1978 NY Brougham - Need Advise - Comments - New Owner

[Sport Fury 67]

Hi All.

I recently purchased a garage kept 1978 NY Hardtop with 17K miles and I would like your comments on certain items I am not yet familiar with on this car. She is a 440 with Shur-grip, trailer package, elec. rear window defroster, all leather with dual pwr seats in front. CB/AM/FM Radio, vent windows, trunk release, tilt-telescoping steering wheel and cornering lights.

I replaced the original Firestone 721 tires of death with Hankook H724 75 235 R15, (group's recommendation) and kept the full size org spare, so that is done. She has the heavy duty-trailer package, so there are air shocks in the rear, which are dead. What have you found to be a good brand replacement for the fronts and rears? KYB, Monroe's?

There is a serious exhaust leak from a gasket near the front, by the exhaust component that has the ports for the ERG tube. Where can I find a replacement for it?

Since the A/C is in such nice shape, my guy said I can replace the gaskets and fill with R-12 or convert to R-134. I was thinking on keeping it R-12. Comments? It does not have the dreaded Air Temp II.

The pneumatic automatic parking brake release only works in N and D, is it designed not to operate in reverse?

I have ordered a shop manual, but has anyone had an issue where both the cornering lights and the rear back up lamps do not light? All bulbs are good.

What type of cleaner can you all recommend to clean the door panels to remove the slight amount of dark matter in the decorative molded crinkle finish. Just old age dirt. Regular soap and water with a small stiff brush did not do too much.

Going to start clay bar cleaning the paint, just the hood should keep me out of trouble for a week or so.

Thanks in advance - looking forward to your comments - it is an active group.

Steve

 

[live4theking]

I'm not huge on the formals, but this sounds like one really nice car and looks it too.

 

[cantflip]

Hi All.

I recently purchased a garage kept 1978 NY Hardtop with 17K miles and I would like your comments on certain items I am not yet familiar with on this car. She is a 440 with Shur-grip, trailer package, elec. rear window defroster, all leather with dual pwr seats in front. CB/AM/FM Radio, vent windows, trunk release, tilt-telescoping steering wheel and cornering lights.

I replaced the original Firestone 721 tires of death with Hankook H724 75 235 R15, (group's recommendation) and kept the full size org spare, so that is done. She has the heavy duty-trailer package, so there are air shocks in the rear, which are dead. What have you found to be a good brand replacement for the fronts and rears? KYB, Monroe's?

There is a serious exhaust leak from a gasket near the front, by the exhaust component that has the ports for the ERG tube. Where can I find a replacement for it?

Since the A/C is in such nice shape, my guy said I can replace the gaskets and fill with R-12 or convert to R-134. I was thinking on keeping it R-12. Comments? It does not have the dreaded Air Temp II.

The pneumatic automatic parking brake release only works in N and D, is it designed not to operate in reverse?

I have ordered a shop manual, but has anyone had an issue where both the cornering lights and the rear back up lamps do not light? All bulbs are good.

What type of cleaner can you all recommend to clean the door panels to remove the slight amount of dark matter in the decorative molded crinkle finish. Just old age dirt. Regular soap and water with a small stiff brush did not do too much.

Going to start clay bar cleaning the paint, just the hood should keep me out of trouble for a week or so.

Thanks in advance - looking forward to your comments - it is an active group.

Steve

Welcome... very nice. If the steering wheel isn't cracked, keep it out of the sun. Do you have the big factory spec hitch on her? If so I would love some pictures someday... and don't throw it away.

I personally choose R134a... but my decision is a combination of economics (30# for $80) and distrust that anything that says R12 really is R12 and not propane or whatever.

The FSM(shop manual) is the starting point for electrical diagnosis, I'd wait until yours arrives. As to your exhaust leak, a factory parts manual ($40-50 if you watch Ebay) is required if you want NOS pieces... probably hard to find even with the part numbers. A decent muffler shop or garage should be able to cobble some sort of repair together for you, but start a thread with you questions and provide the best pictures you can, we may be able to help you through it.

 

[1978 NYB]

Nice car!

Do the wipers work? If they do.....and you're up north.....don't ever try to operate the wipers if there is frost or snow on the windshield. The wiper cam WILL FAIL. There are no replacement parts on the planet for the wiper cam. You'll have to fabricate a small wiper cam assembly using donor parts from a 74-77 Formal.

