The curious thing for me about barn-find automobiles is how they come about being stored away and forgotten for decade after decade. A case in point in this pair of 1960s Chryslers which appear to have been left in this messy garage for the past 35 years. Did they both quit running at the same time? Did the owners die and nobody touched the property for three and a half decades? And if the garage looks this bad, what does the rest of the property look like? Located in Hobart, Indiana is a garage that contains both a 1962 Chrysler New Yorker and a 1968 Chrysler Newport. They are available here on Facebook Marketplace and will be sold as a pair to the highest bidder. At the moment, the bidding holds at $3,000. And neither car will come with a title.
1962 Chrysler New Yorker
The listing calls this car both a 1961 and 1963 model when in reality it has to be a 1962. The New Yorker still had fins in 1961 and didn’t in 1962 and the 1963 had completely different styling. The New Yorker has the distinction of being longest-running American car nameplate, running from 1940 to 1996. The New Yorker was generally the flagship Chrysler model and was just one spot removed from the Imperial. The car helped define Chrysler as a manufacturer of upscale models and usually competed with the upper-level models from Mercury, Buick, and Oldsmobile. As the Forward Look Chryslers of the 1950s were fading into memory, they went to unibody construction in 1960. The now-finless New Yorkers for 1962 proved to be unpopular with critics and buyers and 4-door sedan-hardtops, like the seller’s car, saw sales of just 12,000 units.
It’s a shame that neither car was pulled outside and cleaned up so you could determine how good or bad they are. The New Yorker has two-tone paint, likely white over Bermuda Turquoise. The chrome bumpers look to be pitted and the front bumper appears bent over by the driver’s side slanted headlights. Rust is apparent along the rocker panels and door bottoms on the driver’s side as well as around the rear wheel-well. It would not be surprising to find it’s worse underneath as that was a common complaint of the early unibody Chryslers. There are no interior or engine photos provided, but the likely powerplant is a 413 cubic inch, 4-barrel V-8 that was standard New Yorker fare through 1965.
1968 Chrysler Newport
We see less of the Newport than we do the New Yorker. The Newport name also had a lengthy run at Chrysler from 1961 to 1981. It was usually positioned as the entry-level model in the big Chrysler line-up. The 1968 Newport was built on a platform that was rolled out in 1965. Styling-wise, it was a bit similar to the Lincoln Continentals of the same time period. The standard motor for that era of the Newport was the 383 V-8 with a 2-barrel carburetor, and the push-button TorqueFlite transmissions was already gone in favor of the more common column-shift.
The color of the seller’s car might be Light Turquoise Metallic, and it may have a white top as well. The entire right front fender is missing which suggests it was in an accident at one point and this is as far as the repair got. Because there are fewer Newport photos, we can’t access what corrosion issues there may be. A few underside photos of the cars are provided, but I’m not sure which car we’re looking at with some of these. Given its hibernation in a garage with lots of open spots, it would be surprising not to find rust. The interior seems to be in a matching color as the body and the carpeting looks old and dirty. Because the Newport was a more affordable car, Chrysler built more than 61,000 Newports with four doors in 1968.
Ah,Facebook.
Amazing that there was one GOOD pic (the interior). If the followed FB tradition, The interior pic would have been shot from outside through the dirty window.
Of course, they have a description that you have to read 2 or 3 times to get what they are talking about – “It’s Saturday who’s coming to get these cars taking offers right now”
Styling-wise, they were similar to the Lincolns of the era because they were designed by the same guy, Elwood Engel.
I’d like to see the oldest item in these people’s refrigerator.
No, you wouldn’t!
Makes you wonder how many of these are staged.
30 minutes work would give the buyer at least an idea of what he is bidding on.
Does the junk make them more valuable to someone?
Now, how in the world can you really evaluate the condition of whatever these are like the way they are presented?
Moreover, how can you make an honest offer if you don’t know?
I like old cars, but I hate this.
Please be honest and present things accurately. Will pass otherwise at any price. Not interested.
Back in the day you could order one like you wanted it. My Older cousin, actually the age of my Grandfather, ordered a Newport in 1967 with the 383 and three on the tree. It was this same color blue
I have been been buying cars for many years, I get what this deal is. It isn’t rocket science. Most likely some family member or someone representing the new owner or possibly an auctioneer or estate is left to task the cleanup that someone left behind. Often it is not in the interest in a liquidation to spend an entire day or days to clean and pose vehicles to look pretty then try to get them back inside without being noticed. From the looks of the garage it seems like a tough area. Simply when they open the door what they are seeing is what you are. Nothing more. Have pity on them. It has been thrown on them out of ones failure to give up something their only the caretaker of.
