Guest chuckaz Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Hello, I am looking at a 1954 New Yorker to buy. I will describe the car the best I can then ask my questions 331 2bbl, auto, 4 door Cosmetic:The car has had one respray that is not great. I can see one area of repair due to cutting a corner too tight but it appears to be able to be not bad and able to be repaired correctly. It will need a fuller weatherstrip kit and all fabric on the interior will need to be replaced due to it being an Arizona car and it is sun faded. The two worst spots on the car are both rear door s just above the sill has rust holes and both trunk mount areas are rusted badly. Mechanics: The car runs smooth and quiet with the exception of the brake pedal going to the floor but the brakes still work. It most likely will need a master cylinder rebuild. it has a very small coolant leak and will most likely need the radiator rebuild/resealed. I am looking for a driver that I can enjoy with my kids and not worry about them ruining it but also have the bones to be able to worked on while they are growing up to be made nice. The asking price is 5900 but I feel it would be worth 4500-5000, but I do not see many for sale this year to compare to. Are there any suggestions as to what to look for cosmetically where these cars rust or wear? also mechanically? I am pretty handy with the last model cars (one frame off restoration) but this would be my first pre 1970 car. Thank you in advance for any suggestions or input. Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28 Chrysler Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Back when I had my 54 there weren't any parts to rebuild the power brake unit, the car stopped fine with the vac. hose pluggedMy car came from Montana and had the tops of the seats rotted and split.The rocker panels rusted first in the upper mid west. Your trunk floor may be rusted from bad weather strippingThese are nice road cars, mine got 20 -24 MPG on the highway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chuckaz Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 How long ago did you have yours? I will most likely covert it to disc on all four if I get it because I have 1953 teardrop trailer I built that I would want to tow. What I find amazing is the rocker sills and door bottoms are spotless and just that one spot on each side on the rear door jam above the sills is rusted. Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 (edited) Price sounds very high for the condition of the car. Can't say for sure as I don't have a price guide handy but you can pick one up in any magazine store. Without seeing the car I would think $3500 would be more like it. They had good brakes, state of the art for the times. Rebuild to stock specs and you will be fine. I had the booster rebuilt for my 51 New Yorker no problem, just dropped it off at the local NAPA store and picked it up a week later. But this was more than 10 years ago. Even so you should be able to get a booster, if they can't rebuild the original they still make the same type booster. Don't know any weak points. Every part on those old Chryslers looks like it costs more than other cars because it does. Quality is nice to have but it also means parts are more expensive than for cheaper cars like Ford and Chev. For example the only cars outside of racing cars to feature hemi head engines in those days were Chrysler and Jaguar, even though everyone knew the hemi head was the most efficient design. Just too difficult and too expensive to build. Edited January 9, 2016 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 (edited) It may be that the brakes just need adjusting. No self adjusters in those days. It would be what Chrysler called a 'minor adjustment' in the manual. Major adjustment only necessary after rebuilding the brakes or replacing brake shoes and turning drums. Edited January 9, 2016 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chuckaz Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Thanks for the info. i would love to get it for 3500 but I am sure the owner would not go that far down. I am willing to pay and fair price to the owner. i am in it for the long haul. if i were looking to flip it 3500 would be the number for sure. ThanksChuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bob Call Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Chuck I would say this car would be in the $3,000 to $3,500 range max. As Rusty said the brakes were the best available in the 50's. Not real expensive to rebuild the brake system. You can get rebuilt master cylinder exchange almost overnight. Vacuum booster can be rebuilt. New radial tires to fit are not expensive. I would say offer $2,500 to $3,000. You say it is automatic; is it PowerFlite automatic or Fluid Torque Drive (has clutch pedal)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chuckaz Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 No clutch pedal. The car has brand new Coker radials. Is it common for people to advertise twice the actual value? I know the trader shows on tv do that but I feel it is not real. I would hate to offend the guy by offering half of what he is asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 A lot of people have inflated ideas of what an old car is worth. They have no idea what it costs to put an old car into first class condition. They see a 'perfect' one for $30000 and figure theirs must be worth $10000. Not knowing that a good paint job costs $5000 and up, upholstery the same, chrome $1000 for one bumper, etc etc. Even a car that is complete, running, and seems decent will cost more than it is worth to make it really nice. The rule is you are always better off financially to pay up for the best car. Because it is cheaper than doing the work on a second best car to bring it up to the same standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Cocuzza Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 Not trying to discourage you in any way. If you really,really,really want this car then you'll buy it no matter what we say. It's a decent car BUT make sure you check for more rust than what you can see. I would especially check the floors (fronts check the corners by the firewall).It is mostly true that there is more rust then what is visible and it is important to make sure it does not go too deeply.Are you planning on fixing all the rust or just driving it AS-IS? If you cannot repair the rust yourself it can get costly.Are you going to redo the upholstery, chrome, paint , etc?As stated by the others here even if you got the car for $4000.00 and repaired/redid what I mentioned you'd be into the car for WAY more than it is worth.I know you said you are in it for the long haul but circumstances change sometimes and you may be forced to bail out. You do not want to put yourself in a positionwhere you may lose