We had some huge cars in the sixties and seventies, and Chryslers, such as this 1973 Chrysler Town and Country station wagon, were firmly in the mix. Stretching out to 230 inches in length, riding on a 122-inch wheelbase, hoggin’ its lane at 79.4 inches in width, and tipping the scale at 4,800 lbs. puts this rig squarely in “whammer-jammer” territory. The profile image even makes it look longer still! Curvette found the listing for this suburban stomper; it’s located in Corvallis, Oregon, and is available here on craigslist for $6,900 or the best reasonable offer.
We cover big station wagons all the time, but the Chrysler Town & Country variety is among the least seen. ChryCo knocked out about 20K copies in ’73, but my guess today, a half-century later, is that they are few and far between. T&C’s were offered in a single body style/trim level. All were paneled in fine Di-Noc paneling and were available with accommodations for either six or nine passengers. Styling is always subjective, and this car’s flanks are unmistakably reminiscent of Mopar’s fuselage styling. The front end, however, is another matter, especially compared to its ’72 predecessor – I’d rate it boxy and bugly. The butterscotch hue is oh so seventies and is in fair shape, though there are places where it has chipped or peeled away. As for the “rich” faux wood paneling, it is either faded or is missing in places, but not entirely. Most importantly, the body of this bruiser appears to be solid with no indication of rot. It’s complete too, the extensive stainless trim is all still attached. As for the fender skirts, they’re a matter of preference.
Mopar’s famed 440 CI “RB” V8 engine is on call under the hood, and as a result of federally mandated emission controls and the SAE’s decision to switch from gross to net power ratings, HP registers at a mere 215. The seller adds, “Car runs well and drives very smooth.” Improvements/repairs to the 135 K-mile powerplant include “HP exhaust manifolds and dual exhaust, new Edelbrock AVS2 Carb, new starter, new fuel pump, new plugs and wires, electronic ignition.” A TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission was the only game in town in ’73.
Regarding the interior, the seller states, “Interior is clean with the exception of the driver door armrest and two splits in the driver seat.” The wayback, which often takes the brunt of station wagon use, looks OK; it has seen some on-duty time but is still presentable and functional. The dash and instrument panel with its wide horizontal sweep speedometer has withstood the test of time; there’s no indication of delamination or cloudy gauges. Even the carpet has fared reasonably well.
So, what does this T&C really need? Nuffin’. OK, the rear window doesn’t retract, but that’s likely the motor, which can be replaced. Buy, drive, and enjoy would be the order of the day, and the next owner can rest assured that they’ll stand apart from the usual Country Squire or Kingswood Estate set. Let’s talk price, what’s your thought? At $6,900, priced right or not quite?
This looks like THE *Love Shack * 🎵 Well I got me a car! 🎶 It’s as big as a whale🎵 YEAH I got me a🎶 Chrysler 🎵It seats about twenty. 🎵 Admittedly this is HUGE, but not my cup of tea. Even though better than bloated SUVS, I never had any interest in wagons. And the Fuselage design left me cold. It is a good alternative to those blankety blank SUVS.
I love it. I’m sure it is as smooth a cruiser as Detroit ever made. +1 for the woodgrain, and definitely +1 for the skirts. The price seems pretty fair as well.
I knew a family that brought one like this same color and fake wood. I remember it was fully loaded. Every option you could think of plus leather interior. Also dual exhaust. It was fun riding in the back. Plenty of power and it moved quickly onto the NYS Thurway. Also white wall fancy rims. I was surprised to read manual windows and seat in this one. If everything works $5,000.00 is a better price. Good luck to the next owner. 🐻🇺🇸
Nice beast of a station wagon and the price is right.
We had a ’69, which were prettier. As for this,
finding a gas cap cover will be oh so simple . . . not.
Welcome to the party Norma, we don’t get too many ladies on this site, but the ones that we do are very knowledgeable about automobiles, as I’m sure are you!
Thia one is “my cup of tea”, but no as I have a 66 F-100 now, but again as I age, this would certainly be more comfortable and could be used for some of the things like the pickup, though hauling firewood would not be nice in this. Price is in the ballpark and I’m old enough to appreciate what someone here referred to “old man tan”, or close enough.
My dad bought a new 1970 town & country wagon , same color or antique ivory with black interior. I had the 383 V-8 which was definately underpowered! Otherwise it had all powers and 3 rear seat. Road great as it was a heavy car.
good buy if you could get it for 4500.00. needs a lot of tlc
Great write-up Jim! If I had the room I’d be all over this! My best friend (also a Mopar guy) owned several long-roofs over the years, all Chrysler products. This one looks like it’s had reasonably good care, too. As far as the ‘woodgrain’ on the side, my buddy used to use, of all things, brown shoe polish. It always looked great…
Looks like the Griswold family truckster…this is definitely the car you want if you’re taking the whole herd across the country….you may not like it now….
Those big 440’s moved those wagon efforlessly.
Since it’s a 1973, the crankshaft will be forged but it will have 346 heads, with hardened valve seats and mediocre flow. Pretty easy motor to get 350 hp and 450 lb-ft out of with an intake, carb, and cam. Get into some aluminum heads and 400 hp is a breeze.
As a certified lunatic with a ’79 Delta 88 that makes 475 horsepower *to the wheels,* I’d be tempted to go a bit overboard. Maybe the 512-inch, 520 horsepower full-build stroker kit from the 440 Source for 520 horsepower. Replace the 727 for a hydraulic valve-body A-518 (aka 46RH) with a 0.69:1 overdrive and you’d have something wonderful.