Check the cowl. The deep hole under the hood between the two black plastic leaf guards by the wiper linkage. Use a shop vac and make sure you get all of the leaves, dirt, and junk vacuumed out of the cowl. It;s pretty deep. Water sits in there and rusts out the cowl and then you'll have water leaking inside the car.

Check in the trunk and under the car around the rear quarters and make sure it isn't rusted or has holes. It's a notorious area for rotting because water leaks into the trunk past the rear side marker lens. Wouldn't hurt to seal them on the inside of the trunk with some silicone sealer.

There other things like rust under the vinyl especially around the rear window. Rust under the chrome trim under the rockers.

Does the power antenna work? It should be an automatic antenna which goes up when you turn the radio on. No antenna switch if it is automatic. No parts available on the planet either.

A lot of things are unique on the 1978's only. The body color decals on the mirrors and door handles. Silver pinstripes on the taillights. The flip down fuse box. The 30 pin bulkhead connector. The door panels and glass are weight reduction pieces. I believe the am/fm/cb radio is 1978 only. You said rear air shocks....after market or factory? If it is factory it might worth looking in to to fix it. The compressor is under the left front fender and above the inner fender. There is a air reservoir along the left side frame rail and ride height valve and linkage bolted to the left side of the rear axle. There are other things too that I'm just forgetting about.

How about a picture of your fender tag. Another thing we do on here is figure out who may have the last Formal made.

 

[cantflip]

How about a picture of your fender tag. Another thing we do on here is figure out who may have the last Formal made.

Obviously, I don't get to play...

But my wipers work great...

 

[1978 NYB]

Obviously, I don't get to play...

But my wipers work great...

Yeah........but you got ATC II and rear disc brakes. LOL!

 

[Sport Fury 67]

I will have to find a better muffler -exhaust shop as they did not offer the option to fabricate a gasket for the exhaust.

Of course there are wiper issues. The driver-side works, the bushings on the transmission arm for the pass side are both broken. I have replacements, but I will also replace the ones on the drv-side transmission link and the one on the wiper motor. The car still had the original blades.

This car has zero rust, just a few nicks in the paint. She was kept on the showroom floor or in covered storage at the dealership until 2005 and in a heated garage until I got it. It is clean clean clean in all the problem places that were mentioned. The undercoating on the bottom looks great. Since it has the CB radio, it has a fixed antenna, no issues here.

The guy who ordered the car was Walter Bales, owner of Bales Chrysler in Jeffersonville, IN knew many of the flaws with these car and ordered it to avoid future issues. I have been looking for a formal years. I wanted a two door, but after looking at it, this was the ONE to buy.

The rear shocks are air adjustable - filled with a schrader valve port behind the rear license plate. 20 psig. Just standard old type trailer shocks.

I will get pics of the trailer hitch and the VIN plate. From the paperwork, it may have been manufactured in November of 1978.

That is why I like Mopar, they were always making improvements, engineering it to make it better, at least in this time frame.

 

[commando1]

after looking at it, this was the ONE to buy.

Yes it was! Congratulations. I'm envious.

 

[cantflip]

Yeah........but you got ATC II and rear disc brakes. LOL!

Yeah... I WAS getting kinda smug for a moment wasn't I? Thanks for the reality check... but I like the disc brakes... ATC II I'm still undecided.

 

[mrfury68]

Very nice find. Best of luck & enjoy it.

 

[cantflip]

I will have to find a better muffler -exhaust shop as they did not offer the option to fabricate a gasket for the exhaust.

Of course there are wiper issues. The driver-side works, the bushings on the transmission arm for the pass side are both broken. I have replacements, but I will also replace the ones on the drv-side transmission link and the one on the wiper motor. The car still had the original blades.

Mr. Gasket Universal Gasket Sheets 77B
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...-_-mr-gasket&gclid=CO-nq7m7kdQCFVG4wAod4UoKhA
The unavailable bushing Bob is talking about is the wiper motor... watch out.

 

[polara71]

nice ride ...

 

[Mr C]

Nice car!

Do the wipers work? If they do.....and you're up north.....don't ever try to operate the wipers if there is frost or snow on the windshield. The wiper cam WILL FAIL. There are no replacement parts on the planet for the wiper cam. You'll have to fabricate a small wiper cam assembly using donor parts from a 74-77 Formal.

