SparkEE

Picture added for posterity

Seattle Craigslist (Not Mine) 1953 Chrysler Windsor Deluxe - $5000(Newport Hills) 1953 Chrysler Windsor Deluxe For SalePurchased from a classic car museum in Ohio for a father / son resto project. Runs, drives and turns lots of heads. Fun stuff.If you are looking for something fun to play with while stuck at home during COVID-19 shoot me a message. And if you want to come check out the car, I promise to stay 6-feet away.Happy to provide more photos if wanted. We just pulled it out of winter storage (April 5th). https://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/d/bellevue-1953-chrysler-windsor-deluxe/7103491323.html

So it sounds like it’s very much like that 1995 Pontiac GrandAm a few years back with that blown head gasket. Really, entertainment value only.

1951 Nash Statesman Super Model 5149 Two Door Sedan LOVE STORY - $5750(Kirkland) (Not mine) https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/d/kirkland-1951-nash-statesman-super/7102709883.html If you enjoyed the ridiculous ad about that 1995 Pontiac grand am (ref. http://www.huffpost.com/entry/used-car-ad-pontiac-grand-am_n_1453121/amp), you might enjoy this one I ran across on Craigslist. It *begins*, “So where do I start? For what it’s worth, this is not so much an ad to sell a cool 1951 Nash Statesman Super Model 5149 Two Door Sedan, as it is a love story, with a bitter ending. A love story for car nuts, like you and I. Before I begin, please be aware that this story, as all good car stories do involves sex, money, alcohol, questionable judgment and of course a sweet ride. Now everyone knows that a really good story, even a car related one should have some interesting characters in it, mainly a striking young man, a beautiful sexy object of desire, and a hero, or someone who saves the day. However in this (cheaply written) short story, our young man, let’s call him Mark (as that’s his real name) is neither striking or young for that matter and our object of desire is of course not a sexy woman but a Nash Statesman Super. ” ...be sure to read the keywords at the bottom, like “Never let your friend write your car ad”

Beautiful car! One of the better looking cars of the ‘50’s, in my opinion. I was just thinking the other day about the ‘54 Skylark convertible owner in the local car club who made an ignition key for my first car (it came with none... but I was 9, so was in my budget).

That was only an option on the eight cylinder models and I think every knob has disintegrated.

Here’s a link to an electronic copy of the owners manual and an imagine is attached: http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1939/39Owners/Page12.htm While it’s the imperial site, the manuals cover your car, so you might be very interested in the following 1939 literature page that has much of what was available: http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1939/index.htm BTW: shop manuals for 1939 were a supplement to 1938, so you probably want both, if you carry it with you in the car.

See the spare tire clamp in this attached picture. It’s easier to see as a light colored cover has been added over the spare. The dented air cleaner housing needs fixed, though.

@Dynaflash8 any chance you could post the article?

@Brooklyn Beer I hope you enjoy yours as much as we have enjoyed ours. I like the styling, and it’s the right mix of old car feel and modern-ish capability. ...and the overdrive!

@autoluke Do you have an ad posted with pics online?

I wonder if they have the front bumper and radiator cap. I think American Arrow may reproduce the radiator cap for this. Regardless, looks similar to the body on a 1932 Plymouth and that is a favorite car of my youth. Kudos to the sellers for getting the car up for sale rather than continuing to leave it under an orange tarp on the lawn. Someone will get a fun car at a nice price.

Paint chips (link and attachment, in case link goes down):

Agreed, the silver paint color on the two door for me is a lessor concern from: * damage to drivers’ rear paint * damage to front door paint AND looks like a dent thar could be caused by hooking a door * telltale electric window switch on driver’s and passenger’s side door interior panels (now we are certain mods have been made) * “extra” unterminated wire hanging down from dash * alternator on engine * extra wiring block on cowl * missing radio and extra modern controls for a heater * added audio equipment (see passenger’s side interior kick panel shot * “six cylinder original engine with updated 12volt electrical system”. ...lots of six volt components here, how were they dealt with? Maybe that was a step down on the cowl? ...but if the price is right, probably a fun car, and two doors aren’t as common. The two door ‘32 Plymouth sedans are popular with rodders because they have a larger front door (and it’s a suicide door). I don’t know if the front doors on a 1939 Chrysler are standard size on the two door sedan.