If these old cruise ships are your thing and you are local this might be a deal. Often it isn’t the cars its might be something else hidden in there. For the enthusiast you already know what you are looking at anyway. You know how a car looks on a hill in the elements for 50 years. Not rocket science. For some cars hiding under garage junk is just what they are looking for. Shouldn’t be anything to complain about. The seller will get paid by someone to use up their time to do the cleanup for them. Makes perfect business sense.
Should be a wakeup to everyone to get your business taken care of before you go. You can’t take it with you. If it has value and someone wants it. Take the money and put it in an account. If not the auction company will throw it in a box of misc and sell it for pennies. That’s what the family ends up with. What was hot 20 years ago most likely isn’t now. Don’t let the family live with the guilt of doing what dad would have wanted. Do it for them while you can.
The sadder part is. The ones who never took the time to spend with mom or dad. Is always their to grab what they can and never cared about their folks. When you have seen it and lived it. You know. ,but as I told my siblings. Where were you at when mom and dad just needed someone to talk to. I told my niece to sale my things and give it to help unfortunate kids. They could have cleaned this place up and it would not have take that much time and sale the cars alot faster and maybe for more money. I really like the lite up dash on the 61 and 62 Chryslers at night. They remind me of a space ship. Though I never seen the inside of a space ship. My imagination has. hahaha My brother had a 61 New Port. 383 -4 barrel–4 door sedan and all black with blue intereior. He bought it the first day back from Viet Nam. He started to take off and almost throwed me through the windshield. He appologized and said he thought he was driving a duece and a half. hahaha
Messy garage. Looks like a hurricane blew through town.
Evidence of procrastination destination.
My Mother always said I was a procrastinator, I told her “Just you wait!”.
Rex,
About 40 years ago I founded the Procrastination Society. I’ve been planning on sending out a notice that the first annual meeting of the society has been postponed again, but I’ve just not gotten around to it yet. Oh, I forgot, the reason I’ve not sent it out is because no one has ever asked for a membership form!
I am all in Bill. If you find time send me a form. I am not in a big hurry though.
leiniedude,
Eventually, my like-minded friend, eventually!
Hahaha.
Back in 1969 when I left the nest, I moved/rode down to the cities with a friend. He owned a 1961 Chrysler Newport 4dr. in a strange orange/coral color with a white top. When we were driving through the city, I remember being embarrassed because the car had huge fins. lol. I never said anything to my friend though.
Regardless of the rarity (if any) of what’s being advertised for sale, I would be absolutely ashamed to post pictures like these.
Are the sellers really that ignorant about curb appeal…?
The property is obviously being liquidated. The quest is not get top dollar. It is to get rid of what’s there as cost efficiently as possible and get the real estate sold. They are not in the business in making things pretty. They have been hired to sell the contents companies usually charge $25 and up an hour so spending days repairing tires moving junk dragging in and out will get expensive real quick. Sales like this happen every day
There are two types of estate companies. The ones that “tag and bag” everything have the means to sit on the stuff a lot longer, can schedule and staff an open house, or eventually auction some things with other unsold estate items. Then there are the “storage wars” type of liquidators who open the barn/garage/storage unit door and ask the public to make an offer on the biggest items taking up the most space.
Bad pictures brings low offers. The seller probably does not care. He just wants them gone. However, that is my assumption. I could be totally wrong.
Rats and rust.
Would not take either car as a gift. Not even if it was delivered. Especially not if it was delivered.
It all depends upon your perception. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Perhaps grandpa was saving them for his grand children because he knew they wanted those cruise ships, as you call them. Or father and son bought them new and had many good rides in them. Chrysler was hot in the 60s. And the correct term is Astrodash for the 62 New Yorker. I was blessed to find a 62 Newport 4 door sedan about a year ago. Would make a great Chrysler Enforcer police car clone. Any of you know what a Chrysler Enforcer is? Much interesting history in that garage. Doesn’t always have to be a hemi.
Not only is the fender off the 68, but its front seat is removed in the one photograph from the listing. I think the bench seat is sitting on its roof. The New Yorker appears to have serious rust out in the additional photos attached to the Facebook ad.