Did you have a Magic 8 Ball as a kid? Or, maybe as an adult? For those unfamiliar with this prognostication tool, it was a large plastic replica of a billiards ball that would reveal an answer to your question once you shook it and turned the window part up. It had several available answers. Some were good. Some were bad. A few were ambiguous. A close look at this 1948 Chrysler New Yorker for sale on eBay in Hudson, Colorado would be the perfect subject for a Magic 8 Ball query. If you asked this device if the future looked positive for this once stately coupe, your likely answer would be “outlook not so good.” Why? The car is missing its engine, transmission, and seats. There are also rust issues to contend with. With limited collector interest in Chrysler products of this era, do you think someone will pick up this project that has barely risen above its opening bid to a paltry $1,325? Will it end up being parted out or made into a street rod? Would you be interested in taking on the resurrection of this interesting, yet dowdy, Chrysler?
While remembering the Magic 8 Ball is fun for us old-timers, you don’t need one to figure out the future of this 1948 Chrysler New Yorker. Prices for immediate postwar Chrysler products have declined for a long time. So much so that it is financially reckless to consider a full restoration on one unless it is one of the wood-bodied models and/or a convertible. One of the main reasons is the uninspiring styling. Chrysler Corporation boss K.T. Keller insisted that a man should be able to wear a hat in his car and wouldn’t sign off on the production of any car that wasn’t sufficiently roomy enough for his 6-foot-plus frame and 300-pound girth. When having to work around a large passenger compartment, there is little room for stylists to create a visual masterpiece.
Despite their unappealing girth and boxy styling, these cars are equally well-known for their impeccable engineering and reliability. Chrysler’s flathead six and eight-cylinder engines were proven commodities by the time the hostilities of World War II ended. Their “Fluid Drive” semi-automatic transmissions were lethargic but equally reliable, and the large percentage of survivors over seven decades later proves that initial buyers were rewarded with a car that would last as long as they wanted to keep feeding it. Those looking for a classic car to drive and enjoy today would be hard-pressed to find a more bulletproof vehicle.
So, why is there no interest in this example beyond the usual postwar Chrysler apathy? This New Yorker is being offered without its original straight-eight engine or the special “Presto-Matic” four-speed Fluid Drive transmission. It also has rust in the floorpans, rockers, and door sills along with a few missing parts. Among the missing parts are the seats and the two small chrome trim pieces on the cowl between the ample hood and the doors. The car does come with its original radiator and a trunk full of parts. It also still sports the classic Highlander cloth trim on the doors that these top-of-the-line New Yorkers became mildly famous for.
As you can see from the photographs, the condition of this car has crossed over into the realm of either full restoration or parts car. There is no mention as to why the engine, transmission, seats, and other goodies were stripped away. Perhaps this car did serve as a parts car at one time. Still, a look at the parts and pieces that are left gives you a glimpse into just how well-built Chryslers of this era were. There is ample chrome and stainless steel trim, not to mention that the sheet metal is thicker than we are used to in modern cars and there is plenty of it.
One of the other obstacles to this car living happily ever after is the rust in the door sills and rocker panels. None of this damage seems excessively awful. It is just that it will take the work of a professional to cut out the offending areas and weld suitable patches into the cut-out area. All of this will require the type of investment that becomes difficult to justify when better examples are out there for bargain prices. There is also the question of the late-model gas pedal and maybe the brake pedal as well. Was this car in the process of being converted into a street rod, but the effort was abandoned?
For those of us who know just how good these cars are, it is painful to see this once stately straight-eight Chrysler in such dire straits. It is even more painful to see that its chances of being stripped of parts even further and then sent unceremoniously to the crusher are high. A fate even worse than this would be to see it end up as a rat rod of some sort. Perhaps there is someone out there who is willing to take on this project.
What do you think this car’s fate will be? What would you do with it if it ended up in your driveway? Please share your predictions and thoughts in the comments.
In the early 1980’s my father inherited a 1951 New Yorker sedan with the first year 331 Fire Power Hemi. Sadly this was five years after the Susquehanna river flood of 1975 before which the car was still in fine fettle. Had this been a Chevrolet or even a blue oval product, I suspect someone may have tried to save it, but interest in old Chrysler sedans wasn’t much higher then. Sad really because it truly was built like the proverbial tank. It soon became the target of local hooligans with rocks and nowhere to throw them and was unceremoniously junked about a year later. Last I saw it in the mid 90’s it was still resting against the same tree the scrap yard allowed it to roll into when they unloaded it. Shame that the same fate likely awaits this beautiful old girl.
