There’s just something about mint green. It was a common fifties automobile hue, but it has also been found adorning hospital wards and prison cell blocks. Regardless, it’s the perfect color for this 1954 Chrysler Windsor. Yes, this one’s tired and worn around the edges, and that’s what makes it a solid topic for review – it is what it now is and won’t cost a fortune to acquire (what’s beyond that could be an issue, however). Jack M. found this venerable old Mopar for us; it’s located near Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is available here on craigslist for $5,000.
As I have opined before, it’s hard to believe that the iconoc Chrysler brand of yesterday would be relegated ot just a minivan today, sheesh! The news, as of late, is that Stellantis, Chrysler’s overlord, has some new models planned over the next couple/three years, and they will hopefully breathe some life back into the beleaguered brand, but I’ll hold off the applause until reality sets in. Anyway, back in 1954, Chrysler came in ninth place in the great American automobile production race with 105K units – not a stellar performance but an improvement over prior years. The stalwart of the lineup that year was the Windsor available in two and four-door sedans, along with station wagons, a convertible, and the two-door “Newport” hardtop. No surprise, but the four-door sedan, such as our subject, was the big seller, knocking out about 34K copies 72 long years ago. The seller tells us, “Very little rust, some in rear fenders and 2 spots, either side of trunk. Frame and floors nice… passenger side glass has a crack. Car has patina, dents, scratches.” OK, well, that sums it up pretty well.
“Spitfire” power in the form of a 119 gross HP, 265 CI, in-line six is what’s under the hood. The seller adds, “Motor runs ok but is tired, there is blow by, smoke, leaks, and it needs a rebuild. Generator and voltage regulator rebuilt by Generator Specialty. Charges good. Fuel tank repaired by Gas Tank Renu. New fuel pump. Carburetor rebuilt by The Carb Shop.” A PowerFlite automatic transmission makes the rear wheel connection, and the seller suggests, “Transmission shifts good, but fluid should be changed as it’s very old.” Oh, and the brakes are referred to as being “sketchy“.
If you’re into Mexican blankets, I have the interior for you! The seller acknowledges, “seats need recovered.” And while that task is being undertaken, the carpet and door panels could stand a redo, too. The instrument panel is compact in nature, but it’s decked out with a cool machine-turned overlay.
The seller concludes the listing with, “I understand the car needs work, let’s negotiate. Hoping for cash sale as I need to repair my deck.” Well, five large isn’t a lot of scratch, but this Windsor is gonna need a bit of work and some $$$ to turn it into a winner. What do you think, good bones for a start?
This looks like a great candidate for getting it running and just drive it.
If you can do your own engine and brake work, go for it and drive it every chance you get, because with cars like this one, you’ll probably be the last owner.
Brake work yes, just tedious, but engine work no. However, the Chrysler product flat 6’s and 8’s were known for reliability. I had a 52 Plymouth and a 46 Dodge 1 ton pickup, both with the flat 6. Several times I had fun adjusting the valves while the engine was running. It’s hard to wear gloves doing that and I always burnt my hand on the exhaust manifold. This car has an old fashioned and appropriate “landlord green” color, best to be seen as pretty light. Maybe do a simple compression test to see if valves and/or rings need replace?
I meant to mention, I like the way the owner owns up to the issues with this car, so there’s that. Maybe it would not take much to replace the rings and do a little brake work? The Windsor is a nice base car Chrysler. I don’t even mind the Indian blankets. Where’s Derek Bieri? He did move south from Minnesota. Seller wants to negotiate.
You know where else you see the shade of green? In public toilets. First thing I would change.
Oh boy, not me. I think this green is just perfect for this car (nearly any ’50s car for that matter). If only this was closer, sigh…. The aluminum radiator is what I would change first
I like that color too, and the ’54 Kaiser used it as well to stunning effect.
This was my grandfather’s last car. A 1954 New Yorker Deluxe, similar to the Windsor featured here, but Pop’s had the 331 Hemi. Same color, I believe. The story goes, he really wanted a Cadilac but couldn’t bring himself to buy one, having lived through the Depression. I inherited it years ago, started restoring it but ultimately lost my storage. Reluctantly, I sold it. I kept my Grandmother’s sunglasses which were still in the glove compartment. Still remember how smooth that car cruised down the highway, after I replaced the 20 year old crumbling retreads with a set of radial tires. Like a living room on wheels.
Too bad this isn’t a 1953: Chrysler had a really pretty car in ’53, and they ruined it for ’54. I like the four doors, but not the colour quite so much. I would LOVE a really nice 1953 New Yorker, but you never see one! The ’54s stuck around “forever”, as did the ’49s, 50s, and 51s; but for SOME reason, the ’52s and ’53s never show up.
