Cheap Boat: 1977 Chrysler New Yorker
If you yearn for the days of huge American land yachts, maybe this big old Chrysler New Yorker is the boat for you. While Chrysler manufactured more than 200,000 New Yorkers in 1977, most of those were four door cars, and far fewer were sold in the two door configuration; fewer still were Brougham models. And after many years of high gas prices, the vast majority of these big Chryslers have disappeared from our highways.
This remarkably well preserved two door New Yorker is for sale here on craigslist in Tucson, Arizona with an asking price of only $1,500, making this a very nice entry level collector car you could drive daily.
The seller does not say anything about the car’s history, provides no photos of the engine, and only one of the interior, but does provide some significant details about its mechanical condition. For instance, the seller says that the car has traveled 126,000 miles and still has its original engine (though I wonder if it’s a 400 or 440). It’s got a new battery, new tires, a new alternator, belts, water pump and thermostat, as well as a rebuilt carburetor, and a recently serviced transmission. Note that it is equipped with the very good looking optional road wheels too.
While the car sat for many years, it is said to run well, and looks pretty good, assuming that it is a desert car. The chrome looks very good, as do the trim parts. Any buyer can expect to do some more work to make this car fully road worthy, including air conditioning conversion, and who knows what else? The vinyl top probably should be replaced, though it’s serviceable, and the paint is not great, but how often do you find a 231 inch long car from the last generation of big American cars for this kind of price?
I love that waterfall grille and the hidden headlights. I know this car is not for everyone. It is way too big. I can’t figure out why I like it so much. Maybe it’s just nostalgia for how things were 40 years ago. Forgetting its abysmal gas mileage, this car could be a lot of fun for the right buyer. Any takers here on Barn Finds?
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Comments
Those rims look a lot like chevy van ralleys
They are Chrysler ralley road wheels. Have a set that I adapted 3 prong spinners on,painted the centers red and put them on an 88 dak I had.
Chevy trucks and vans either shared this wheel with Mopar, or have a nearly identical one.
http://bright-cars.com/uploads/chevrolet/chevrolet-beauville-20-van/chevrolet-beauville-20-van-07.jpg
I like these huge aircraft carrier. With large engines. Have never owned anything like that. But one day I have to afford it.
Love it.
I know where there’s one of these that hasn’t been out of the garage in probably 25 years, the original owner died many years ago and his 90+ year old widow refuses to part with it. It’s yellow with tan interior (I think) and I know the man loved that car. I’m in N/E Ohio, 2 miles from the lake, so there plenty of humidity, so I couldn’t venture to guess how bad the interior is from mold, I know my Camaro sat for only a year and a half and the seats and visors started to build up some mold, and I had left the windows cracked a bit. That old Chrysler has been buttoned up tight for a long long time.
Maybe I’ll look into it in the spring and see if she’s willing to sell, if so I’ll post it here !!
Tastes change. In 1933 this Chrysler was the ultimate luxury car for the well to do buyer. 30 years later, it was considered an a huge, unwieldy albatross and few wanted one. Add 50 more years and the average selling price is 150K.
Will that ever happen to the ’77 New Yorker? Hard to imagine, but the history of big, expensive luxury boats eventually becoming hard to own is pretty consistent.
The 76-78 New Yorker Broughams were nothing more nor less than a continuation of the 1974-75 Imperial, but without the Imperial name. They actually sold better with the Chrysler name, back in those fuel-crisis days.
I have one of these, a 1975, the last to wear the Imperial name (well, except for the 81-83 mid-size revival and the dreadful K-car iteration of the early 90s). My ’75 has 41,000 original miles on it and the 440 runs very well, the interior is like new, but the paint has failed. I really need to get some paint on it before it turns into a patina-mobile.
Cyclemikey – Can you post a pic of your ’75 New Yorker? It would be fun to see it here.
I would be all over this.
I had a good customer that had one of these, the best part of working on it was, when I was done I got to road test it. It was a cruiser, and it would surprise you with it’s acceleration, being such a heavy car. I would like to see more interior pictures as the steering wheel looks really bad. Unfortunately as I’ve said before, I’d have to build a bigger garage just to store it.
