Mathilda's 5th Anniversary with Familiarum Mauritius!

Do you drive your Old Gold Mopar(s)?

  • Yes, always

    Votes: 7 77.8%
  • No

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Occasionally, with newer transport supplements

    Votes: 2 22.2%

  • Total voters
    9

Gerald Morris

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5 years ago today, I drove home our 1966 Chrysler Newport 2 door hard top, purchased with money from an insurance payment for some fool totaling our 1988 Oldsmobile Ciera. This proved to be a MOST blessed answer to my prayers for a GOOD family car. So, on March 10, 2016, I exchanged $1400 for the vehicle depicted below.
20160309_174205.jpg

5 years, ~40,000 miles later, we still happily pile in to this essential member of our family, which, while dirty, is in FAR safer, sounder, stronger condition than when we bought her. I'll snap some pics of Tilly-Present for you all tomorrow come daylight.

I've never owned a better automobile. I've never DRIVEN a better family car, and few as good in over 40 years of licensed driving. One thing I rejoice in: THIS Slab side Mopar is a 24/7 DRIVER! The only time we don't drive this car is when I'm working on it, to either repair, restore or upgrade some system on it.

My young Serbo-Russian bride promises to inter my mortal remains in the body of this car when that becomes necessary, unless one of our children merits driving Mathilda.

We pray that won't become a necessary choice for some years yet.

Our 5 yr old has "Mopar or No Car!" in her favorite sayings. Smart kid, eh?
 
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Super glad to see Matilda finally Gerald! 5 years and no pics that I can remember in any of your posts. Heck I just assumed it was a 4 door but I did know it was green somehow or maybe I was just assuming that too.:lol:
 
(Had to wipe the happy tears from my smiling face.)

We got our '66 CL42G with 7100 miles on it when the new '67 Chryslers were first at the dealer. That was the car I basically grew up with, learned to drive in (and modulate the power brakes with), took to college, and first jobs.

It is a great-designed car! And, it cemented in my mind of just how a great car feels as it does what it does. The finesse of the suspension with HD shocks (natural cruising speed of 75-90mph). The accuracy of the steering. The response of the 383 2bbl to the minutest of throttle imputs. And the great long-distance reception of the AM radio (which I added an additional rear speaker to in addition to the one it came with back there . . . total of three speakers, all factory). How the brakes didn't need a long time to recover from driving through a water puddle (as similar GM cars did!) or issues with getting "drowned-out" from similar. Can't forget the AirTemp comfort in the 100 degree Texas summers, too! One of the benefits of the 4-hour monthly trips from and to Lubbock from DFW.

We learned about some of the idiosyncracies of these cars, too. Starting it in "N" first thing in the morning. The seemingly longer crank time in the summer, after it sat for a while. And the "wear" on the power steering mount, although it still did what it was supposed to do even at that angle. It helped that we had the support of a great dealer service department and a service station owner who knew these cars as he drove them, too, albeit the '65 Fury III 318s.

Congrats on the anniversary! May y'all have MANY MORE!
CBODY67
 
Super glad to see Matilda finally Gerald! 5 years and no pics that I can remember in any of your posts. Heck I just assumed it was a 4 door but I did know it was green somehow or maybe I was just assuming that too.:lol:

Bless you! I think you divined Tilly's color from MY COLOR! This Son of Erin comes as Green as a man can. Even relatives, girlfriends and other intimates who've "seen" me in their dreams as a Green Demon or with Green Rays shooting out of my eyes, et cetera all have got it right.

Evergreenly Yours,

Gerald Edward Fitzmorris.

Post Scriptum, I HOPE to get good pics posted later today. Stay tuned! Same time, same green Channel! Maybe I can get a 66 Black Imperial 2 door....
 
Happy Anniversary, Gerald! It's so cool to see these beauties actually driven. I love all your mechanical posts as I am working through a lot of the same on my 66. I showed my wife this post and she asked "when can we do that?!?" Next time I'm down there, Tacos Apson is on me to celebrate.
 
Gerald I gotta say your Chrysler is super sharp! I've been hankering for a slabside for a while now, and your coupe has really got my blood pumping! But the best part of your thread is how you speak of using Matilda daily! That is absolutely the best part of your story...not only are you and your family enjoying it, but you're turning heads and arousing people's curiosity every day! I bet you've educated hundreds of people as to what a Chrysler Newport is, and likely dozens have researched it on the web.
Keep being a great Ambassador for the hobby and please...let's see some more pics!
 
(Had to wipe the happy tears from my smiling face.)

We got our '66 CL42G with 7100 miles on it when the new '67 Chryslers were first at the dealer. That was the car I basically grew up with, learned to drive in (and modulate the power brakes with), took to college, and first jobs.

It is a great-designed car! And, it cemented in my mind of just how a great car feels as it does what it does. The finesse of the suspension with HD shocks (natural cruising speed of 75-90mph). The accuracy of the steering. The response of the 383 2bbl to the minutest of throttle imputs. And the great long-distance reception of the AM radio (which I added an additional rear speaker to in addition to the one it came with back there . . . total of three speakers, all factory). How the brakes didn't need a long time to recover from driving through a water puddle (as similar GM cars did!) or issues with getting "drowned-out" from similar. Can't forget the AirTemp comfort in the 100 degree Texas summers, too! One of the benefits of the 4-hour monthly trips from and to Lubbock from DFW.