Check the cowl. The deep hole under the hood between the two black plastic leaf guards by the wiper linkage. Use a shop vac and make sure you get all of the leaves, dirt, and junk vacuumed out of the cowl. It;s pretty deep. Water sits in there and rusts out the cowl and then you'll have water leaking inside the car.

Check in the trunk and under the car around the rear quarters and make sure it isn't rusted or has holes. It's a notorious area for rotting because water leaks into the trunk past the rear side marker lens. Wouldn't hurt to seal them on the inside of the trunk with some silicone sealer.

There other things like rust under the vinyl especially around the rear window. Rust under the chrome trim under the rockers.

Does the power antenna work? It should be an automatic antenna which goes up when you turn the radio on. No antenna switch if it is automatic. No parts available on the planet either.

A lot of things are unique on the 1978's only. The body color decals on the mirrors and door handles. Silver pinstripes on the taillights. The flip down fuse box. The 30 pin bulkhead connector. The door panels and glass are weight reduction pieces. I believe the am/fm/cb radio is 1978 only. You said rear air shocks....after market or factory? If it is factory it might worth looking in to to fix it. The compressor is under the left front fender and above the inner fender. There is a air reservoir along the left side frame rail and ride height valve and linkage bolted to the left side of the rear axle. There are other things too that I'm just forgetting about.

How about a picture of your fender tag. Another thing we do on here is figure out who may have the last Formal made.

Flip down fuse box started in 74, not a 78 only thing.

 

[Turboomni]

Congrats! Nice car and

 

[1978 NYB]

I will have to find a better muffler -exhaust shop as they did not offer the option to fabricate a gasket for the exhaust.

Of course there are wiper issues. The driver-side works, the bushings on the transmission arm for the pass side are both broken. I have replacements, but I will also replace the ones on the drv-side transmission link and the one on the wiper motor. The car still had the original blades.

This car has zero rust, just a few nicks in the paint. She was kept on the showroom floor or in covered storage at the dealership until 2005 and in a heated garage until I got it. It is clean clean clean in all the problem places that were mentioned. The undercoating on the bottom looks great. Since it has the CB radio, it has a fixed antenna, no issues here.

The guy who ordered the car was Walter Bales, owner of Bales Chrysler in Jeffersonville, IN knew many of the flaws with these car and ordered it to avoid future issues. I have been looking for a formal years. I wanted a two door, but after looking at it, this was the ONE to buy.

The rear shocks are air adjustable - filled with a schrader valve port behind the rear license plate. 20 psig. Just standard old type trailer shocks.

I will get pics of the trailer hitch and the VIN plate. From the paperwork, it may have been manufactured in November of 1978.

That is why I like Mopar, they were always making improvements, engineering it to make it better, at least in this time frame.

I believe the end of production for 1978 C-bodies was probably sometime in August 1978. November 1978 was deep in to 1979 production year already. Take a picture of the assembly decal on the driver's door.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

The reverse lights are most likely the neutral safety switch or wiring.

 

[69CoronetRT]

I believe the end of production for 1978 C-bodies was probably sometime in August 1978. November 1978 was deep in to 1979 production year already. Take a picture of the assembly decal on the driver's door.

Bob, from what I can see on the window sticker, it appears the SPD is 119 or January 19th. Or, maybe is is B19 if the OP thinks it was made in November. Either way, it does not appear to be a "late" car.

 

[Sport Fury 67]

Here are the photos of the door jam VIN info, the VIN Plate and the trailer hitch. It turns out to be a Drawtite from 1981, (paperwork fond in bag on hitch) so it is not a "factory" item as I was told.

 

[Sport Fury 67]

Mr. Gasket Universal Gasket Sheets 77B
The unavailable bushing Bob is talking about is the wiper motor... watch out.

Thank you for that info regarding the wiper motor bushing. I will just get the pass side back on line and watch the other as the years go on. Also, thanks for the gasket material information. It should be easy to fix. I have seen post regarding a guy located close to me in MI that has good ratings for making a replacement system.

 

[Sport Fury 67]

Bob, from what I can see on the window sticker, it appears the SPD is 119 or January 19th. Or, maybe is is B19 if the OP thinks it was made in November. Either way, it does not appear to be a "late" car.

I posted photos that you requested on the Vin plate and door label. Steve