Dec 21, 2017  •  Uncategorized  •  43 Comments

Lengthy Survivor: 1970 Chrysler Newport

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The fifth generation Newport is truly a beautiful car. These cars incorporate design elements from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s all together into one cohesive unit. I once towed a 1971 Newport on a tow dolly in the dark, with a 4.3 V6 equipped GMC from Oklahoma to Kansas. That was the best worst adventure I’ve ever had! For the record, when in tow, from the front of the truck to the rear of the car was right around 40 feet. This particular 1970 Chrysler Newport is a one-owner survivor car made up of all original Mopar parts, as claimed by the ad. It looks like it is in running and driving condition, which means that you won’t have to worry about towing it! Even better, this car only has 82,870 miles on the clock and if it really is one-owner and original, I believe it. Find it here on eBay in New York with bidding at $5,980 and reserve not met.

I like to think that a beige, one-owner, immaculately kept 1970 Newport was owned by a little old lady who only drove it to church/civic club/the supermarket. The interior condition and the patterned carpet floor mats seem to support this theory! The 1971 Newport I have tangled with has power front seats and power windows. It isn’t mentioned, nor easy to tell from the pictures, but if this car has those options it would be one sweet cruiser! What it does have is front and rear heat, which could really make this a practical driver for an enthusiast.

The engine is a Chrysler 383 big block V8, but it is equipped with the factory 2-barrel carburetor that many folks may choose to swap out for a 4-barrel. It doesn’t necessarily “need” the 4-barrel to be capable of pulling its weight, but it certainly will help to wake it up a little! Looking under the hood here has me thinking that maybe this isn’t a highly-optioned car, as it has a 2-speed wiper motor and 3-speeds were available. It does have power brakes and power steering. The ad says to call for more information, and if I were a prospective buyer, I think I would!

This is an enormous car at 18.7 feet in length. Don’t let the two doors fool you, this is a roomy car that is much longer than most sedans and even some SUVs on today’s market. The folks I was helping haul a 1971 Newport for are moving next year, and have been struggling to find an apartment with a garage long enough to house the car! If I were shopping for a big beautiful Chrysler, I would chase this one down. It presents itself nicely, and could be shown if desired, but doesn’t stand out enough to be a problematic daily vehicle.

Comments

  1. Billy Bob
    Dec 21, 2017 at 12:33pm

    Surprising a luxury car from 1970 was not equipped with A/C. Beautiful condition.

    Like 0
    • Superdessucke
      Dec 21, 2017 at 12:41pm

      Back then, a lot of people never had air conditioning in a car before. Some didn’t trust it and/or felt they could do without it and save the money, as it was a pretty expensive option at the time.

      Like 1
    • Miguel
      Dec 21, 2017 at 5:56pm

      The Newport was the bottom of the line. It certainly was not a luxury car.

      Like 0
  2. MattMember
    Dec 21, 2017 at 12:37pm

    My father had a 68 Newport in a “lovely” light green. As i have been told, and the story has been verified by others with him at the time, he was driving in the ditch while crossing the North Dakota Border coming back into South Dakota, and it rode so well he had to have it.. Had a 383 and an auto (not sure on the transmission) sold the car shortly after i was born. He did not want to see it sit, sold it to neighbor kid who promptly gutted the interior and eventually had himself a window in that 383 (the blown engine happened when i was about 9-10). The Newport proceeded to sit across the street from my house until about 3 or 4 years ago. I tried to buy it, but he would not sell it. not sure where it is now.

    Like 0
  3. Rock OnMember
    Dec 21, 2017 at 12:39pm

    Cue the Love Shack comments in 3-2-1.

    Like 0
    • Rodent
      Dec 21, 2017 at 1:02pm

      This car is larger than a Beluga whale or a Narwhal.

      Like 0
    • Rabbit
      Dec 22, 2017 at 9:49am

      I’ve got me a Chrysler, it’s as big as a whale, & it’s about to set sail…

      Like 0
  4. Howard A Rube GoldbergMember
    Dec 21, 2017 at 12:53pm

    While I have no use for a car like this, and never did, one can’t deny, this car was just the best to come out of Detroit. It combined over 50 years of refinement before emission requirements blew everything out of the water. Air travel in the 70’s was not what it is today, and if you had relatives half a country away, this is how the family got there. As mentioned, standardized A/C was still a ways off, especially in northern climates, and growing up, none of my old man’s cars, or the house, for that matter, had A/C. This is a great example of a car nobody wanted AFTER the ’70’s, and many succumbed to the demo derby or yanked the motor. Great find, and that hood can double as a picnic table too.