We learned about some of the idiosyncracies of these cars, too. Starting it in "N" first thing in the morning. The seemingly longer crank time in the summer, after it sat for a while. And the "wear" on the power steering mount, although it still did what it was supposed to do even at that angle. It helped that we had the support of a great dealer service department and a service station owner who knew these cars as he drove them, too, albeit the '65 Fury III 318s.

Congrats on the anniversary! May y'all have MANY MORE!
CBODY67

Yes, my FIRST 1966 C-body was sold to me for $500 in 2004, by an excellent fellow who I learned passed on in 2013. He was a 440 man, and put those in Darts, Barracuda's and the New Yorker he sold me had one already, albeit, w a leaky rear main seal that would become an issue at the worst possible time. But I fell in love with the '66 C body Mopar with that 4 door New Yorker.

I still have the compressor, condenser and dealer AC that came with Mathilda when we got her, but I removed them the first month. I bought a cheap Equus gauge set to give me SOME notion of what the engine was doing, given how none of the original instruments were connected or working. I now happily own 2 instrument panels and WILL redo one, and reinstall it when I deem it useful. For now, I use an array of old Clark Brothers and Stewart Warner instruments, carefully shopped for online that serve us beautifully. I use a GPS app for measuring velocity. (Not that it matters much to me. I go by "fast enuff in the right direction" as my criterion there.)

Drivers-seat-w-Instruments.jpg


While not yet pretty, I KNOW what that motor is doing! Just left of the JBL Flip speaker is a small vac gauge which shows me 17" at an idle of ~550 rpm. I might hire Redline to prettify the old panel, if I'm unable to DIY things due to rug-monkey distractions here. This weekend, I'll re-install the just rehabilitated ash tray lamps, which I copped some Type 53 LED bulbs for, then refitted with new wiring. The work wonderfully. Tonight, I'll take some pics of the lighting and signalling mods.

Yea verily, these cars set the quality bar HIGH!
 
Happy Anniversary, Gerald! It's so cool to see these beauties actually driven. I love all your mechanical posts as I am working through a lot of the same on my 66. I showed my wife this post and she asked "when can we do that?!?" Next time I'm down there, Tacos Apson is on me to celebrate.

I look forward to you fellowship! The terrible pity is: there are SO DAMNED FEW OF THESE LEFT IN PIMA COUNTY! Damned rich yankee flippers RAIDED us over these past 5 years, and even the wrecking yards have been picked empty of C body Mopars in ANY condition. I thank the Lord every day, that I drove Mathilda home for $1400!!! THEN, I back-traded the young man who sold her to us on the tires, reducing my cost to $1250 after I got the original wheels his daddy had and selling those DREADFUL wire rimmed SHOWROOM WHEELS which had DESTROYED THE REAR BRAKE DRUMS, HUBS AND AXLE BEARINGS!

Yet, despite this initial hardship, we drove her all the same, with busted motor mounts, unprotected circuitry and the moaning rear end until January, 2017, when I availed us of Dr. Diff! And thus has Mathilda's Saga proceeded, ever onward. I worked the presidential election of 2016, driving a crew up to Coolidge the week before through Election Night with those bum axle bearings. Sure enough, they were original Timkens. MUCH to be said for Made in the U.S.A.
 
Damn Gerry, about time you posted a picture of your car! Like @detmatt, I assumed it was a four door. I like the color, looks good in that shade. Driving them is what it's all about, and it doesn't matter if your car is the prettiest on the road, it's about the satisfaction it goes you. Here's to another five years of driving pleasure!
 
Gerald I gotta say your Chrysler is super sharp! I've been hankering for a slabside for a while now, and your coupe has really got my blood pumping! But the best part of your thread is how you speak of using Matilda daily! That is absolutely the best part of your story...not only are you and your family enjoying it, but you're turning heads and arousing people's curiosity every day! I bet you've educated hundreds of people as to what a Chrysler Newport is, and likely dozens have researched it on the web.
Keep being a great Ambassador for the hobby and please...let's see some more pics!

Bless you! Have a look NOW, since I've replaced the rear 1/4 panel chrome trim where needed, found the proper serial# side mirrors, tail lights, lettering and such! ALL of those features except the 1/4 panel trim came from Brother C-body Moparians on THIS Excellent Forum! Indeed, I'll NEVER be able to thank the MANY GOOD FOLK who've sold me useful, or beautiful parts to help me bring this Detroit Gold BACK to some of its Original Lustre. Ecce!

Driver-side-front-w-door-mirror+top-trim.jpg
rear-w-replaced-tail-lights+dual-exhaust.jpg
passenger-side-rear-w-door-mirror.jpg
Driver-side-front-w-door-mirror+top-trim.jpg
Front-w-replaced-lettering.jpg
 
Damn Gerry, about time you posted a picture of your car! Like @detmatt, I assumed it was a four door. I like the color, looks good in that shade. Driving them is what it's all about, and it doesn't matter if your car is the prettiest on the road, it's about the satisfaction it goes you. Here's to another five years of driving pleasure!

With a blessing, I might live to repaint her in her ORIGINAL OD GREEN, but that will be the LAST restorative work done on her. This emerald green IS unique, as is the 2-tone white top, sensible for Arizona. I might opt for white vinyl up top soon. Need to study the thermodynamics of such before going that route though.
 
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