Last T&C

[Totally 80's]

Gosh Aaron, I am seeing this thread for the first time this evening. I am very sorry to hear of Sherwood's passing as we had known each other for more than 40 years. I saw him last at a Spring Fling maybe 2 years ago and hadn't seen him since then and was wondering about him. I will always remember him as the guy that had stashed away those 3 original 300D EFI units. Hope they will go to good use. I wasn't aware of him having this T&C wagon but I am glad you got it and are making it nice again. He contributed a great deal to the WPC Club.

May he rest in peace

Steve

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the condolences. He left 3 Injected 300Ds and several Electrojectors. My mom and sister are not doing anything yet, but I am acting as technical support! The T&C was parked in 1984. From what I have seen, the fuel hose to the tank rotted, causing it to suck air. The exhaust on the wagon runs right next to the tank and directly below the hose, causing it to rot prematurely. The rest of the rubber on the car is still soft... and this was the only crusty one on the entire car. I think that was the reason it was put out of service.

I've been approached to participate more with the club. I'm not sure I want to do it, but I'll keep my mind open to it.

Aaron

 

[Totally 80's]

Your 65 Valiant convertible is really cool, but I think of the cars I have seen of yours over the years, your 1960 Polara station wagon is one of my favorites.

The 60 Polara wagon is an amazing car... but the Valiant is my favorite old pair of shoes.

Aaron

 

[Totally 80's]

That's a cool stash of Di-Noc! Do you or anyone else know if this exact color/pattern is still being made? I've ordered samples of many colors of 3M Di-Noc and none are spot on or even close really. Most of mine (1977 T&C identical color to yours) looks decent, but I need some for the rear and the rack.

Sugi, I doubt the exact color/pattern is still being made. There is a guy on this site who restored a yellow Town & Country who found a vinyl wrap material that was very close. You definitely need an exterior grade vinyl. If you can wait, I'll see if I have a piece left that would fit a tailgate. That section is short, so there may be enough to send your way. I plan on installing it this summer.

The original roof rack material was not the same as the T&C sides, because the rack had to work on the Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth wagons, and they all had different grains and colors. I always thought it looked odd that the wood grain color and grain didn't match, so when I replaced the wood on the rack, I used some of the Di-Noc I had on the shelf.

Aaron

 

[Totally 80's]

I phoned a friend and he gave me a crushed tank out of a '73 Charger. I'm going to cut the flange area out of it and install it in the wagon tank. Once the tank is back in the car, it should run and drive. Then I'll start working on the cosmetics.

Aaron

 

[Sugi]

Aaron- that would be awesome! Thanks for the info on the rack. It’s so nice to have access to people with all the little bits of information that I’d never be able to figure out on my own. This T&C project is like a giant puzzle, with pieces hiding all over the USA!

Sugi, I doubt the exact color/pattern is still being made. There is a guy on this site who restored a yellow Town & Country who found a vinyl wrap material that was very close. You definitely need an exterior grade vinyl. If you can wait, I'll see if I have a piece left that would fit a tailgate. That section is short, so there may be enough to send your way. I plan on installing it this summer.

The original roof rack material was not the same as the T&C sides, because the rack had to work on the Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth wagons, and they all had different grains and colors. I always thought it looked odd that the wood grain color and grain didn't match, so when I replaced the wood on the rack, I used some of the Di-Noc I had on the shelf.

Aaron

 

[Totally 80's]

I've been productive during the past month. The brakes and most everything under the hood are done. I've been doing a lot of cleaning too. The license plates and bumpers polished up surprisingly well. The gas tank was finished today, so I had enough time to loosely put it in place. I'll install the filler and tighten everything up tomorrow and put some gas in it. The car should be running and driving by the weekend.

Along the way, I've found a few more signatures. One is under the passenger front door... but the coolest is the "Last wagon of 77" that was drawn into the factory undercoating (under the rear seat floor) right after it was applied at the factory.

I've tested all of the electrics. Only one power window is working and it can only be done with the four gang switch. Nothing on the tailgate works... and the electric door locks aren't working properly. Other than those small issues, everything works!

I haven't touched the wood yet. It'll be a big job, but I want to fix all of the car's issues before I do that. The goal is to be done with everything by the end of the summer. Even at my slow pace, it should be done by then.

Aaron

 

[PeugFra]

Wow, that's some piece of evidence!

Couldn't somebody do the same thing for the 1978 model year? Would save us an awful lot of trouble!

 

[78Brougham]

Wow, that's some piece of evidence!

Couldn't somebody do the same thing for the 1978 model year? Would save us an awful lot of trouble!