a good chunk of money (unless you are rich to the point where it wouldn't matter). The cars of that era, especially 4-doors, are not fast sellers unless almost given away. Not bad cars just not "hot".You say that if you were going to flip it $3500.00 would be a good deal - I'd say that in the present condition you'd be hard pressed to make any profit worth the effort. Don't be afraid to make a low offer (also, if the car has been for sale for some time that is an indication that the price is not "attractive" and can work to your advantage). Remember, you can ALWAYS increase your offer BUT you would be hard pressed to decrease it, especially if the owner agrees to it. Rusty is correct in saying it is better $$$ wise, when possible, to "pay up" for a better car. Example: there is a 1951 or 1952 Chrysler on Ebay that had a ground up restoration that cost the owner twice as much as his asking price. Now here is a perfect car but there is no way that the car is worth the asking price - strictly from a dollar standpoint - because it just isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chuckaz Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 Thank you for the wise advise guys. I will look at this car once more and see what his low point is. Most likely I will keep looking as you have advised. I have a soft spot for these early Hemi cars so if you see any for sale east of the Mississippi I am interested. ThanksChuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bob Call Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 As Joe said there is not a big demand for 1950's 4 door Mopars. Convertibles and 2 door hardtops is a much better demand. The Coker tires and short tail hemi are probably half the value of the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28 Chrysler Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 I had mine from 1974 - 1991 and put a good 40.000 miles on it.In late 54 the block casting was changed from the extended bell-housing to the short, the short are a bit more desirable. If you look between the firewall and distributor you can tell which one you have.Being a plain 4 dr New Yorker and not the Deluxe I agree with about $3500 for it. The good part these are a modern style automatic Transmission.Check for rust around the floor around the dimmer switch and master cylinder cover. Also the inside of the rockers behind the front fenders. You can put your hand under the car and you can feel holes and soft spots without crawling under it. (this is a body mount area) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bob Call Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 The 51 thu 53 and 54 Chryslers with Fluid Drive or Fluid Torque drive have the long bellhousing block. With the introduction of the Powerflite automatic came the "short tail" block. 51 thur 53 heads are different than 54 and later heads with smaller valves and exhaust ports. Also, 51 thru 53 used regular reach spark plugs. 54 and later use 3/4 inch reach plugs. The plugs do not use the copper washers that come with plugs. The plug tube is the sealing gasket between the plug and head. The tubes were designed to be expendable and changed with plug changes during a scheduled tune-up. If you buy this car make a shop manual your first purchase. Easy to find used or new reproduction on epay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28 Chrysler Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 My 54 had the long block and had the power flight automatic.In late 1953 the 2 speed auto tranny replaced the fluid drive unit in the New Yorker Models. I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oily rag Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 Yes, the fluid drive was replaced in June of 1953 with the Powerflite transmission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Phillips Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 $450 to rebuild the power brake vacuum booster unit, is what I was quoted this month by Karp's Power Brake Service for my 1954 Chrysler Imperial. No one else had the parts or would touch it. Didn't all the 1954 New Yorkers have a four-barrel carburetor? Maybe not. That is a beautiful old Chrysler. If seller would paint the roof and fix the brakes, it would probably be worth his asking price. Pete Phillips Leonard, Tx. 1929 Chrysler model 65 business coupe 1954 Imperial 2-dr. ht. 1963 New Yorker sedan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 The New Yorker came with a 180HP 331cu in engine with 2 barrel carb. New Yorker Deluxe had the 235HP 4 barrel carb, same engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bob Call Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 This is my personal experience and is not intended to discourage anyone from patronizing this vendor. I have a 52 Imperial which is basically the same car as the 54 New Yorker except for cosmetic updates. Chrysler products from 50 thru 55 used the Kelsey Hayes Vacu-brake booster. There are two models, one with internal valves and one with external valves. I spoke with Mr. Karp on the phone and he told me that he has the molds to make all of the rubber parts for these boosters. I had my mechanic to pull the booster, package it and ship it to Karp. A few days later my mechanic received a booster from Karp. Mechanic tells me it was not the same booster he sent as the mounting bracket was different. He modified the bracket to fit and installed it. He cannot get any pedal with the booster connected but can get pedal with it disconnected. Master cylinder was rebuilt and wheel cylinders are new. I have emailed Karp numerous times asking him to call and talk to my mechanic to advise him how to troubleshoot to isolate the problem. No response from Karp. Caveat emptor. One of the posters on this forum recommended Brake Materials & Parts Inc. in Fort Wayne. I emailed them and they responded immediately saying that they could help me and/or rebuild my booster. I'm going to phone Karp and ask him again to call my mechanic. I suspect the problem is the vacuum check valve between the booster and the engine. Shop manual says if check valve is faulty the booster receives no vacuum and will not function. My car is in Tulsa and I work short term contract jobs and right now I'm in Houston and will be here for a couple more months. Not being on location where I can go to the shop and make a nuisance of myself, it's had to get things done when they have real paying customers that have priority over me. Scott & Margaret BethkeBrake Materials & Parts Inc800 Sherman BlvdFort Wayne IN 46808 Phone: 260-426-3331Fax: 260-424-1331Email: BrakePartsSTOP@aol.comWebsite: http://www.BrakeMaterialsAndParts.webs.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/BrakeMaterialsAndParts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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