71NewYorkMan
Member
First off- I am not typically one to name my cars. The credit for this one goes to 75LandYacht when he posted the car " for sale". Turns out, "Kinda" loosely translates from Arabic for "Pretty Woman". Will this car ever be beautiful again? We shall see............
This is the first chapter of my '78 New Yorker project. "Kinda" was recently purchased from a Washington state owner. He had purchased it from the original titled elderly gentleman owner 11 years previously. As the seller never put plates on it, I am only the second titled owner.
https://www.forcbodiesonly.com/mopar-forum/threads/78-nyb-sunroof-car-kinda.47620/
The car is now in Georgia.
The car does run and stop as advertised. Most power options are working! (Including the power antenna and 8 track radio). Not working are the cornering lamps and deck lid release. Someone previously started to replace the LeanBurn system with a points distributor ignition system. This was a hack job! I have started to install an OEM type Electronic Ignition system. The OEM LeanBurn carb was previously exchanged for a '76 model ThermoQuad with the necessary ports for a vacuum advance distributor. I have not finished surveying the AutoTempII AC, as the vacuum system is down due to the hacked LeanBurn conversion. The system does appear to have a slight refrigerant charge. One interesting option I found is the Auto Height control.
Rust is minimal- The rear quarters are rusted through, though the extensions are solid. Trunk floor, interior floor, rockers, inner fenders, and all exterior metal are solid. I did find a lot of surface rust inside the cowl.
The wiper motor works, but the wiper arms do not sweep. Wonder what that may be? (Just kidding- I know the bushing is shot).
The biggest surprise ( and disappointment) so far is the roof. I took an interest in this car thinking that the sliding soft sun roof would be a novelty if I could get it cleaned up and functional.
This is not to be. The sunroof mechanism is corroded shut, and the installation has resulted in much underlying corrosion of the roof. The installers removed the OEM vinyl top and installed a faux convertible top to augment the Britax sunroof. The underlying foam padding has acted as a sponge to hold water and corrode the roof.
The disappointment in the roof is due to the fact that this car left the factory with a power sunroof as evidenced by the M51 code on the fender tag. This is confirmed by the American Sunroof envelope in the glovebox and driver door decal. In the late '70's through early '90's faux roof conversions were popular, but I would have liked the car as delivered from the factory.
This car may become a parts car after I rip the faux top off. For now, I will continue my attempt to return it to a driveable condition. If the roof is repairable, I am mulling over the idea of fitting a 2005-10 Chrysler 300 power sunroof in conjunction with a new vinyl roof. I can't restore the original power sunroof, but if I can "update" with newer Mopar parts I can retain the spirit of the fender tag.
This is the first chapter of my '78 New Yorker project. "Kinda" was recently purchased from a Washington state owner. He had purchased it from the original titled elderly gentleman owner 11 years previously. As the seller never put plates on it, I am only the second titled owner.
https://www.forcbodiesonly.com/mopar-forum/threads/78-nyb-sunroof-car-kinda.47620/
The car is now in Georgia.
The car does run and stop as advertised. Most power options are working! (Including the power antenna and 8 track radio). Not working are the cornering lamps and deck lid release. Someone previously started to replace the LeanBurn system with a points distributor ignition system. This was a hack job! I have started to install an OEM type Electronic Ignition system. The OEM LeanBurn carb was previously exchanged for a '76 model ThermoQuad with the necessary ports for a vacuum advance distributor. I have not finished surveying the AutoTempII AC, as the vacuum system is down due to the hacked LeanBurn conversion. The system does appear to have a slight refrigerant charge. One interesting option I found is the Auto Height control.
Rust is minimal- The rear quarters are rusted through, though the extensions are solid. Trunk floor, interior floor, rockers, inner fenders, and all exterior metal are solid. I did find a lot of surface rust inside the cowl.
The wiper motor works, but the wiper arms do not sweep. Wonder what that may be? (Just kidding- I know the bushing is shot).
The biggest surprise ( and disappointment) so far is the roof. I took an interest in this car thinking that the sliding soft sun roof would be a novelty if I could get it cleaned up and functional.
This is not to be. The sunroof mechanism is corroded shut, and the installation has resulted in much underlying corrosion of the roof. The installers removed the OEM vinyl top and installed a faux convertible top to augment the Britax sunroof. The underlying foam padding has acted as a sponge to hold water and corrode the roof.
The disappointment in the roof is due to the fact that this car left the factory with a power sunroof as evidenced by the M51 code on the fender tag. This is confirmed by the American Sunroof envelope in the glovebox and driver door decal. In the late '70's through early '90's faux roof conversions were popular, but I would have liked the car as delivered from the factory.
This car may become a parts car after I rip the faux top off. For now, I will continue my attempt to return it to a driveable condition. If the roof is repairable, I am mulling over the idea of fitting a 2005-10 Chrysler 300 power sunroof in conjunction with a new vinyl roof. I can't restore the original power sunroof, but if I can "update" with newer Mopar parts I can retain the spirit of the fender tag.
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