I'm sure they did, that's why I'm thinking the true last '78 has been scrapped/derbied long ago. That car would've had all kinds of "evidence" on it just like this T&C, if not even more, being the last C Body ever!

I hope Richard doesn't start writing fake send off crap on parts of his car now..

 

[Totally 80's]

After 36 years of sitting, it runs, stops, and drives. The Lean Burn works fine, the transmission shifts well, and even the load leveling rear suspension works as it should! Now it’s time to sort the door lock and power window issues, and I have to install the windshield wiper bushings. It’s turning out a lot better than I thought it would.

 

[75LandYacht]

After 36 years of sitting, it runs, stops, and drives. The Lean Burn works fine, the transmission shifts well, and even the load leveling rear suspension works as it should! Now it’s time to sort the door lock and power window issues, and I have to install the windshield wiper bushings. It’s turning out a lot better than I thought it would.

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It certainly goes without saying! But I gotta say it.. you have a VERY VERY SPECIAL wagon there.. have you sent any correspondence to Chrysler/ FCA regarding it? If not! Couldn’t hurt to have their acknowledgement.. just say’en

 

[Mr C]

Someone like Hemmings should do an article and document this car.

I seem to recall that the last R body (a NY 5th Ave Limited Edition) had a special data plaque under the hood. Sadly that car was repainted in incorrect colours and is a disappointment.

 

[Totally 80's]

Someone like Hemmings should do an article and document this car.

I seem to recall that the last R body (a NY 5th Ave Limited Edition) had a special data plaque under the hood. Sadly that car was repainted in incorrect colours and is a disappointment.

One of the writers for Hemmings is a good friend of mine. He is waiting for me to get it done so he can photograph it.

Bummer about the NY 5th Avenue.

Aaron

 

[commando1]

If I could have had only one opportunity to spec out any of the last 74-78 C-bodies, this would have been it.
The last NYB would be runner up.
Last C-body cop car would be up there, too.
This car is making me batshit happy.

 

[Totally 80's]

Now that it runs and drives, I'm starting to attack the little things. I lubed the power antenna and it works perfectly. The tailgate was next... so I started with the tail lights. They were looking sad, so I cleaned, repainted the details (including the small strip of dark red), and polished the lens. The finishing touch was a bit of the NOS woodgrain. It only took about an hour from start to finish the one side, but the result made a huge difference! I'll finish the job tomorrow.

 

[patrick66]

Very impressive!

 

[Panhandle Slim]

Hello Totally 80's! I was scanning the forums & saw the story about your dad's T&C. Great story & I'll bet your dad is looking down on you with pride & joy! I, too, owned a '77 T&C & I loved it! I was actually in the process of restoring it, but, unfortunately, due to severe financial problems & lack of space, I had no choice but to scrap it. After reading about your car & others, I rather regret making that decision. There were still many good, usable parts on it. I DO still have a few things that came off of the car, plus some odds & ends that came from a donor T&C. One of the parts I have is a weatherstip piece that I'm fairly certain is/was used in the tailgate area, POSSIBLY across the top of the gate. If you'll study the photos you might be able to tell where it mounts. It is approx. 47 in. long & it has 7 screw holes. One end is cut at a 45 deg. angle. Part #3759471...I've tried but have not been able to find any info on that number. If it's something you think you could use now or in the future, I will send it to you for just the cost of shipping. If you don't need it, then perhaps you know of another T&C owner who could use it. I also have 8 of the stainless steel luggage rack strips that go on the roof. Plus, I have window glass for the front & rear doors AND a tailgate glass. Let me know if any of this interests you. You can post a message here or send me an email at [email protected]. Thanx for your time! --- Panhandle Slim

 

[Totally 80's]

Starting the new school year and teaching from my basement has taken a lot of my time. Now that I'm getting into the groove of distance teaching, I am using the T&C as a way to relax after work. I've started to remove the wood and will just work my way around the car. It's a horrible job, but I'm figuring out a good process. Today I decided to finish one of the fender skirts. I matched the NOS grain positioning to the original. I'm really happy with the results.

 

[Mr C]

Keep it out of the sun after you're done! Good work!

 

[Totally 80's]

Removing the wood was as therapeutic as it was tedious. It took me several weeks to do in my spare time. I have a little bit of glue to clean up and then a few door dings to repair. Once that’s done, the new wood vinyl will go on. It’s starting to look a lot better... but there is still a long “to do” list.

Aaron

 

[rapidtrans]

Nice! Can’t wait to see the new vinyl on it.