Something I’m always grateful for in car listings is when it appears the seller is being forthcoming and telling you everything they know, and I get that feeling about this 1960 Chrysler Saratoga, which is located in Seattle, Washington, and can be spotted here on eBay. The seller says he has sold several vehicles online during the last 15 years and is continuing to thin out his herd, including this particular car that he actually purchased himself on eBay 5 or 6 years ago. For 1960, the Saratoga was based on the New Yorker body minus the trimmings, and for those who love that tall tail fin look this one’s sure to please. Bidding is currently at $22,600, with a little over a week left on the auction at the time of this writing. Another huge thank you to Barn Finds reader Larry D. for finding this one and sending it our way!
The seller says the goal is to give potential buyers the same kind of information they would want if it was them looking to purchase the car, and he does state upfront that beyond the last 5 or 6 years little is known about the history of the Chrysler, other than it has clearly been maintained cosmetically and mechanically in reasonable driver condition. Although the blue finish is stated to look really good, it is only rated a 6 on a 10 scale, probably from a combination of the paint being older and the fact that it appears not all of the trim pieces were removed before it was sprayed. The body is said to be straight, but if you look down the side in the light a few light ripples can be seen. There’s no evidence of any major rust issues, other than a few small bubbles near the rocker molding and the C-Pillar, the latter of which also has a stress crack.
The seller says the 383 looks like the original engine and sees no obvious signs that it’s ever been taken out of the car, but that’s speculative, of course. The motor starts and runs consistently and has no knocking sounds, although there’s an oil drip and some blowback through the oil breather, both minor issues according to the seller. The transmission is said to have no noticeable slipping, though the shift from 1st to 2nd gear is a bit slushy and the trans has been known to leak in the past. Two separate videos of the car are also provided, one showing a walkaround, another the undercarriage, and from what we can see things down below appear to look solid.
For a driver, the interior looks pretty good, with the seats and back package tray believed to have had new coverings at some point. All glass is in decent shape, with a few scratches but no chips or cracks. The lights and gauges work, with the exception of the fuel gauge and clock, plus the horn is no longer functioning. The Saratoga also came with the Airtemp A/C option, and although the compressor does kick on it’s not making the temperature much cooler, so that will need attention if you plan to drive the car on hot summer days. While the car could stand some TLC, I’m not seeing anything glaring that would cause me to hesitate taking it on as a project, or just making a few repairs and driving it. How about you?
Love it! Keep ’em coming.
I don’t care what “camp” you support, you have to admit what a car. It’s as if GM and Chrysler were out to out do each other. Ford was always conservative, but gee-gaws and chrome applied with a patching trowel was the rule here. I don’t think the public was too impressed, it didn’t last long. I always thought that instrument cluster was the most. Almost 3D. It’s an amazing find, not some beast of a motor, totally usable today, and yet, only 2 bids,,,a shame, Chrysler built the best road cars, and none better than right here.
I had to chuckle, the car “wanders”,,,it looks like bias-ply tires, and the 1st thing to go. It’s not the steering, and it’s always refreshing to hear someone, Dan, in this case, who wrote a very nice ad, btw, but unfamiliar with bias-ply tires, and certainly justified. It’s been 40 years since bias-ply, and most people know nothing but radials. Lose the tires, instant improvement, I almost guarantee, even WITH a worn ball joint. I love the color, and I remember an ad, someone made fireplace surrounds out of the front ends of these( and others). Looked pretty neat, so be careful with that front end, I doubt there’s many left.
Beauty.
I must agree with Howard. I’m really not a strong Mopar guy but there are a few Mopars I really like. This one has presence and is just downright classy. Good enough to show and be a fun driver and not have to worry about getting a scratch or getting caught in a rain shower. Install a pair of new belts on that compressor and charge it with R-12 and just enjoy that thing. I bet that dash has the electroluminescent lighting that looks awesome at light. What a ride!
Special thanks to Greg G. for this photo.. https://www.flickr.com/photos/greggjerdingen/48377011391
Oh yea! That alone is worth the price of admission.
Howard, my grandfather had a `60 New Yorker four door HT. He used to call that instrument cluster the Rose Bowl band shell! Probably THE neatest dash anyone had back then!
Battery ground cable going to the a/c compressor? Hope there is a good engine to chassis ground cable
That big ol’ girl looks pretty good in B5 blue.
Looking under the hood it looks like the car was originally Moonstone blue . The repaint looks like the shade of light blue that a lot of cars got painted in back in the 1980s. These cars had some great lines ; its funny to think how outdated they must have looked just a few years later when fins went out of style .
It’s not a 300F but this thing is still a beauty. I love the 1960 Chrysler 2DR hardtops. Simply beautiful.
Would love this beauty!
My dad had a ’60 Windsor 2-door hardtop. It was very similar in appearance to this car. The lighted instrument panel at night was a sight to behold! The grille on this car is from a New Yorker. The Windsor and Saratoga shared a grill that was not recessed.
The grille change is a huge PLUS! The NY grille was much more imposing than the Windsor/Saratoga flush-mounted ‘mesh pattern”.
Looks like a possible cousin of……Christine ! (in a different shade dress)
A base car with factory air. What could be cooler.
I once went to look at a 1960 Chrysler but it had a stick shift. I wanted the pushbuttons.
What an idiot I was.