Love the car and the era style…but check out that creepy dashboard area and gauge cluster. Has this thing been underwater?
200,000 and people wonder why there was a gas shortage.
Driven a few they are the ultimate road machine.
Should come with a thank you plaque from OPEC.
Not sure where that 200,000 number came from, but Chrysler barely managed to move 44,000 New Yorkers off the lot in 1978. Even in the swinging ’60s and gravy days of the early ’70s, no more than 50,000 New Yorkers ever left the factory.
Edward – you are correct sir! When I looked up Chrysler production for 1977, I did not notice that the total I was looking at was for all Chrysler models (212,000 cars sold in 1977). According to the Imperials Club site, just over 44,000 New Yorker four door cars were made that year, but I have not been able to determine how many two door models were made in 1977. Does anyone here have a source for that information?
Thanks for the correction! — David
Is this still available?
The New Yorker Brougham was produced from 1972 through 1978. The 1976 to 1978 models were similar to the 1974 and 1975 Imperial LeBaron, with exceptions such as rear drum brakes, instead of discs; Auto-Temp II being optional instead of standard, and the vinyl around the rear window showed a larger portion of the glass than the Imperial’s top did.
That steering wheel has seen better days, I wonder what the rest of the interior looks like…
I’m a long time Mopar man and bought a 75 Imperial LeBaron 4DHT a few years ago to save it from a demo derby guy. Beige with a parchment top and brown velour interior. This was a rust free, original paint, garage kept 75k mile car that had fallen into disrepair after the original owner passed away. I got the cooling, fuel, and braking systems squared away and, let me tell you, that low compression, smog-choked 440 will move that beast better than you’d think. Of course, keeping a beast like that between the lines is not for everyone and the gas mileage isn’t great. It’s not even good. But I do love to cruise around in it during the summer/fall because it’s fun and gets a lot of attention. You can see the people in passing cars mouth “H U G E” as they go by and they’re correct. This year I hope to get 4 new tires and the climate control working again for some interstate trips.
The guy that sold me the Imperial later sold me a 76 NYB coupe that is a near twin to the bf offering. Mine is a creamy yellow color instead of white though. No engine or trans, either, but I bought it for parts so I didn’t care. When I need little bits I can assure you that there have been none of these in local junkyards for decades!
Guys in Europe, especially Norway, love these boats for what they are and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that his one was taking a trans-Atlantic voyage soon.
Any one have a centerpiece for my 78 Newyorker Brogham? I need one badly , and a antenna for my Newyorker that serves a am/fm cb radio combo! Please call me at 309 269 5419, ill buy one or more for my Chrysler.. Taking it on road trip on rt. 66 from iowa to Southwest to look for place to move to. Thank you. Antony Benedict
Gas mileage will be between 10 & 14 mpg if you’re lucky. Nice car but not for the faint of heart…..
Can you imagine stocking rear quarters for this monster? I love the tanks, but sometimes think about the parts and service guys dealing with such large stuff. Must have been a different world.
I had a dozen of the 74-75 Imperials and 76-78 NYB’s One 77 NYB was special, originally ordered by a police commander with 440 Interceptor (or Enforcer, can’t remember what the paperwork said) with HD suspension and came with an “Imperial” option package that put back most of the emblems, lights and so forth that had the eagle on it. I got it free because the trans went out when the commander visited his nephew in Cal. I’ve had a trade out deal with the best trans shop in town, by the day after I got it there was a new trans in it, a later AO trans, it clocked off 0-60’s in7.2 seconds and topped 140 mph, plus cornered flat, God I loved it. Gas mileage turned out to be mid to high 20 mpg range with the AO trans and engine that pulled the weight easier. That was on cruise at 70-80 mph. I got the car in 1980 and 28,000 miles, drove it til 2000 and 198,000 all over the country and Canada, had the tufted white leather seats and blue inside trim, all dozen of this style I had were Spinnaker white. I would be driving it still, but the computers started going, after thousands of $ and more going out I gave the car to a friends son. He found one with a burned out interior and got all underhood stuff. it went another 5 years and 70000 miles, then in a divorce, she got the car and moved. I still want another. These are fantastic cruising at 100+ across open states.