1971 Chrysler Newport Custom 383, rebuilding in Europe

Maggie and I wondered where our white top ended up. BTW I returned the black top that was shipped to me.
Both tops were shipped out to us the same time LOL!!
 
Hi guys,

would like to share my experience of giving my Chrysler a rebuild in Poland.
The car was imported to Poland in 2017 by a trader. Bought by me in August 2018 in running condition. The reason i bought it here instead of the US was that i could verify the condition of the car - mostly the rust involved. This one was not bad, and all original, no body or paint work ever performed - a BIG advantage. All the bits were on the car (except for the trim on the front grill). It's a 383 2bbl. Drives nice , engine & trans in good order (however on idle for a longer period of time the oil light flashes) . Suspension ok, steering bad - very loose - probably shot bushings all around and the steering box needs a rebuild. Brakes good.

This is the one:
For Sale - 1971 Chrysler Newport Custom - 383 V8 - $4000 (Linden)

Anyhow, i'm having the car rebuilt.
Body work, paint, interior, engine rebuild, new suspension, brakes, steering, brake lines, fuel lines, fuel tank.... well, basically everything. The trunk floor was in poor condition - but not from driving and salt - rather water laying on the floor. Quarter panels need some work on the bottom, as well as front fenders just behind the wheel wells. Other than that, the body is in excellent condition. Before i had the car taken apart, i ordered the floors from c2c fabrication - and the only bit im using is the trunk floor... which is a very pleasant surprise!

The plan is to keep the car in original spec, it's probably going to get the same color, Chrysler Avocado Metallic - GF9 code.

Some pics:

View attachment 233464

View attachment 233465

View attachment 233466

View attachment 233469

View attachment 233470

View attachment 233471

View attachment 233473

View attachment 233474

View attachment 233477

View attachment 233479
I am from North Jersey and remember seeing this car for sale on craigslist. I had intent of buying it but already had a 70 Newport 2 door project at that time, which after finishing ended up going to Italy.

Thank you for saving this one! I have saved 2 coupes myself by having them restored to nice shape and finding them good homes. I also gave 3 nice originals cars to great homes. 2 of which I still own lol
 
Getting there :)
Need the glass to go in, rest of the trim, interior. Then the car will be off to the mechanic for the engine, fuel and brakes lines, exhaust. All the bits that are going back on the car are rebuilt, like new... the body shop is doing an excellent job!
For now, the front and rear bumper won't get rechromed, I'll do it next winter.

20200115_184233.jpg


20200115_184137.jpg


20200125_172310.jpg


20200125_171625.jpg
 
Well guys, the car is coming along nicely and at this point in time i'm looking for a new set of tires. Front 235/70/15
Rear 255/70/15

I'm looking into BF GOODRICH T/A, or COOPER COBRA , both with raised white lettering.

Which do you recommend? Is there any big difference between the two? The Cobras are significantly cheaper. Need to make a decision pretty soon, so i can put them on a barge to Europe.

Thanks for any input
 
I have used both and I like both. I am sure others will have a opinion, but I would go with the cheaper price.
 
I had BF Goodrich on m my car but never had a clue why they're so expensive.. If you want to have white letters I can recommend General Grabbers... General Tires is from UK I think, so you might save a few bucks on shipping.

@Elcaine has them on his SportFury, looks decent on a fuselage 1970 Plymouth Sport Fury

_20200223_174650.JPG
 
Sidewall on General Grabbers is ok for me, but I have to admit I don't like the looks of the tread pattern. But, they do well in the rain. I only have them on the rear, front tires are General Altimax.
 
Great restoration — thank you for posting about your experience! The seats look perfect, can you tell us more?

This said, have you considered whitewall tires for your car? IMHO they would be more in line with the original spirit of your car, plus the Hankook Optimo H724 are really comfortable. Lots of members have only great things to say about their smooth ride and low noise level. I swear by them after about 3k miles on two C-body fusies in two years (disclaimer: I have no idea how they drive in the rain, as all but half a mile were driven in dry weather).

Here is Medina, my '71 Monaco last spring. Like your '71 Newport, she has a white vinyl top that the WWs complement perfectly (and a white stripe, but the previous owner is responsible for that :BangHead:).

20190319_165232-jpg.jpg


If you are set on RWL tires, here are my two cents. I went through the same dilemma (Cooper vs. BFG) for Snow White, the ‘70 N-code Polara convertible that I bought three months ago. I read a lot of RWL tire reviews on various sites. I went for the BFG, but it was a hard decision—FWIW, my conclusion at the time was that the difference in terms of performance was not great, namely they both were pretty mediocre tires that I’d never get for a modern car (I should probably duck for cover here, as some members really are big fans of the BFGs :eek:).

