61 Polaras, 62 Chryslers and 62-64 880's. Same but different

Furious

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2018
Messages
160
Reaction score
256
Location
Canada
Most people think the 62 Chrysler was a 61 Chrysler with the finned shaved off.
But, the 62 Chrysler is actually a Dodge.

OK, let me explain...

When the 62 full size Dodges were dropped, being replaced with the new for 62 B bodies, Chrysler Corp decided to use up some Dodge parts to create the 62 Chrysler. So, they took the 61 Polara body shell, designed some new quarter panels, bolted on the 61 Chrysler front fenders, hood and grille etc, and voila! Instant 62 Chrysler.

The 62 Chrysler didn't use any 61 Chrysler body panels from the windshield back, other than the Chrysler roof. Instead it used existing 61 Polara panels, but with restyled quarters. It used the 61 Dodge doors, trunk lid, tail panel, rear bumper and related bits. Only the quarter panels and taillights were new for the 62 Chrysler. All other body panels were recycled from 61.

Then.... in a weird twist of events, the 61 Dodge "reappeared" mid year 62 as the Dodge 880. This was done because the dealers were having a hard time selling the new smaller 62 B body Dodges, and they begged for a full size car. So Chrysler "created" the 880, which was essentially the 62 Chrysler with the 61 Polara fenders, hood, grille and bumper. It looked just like a 62 Chrysler from the rear and a 61 Dodge from the front. But, as I mentioned, the 62 Chrysler was really a 61 Polara with new quarter panels. So the 62 880 used the same trunk lid, tail panel, rear bumper as the 62 Chrysler too, which really were 61 Dodge parts anyway.

So in a nut shell:

the 62 Chrysler was a 61 Polara with new quarters, a Chrysler roof, and a Chrysler face.

the 62 Dodge 880 was a 61 Polara with the Chrysler roof, and the same new quarters.

The 63 Dodge 880 also used the 62 Chrysler body from the windshield back, but now had its own front fenders, hood and grille. There were some restyled taillights to freshen up the rear. It still used the 61 Dodge / 62 Chrysler / 62 880 rear bumper, but now used the 63 Chrysler front bumper. The doors were still the 60-61 Dodge / Plymouth smooth doors.

Then the 64 880 comes along. It uses a restyled grille, and the 63 880 fenders, hood and 63 Chrysler front bumper, still uses the 60-61 Dodge / Plymouth doors, but has brand new rear quarters, trunk lid, tail panel, but also uses the 63 Chrysler rear bumper.

So one could argue that the Polara never really did go away, other than for a brief period in the first half of the 62 model year. The 60 Polara became the 61 Polara, which became the 62 Chrysler and 62 Dodge 880, 63 Dodge 880 and then the 64 Dodge 880. The same car kept evolving, with some name and identity changes along the way.

The 60,61 Plymouths, 60,61 Dodges, 61,62 Chrysler, 61 DeSoto, 62,63,64 Dodge 880's all used the same doors [or door front shape on the Chrysler and DeSoto], and the fenders etc will swap between all these cars. Imagine the combinations!

Many have seen the teal colored "Plodge", a 61 Plymouth front end on a 61 Dodge, how about a 61 Plymouth front end on a 62 Chrysler?

or a 61 Chrysler front end on a 64 880?

or a 60 Polara front end on a 61 Polara?

or a 63 880 front end on a 61 Plymouth?

or a 62 Chrysler front end on a 61 Plymouth?

or a 61 Plymouth front end on a 61 DeSoto?

or a 61 DeSoto front end on a 60 Plymouth?

I like the 61 Polaras, but some people aren't crazy about the front end appearance. I think the 61 Polara quarters and taillights are sleek and great looking. So, you could take the front end you do like, and bolt it on the Polara to get the look you do like. I'd like to see a 62 Chrysler 300 front end on 61 Polara.

There are many possibilities to create a weird one off combo. Which is just what Chrysler did to create the 62 Chrysler and 62 880





Last edited by demon; 06/15/20 02:13 PM.












Chrysler Corporation cars were designed with so much interchangeability, that depending on the market, they could mix and match parts and come up with unique cars for unique markets.
 
I have a headache....:p

Thanks for the detailed explanation. It really does clear up any confusion!! Great research too.
 
They interchange but what good is it if you can’t find parts. I can’t seem to find a trunk and hood for a 1962 880 and when I thought they had it I was strung along for 6 months then they stopped answering
 
By the way I would like a fury nose on my 62 880 cape with 63 880 taillights
I
Picked the taillights awhile back just because they were priced right and I thought if need be I would use them till I could get lenses for my 62bezels
 
Then there is the wagons...

in 1960 and 1961, Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler wagons all had quarter panels that followed the styling them of the 2 doors and 4 doors.
in 1962, They didn't develop a new quarter panel for the Chrysler wagon, so the Dodge 880 and Chrysler wagons both used used the Plymouth quarter, with different taillights.
So basically, the 62 Chrysler wagon and 62-63-64 Dodge 880 wagons are actually 61 Plymouths, with the front ends swapped, and appropriate dashes and trim installed.
Bolt the front end of a 61 Plymouth on a 64 Dodge 880 wagon, and you pretty much have a 61 Plymouth wagon.
 
I have read that the de-finned '62 Chrysler was actually the plan for the '62 DeSoto, which never came about.

As far as the '62 New Yorker goes though, it was 6" longer and had a 126" wheelbase unlike other Chryslers, not to mention the 880 once it arrived.
 
