1973 tc

MJF

Member
Joined
May 1, 2015
Messages
166
Reaction score
220
Location
Oulainen, Finland
Hi everyone. Last spring I got a terrible wagon-fever. I already have 2- and 4-door 69 Plymouth b-bodies, at first I tried to hunt for the only? finnish imported 8-passenger 69 Satellite. I found owner from late 90s, but nothing after that.
After dead ends, I started to look others, what Mopar made in late 60 and early 70s. I quickly found fuselages and noticed they could have pretty good options. I never have owned a c-body before, so I started to look around for high optioned fuselages. I saw craigslist ad for 72 TC here, I asked if someone local would call for it. Steve offered to call for it, but we decided it was not for me. Then Steve offered his 73 TC.

th_100_7732_zpstwovoirp.jpg

th_100_7739_zpsc9uprhit.jpg

Looked pretty much what I was looking. Mostly in original paint, low mileage car. Some rust in floors and spare tire well, nothing much. After some cleaning, it looked pretty good. I didn't want a show piece, I wanted a car to drive with my family and friends :)

th_100_7773_zpsnot7oi1o.jpg
th_100_7758_zpsi4ydvkkl.jpg

th_100_7843_zpsq1rx4ncn.jpg


E85 440-4 Barrel
D34 TorqueFlite Automatic Transmission
CP46
C = Chrysler
P = Premium
46 = 9 Passenger Wagon
T3C T = Unknown 3 = 1973 C = Jefferson Avenue, MI, USA
324567 Sequence Number '324567'
HT8 Paint Code: Chestnut met
D8T5 D = Deluxe 8 = Vinyl 50/50 Split Bench Seat T5 = Saddle Tan
B01 Date Built: 11 / 01 / 1972
HT8 Roof Color: Chestnut met
H54 Duel / Air / Temperatur / AC
R35 AM / FM Multiplex Sterio
L31 Hood / Fender Mount Turn Signal
P44 Auto Lock Tailgate
M91 Luggage Rack Deck Lid
P31 Power Windows
P41 Power Door Locks
S61 Tilt Telescopic Steering Wheel
M95 Assist Handles
V5X Black - Mouldings - Protective Insert Body Side
G25 Manual Vent Window
J67 Hevay Duty Wiring Harness
R32 Duel Rear Speakers
N51 Max Engine Cooling

Almost everything I wanted, passenger power seat and cruise control would be cool to add.

So, in late may, we had a deal. Steve fixed leaking exhaust, replaced igniton parts etc. He basically made it driveable. I ordered some spare parts to go with car and then we started to wait shipping. That was a long waiting, but car arrived in Finland a week ago!

Yesterday was the day to get it home. There was still 350 miles to get it, I decided to drive it home. I tried to ask a truck ride, but I could not get straight answer when they could bring it. I also couldn't find a big enough trailer. So I packed tools and spare parts in my dailydriver and there we go. 6 hours drive later, I quickly checked fluids and taped temporary licence plates to windshield and started to drive TC home. After 30 miles, at first red lights, engine died. We added gas in middle of intersection, drove off and it died again in next intersection. Rolled it to nearby parking lot and figured that fuel filter was clogged. Luckily I was prepared to that and I changed it. After that, engine ran even better than before :) There was also a little problems with lights, "fixed" it with jumpwire at gas station parking lot. Other than that, car felt and worked great! Oh yeah, did I already say that heater or defrosting did not work. Driving back took 11 cold hours...

th_DSC_0328_zpsaebffbsz.jpg

th_DSC_0337_zpsoulu0buh.jpg


I have driven ~400 miles now and car works better all the time, even brake booster fixed itself. Cars like to be driven :) Now I have to figure how to get heat in car. It has autotemp 2, many parts are missing and wires/vacuum hoses cut. Blower motor also seems to be stuck. I'm glad Steve gave other wiring harness and vacuum hoses with car.
 
Hi everyone. Last spring I got a terrible wagon-fever. I already have 2- and 4-door 69 Plymouth b-bodies, at first I tried to hunt for the only? finnish imported 8-passenger 69 Satellite. I found owner from late 90s, but nothing after that.
After dead ends, I started to look others, what Mopar made in late 60 and early 70s. I quickly found fuselages and noticed they could have pretty good options. I never have owned a c-body before, so I started to look around for high optioned fuselages. I saw craigslist ad for 72 TC here, I asked if someone local would call for it. Steve offered to call for it, but we decided it was not for me. Then Steve offered his 73 TC.


Very VERY nice car ...:eek:ccasion14:
 
Took the car to registration inspection this morning. I did not pass, but I knew it already. I had to go before repairs to get some paperwork to customs and to get it taxed in Finland.
It needs swaybar mountings, tie rod ends, upper balljoints, idler arm, some work with lights and a few patches to footwells and spare tire well. Nothing major :)

I already ordered new H4 headlamps, I'll install these with relays.
 
I found old receipt from 1986 from glove box. They changed some new bushings and did wheel alignment. There was also owners name and address. After some googling, I found current address too (Everett, WA) Some time ago I found 2003-2005 owner (Bothell, WA) from facebook. He told that he bought it from Everett. He also has build sheet and he will scan it and send it to email :) He did not remember who did he sell it to, other than it went south. I believe Steve bought it from this guy? Do you Steve remember when/who did you buy it from?
I have always been very interested of my cars history. I know who bought my 65 Valiant and 69 Belvedere new and every other owners too. My 69 Sport Satellite is imported from California in mid 90's, dont know how I could find previous owners from there :( I do know every owner from Finnish years though.