I have not yet driven Snow, so can’t comment personally yet on ride/handling/noise. I expect th BFGs to handle fine but to be less comfortable than the Hankooks. Here is a picture of Snow with the freshly mounted RWLs -- I chose to post this pic, despite the poor interior lighting, because it shows both the side and the tread of the tires. I am still not "sold" on the looks of the RWLs for anything other than a Hurst or SFGT, so even for this sporty car with road wheels I may well switch back to WWs after this summer. :drama:

947E0E6F-A62A-41BD-9B16-24E844316BA6.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Thanx for the input guys. For me the time hasn't come for WW. I decided to go for the Rasied White Letters Cooper Cobras. I had BFG on my Camaro, really sh** tires, especially in the wet - don't expect the Coopers to be any better to be honest.

The seats were upholstered in the correct material (except for the vinyl - used similar generic). They were fully rebuild - new foam, springs, etc. For all the work the price was really honest.

Recently had the windows go in, weatherstripping and chrome bits, the inside of the body was insulated (roof, floor, firewall, rear pillars, everything basically) for better temperature and sound control. All the panels and crevices on the inside were also rust proofed beforehand. A new headliner has been put in - i know the color is bright beige - but i wanted the interior not to be so dark, same goes with the carpets - bright beige.

At this point in time the body is almost finished. The interior has to go in as well as the side body moldings. Everything has been rebuilt, heater core, wiper motor, fan etc... really like new. I cannot express my gratitude for the body shop which is doing the work. Really amazing stuff goes on in there. I must say if i had the car elsewhere i just wouldn't be able to get all the work done.

The rear chrome covers for the lenses were in horrible condition, but the body shop had a place which managed to get them refurbished - now they are ready for re-chroming. Amazing really.

20200302_153006.jpg


20181027_103829.jpg


IMG-20200307-WA0004.jpg


20200305_154044.jpg


20200305_133911.jpg


20200305_122133.jpg


20200303_093455.jpg


20200303_093443.jpg
 
Last edited:
Great restoration — thank you for posting about your experience! The seats look perfect, can you tell us more?

This said, have you considered whitewall tires for your car? IMHO they would be more in line with the original spirit of your car, plus the Hankook Optimo H724 are really comfortable. Lots of members have only great things to say about their smooth ride and low noise level. I swear by them after about 3k miles on two C-body fusies in two years (disclaimer: I have no idea how they drive in the rain, as all but half a mile were driven in dry weather).

Here is Medina, my '71 Monaco last spring. Like your '71 Newport, she has a white vinyl top that the WWs complement perfectly (and a white stripe, but the previous owner is responsible for that :BangHead:).



If you are set on RWL tires, here are my two cents. I went through the same dilemma (Cooper vs. BFG) for Snow White, the ‘70 N-code Polara convertible that I bought three months ago. I read a lot of RWL tire reviews on various sites. I went for the BFG, but it was a hard decision—FWIW, my conclusion at the time was that the difference in terms of performance was not great, namely they both were pretty mediocre tires that I’d never get for a modern car (I should probably duck for cover here, as some members really are big fans of the BFGs :eek:).

I have not yet driven Snow, so can’t comment personally yet on ride/handling/noise. I expect th BFGs to handle fine but to be less comfortable than the Hankooks. Here is a picture of Snow with the freshly mounted RWLs -- I chose to post this pic, despite the poor interior lighting, because it shows both the side and the tread of the tires. I am still not "sold" on the looks of the RWLs for anything other than a Hurst or SFGT, so even for this sporty car with road wheels I may well switch back to WWs after this summer. :drama:

amazing Dodge!
 
Not too shabby ;)
Getting some small bits done here & there. Waiting for the engine shop to have some space so they can take the car mount the rebuilt engine.

20200317_141226.jpg


20200317_141211.jpg


20200316_140315.jpg


20200317_141205.jpg
 
How in the world did you sanitize and beautify that ashtray?

i believe it was sandblasted by one of those small precise blasters that aerograph painters use, then painted in silver.

The car is done, just waiting for the engine shop to have room. Too bad with all the corona-crap going around, the upholsterer didn't make the custom floor mats and trunk carpeting... too bad most of the world will enter into years of free fall and recession. History will judge the way things turned out in the end.
 
Engine is done. All internals are new, except for crankshaft.

FB_IMG_1585632337151.jpg


FB_IMG_1585632332584.jpg


20200401_182801.jpg


20200401_182559.jpg


20200401_182719.jpg


20200401_182835.jpg


20200401_182929.jpg
 
For sure one of the best restorations I've seen so far on this board (and other too) plus one the fastest also by someone who's not doing it for a living
 
Hi guys,
in need of some help. Looking for a new brake light switch, the one i have fell apart.
I only seem able to find a brake light switch for cars without cruise control... My Newport does have cruise control. Any ideas where i can get hold of one.
I looked @ rockauto and ebay & no luck . Thanks for any suggestions.
 
Back
Top