    Like 0
  5. Bryan Corey
    Dec 21, 2017 at 1:20pm

    Brother had a 69 4 door in high school. We bought it for 240$ back in 1997 in good shape all original.
    Huge trunk, front and rear sofas with a ton of room inside.
    Always ran great. I think these things had a pretty hot 383 with the good heads. That’s why many say these respond to 4bbl well. Great powerful driveline and never gave us problems.
    Was later sold to a local guy to compete in demo derby’s and heard it did quite well in its new found duty.

    Like 0
  6. edh
    Dec 21, 2017 at 1:23pm

    It looks so great with the snow on the ground.

    Like 0
    • jdjonesdr
      Dec 21, 2017 at 2:36pm

      What’s “snow?”

      Like 0
      • Tony, Australia.
        Dec 21, 2017 at 5:51pm

        Yeah, have to agree with you there JD, what do you call this white wet stuff that keeps falling out of the sky, never seen it before? Can you eat it if it ain’t yellow? It’s nothing like the red dust that we get when the wind blows, and you certainly keep your mouth shut when that’s flying, tastes a lot like dirt !

        Like 0
  7. Mark Hoffman
    Dec 21, 2017 at 1:25pm

    Beautiful car. I remember when they were new.

    Think that color was called Sandlewood.

    Like 0
  8. Bill
    Dec 21, 2017 at 1:41pm

    It has its own zip code.

    Like 0
  9. Chris
    Dec 21, 2017 at 2:08pm

    Cool car. Lots of room for a twin turbo 6.1 Hemi. Would be a crazy fun sleeper.

    Like 0
  10. jeff6599
    Dec 21, 2017 at 2:10pm

    This car is 18ft 7 in long. All you have to do is look it up like I just did, Tanner! Best wishes and Merry Christmas

    Like 0
    • Andrew TannerAuthor
      Dec 22, 2017 at 2:37pm

      Right you are! That’s what I get for trusting my memory. I’ll correct it!

      Like 0
  11. John D
    Dec 21, 2017 at 2:23pm

    Hmmmm! 2 hours away, and still in my zip code. I think I could see the driver’s window crank under the steering wheel. But, I didn’t blow up the picture.

    Like 0
    • Rabbit
      Dec 22, 2017 at 9:30am

      She’s about 5 minutes away from me, but already too rich. Hell, it wouldn’t even fit in my garage, too damn long.

      Like 0
  12. Michael
    Dec 21, 2017 at 2:42pm

    One of my classmates in high school was dropped off every day by her father in this car. She was a petite gal. When she was old enough to drive, this is the car she took to school. It was so huge and she was so small, you could barely make out that someone was behind the wheel.

    Like 0
  13. Maestro1
    Dec 21, 2017 at 2:55pm

    John D you are right. The car has no power windows nor an air compressor that I can see.

    Like 0
    • Charles G. Van De Sampel
      Dec 22, 2017 at 5:30am

      If it had A/C, you couldn’t miss the compressor. Those RV2’s were as big and heavy as the 383’s they were mounted to.

      Like 0
  14. Luke Fitzgerald
    Dec 21, 2017 at 2:56pm

    Wow, great find – remember, this was only a Newport – if you wanted a/c without worrying, people stumped up for the New Yorker

    Like 0
  15. Del
    Dec 21, 2017 at 3:00pm

    Beautifull Land Yacht.

    Takes me back

    Like 0
  16. David Miraglia
    Dec 21, 2017 at 5:12pm

    Most impressive.

    Like 0
  17. Rocksteady
    Dec 21, 2017 at 5:14pm

    This one gets me in the heart. My dad had a 1969 Newport with this basic spec during my teen years. A gold color, tan vinyl top, the whitewalls. Hauled us from DC to Lake George, NY more than once, trips to the shore and mountains, countless shuttles to ball games and move theaters. He would put the foot in it. 70 mph limits in those days facilitated cruising just short of 80. Air shocks, he fiddled with the timing and carb and other stuff on all his cars.

    Wildest on that car though were the aircraft landing lights from an airliner wing which he retrofit to the high beam receptacles. Woe was you if you did not dim your oncoming brights promptly after his quick warning flip. It looked like a UFO coming through the woods at you, especially with the orange filter lenses he found that clipped perfectly on them. More than one cop encouraged him to pull them out of there. but he never did. I still have those lamps.

    Like 0
  18. Classix Steel
    Dec 21, 2017 at 8:29pm

    This land yacht is huge!!