Placed a order to rockauto, new parts are coming...
 
Hi Matti,

I bought it from a lady with an email address I will send you by PM. She was selling it for her dad, who had moved to Arizona and she needed the room. It needed quite a bit of work to get it running but I bought it because it was pretty rust free as best I could tell, heavily optioned, and had only some 60K miles on it as I recall. I decided I had too many cars and concluded the 69-71 models were my favorites, so I let this one go to focus on one of those models. I wouldn't have bought it unless it had dual a/c too, but I doubt that will be of much use to you in Finland! Glad to hear you are enjoying it and driving it almost daily. It needed that. Your first drive home was an adventure, and I am glad you made it. You are made of steel!

Steve
 
Cool car and looks very familiar. Mine is almost exactly the same except for the auto temp a/c. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
Hi Matti,

I bought it from a lady with an email address I will send you by PM. She was selling it for her dad,

Thanks for email address, she replied in 10 minutes. She sounded not too interested, but bypassed my email to her dad :D

I got heat in car now! I removed heater blower, turned it with hand and put in back, works now. Wiring in car is somewhat a mess, needed a couple jump wires to get it running. It runs now all the time at mid speed when ingniton is on. This is temporary, I'll change the harness that Steve gave, when I'll have all other parts. It'll do now.
There is a grey 6 wire connector near fuse box that is not connected. There is all parking lights etc. Where should it be connected? I can't find an opposite connector.
I also need a bigger garage...

 
Got the parking lights working, it was only a broken fuse. Broken, not burnt. Looked fine, but didn't work. Should front side markers work when parking light are on?
 
Enjoy hearing your updates on your wagon. Glad you have heat now.
 
Kids have been sick for a week, could not have done much with cars. Changed side marker bulbs and tail light lense.
I had a bit luck with tail light, I found it from Finland! At finnish forum, someone remembered that years ago someone parted a 73 TC. Couldn't remember name or even when exactly was it. After some thinking he said "He had a white '60 Dodge Pioneer at same time, probably still has it". Then I remembered that I have seen a photo of that kind of Dodge. Found it again and you could read licence plate of that picture. Searced for licence plate, and same owner since 1995. Now I got name and phone number. Called him and that was the guy! He sounded a little surprised that someone asked parts of car that he parted over 15 years ago :D He still had most of parts, I got tail lights for free :) Not in perfect condition, both has hairline cracks, but are still in one piece. My drivers side had a golf ball size hole. He also said that there was two 73 TC:s in Finland at that time, I know at least 2 more imported after that.

I sent a letter to 1986 owner, I'm hoping he'll answer something :D
 
This is great about the parts car not the sick kids. Pretty amazing that you remembered and he still had it.
 
Hahah, I'm getting old and I'll remember old stuff :D

Changed studded whitewall Hankooks, ready for snow.
 
Had a couple garage days with T&C. Yesterday I changed tie rod ends, idler arm, upper ball joints and sway bar brackets. I had to fight with other upper ball joint before I noticed what was it. I bought Moog problem solvers, they had a machined unfinished ridge just before threads start. I must have messed threads from control arm before I noticed that. It had to be grind off and new threads filed in both ball joints. After that, other side was just bolt old off and bolt new in.
Today I changed drivers side rear wheel bearing. As Steve told me, differential oil had leaked in brakes. New bearing and axle seals went in, along with new brake shoes. Drum is in exellent conditon, needed just cleaning.

Another picture in snow :)
 
I got a month time to fix faults that were found in registration inspection, yesterday was the last day for re-inspection. Faults were tie rod ends, idler arm, upper balljoints, sway bar mounting, couple bulbs, leaking exhaust and missing stamped vin code. Faults were fixed before, new balljoints etc, both rear wheel bearings and rear brakes too. Only problem was that it was -32,5C yesterday morning :D I had to add antifreeze, never thought I would drive it in such cold. Also added 1kw engine heater to help cold starts.
I had 10 mile drive to inspection, no problems. While I was inside, battery had died. We had to borrow starter cables from firestation which is in same building. We used inspectors little Peugeot to start Chrysler... Inspection itself was quick, we did not want to shut car down. I drove home there ~a mile, left it running and went inside to get my son with me and to drive Chrysler back to my parents place. When we got back to car, it was not running anymore. Zero power in battery. I had to put battery in charge and wait. My friend happened to come by and we decided to drive it back in any way. I took spare battery from my Valiant and jumper cables with us, jumped it running from my friends Audi and headed to road! After 2 miles, it stalled again. This time we ran out of fuel :( There were we, standing on road without spare gas and power in batter, did we even take a towrope? Of course not. Luckily I found some rope and we could tow it to nearest gas station to fill up. Again, we had to charge battery from Audi to get started. Now we could drive it back, at half way speedometer scared **** out me. Suddenly it started to bounce all over and make a huge noise. When we got in garage, I measured charging voltage. 12 volts at idle, 15+ at higher revs... I probably need a voltage regulator. Boy I was happy to get in sauna after all that, It was pretty chilly at -30C :D
Some pics to follow....



Oh yeah, while doing brakes, I was going to turn car and I backed over a hubcap :(

 
Back
Top