with that yielding 274 hp and 275 lb-ft, again with premium fuel. 

It even looks similar to the Dart –

Not bad---missing the second of door..but.....

Enough said?
 
Thanks for reading.
Tim