Exquisite timing. I just saw a local ad for a ’54 New Yorker hardtop that had a Hemi that someone removed. The rest of it was a rusty shell yet they wanted $4k for it! This car is about as basic as Chrysler got for ’54. The styling is ok but inspired by the ’53 Chevrolet, especially the rear. Anyway, if the owner is willing to wheel and deal and the buyer is a do-it-yourselfer, this could be a good buy.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who saw the similarity between the 53 Chevy taillights and the 54 Chrysler Windsor and New Yorker (Imperials were different).
If this was in North Carolina or southern Virginia, I’d be there with a trailer. We had a 2 tone Windsor (new in December 53) in sky blue with a black top 4 door. 240K miles on that baby. His friends agreed to buy them together (whatever that meant since they didn’t come from the same dealer) but they bought the New Yorkers with the hemi (otherwise the identical car but for some chrome trim pieces). That car suffered through 2 major accidents (neither his fault), an engine replacement, and a transmission rebuild (done poorly). Great comfortable seats (he got them with seat covers over the original upholstery) and a wonderful deco dashboard (padded, I might add). Have always wanted one of these. Stately, comfortable, cruise at 70 all day.
I like the green tinted glass that Chrysler Corp. used on their 1950s cars. It goes well with this mint green Windsor.
My little trip down memory lane. On December 7th, 1967 I enter the United States Air Force. I did six weeks of Basic Training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas and I was then sent to Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls,Texas to take a three month long course for aircraft maintenance.Two day before graduation (and already with orders in hand to go to southern California), a Master Sergeant walked into the classroom, picked out twelves guys and told us that instead of ”going out into the field”, we were going to remain at Sheppard to take an additional two month long course to learn how to become ‘INSTRUCTORS’, and soon, I was TEACHING the very same course I had just complete myself. I wasn’t very happy about all of that because among other things, it meant that I was stuck in Texas which I hated. But on the plus side, I was now considered ‘PERMANENT PARTY’ which meant I was allowed to have a vehicle on the base. As it turned out, I wound up purchasing a clean, rust free, 1957 Chevy Bel Air hardtop from that same Master Sergeant. So that 57 Chevy became my daily driver and I also used it to make three and half round trips between Texas and my home in New Jersey. But it also became my part time, weekend ‘Drag Car’, and I had to learn the hard way, that you can’t have a ‘daily driver’ that also serves as a ‘part time,weekend drag car’ because it’s going to be broken more often than not. Well as it turned out, one of those other twelve guys who got picked to remain at Sheppard and become an instructor, was a guy who was about five years older than me who had served four years in the Marine Corp, including a tour in Vietnam. Well he ‘reenlisted’, but not in the Marine Corp, but in the AIr Force and he held the rank of E5 or Staff Sergeant. He had recently gotten married to a hot, former ‘show girl’ he meet in Las Vegas and he used his reenlistment bonus to buy a clean,1964 Corvette roadster for himself and a brand new,1968 Pontiac Tempest sedan with the OHC six and a 4 speed car for his wife. He also made a downpayment on a double wide house trailer. Well that guy’s wife had been driving a 1954 Chrysler Imperial 4 door sedan, another rust free Texas car like my 57 Chevy, and after I broke my 57 Chevy for what must have been the tenth time, and getting tired of walking all the time, I bought that 54 Chrysler Imperial from that Staff Sergeant for something like $50.00. That car was no 100 point show car, the paint was faded from the hot Texas sun, as was the interior. But everything worked and it ran great. It had power windows, power seats, power brakes, power steering and if I remember correctly, A/C. It was a 331 Hemi car hooked to a two speed automatic. Of the 35 different cars I’ve owned in my lifetime, I sometimes want to kick myself in the ass for letting that 54 Imperial get away. Oh yea, just as a couple of additional little side notes from my ‘trip down memory lane’. That 57 Chevy was a 283, three speed car that I converted to a four speed with dual quads. Again, it was a rust free, 57 Chevy Bel AIr hardtop with a rolled and pleated interior. Well one weekend at the dirt water drag strip where we used to drag race on the weekends, just across the state line in Oklahoma, that Staff Sergeant’s wife showed up with her 1968 Tempest and in a head up race against my 57 Chevy, she blew my doors off. That was the same 57 Chevy that I drove home on leave a few weeks later. I’ve always called that trip, ‘the trip from hell’. My roommate Michael Mieski (or Ski) and I were going home on leave. I lived in New Jersey and Ski lived in Massachusetts. So we both went into the orderly room around 11:30 PM to sign out on leave and it had just started to rain. A half an hour later, so much rain had fallen so quickly, I literally saw a guy paddling a canoe through the flooded streets of the base. Well Ski and I loaded up my 57 