A sleek styled Hemi powered station wagon is a difficult car to look past. This rare survivor is a sweet find but with any find there is always a catch. Sadly the original Hemi V8 and transmission have been pulled, so this is merely a wagon roller at this point. While there is no heart, this wagon could be a sweet candidate for a swap, or you can purchase a spare Hemi the seller has for an addition $1,500. Either way, this sweet roller is available for $3,900. Be sure to check it out here on craigslist out of Putnam, Connecticut. Thanks to Fordguy1972 for this awesome wagon submission!
It is a bit painful to think that someone took such a nice and scarce wagon survivor, and yanked its heart out. The interior shows quite well, but the seats could use some attention. The dash is gorgeous in its paint matched gold with cream.
Although not quite perfect, this interior could be turned around with minimal fuss, but a full upholstery make over would likely do the most justice. Plus look at all of the room you can fill with friends, family, or even junk from the swap meets!
While most of the gold paint is still in place, the roof has a fair amount of chipped paint. If I was to get my hands on this project, I would probably gently sand the roof and touch up the paint to offer a better curb appeal. The driver side rocker area is a bit wonky, appearing to have been subject to some rough manhandling by a fork lift? Rust appears to be at a minimum, but there are a few small areas where rot can be seen. The passenger rear wheel arch has a small narrow section, and there looks to be an area on the driver rocker below the rear door. Also there is mention of some under body rust. These great 50’s era station wagons are not all too common, and this deluxe Hemi powered Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe is definitely a special machine. Would you revive this deluxe station wagon, and if you did what engine would you put in it?
Here we go again another great old Mopar I just love these old Mopars. I’d restore and repaint the body redo the interior, then I’d get a donor Chryslers fifth ave late 80’s model and I’d install, the 318 the auto over drive and the disc brakes/ power steering out that donor. I might even want the rear axle and brakes too. You could have a fun summertime cruiser with this combo. Oh minus the lean burn stuff out of the fifth ave. nice old car lots of potential.
I’ve been a big fan of station wagons since my first, an ’84 Old Cutlass Ciera Cruiser. I’ve had several since and I’m currently driving my 5th wagon, a Dodge Magnum. What’s not to like about this golden beauty? Probably quite rare today and with only 1,036 produced, there can’t be too many left. While it would be nice to have the original drivetrain, going with a modern engine and transmission might be the best way to go. Otherwise, this scarce wagon seems to be complete making it a great candidate to restore to it’s former glory. While rust repair, paint and interior work my be an expensive endeavor, this wagon would look stunning in it’s original gold and white. The price seems fair for a complete, unmolested roller; lots of potential here. I hope it finds a new home and is kept as original as possible.
It’s very sad to see what condition this car is in now. This was my car that I sold about 10 years ago in near showroom condition with the original strong running 331 Hemi. It hurts me to see that it looks like a wreck now.
I agree. Why would someone buy a great car and neglect it and let it get into such sad condition? This always floors me. Really makes me wonder. Yes, check out the spare hemi. If it is a 331, rebuild it and get a (close to ) correct tranny, refurbish the interior, etc. Bring it back to its original (or close to ) condition.
No rockers, no driveline, no title, and scarce parts. Cool looking ride but a labor of love indeed!
I’d go with a Hemi drivetrain from a wrecked 300C or Magnum. Appropriate power that would make this old girl scoot! You cold even go with the dash along with climate control, etc.- except that it would be a crying shame on this car to do away with the dash!
I agree with both of your points. But, at some point, a decision has to be made. I like my a/c, so I would have to do some cutting on the dash….as little as possible. This might take some searching for usable unit and maybe someone who is very well versed in the swap.
I have a CE57 392 out of a 57 Imperial t has very few miles on it. Iit’s going in a T-Bucket or similar car.That 392 is one of the most beautiful engines ever made and engineered.There are people out there with more than a few 1st gen. hemis.One of those guys should put this back to stock.
I like the idea of all the trim is still intact. A good body man could make this a nice and cool ride. A drive train is easy to come buy. Hope to one day see it on the road again.
This car needs to be saved. It’s pickup trucks from that era that are getting good money, but if you look, you will see wagons are starting to take off. Just like pickups, wagons were use them up and toss them aside vehicles of their day. I can’t remember the last time I saw one of these. Worst case, make it into a restomod with modern suspension and drivetrain keeping the look and feel of the car still in the 50s.
