90 years of age can reflect in many ways. Although suffering a few rough spots this 1927 Chrysler sedan is a sharp and affordable antique that is mostly complete. Clearly stored for a long time, it would seem that a couple of weekends and some elbow grease might get this one moving under its own power once again. With hot rod metal and reproduction bodies bringing a premium, this Chrysler seems like a deal for a mere $4,000! Check it out here on craigslist out of Waterford, Michigan.
Slightly dingy and oily, the engine is not currently running, but does turn over by hand. Nothing appears out of place and there looks to be no damage or rust in the engine compartment. Fresh fluids, and some tinkering would hopefully bring this engine back to life.
With a quick glance of the interior you may cringe a bit, but take a second look and you will begin to see some possibilities. The worst of the interior is the stripped seat frames, and the water stained door panels. A little upholstery work would go a long way in this situation.
With a few rough spots, overall this Chrysler is a nice looking classic that could likely be touched up and made to look nice. The seller suggests making a “hot rod”out of it, but I would much rather see it cleaned up and preserved, or ideally restored. This car is located in Michigan so naturally it has some rust to show for 90 years worth of existence. The front fenders into the running boards have some rust and rot, and there is a rot area in the bottom of the passenger side “rocker” area just behind the engine cover. Also a few dents and dings have happened over the years, mainly on the rear fenders and the rear of the body above the rear window. Although not a show winner, it would be fantastic to see this car revived and out at shows in its original glory. The only drawback is the lack of a title, but some states do not require a title per se. What would you do with this reasonably priced antique?
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At that price and being that solid it wasn’t gonna last long, it’ll be at the Woodward Dream Cruise next year with a 440 and black paint.
I’d rather have the ’55.
Should be restored to “survivor ” condition. Hopefully the right person buys it . Someone with the time and patience. If you want to build a hot rod try fiberglass molds. But this old lady should be restored and driven. That’s what they meant for.
A shame that due to deceased owners, more and more of these 20’s cars are going to lose their place in the dry garage to a tri five Chevy.
In this era, Walter P Chrysler’s name was often used in company advertising. He had built a reputation for building innovative and sturdy cars. It is a shame that later leaders of his company didn’t keep up the quality.
Down here in Australia my neighbour inherited his Grand Mother’s tourer back in the 70s. We started to restore it and drove it around without a body with a kitchen seat roped to the chassis cross rails. Without a body it accelerated quite ok with its 50hp (aka Chrysler 50). Unfortunately he sold it about 2 years ago to a person who had another 50.
What hasn’t been said in the description is that the wheel spokes are wood and that the brakes were only on the rear plus they were externally contracting. If it rained, the brakes hardly worked and you had to carefully use the hand (transmission) brake to help the car to stop.
The updraft carburettor was all brass and the engine always started. The driveshaft universal joints were made from fabric bonded with rubber which used a three-pronged spider on each side of the fabric.
Note that on the vehicle in the photos there is an engine stay at the back of the head bolted to what looks like a rubber mount just above the steering tube. As I remember, the tourer body did not have this (on our RHD version). Note again that the engine is bolted to the frame (rubber engine mounts came out about 4 years later) I suspect that as the sedan body is more rigid that this stay and mount is to hold the body around the steering so that it either did not make the steering wheel vibrate or it is to protect the steering box from fracturing from the body vibration.
In about 1974 I inherited my 1932 DM Dodge (aka rebadged PB Plymouth) which I still have and we used to drive the two cars around the local streets having a great time. (Does anyone have a spare pitman or steering arm? They are the same on lhd & rhd)
My Dad had one exactly like this but in better shape. Chryslers of this era used a lot of “pot metal” for things like door handles, switches and other stuff. It was all crumbling apart on his car and would have been a tough restoration.
“Rust and rot” – ???. Where I come from, the brown substance on metal (regardless on extent) is simply called rust.
Wonder what is the difference in authors mind?
Metal rusts. Wood rots. (Where I come from…)