    Like 0
  19. wes
    Dec 21, 2017 at 8:37pm

    Musta had about twelve foot of pipe and chain.

    Like 0
  20. erikj
    Dec 21, 2017 at 9:32pm

    I took my drivers test in grandmas 68 imperial. I think that was the top of the line. The Newport was the starter. Grampas field car was a 68 Newport. A lot plainer.
    It took me 2 times to pass the drivers test since I had a problem -parallel parking,lol.
    The imperial had a 440/4barrel that was amazing fast for a Hugh boat.

    Like 0
  21. RNR
    Dec 21, 2017 at 9:37pm

    My Dad bought a new ’69 Dodge Polara 2 door hardtop, same power train, similar trim and color (his more cream than beige) – we called it the Andrea Doria. I learned how to drive on that car and once I got my license, I can tell you that thing was quick! I would be shocked if this car spent its life in Buffalo – I’m from near there and Dad’s Polara was a rusty mess in ’74 with half the miles on it as the Newport.

    This would be a good buy!

    Like 0
    • Rabbit
      Dec 22, 2017 at 9:35am

      Actually, there are invoices in the pics from Sheridan Chry-Ply. They were in the Buffalo Northtowns. I bought my 92 Acclaim there in ’94, & they sold out a year or two later.

      Like 0
  22. moparguy
    Dec 21, 2017 at 10:36pm

    If you stepped up one notch to a 300 model, you got a sportier looking car with some nice trim. Here is a 1970 300 also in sandlewood beige with a matching top. Very nice lines back in those days – timeless good looks…………

    Like 0
    • Steve
      Dec 22, 2017 at 10:42am

      I was thinking to myself that the car in the listing would make a nice 300 clone. Then I saw this post!

      Like 0
  23. Mike Reese
    Dec 22, 2017 at 12:13am

    Wow. My father had two Newports, different years. These things were MASSIVE. And you didn’t need a 4 barrel .. with that 383, it hauled BOOTY. The brakes were like tossing an anchor out, with just a tap…

    Like 0
  24. Snotty
    Dec 22, 2017 at 4:19am

    383 2 bbl. was low compression,while the 4 bbl. version had hi compression pistons.

    Like 0
  25. Charles G. Van De Sampel
    Dec 22, 2017 at 5:43am

    My dad bought a 61 Newport back in 1969 for $375. When I was in the service a few years later, I purchased my 68 Newport for $800. Gave my dad $100 for his 61, and then bought two more 61’s in 1978. Found a 70 for $200 in 1979 (needed brakes and a back bumper). They all had A/C.

    Like 0
  26. leiniedude leiniedudeMember
    Dec 22, 2017 at 6:46am

    Great looking ride, love the wheel covers. Ended: Dec 21, 2017 , 9:00PM
    Current bid:US $6,380.00
    Reserve not met
    [ 43 bids ]

    Like 0
  27. Rex Kahrs Rex KahrsMember
    Dec 22, 2017 at 7:23am

    Being that the car is in Buffalo, that accounts for the AC delete, and the rust underneath.

    Like 0
  28. Moparman1123
    Dec 22, 2017 at 10:43am

    Like several of the commentators, my father always wanted a Chrysler so, when I was 16, he bought a 72 Newport, gold with black vinyl top and gold interior. It had the 400 2bbl and Torqueflite trans. I always liked the styling of this gen Newport/300.

    For some reason the 400 was difficult to start when the engine was warm. Also, after less than 10K miles we had a fuel delivery problem with the engine and discovered the one end of the fuel pump push rod was not hardened and wore out quickly.

    Lots of family memories in that car.

    Like 0
  29. jeff6599
    Dec 22, 2017 at 10:46am

    For 1970, Chrysler offered a 383 2bbl with 8.7 compression ration and a 440 4bbl with 9.7 compression ratio. No 383 4bbl engine was offered.

    Like 0
    • Andrew TannerAuthor
      Dec 22, 2017 at 2:14pm

      Correct, which is why the 4bbl upgrade is popular!

      Like 0
      • Rabbit
        Dec 22, 2017 at 2:56pm

        According to my handy-dandy parts lookemup computer, Newport could be had with VIN code N 383/4bbl. Yes, I’m goofing off at work again.

        Like 0
  30. Steve
    Dec 22, 2017 at 10:46am

    Auction ended at $6380…Hmmm… it looks like rust is starting in the driver fender. The rake lines also look new. sorry, but it looks like rust underneath, not undercoating. Red/ brown undercoating?

    Like 0

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