Agreed, the silver paint color on the two door for me is a lessor concern from: * damage to drivers’ rear paint * damage to front door paint AND looks like a dent thar could be caused by hooking a door * telltale electric window switch on driver’s and passenger’s side door interior panels (now we are certain mods have been made) * “extra” unterminated wire hanging down from dash * alternator on engine * extra wiring block on cowl * missing radio and extra modern controls for a heater * added audio equipment (see passenger’s side interior kick panel shot * “six cylinder original engine with updated 12volt electrical system”. ...lots of six volt components here, how were the dealt with? Maybe that was a step down on the cowl? ...but if the price is right, probably a fun car, and two doors aren’t as common. The two door ‘32 Plymouth sedans are popular with rodders because they have a larger front door (and it’s a suicide door). I don’t know if the front doors on a 1939 Chrysler are standard size on the two door sedan.

I’ve been casually looking for an 8 that’s not a project for the last few years. There’s a coupe with the wrong wheels (I believe) and some other modifications currently for sale in Hemmings, but I think it might be priced optimistically based on condition. ...but please buy it so I can stop looking at it, so much! 😆 Hemmings ad: https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/chrysler/unspecified/amp/2225544.html older Bay Area ad: https://www.forcbodiesonly.com/mopar-forum/threads/1939-chrysler-imperial-coupe-8-cylinder.21625/

There’s also a 1939 two door that was for sale in the Seattle on Craigslist for a long time and was on eBay very recently. I can’t recall what they were asking on Craigslist (14k+?), but the last bid I saw on eBay was around 5.5k with reserve not met. UPDATE: 1939 Chrysler Royal DELUXE https://www.ebay.com/itm/402218509218

Might explain why it’s been for sale for a long time. I’m not familiar with them

There’s a Royal coupe project on this page (no OD, I believe): https://www.nepclassiccars.com/projectcarsforsale2.htm

Here’s a good looking Royal, with overdrive that’s been for sale for a while: https://www.oldcaronline.com/1939-Chrysler-Royal-Staunton-Illinois-for-sale-ID896957.htm I do wonder why it has an extra button switch to the right or the steering column.

This car has among the better original dash plastic I’ve seen. I’d heard some folks had drilled out the trim and vacuum formed some newer sheet plastic on the instrument cluster surround and glove box. If anyone is thinking about doing that, let’s talk. I have some to do as well.

If it were near me and I wasn’t sequestered at home, I’d go look. It appears to missing trim where the hood meets the cowl and the oil bath air cleaner has a big dent on that side, which I’d want to fix ASAP, as the filtering part doesn’t seem to be sitting correctly. It has the banjo steering wheel which makes me wonder if there’s also over drive...

Great! If it’s not resolved, and this isn’t the other forum you tried, definitely post your question here: https://p15-d24.com/forum/4-p15-d24-forum/

I can appreciate that. For posted speed limits, my six with overdrive can hold its own on the interstate. In some places the default speed is what a friend termed “super legal”, which is too fast even for that combo. I have an eight project with overdrive as well, so maybe my daughter will get her wish eventually. I had the pictured car on a tour in Idaho several years ago and someone came by to tell me how they used a 1939 Chrysler Imperial to run alcohol between counties in a southern state. He said it was a great car, until it threw a plug through that hood.

There’s a thread that discusses the ratios here, albeit on 8 cylinder cars (same body, longer hood) You might use that to figure out what you should do. I grew up running heavy equipment and was instructed to listen to the drive train to determine what throttle position / gear to run things at. With that in mind, I felt comfortable with a Royal at 45-50 with overdrive locked out and around 60 with good visibility / good roads in overdrive (hydraulic actuated drum brakes worked well, so did push that upper figure a bit on the interstate) . With that overdrive kick down, I was able to ascend a pretty steep mountain road in high. We love the car. I got mine in “well used” condition and have enjoyed it immensely and never worried about the car. ...though there is a one year only hubcap our there on the shoulder somewhere. ok, there was the one time shortly after I bought the car that the throttle linkage clip came loose - that *is* something you want to avoid (throttle opens completely when that happens).