Here’s another low-mileage survivor. No, it wasn’t found in a barn but a 31-year old 1987 Chrysler Fifth Avenue with 17,000 miles and in this condition is more than worthy of being shown here. This ruby red beauty can be found on Craigslist, or here on the CL archive, in Muskego, Wisconsin, just southwest of Milwaukee. The seller is asking $4,000 for this time capsule. In case you’re wondering with it being a Wisconsin car, there is “no rust anywhere”. Thanks to Rocco B. for finding this gem!
I’m not a huge lover of red cars but dang, this thing is beeeeeeautiful. The seller says that this was a “non-smoker older gentleman’s “baby.” Always garage kept, and rarely used for more than just short trips” and that “he also maintained it to the highest standards. Before he went into a retirement home he even replaced the battery and tires (with whitewalls, of course).” That sounds like one of my cars that I never drive but spend a decent amount of money on keeping it maintained, and also I should probably be in a retirement home..
The interior is super plush and that “butter soft flawless red leather tufted interior” is great, much cooler than the velour that also came in these cars. They that it’s “evident that even the passenger and back seats had never been used!” This was almost Chrysler’s response to the Rolls-Royce. Ok, maybe not to that degree, not even close, but as far as being almost spongily-posh and cushy and luxurious.
This is Chrysler’s 318 cubic-inch V8 which would have had around 150 hp by 1987 in this car. There is no word on how this spoon-and-fork (clean enough to eat off of) engine runs, but the seller says that “Everything works, like a 17,000 mile car should.” I passed up one of these a few months ago for less than half this price because it had a little rust on it. NADA lists a high retail value of $3,100 but that’s meaningless when you run across such a time capsule as this one appears to be.
I’m more interested in all the memorabilia hanging on the garage walls! Wish I could “Get me some of that!”
“Then Came Bronson” was one of my favorite shows. He should have been on a “Big Twin”, but most people probably never knew it was “just” a Sporty. :)
Yep, I watched every week, kinda like a “Route 66” with a different ride. BTW I always liked Sportsters over big twins. Lighter and more ‘flickable’. Good eye Mr. Howard.
Oh H#LL NAW!!!!! Another Fugly Mopar with a lean burn ignition?!…….JUNK!
Maybe not a million-dollar car but junk, really? Bet you’ve got some really eclectic tastes.
No lean burn in 87.
Sweet ride, Scotty! I had never thought much of these until I rode in one that was maybe three or four years old at the time. The seats were just as you describe them, fabulous, and the dash and interior treatments, the silent adequate thrust of the 318… it felt as stately as any Cadillac or any car I’d experienced. Disregard the year and MPG and it shames most $4000 cars today.
Your definition of “thrust” must differ from the rest of the world’s understanding. I rented one of these things once and it could barely get out its own way.
Nice car, but WHOA! that’s a whole lotta red! I’m getting a headache just from looking at it.
Covering just 17k miles in it’s life, very impressive. Maybe all the red prevented Gramma & Grampa from driving it more often LOL
Doubtful this will ever reach collectible status, so buy it, & enjoy it for what it is .. an 80s luxo cruiser
If it were the R-body NYer/St Regis/Gran Fury then I’d be real interested
and you’d need a White belt & pants to drive it!
Great if you don’t do a lot of driving and need the room and comfort.
Gorgeous Fifth Avenue! I’ve had the pleasure of driving one (same model year) a number of times. Very comfy seats, smooth ride, and though hardly a tire burner, it could hustle if it had to.
Thinking hard about this one, but the Lean Burn system is stopping me.Heard a lot of horror stories over the years.
No lean burn in ’87.
So is that actual corinthian leather…
Corinthian leather has not been available since Corinthian’s were put on the endangered species list.
Now you’re thinking like me Mark!
No Lean Burn in this,this is 87 not 77. I had an 85 Plymouth Volare ,same as the US Grand Fury,it was pretty much this car but less fancy. drove it till it rusted out,and though not to exciting,a very nice car to drive. The 318 was just adequate power wise,and mileage wise too.
This is a beautiful car and they ride so nice.
Somebody should buy this for their weekend driver.
Thirty year old red Mopar sedans aren’t really my thing, but the story here is that it was the old man’s baby, and he can’t take care of it any more. That’s what tugs at your heartstrings and makes you hope that it finds a good home. The level of care lavished on this car was extraordinary, and I hope it doesn’t fall into the hands of someone who’ll trash it. It deserves better, if only to honor the guy who cherished it.
thats my kind of car
Can’t understand the bashers, people comment like 17k mile classics for $4k grow on trees…the car is worth it all day, sorry it’s not black, try to find another…
I’ve said it before. Car people complain about the lack of color variety and then when something distinctive or uncommon comes up they wish it was black, white or dull silver.
