The Chrysler New Yorker was a pretty upscale car to start with, but add the Fifth Avenue package and you were cruising around in one fine luxury mobile, at least for the time period. When the late-eighties models came out, I wasn’t really paying all that much attention to their design, but over the last 30-plus years, the classy styling has really grown on me. If you’ve been in the market for a luxurious sedan from this era that’s about as good as it gets on the time machine meter, this 1989 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue may be a good car to consider. It’s located in Beachwood, Ohio, and can be found here on eBay. So far, bidding has only reached $4,050, but I’m guessing it’s going to go up considerably, plus the car also has a reserve that’s not been met. Thanks go out to Larry D. for the great tip on this one!
Stunning, pristine, and sumptuous are some of the terms the seller uses to describe his Fifth Avenue, and coupled with the fact that the car is unrestored and has only traveled just a little over 12,000 miles its whole life, this is one vehicle that seems to match the criteria we like to use here at Barn Finds to deem a car a true “survivor”. The Chrysler still has its original white paint, which the seller says retains a beautiful luster. There are also quite a few photos provided, and the only flaw I immediately spotted regarding the finish was some minor paint imperfections in the plastic piece on top of the front bumper, a common issue on many cars from this period. The white vinyl top compliments the body nicely, and it also appears to be well-preserved.
Step inside and you’ll find a beautifully preserved and inviting red interior, with Corinthian leather seating that looks like it can just absorb the passengers, and door panels with enough fluff to keep your arms comfortable for hours. Everything inside the car is stated to appear virtually as new, and it’s really hard to find anything in there that looks otherwise. The car is full of luxurious accessories, some of which are standard on many of today’s cars, but for the eighties, this one would have been considered loaded. Plus they’re all working, with the exception of the cassette player and the outside temperature and compass reading in the overhead console.
Things under the hood are looking in line for a car with this kind of low mileage, and the 318 is said to run as well as the car looks. The only thing I noticed was an area around the radiator cap that has some leaked coolant, but this may be as simple as someone having opened it when the car was hot. One item I’ve not had any experience with is Chrysler’s Electronic Fuel Control System from this time period, and I’m curious if any of our readers can shed any light on how well this component generally holds up and performs as it gets some serious age on it. The car definitely seems like a top-tier Fifth Avenue survivor and I’m really liking this one, how about you?
As a 16 year old in the mid 90’s my girlfriend’s Mom had this identical car only with a navy blue interior, and I don’t recall it having an air bag. For some reason she would let a few of us take the car out and Those seats are very bit as comfortable as they look and the car felt like a Cadillac to us kids. Unfortunately no creepy back seat stories to tell.
Only the last model year had the airbag.
Actually, late ’88’s and all ’89’s had airbags. Anything built after December 31st, 1987 got an airbag.
I had a 1985 the same color combo white with red interior. It ran and rode like a true luxury car. Real nice car !
Did you know( or care) these were the last cars made in Kenosha. The M series Chryslers were the last passenger cars made in Kenosha ending in early 1989. It was also the last RWD Chrysler. 1988 was the last year for the Milwaukee plant, and they were still being hauled on open flatbeds and to show you what those drivers had to put up with, that’s a mid 60s IH 4000 ( preTranstar) pulling the trailer( dating to the 50s) hauling the finished bodies from Milwaukee to Kenosha for engine and finishing,,,in all kinds of weather.
https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/8307475684_2e93a30716_h.jpg?ssl=1
That’s crazy!
An honest automobile that provides comfort and reliable transportation, w the satisfying torque, sound, and smoothness of a V8.
That 318 was a bulletproof V8. It was standard in the eighties era police cars we used. It started every time in even the coldest of weather and was reasonably fuel-efficient for the time.
In grade school there was a kid who’d freak everyone out by flipping his upper eyelids inside out. I guess he ended up in Chrysler’s design studio.
I don’t know if the electronic fuel control was a bad thing, but they are tanks and indestructible as I remember. The Dodge Diplomat version were COP cars .
Looks like the radiator overflow tank is empty…
Radiator cap full of corrosion as well. Signs of overheating?
Corrosion around radiator cap could mean past overheating as well.
“Full Beachwood”
My recollection is that by 1989 the New Yorker name was attached to the separate K-car derived front-wheel drive model. This older platform rear-wheel drive model was simply called Fifth Avenue and was not a “package” added to the New Yorker. Yes?
Yes. The New Yorker prefix was dropped for the M-body for 1984.
My wife had a custom ordered triple black 1986 version that she loaned to a surgeon friend who moved to our area when he left the army. His wife literally refused to give it back saying,’name the price.’ It was an awesome vehicle in every respect. GLWTA
Im a dealer …. I sold a 1985 Identical to this but Black with Red interior 13,000 miles, one owner at Carlisle last year brought about $15000.00
I think it had the Chrysler Lean Burn Ignition, which is a bear to keep running.
