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Hemi Hauler: 1953 Chrysler Town And Country

That thing gotta Hemi? Soiently! This wagon is actually a New Yorker Town and Country as opposed to a Windsor Town and Country which would be non-Hemi powered. The seller claims that this wagon is one of 1,399 which research indicates is in fact the correct production output for a New Yorker version. The Windsor variant, however, is even rarer as the same research source indicates only 1,242 of those saw the light of day.  It’s definitely an interesting find, courtesy of Jim A, so let’s take a closer look. Davisburg, Michigan is where this T & C calls home and it is available, here on Facebook Marketplace for $4,500.

The truth be told, this Town & Country looks more like a hearse than what would usually pass for a vehicle wearing the esteemed Town & Country moniker. I get a laugh out of Facebook Marketplace ads, besides the fact that they are generally uninformative, they usually carry the disclaimer, “This vehicle has no significant damage or problems”. OK, there you go, all clear. The images will do the talking and the most obvious exterior aspects are missing trim, a dented driver’s side fender, rusty bumpers, and peeling paint. As to further potential corrosive effects, an inspection would be necessary.

Fire-Dome power is provided by a 180 HP, 331 CI V8 engine connected to an automatic transmission, unknown if it is a Fluid-Matic Drive or a Fluid-Torque Drive gearbox. Regardless, this is a “No-Mo” Hemi as it appears to have been silent for many moons. The missing upper radiator hose is one clue, and there are probably more, such as the seller’s mention of “no spark” but the engine image, itself, isn’t very telling.

Same does for the interior, it’s poorly presented and generally, an Indian blanket covering the front seat doesn’t get us off to a good start. The carpetless front floors are exposed and there appears to be some surface rust present but again, the image isn’t very comprehensive. With station wagons, like pickup trucks, a cargo area image is always welcome but one was not provided.

Based on the back seat image, the upholstery appears to be maroon vinyl though I suppose it could be leather too – there is not enough visible for a determination.

OK, so now it’s “What to do with it?” time. Many vehicles featured on Barn Finds have pretty obvious next steps, this station wagon though is a bit murkier because many unknowns persist. It could be restored, hot-rodded, resto-moded, just made useable/driveable as is, or…?

Comments

  1. Harry Allen

    Well I am staying with my firm convictions in retaining an old vehicle as original as possible so making this a useable / driver would be my stance. That leaves the door open for future restoration if the mood strikes and in the interim you can collect needed parts to that end.

    Like 14
    • Ricardo Ventura

      Perfect.
      Nothing to add.

      Like 1
  2. charlize

    I love that car seat blanket…would look good in my living room.

    Like 4

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