We have the technology to make it faster, stronger, better… And that’s exactly what I’d do with this car; rebuild that motor with modern internals, electronic ignition and EFI. I’d leave the rest alone and have the perfect sleeper.
Why rebuild an engine that doesn’t need it?
Just because we have he technology to do something doesn’t make it a good idea. Sure, you could upgrade it to 2018 running gear, but then this car would no longer be what it is – a pristine survivor of a past era. It would, instead, become a lousy imitation of a modern car.
Everything works (except the a/c), and I don’t think those bald spots are gonna buff out, but classic fun for not a lot of money…can’t go wrong!
Gotta love those super soft seats! Why don’t luxury cars come like that today, and instead have hard so called cushions that make you squirm after a while?
I have small collection of classic vehicles. 2 years ago I bought ALL original 1980 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue has 15K original miles with all documentation window sticker and manuals. Cream colour combo 360 2V , factory ac , factory amfm, power front seats. Just beautiful classic Chrysler. I paid $13,600 for it. No it’s not for sale!
The price is right. It’s a good car for the money. It’s not a great car though. My grandfather had its twin, but red velour instead of leather. I recall being markedly unimpressed by driving it, especially the lack of power. This is when it was brand-new. It can’t possibly be better 21 years later.
Love the red, enough said.
That’s a twin to my car 15 years back and mine had a sun roof! Ill get to ride in this one though , my good friend is on his way down tonight to buy it!!
That is a twin to the one I had 15 years ago, only mine also had the factory sun roof! I will get to see and ride in this beauty because my good friend Dan bought it last night and its new home will be in West Bend Wi!
Cool! You’ll know what it’s like to ride in a luxury car when luxury meant comfort, instead of hard seats and panels, and gadgets that can calculate trajectory, vectors, thrust and coordinates for a trip to Pluto.
Dan decided he really didn’t need this car or have a place to store it so its still available as far as I know!
Bought one of these about 10 years ago for a work beater. Nowhere near as clean as this one but still nice. Paid $300 for it! It was just a disposable work car to me but i drove it for a year and a half. Super comfy to commute in.
This is a turd. It was a turd the day it rolled off the assembly line. These were dark times.
My dad bought a new 1983 5th Avenue. Looked good. Turd. Ergonomics? Ha ha ha. You couldn’t adjust the driver’s seat with the door closed because you couldn’t reach the switch. If you tried to adjust the mirrors you had to lean forward to reach the switch. Sad. Didn’t anyone discover this during the development process?
Performance with the 318 was pathetic, especially with passengers and the a/c on. Really pathetic.
He traded to buy a new 1985. Again, turd. Gunmetal blue gray with gray leather. Beautiful with it’s alloy wheel and Arriva whitewalls but still carbureted and perfomance was just awful. Ergonimics unchanged. He sold it a few years later and got a minivan.
These 5th Avenues are nice to look at but are pathetic performers and cramped/poorly laid out inside.
Pass!
I always liked these cars, but never the vinyl roof….short wheelbase… boxy but cool……rwd……v8….I dig it
Years after my dad’s 85 (and 83) were long gone I saw these 5th Avenues in salvage yards. I was surprised to find that the rear doors were fitted with the quarter glass just like Diplomats and other lesser M-bodies — the glass was simply covered with vinyl covered panels to extend the vinyl top forward a bit. Also, the roof profile at the back is the same as those lesser sister-cars. Chrysler bolted on a fiberglass extension back there to extend the roof and make the rear glass more vertical.
I bought a used 79 Seville in 1986 and, while it was about the same size as the 5th Avenue it was WORLD’s better with it’s port fuel injected Olds 350 and THM400 trans. That Seville absolutely FLEW and had other nice features like 4 wheel disc brakes, power reclining seats, and trunk lid pulldown. The used Caddy was 3X the car for less than half of what dad paid for his 5th Avenue. He was jealous and kept asking me what he could do to make his car perform better. He wasn’t looking for dragster performance by any means. But with mom up front and 3 kids in back with the a/c on the smogged 318 was just plain inadequate.
I have a pic of dad’s 85 somewhere and I’ll have to find/post it. It really was a beautiful car but the ergonomics and performance were not worthy of Chrysler’s top offering. I do like the exterior styling a lot but I can still heat that smog pump whine and the fan roar at cold startup.
I myself just purchased the same car in blue. It’s an 18,000 mile time capsule never been in the rain. It has the leather option in blue also. What a pleasure to drive this car!! They’re still out there somewhere!
Congrats on your great find, glad its in good hands, enjoy!!
does anyone know the location and sellers contact number for the crimson red 87 Chrysler fifth avenue thinking about trying to buy