I have read that the de-finned '62 Chrysler was actually the plan for the '62 DeSoto, which never came about.

As far as the '62 New Yorker goes though, it was 6" longer and had a 126" wheelbase unlike other Chryslers, not to mention the 880 once it arrived.
Yes, good point. The New Yorker carried over the long wheelbase front end from the 61’s.
The beauty of Chrysler’s stub frame system on these cars. Long or short wheelbases on the Chrysler’s with bolt on parts.
 
Last edited:
Those letter designations didn't come about until 65.
Regardless, the 62 Plymouth’s and regular Dodges were B bodies, and 60-62 Valiant and 61-62 Lancers, 63-66 Darts and Valiants were A bodies. the 65 Full size cars were C bodies.
 
Most people think the 62 Chrysler was a 61 Chrysler with the finned shaved off.
But, the 62 Chrysler is actually a Dodge.

OK, let me explain...

When the 62 full size Dodges were dropped, being replaced with the new for 62 B bodies, Chrysler Corp decided to use up some Dodge parts to create the 62 Chrysler. So, they took the 61 Polara body shell, designed some new quarter panels, bolted on the 61 Chrysler front fenders, hood and grille etc, and voila! Instant 62 Chrysler.

The 62 Chrysler didn't use any 61 Chrysler body panels from the windshield back, other than the Chrysler roof. Instead it used existing 61 Polara panels, but with restyled quarters. It used the 61 Dodge doors, trunk lid, tail panel, rear bumper and related bits. Only the quarter panels and taillights were new for the 62 Chrysler. All other body panels were recycled from 61.

Then.... in a weird twist of events, the 61 Dodge "reappeared" mid year 62 as the Dodge 880. This was done because the dealers were having a hard time selling the new smaller 62 B body Dodges, and they begged for a full size car. So Chrysler "created" the 880, which was essentially the 62 Chrysler with the 61 Polara fenders, hood, grille and bumper. It looked just like a 62 Chrysler from the rear and a 61 Dodge from the front. But, as I mentioned, the 62 Chrysler was really a 61 Polara with new quarter panels. So the 62 880 used the same trunk lid, tail panel, rear bumper as the 62 Chrysler too, which really were 61 Dodge parts anyway.

So in a nut shell:

the 62 Chrysler was a 61 Polara with new quarters, a Chrysler roof, and a Chrysler face.

the 62 Dodge 880 was a 61 Polara with the Chrysler roof, and the same new quarters.

The 63 Dodge 880 also used the 62 Chrysler body from the windshield back, but now had its own front fenders, hood and grille. There were some restyled taillights to freshen up the rear. It still used the 61 Dodge / 62 Chrysler / 62 880 rear bumper, but now used the 63 Chrysler front bumper. The doors were still the 60-61 Dodge / Plymouth smooth doors.

Then the 64 880 comes along. It uses a restyled grille, and the 63 880 fenders, hood and 63 Chrysler front bumper, still uses the 60-61 Dodge / Plymouth doors, but has brand new rear quarters, trunk lid, tail panel, but also uses the 63 Chrysler rear bumper.

So one could argue that the Polara never really did go away, other than for a brief period in the first half of the 62 model year. The 60 Polara became the 61 Polara, which became the 62 Chrysler and 62 Dodge 880, 63 Dodge 880 and then the 64 Dodge 880. The same car kept evolving, with some name and identity changes along the way.

The 60,61 Plymouths, 60,61 Dodges, 61,62 Chrysler, 61 DeSoto, 62,63,64 Dodge 880's all used the same doors [or door front shape on the Chrysler and DeSoto], and the fenders etc will swap between all these cars. Imagine the combinations!

Many have seen the teal colored "Plodge", a 61 Plymouth front end on a 61 Dodge, how about a 61 Plymouth front end on a 62 Chrysler?

or a 61 Chrysler front end on a 64 880?

or a 60 Polara front end on a 61 Polara?

or a 63 880 front end on a 61 Plymouth?

or a 62 Chrysler front end on a 61 Plymouth?

or a 61 Plymouth front end on a 61 DeSoto?

or a 61 DeSoto front end on a 60 Plymouth?

I like the 61 Polaras, but some people aren't crazy about the front end appearance. I think the 61 Polara quarters and taillights are sleek and great looking. So, you could take the front end you do like, and bolt it on the Polara to get the look you do like. I'd like to see a 62 Chrysler 300 front end on 61 Polara.

There are many possibilities to create a weird one off combo. Which is just what Chrysler did to create the 62 Chrysler and 62 880





Last edited by demon; 06/15/20 02:13 PM.












Chrysler Corporation cars were designed with so much interchangeability, that depending on the market, they could mix and match parts and come up with unique cars for unique markets.
WOW. You are the first I have seen to sort out the mix n match confusion of the full sized RWD Mopars.
You should submit this to Allpar for posterity.
 
Exner's designs at that time was hurting Chrysler's sales.
They needed fresh blood in the design studio and got Elwood Engel from Phord in 1961 but his designs were still a couple years away.
Needless to say that Chrysler was scampering by doing some badge engineering after dropping Desoto.
 
Always thought about putting a different nose on the 64 , for that same reason on the interchange of the parts.
DSC02213.jpg
 
4950D97D-2E3B-443B-904D-71770C0BDEA7.jpeg

My favorite is the Dodge from that era. Those things could literally fly!
I still laugh my *** off watching that movie nearly 60 yrs later.
 
Back
Top