Hey guys. I spotted an ad on the Imperial On-Line Car Club's website selling a 34 (35?) Chrysler CV series four door 128 inch wheelbase car for $4500.

It looks pretty solid but tattered.

Questions: The spare tire is on the back with a cover. Is there no trunk on these cars?

Was the CV straight 8 a larger 8 then the standard Chrysler Airflow of 323.7 ci?

Guys - this car has 35 grille on an otherwise 34 body. I need a 34 grille and one headlight surround to consider purchasing - bummer

Anybody got production figures? I don't have a pre-war book.

I am interested in this car but if anyone wants to move on it that would be fine. I had a 1936 C9 before that turned out to be a real bust. I have come close to owning a C17, probably my "holy grail" car. The C9 was so incomplete as far as it's Airflow specific trim that I gave up.

The Airflow community is pretty tight - I got in trouble once from the moderator for stating it more "personally" so getting a complete Airflow is very important.

Apparently this is not unusual , after the first year (1934) Chrysler redesigned the front end treatment in 1935 to replace the waterfall grill of 1934 , and offered the new hood design to previous buyers so that they could update there 1934 cars to look like a 1935 model.

They have a small trunk, access is thru the inside of the car, the rear seat back folds forward.

The CV model was the standard wheelbase model (137")and used the 323.5 cu in straight eight.

1934 Chrysler and Imperial Airflows totalled 11292 units, the highest year of Airflow production.

Thanks guys. I also got an email from someone in the Airflow Club that confirmed that the 35 Grille was offered as a factory replacement to owners of the 34's. If judged, it would not be discounted as it was a factory approved part.

I thought that was very interesting. As a student of automotive history, I wondered if Airflow owners were getting kidded excessively in the neighborhoods for their goofy looking cars.

I don't like the '34 waterfalls so i am happy I can make an offer on this car, and not have it disqualified. The seller has confirmed it's the 35 replacement grille and says it looks nice but is obviously placed on the 34 front clip.

Rusty, I'm not sure this is the 137" inch wheelbase car. It's an Imperial, but not the Custom Imperial, which was the big dog. It's longer then the base Chrysler 8 Airflow I know that. And period advertising has hp at 130 versus 125 for the standard Chrysler 8. I suppose that is from an aluminum head?? I remember that being the case.

Wish I knew the model breakdown. There were just too many Chrysler Airflow models, 2 doors, 3 wheelbases, 4 doors. I'll bet in the throws of the depression, few of these Imperial wheelbase (and priced) Airflows left the factory.

Thanks again.

Here is the original 1934 Chrysler Airflow sales brochure. This is where I got the info on the engine displacement and the wheelbase, the CV is the base model Imperial with the shortest wheelbase. Lesser Chryslers may be different but the Imperial was 137 for the standard sedan, 146 for the LWB.

http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1934/34AirflowIntro/index.htm

According to the book "70 years of Chrysler" by George Dammann the CV Imperial was known as the small Imperial and had a wheel base of 128" and were simply dressed up Chrysler eights, with a slightly larger engine of 323.5 cubic inches. production figures were 212 for the 5 passenger coupe, 1997 for the 6 passenger sedan ,67 for the town sedan .the next size up Imperial was the CX with a wheel base of 137.5" and then the CW Custom Imperial with 147" wheel base.

I have a 1934 Chrysler Manual here with me in Australia and can advise that the base Chrysler Airflow in 1934 was the CU with a 298.6 cu. in. engine that developed 122 HP @ 3400 RPM and had a wheel base of 123"
The CV was the Imperial model Airflow in 1934 with a 323.5 cu. in. engine that developed 130 HP @ 3400 RPM and had a wheel base of 128"
Regards
John Spinks
Aussie Airflow Coupe

I think we are all on the same page now. I believe the wheelbase was 128" and the early ads I have list the CV as having the 130hp motor but the Chrysler CU has a 125hp engine, so I believe the difference is the aluminum higher compression head the CV had. I remember discussing my 1936 C9 with an officer from the club. He commented that it was good my straight 8 was an iron head motor as the aluminum ones gave a lot of problems. I think that is the 5hp difference mentioned in the ads I have.

The early ads show wheelbases offered, and usually the ads show a base Chrysler model. I have one ad that shows the stretch limo, with a top hatted crowd in front of a theater.

I think this 128" wheelbase model, with the rare 35 grille "option" is a fine choice for an Airflow restorer. Personally, I got excited when the ad popped up, then less so, when he said it was a 1934. The waterfall grille was just too radical for me, yet the streamlined body was very nice, and later adapted by others - Nash, Lincoln.

The seller wants $4500, which is high for me, but I think reasonable. I don't want to make what would seem a lowball offer. The problem is project cars are fairly plentiful and cheap right now, even if they are not 34/35 Airflow Imperials, there still are a lot of neat cheap projects out there.