K.T. Keller wasn’t alone in his insistence that a man should be able to wear his hat in a car. I think it was a high- volume Hudson dealer who, after viewing a Hudson Jet prototype, literally ‘raised the roof’ over this issue. He was accommodated, over the original designer’s wishes, adding to the Jet’s less than lukewarm reception.
Car should be bought, and donated to a school to save it.
Gonna quote a friend from very long ago-
“It should be cleaned . . . . and burned.”
If I was looking for a project I might take this on. Love the body style and I’ve fixed worse rust in square body Chevys. Stick with the brand, ubicutise 318/auto drive and have fun.
Buy it cheap.
Make it run.
It’s a beauty.
Burma Shave
A nice 440 swap and Vintage AC installation would make it a good runner.
The big hog needs a big mill. It doesn’t matter what engine and tranny you put in this behemouth, making it go down the road is it’s tribute to mankind. GOOD LUCK SELLER! If I didn’t have so many projects I’d make a spot for it.
55+ years ago I often rode my bike by an identical car (although I remember the color being more of a mouse gray) in a back yard of my small home town. It was owned by a teenager who had a questionable reputation – smoked ” funny” cigarettes. He had tired of it and offered it to me for $25.00. I was terribly excited until my Dad informed me that a 12 year old didn’t need a 48 Chrysler, no matter how nice it was. Sigh.
Hot rod!
Their is alot of car their. Wished it was closer. It is very restoreable You can still buy alot of the parts for it. I hope someone will buy it and restore it. It does have good metal in it.
Love these ’48s. In 1968 I’m in high school and a neighbor’s grandfather willed him a 48 Pontiac silver streak. I told my mother how much I liked it and the neighbor gave it to me. After a couple years of great driving it needed an $80 valve job, didn’t have the $ so gave it to a friend. Today I own a 48 olds. You feel like you’re floating going down the road….
I’m getting ready to list my 1948 Chrysler New Yorker 3 passenger, business coupe. Just finishing up on some details. After a thorough tune up its 323 straight eight Spitfire is purring like a kitten. There’s no way I would have replaced its original drivetrain because it works so well. Interesting to see that this one has had its drivetrain removed, so maybe someone can drop an early hemi in it.
Heck, does your car have the fully manual transmission or Fluid Drive?
Carbob, its a fluid drive
Here’s another pic of of my 48 Chrysler New Yorker business coupe that I will be listing here soon. I don’t know why this site rotates the pictures that you are posting, and cant figure out how to correct it.
A 318 with automatic transmission would be less expensive than a big block. The 318 It’s a very reliable Engine. Would make a nice cruiser.
If I was looking for a project, I’d get this beauty, fix the rust, install a cheap 383 with torqueflyte , and drive it till the cows come home.
I can’t seem to load any pictures.
I can’t explain why I like these early post war Chrysler Corporation products. I find the styling pleasing to my eyes. Especially in coupe form. And no one can deny that they were well engineered and built. Unfortunately, there is too much missing here to justify a stock restoration. So parts car is probably the best option for the old beast.
I think the angled B pillar gives it a sporty look. It’s going to need a lot of rust repair though. Good luck to both parties.
@Jeff Bennett
I recall the 8 ball very well. There was also an ouija board that was around that had more mysticism surrounding it. My cousin broke his hand attempting to perform a karate chop on it. I had 1948 Windsor like this. It was quite the boat to drive. I like the 4 door rear styling better.
I had a 52 Chrysler Windsor 4 dr with the Highlander interior. It was great looking, but I am not sure how you would redo it. Looking at the engine compartment, installing anything but a Viper V10 would get lost in there!
$1575 would be a fair price for that car.
Sold at $1875. Good deal!
This car reminds me of the Ramcharger’s High & Mighty race car.
https://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/this-car-changed-drag-racing-the-ramchargers-high-mighty/
I think someone should tub make it a Pro Street with obviously a Blown 440.
Patina mobile.
That is not too far gone.
I have a 52 Chevy panel, I named Rusty.
He spent his life near the ocean. The salt air rotted him out, he looks very unique. Still runs and drives; I am not taking him on the freeway.