Jump to content

What to do with unrestored 1929 Chrysler Series 65 Sedan?


PaulC

Recommended Posts

Greetings.  My father has collected old cars over the years.  They were stored in the back yard in California under a tarp.  He would now like to pass this one on to someone who can use it.

I looked around on the google and it sounds like it is a 1929 Chrysler Series 65 Sedan.  It has the  Silver Dome engine.

The condition is pretty rough.  Most of the metal parts have rust on them.  Its not rusted through, just surface rust.  The roof is gone.  The interior is mostly just the box springs.  The engine is there and looks pretty solid, but also has  rust.

 

My question is what to do with it?  I looked on ebay and nobody seems to be selling rusted car bodies like this.  I did see a nice restored one that sold recently for $11,000.  We would love to find a home for it where someone can restore it or use it as a parts car.  Or if it has no value, then we can take it to a metal recycler.

 

I will post a few pictures so you can see the condition.

The engine has a number on the side saying P207562

On the top of the engine it has "78381-2 Silver Dome"

The plate in the center of the dashboard says "LD 9Y"

 

Thanks for your time!

front.jpg

Side.jpg

engine.jpg

inside backseat.jpg

front underside.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh why couldn't you live here in Australia I'd take it in a heartbeat great project you have there, please do not take it to the metal recycling yard, someone in the US will give it a loving home I'm sure! 

Could you give us a few photos of the left side and rear of the car and more detailed photos of the wind reflectors, if by chance you don't get anyone who wants the car I'd be interested in buying the wind reflectors that are mounted on the front doors.

Good luck and cheers from Australia.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Would be a shame to see it scrapped.  Seems like someone doing one of these would like to have it for a parts car.  I doubt anyone would want to tackle a restoration,  but atleast it would possibly help get one or more back on the road. Surprisingly it doesn't look badly rusted like most North East cars. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Sasha39 said:

Oh why couldn't you live here in Australia I'd take it in a heartbeat great project you have there, please do not take it to the metal recycling yard, someone in the US will give it a loving home I'm sure! 

Could you give us a few photos of the left side and rear of the car and more detailed photos of the wind reflectors, if by chance you don't get anyone who wants the car I'd be interested in buying the wind reflectors that are mounted on the front doors.

Good luck and cheers from Australia.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone.  Here are the extra pics of the back and left side as you requested.  I will talk to my father and come up with a for sale listing.  Thanks!

left side.jpg

back.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello again Paul,

 

Any chance of a close-up of the Fedco badge, you refer to it as The plate in the center of the dashboard says "LD 9Y"  there should be 3 number, I take it that it is LD..9Y which would suggest a early model 65 built between Oct. to Dec. 1928 the two missing numbers should pin point the month of build.

From all the photos so far it appears to be a stock standard Chrysler model 65 although the Headlights are not correct for a 65, also not sure that the wind reflectors would have been an accessory you could have added when buying new car but someone put them on, the wheels look to be 5.50 X 18' 4 lugs to secure the tyres on, the vacuum tank is missing so either a electric pump was put on or that Jerry can hold bolted on the side of the cowl was the source of fuel "gravity feed".

Good luck with your decision as what to do with the car , I can't believe that someone wouldn't that it on as a restore project, from what I can see it's 98% all there.

 

Edited by Sasha39 (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Sasha39 said:

Hello again Paul,

 

Any chance of a close-up of the Fedco badge, you referee it as The plate in the center of the dashboard says "LD 9Y"  there should be 3 number, I take it that it is LD..9Y which would suggest a early model 65 built between Oct. to Dec. 1928 the two missing numbers should pin point the month of build.

From all the photos so far it appears to be a stock standard Chrysler model 65 although the Headlights are not correct for a 65, also not sure that the wind reflectors would have been an accessory you could have added when buying new car but someone put them on, the wheels look to be 5.50 X 18' 4 lugs to secure the tyres on, the vacuum tank is missing so either a electric pump was put on or that Jerry can hold bolted on the side of the cowl was the source of fuel "gravity feed".

Good luck with your decision as what to do with the car , I can't believe that someone wouldn't that it on as a restore project, from what I can see it's 98% all there.

 

 

OK I did two rubbings and some photos of the Fedco badge and it looks like the badge says "LD819Y".  Does that make more sense?  I will attach a picture so you can try and interpret it yourself.  Thanks!

 

 

IMG_20190922_161937 - Copy.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hate to see cars like this being scrapped, parted out or worse still RODDED. It looks pretty complete and in decent shape considering that its 90 years old and it's way too complete to deserve being parted out or rodded.

 Yes, the cost of restoring it, is probably more than the car is worth right now, but the time will come when you wake up one morning to find there are NO survivors left. Surely it can be mechanically brought back to life and kept as a survivor and one day it's time will come, where it warrants the cost of restoring.

 I remember being in South Africa some 30 years ago and some guys had just collected the front half of a Model A sedan in similar shape, all the guy wanted was the headlight bar and radiator, so they torched the fenders around the bar, cut the rad mount bolts and cut up the rest to go to landfill. I cringed at what they were doing as guys in Zimbabwe would have given their eye teeth to find stuff that good. Now 30 years on, the restorers in South Africa are crying for those parts.

 Cars like this in our part of the world have long disappeared and this car would be snapped up in a heartbeat for restoration if it were here.

 Just remember they don't make these cars anymore, once it's gone, it's gone forever.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If this were mine I would pour a slab and proudly display it out front of the house.

A couple of thoughts come to mind.

1) Yard art  (everyone for miles around knows I like old iron)

2) Piss off the 'new' neighbors that think they live protected in some way.

3) Confirm that the crazy old coot that lives there is still nuts.

  • Like 1
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Paul can you please let us know what you and your Dad decided to do with the car and what the out come was?

After reading some of the comments I envy you over in the States as it sounds like you have a greater selection of cars to choose from when looking to restore, my little project was in far worst condition when I first started, that's why in my first comment I said that I wished you lived in Australia.

IMG_0455.JPG

Edited by Sasha39 (see edit history)
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...