Chevy, which including our suitcases which went in the back seat, plus some tools, a small floor jack, two jack stands and the original three speed transmission which all went into the trunk.Well after some of the flash flood waters subsided somewhat, we hit the road. At around 5:00 AM, as I approached a Toll booth on the Oklahoma Turnpike, I started downshifting the Borg-Warner T-10 and one of the makeshift brackets for the shifting linkage snapped and the transmission locked up in two gears, reverse and first gear. I brought that transmission back to Texas after my first round trip between Texas and New Jersey. It had originally been in my 1958 Chevy Impala convertible, a 348, 4 speed car. But I didn’t have the shifter any longer. Well another one of those guys who got picked to remain at Sheppard to become an Instructor, bought a super clean, 1966 Chevy Impala SS hardtop, a 327, 4 speed car and he went out and bought a Hurst shifter for the car. Making $208.00 A MONTH (not a week, but a month) I couldn’t afford such luxuries like a Hurst Shifter, but my friend gave me the ‘factory shifter’ from his 66 Impala. Only problem was, the 4 speed in his Impala was a Muncie and I had a Borg-Warner T-10. Well there was a small garage-junkyard just off the base run by an old guy named Shelby and Shelby somehow welded up brackets to make a Munich shifter work on a Borg-Warner T-10. So as I entered that Toll booth on the Oklahoma Turnpike with the back wheels skidding along because the transmission was locked in two gears, as my 57 Chevy came to a screeching halt in the toll booth, I opened the door and peered under the car, only to see gear oil leaking out of the now cracked T-10 case. So I then in-turn explained to the Toll Booth attendant that we wee two Airman going home on leave and that I had a problem with the shifter in my car. He then graciously closed that toll booth and moved over into the adjacent one, and then Ski and I proceed to swap out the transmission right there in the toll booth. I could explain in detail how that was possible, but this ‘COMMENT’ is becoming the size of the WAR & PEACE Novel. But the ‘trip from hell’ wasn’t done with us yet. About an hour later, just as we entered Missouri, I reached for a pack of cigarettes on the top of the dashboard,and I then asked Ski (who was half asleep) if he wanted a cigarette. At first he said no, and no sooner had I thrown the cigarettes back up onto the dash, he changed his mind. As I reached to get the cigarettes, I lost my concentration driving the car and the next thing I knew, the ass-end of my 57 Chevy started sliding sideways and off the road and down and embankment Why? Because the roads was still wet from all the rain that had fallen, my 57 Chevy was jacked up in the back and I had drag slicks on the car. All I remember was sliding off the road and looking at the wet grass flying up into the air about 20 feet high as we slid down the embankment and barely missing a large concrete sewer abutment which had I hit it, would have rolled the carr. Two hours later after waiting for a tow truck to winch teh car back onto the roadm Ski and I were back on the road. But we had spent most of our money paying for the tow truck, so we got to New Jersey starving to death. One final thought. As I said earlier that 54 Chrysler Imperial cost me $50.00, while that 57 Chevy cost me a whopping $450.00.
Well, it did relate to a 54 Chrysler (product). Good deal for the Imperial.
Glad to see people expressing some love for this car.
Hi, Todd J. Is yours a 1953? Without seeing its tail-side, I cannot tell.
My parents traded their high mileage ’48 Dodge D24 sedan on a new ’54 Chrysler Windsor Deluxe dressed in classic black over red leather and Highlander plaid upholstery. It was bulletproof. The odometer had rolled over once and was well on its way to another mileage rollover. In 1963, it was downgraded to second fiddle in our garage but, remained a daily driver for another nine years before being sold to a mechanic friend. I learned to drive in that car in 1957. The car was equipped with Chrysler’s first fully automatic transmission, a 2 speed Powerflite. IIRC, the shop manual specified that the transmission fluid level should be checked with the engine idling and transmission in drive which required someone in the car standing on the brake pedal !
I grew up riding around in a ’54 New Yorker Deluxe with the hemi engine. Ours was two-tone in Tahitian Tan with a Cordovan Brown top. I loved all the gold accents, which this car doesn’t have since it’s entry-level. But this one has the gold accents on the gauges I remember. I could barely reach the floor button, but I would sit in the car and turn the bright lights on just to see the indicator light on the dash, which was in the Chrysler emblem between the turn signal indicators. I miss the days when bright light indicators were decorative.
I’m pretty sure our old car was featured on Barn Finds a few years back. The only thing that had been repainted was the trunk lid. One of the neighborhood kids had pounded on it with a rock and caused it to rust. It was one of the reasons my dad got rid of it. That, and he didn’t want to fix the leak in the transmission. It was already at least ten or twelve years old by then. I tried to talk him into keeping it until I could drive it to school, but no.