A ’55 Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe wagon, completely restored, sold at Barrett-Jackson for $82,500 in 2007(?). If you could source a date-correct engine and transmission, there’s money to be made on this one.
This is a good looking wagon and I would love to have it as my daily driver.
I will break the 318 and box, out of the Winnebago, to get it going until any Hemi comes along.
But alas, I am on the other side of the world, so I will have to give it a miss.
My first hemi drive was in a 57 Plymouth Savoy. I must have been 11 or 12 yrs. It had the hemi and the auto box with a clutch. We drove it around the hood when dad wasn’t home.
It ran and ran and this one probably will too.
At least now I can reach all the pedals…
Cool old wagon, to bad the drivetrain is gone. The bottom side photos reveal a lot of crusty rust and garaunteed behind that undercoating is a lot more rust. The headliner pic shows lots of mildew and the dome light is severely corroded. This thing sat out on wet ground and is rotting from the inside out. Would be cool but is going to need a lot of work.
Beautiful wagon. Possible rot in the roof?? Clean slate, for a car that big i’m thinking a 383. Anyway you go I hope it gets saved. Saw a conv in this year, they do up so nicely. Good luck to the new owner!!
Cheers
GPC
‘Out of the blue of the western sky…’
Sky King used one of these to get from his vast ranch to the warehouse where all of that crappy back-projection was filmed.
I’d use a Charger as a parts car for suspension, disc brakes, A/C and rolling stock and power it all with a new crate Hemi. Leather upn the inside, then add that cool ‘Flying Crown Ranch’ logo to the doors.
In my dreams…
Penny, where are you now?
To far gone and price ridiculous
It’s very sad to see what condition this car is in now. This was my car that I sold about 10 years ago in almost showroom condition with the original strong running 331 Hemi. I can confirm that this was my car by the crack in the molding an the right front above the bumper. It’s a shame to see what happened to this rare car. Only 535 New Yorker wagons were built in 1955
I restored a BSA 650 Thunderbolt 1971 back to original mint condition and then sold it to a greenhorn. I told him that the valves were ground for high perf high octane gas and that he had to make sure that he used the highest octane he could find at the pump. I also told him he could use Av Gas or an octane booster to improve firing. I made sure to update the motor to electronic ignition before I sold it too.
Shortly after I sold it the guy called me to complain that the motor was not performing as it did when I sold it to him. I asked him what kind of gas he was putting in at the pump and he said ‘regular gas’. I then reminded him that I expressly told him to run the highest octane he could find when I sold him the restored BSA 650.
Suffice to say that he realized I was right about the gas when he called. And I never heard back from him after that, but I can assure you that I felt the same way as you do now looking at your old pride & joy all kicked to #$%@.
The problem with Capitalism is that anyone with money can get into the vintage game. Chalk it up to experience as I did with my BSA.
Bob
If you can’t find an affordable hemi, I’d go
with a 383 or 440 instead. Both of these
engines have power and torque to move
this old girl along with little effort at all.
If you must have a period correct engine,
what about a slightly later 392 hemi from
a badly trashed Chrysler or Imperial of the same era. And if that’s not enough,
there might just be a 426 wedgehead
just waiting for a new place to live. The
options are endless. When I first saw
this car, it reminded me of the 6-door
wagon version I saw as a kid. It was
sitting on the used car lot at Galloway
Ford Town in my hometown back in
’60 or ’61. Mom saw it and told our pastor about it saying that it would make
a great vehicle to pick folks up for church
on Sunday mornings. To a small boy of
6 or 7, that thing was as big as a bus!
by the time the church board voted on it,
the car was already gone. The asking
price: just $600! Wish I could find one
like it today for that price. I’d get it running and use it for an Uber or Lyft
car. Just think of the dough you’d make
hauling drunks home after the bars close.
And I’m sure that you’d make even more
cash hauling other folks around who’d
just want to ride in it because it’s a ’50’s
era car. Either way you go, you’ll come
out a winner!
I would love to build a badas drag racer out of it with a hellcrate and 8 speed auto . I would make it my own , and drive it to and from the track. Building it would be the fun part.
You would think if you had a spare hemi laying around you would put it in the car and sell it as at least a complete car if not running car. People are flipping lazy these days! Wow!
55 wagon
sky king