Rap it with your first and 90% of the time it will start. The Chrysler Tap Test. Saw a bunch converted to regular electronic ignition back in the day
these dont
It must have been the first year for the new body, because I was impressed when a shiny red Fire Chief’s car stopped next to me at a red light. It stalled, and they were still trying to crank it when I lost view of them.
Hey, Howard–
I had an ’89 Horizon that was born at Kenosha II. I did a road trip from New England out to Iowa, up to Minneapolis and over to Kenosha in 2012, hoping to see the assembly plant. Alas, the plant had been demolished some time earlier and a bunch of condos sat on the site, according to the locals with whom I spoke.
Great trip, and I loved watching the sun rise over Lake Michigan………
Luxurious, Tough motor, and I guess reliable for the time being. However, cloned too much…. You had the Dodge Diplomat, the Plymouth Fury, and where I’m from you had the New York City Taxi Commission and The New York City Police Department and I wouldn’t be surprised if The New York City Fire Department had these cars in their command fleet as well . I remember I was working a side job with this corner taxi company in The Bronx where I’m from and they had Diplomats (or Fury’s) as their fleet of cabs and I’ll never forget I was on the night shift driving to a fare I had over the radio and as I was driving (fast) to make sure no one else steals my fare, all of sudden I heard a thumping sound, then a grinding sound then BAM! the car stall I got out of the car and all I saw was fluid pouring out of the side of the taxi and I got on my knees and noticed the transmission was on the ground. Oh well, dispatch gave me other Dodge (or Plymouth) to bounce around in but the replacement the dispatch gave me had no heat. And No…I can’t make this stuff up!
I find it hard to believe a transmission would just fall out ; not only would the crossmember have to have no bolts in it or completely rusted away, but all the bolts would have to be removed from the engine, and flywheel
@Bone
Years ago these crossmember in a buddies 84 Monte rotted out and let go. The tranny dropped back a bit as much as the motor mounts would allow, and the drive shaft dropped down and hit the ground. In retelling the story over the years we say “remember when the Monte dropped a tranny?” Not literal but sums it up.
I love these cars. I had an 87 model, dark blue with blue velour interior. It ran and drove very nicely. They came with whitewall tires that had the slightly wider white stripe that I thought really looked great with the wire wheel covers. I had to get the last two sets I bought from Coker Tire Company as none of the regular tire stores have them. The 318 engine was great, but the weak part of them is the 904 transmission with the lockup converter, at least that was my experience with two 1987 models. I also had an 87 Diplomat SE. My transmissions had to be rebuilt at a little over 100K miles which is not up to my expectation for TorqueFlyte transmissions.
Police/fire department models had 727, most civil models got 904’s. 904 is good, just can’t take the abuse.
these are great comfortable car, the only two downfalls are if that’s the lean burn system on the air cleaner it was not very reliable, just replace it with an older ignition distributor and carburator and I have personaly seen the frame rail rot out next to the catalytic converter, maybe the cat was to hot from being to rich?
Stunning. Sad Chrysler will be out of the car business in 2024, when it goes to trucks and SUVs only. My best friends dad had one of these, but had the money for a Rolls Royce. He chose this and drove it 12 years.
Beautiful car. I remember when this, along with the Dodge Diplomat, and the Plymouth Grand Fury, were on the market. I found the 5th Ave. and the Gran Fury were the best looking cars. Perfect in size as well, certainly when compared to the cars of the mid 70s. Cars of the 1970s were land yachts, huge cars that used gasoline like there’s no tomorrow. If you wanted something smaller, you could’ve bought a Dodge Dart, or a Plymouth Valiant/Duster. Given the cars condition, I’d pay close to the asking price of $10,600. Gotta have money for inspection, license, etc.
I had a 83 like this with a red interior which I bought for $1,000 that had 107.000 miles on it. I drove it until it got 235,000 and sold it for $300. It rode nice and I enjoyed that interior. I had no major problems, but it did need a rear main seal replacement due to a bad leak. I had to watch the oil leave closely and add oil as needed. A nice car, but I thought it lacked power and was sluggish compared to other 318s I owned.
In the spring of 1986 I bought a 1982 Dodge Diplomat, ex-cop car, at a Dodge dealership for $1800.00, as is, no warranty. It had 118,000 miles on it. It also had Chrysler’s Lean Burn on it, I never had a problem with it. There were several winters where I had the only car, in our family, that started when the temperature was below zero. I still have that car. It’s currently under going a restoration.