Big Barn Find: 1970 Chrysler New Yorker

Beginning in the 1940s and running for more than 50 years, the New Yorker was Chrysler’s top-of-the-line automobile (excluding the Imperial, which was not always marketed as a Chrysler). The big C-body Chryslers got a redesign in 1969, so the 1970 models were little changed. This ‘70 New Yorker sedan is described as a barn find (yard find might be more like it) which will need some coaxing to run again. Located in Wiggins, Colorado, this once-forgotten sedan is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $10,000 OBO.

If you wanted a big car in 1970, the Chrysler New Yorker was about as big as they came. Riding on a wheelbase of 124 inches, the NYer was just under 19 feet in length and weighed about 4,400 lbs. As such, it needed a big engine to move it around, and a 440 cubic inch V8 was standard with a TorqueFlite automatic transmission. Chrysler produced about 34,200 New Yorkers in 1970, of which nearly 9,400 were 4-door sedans like this one. It was half as popular in terms of sales compared to the 4-door hardtop.

We assume the seller acquired this car from its original owners because of the paperwork trail dating back to when it left the Chrysler lot in 1970. That includes the MSRP window sticker that says the car cost more than $6,000 when new. But an Imperial would have set you back even more. The indicated mileage of 69,000 should be legit. This was a dealer demonstrator in ’70, so the original owner saved a few bucks on the purchase.

The car has no doubt been sitting for a while, and the paint has become faded, though the seller has been trying to coax it back into shape. Rust is at a minimum, and the interior is sound, though dirty. The car had flat tires when photographed, and we assume they haven’t been replaced. The 440 engine turns over, but the big Chrysler isn’t quite ready to fire up and move around. So, if you don’t mind a project with more than two doors, would you take this beast home?