Darrell Brown loved this car to death

[MYSINBIN]

I started dismantling a '67 Newport convertible I bought a while back for it's windshield and top.

I thought that I would share some of the amazing things done to this car to keep it "roadworthy"

I bought the car about two years ago off a craigslist add, the car was located in Hornell ,N.Y.

The story I got from the seller was that Darrell Brown had the car since 1971 or so and drove it year round the entire time he had it. In the last few years he had the top and windshield replaced, engine and transmission rebuilt with about 20k miles on them now, and everything serviced/repaired to keep it passing inspection. This car obviously meant the world to him.

Darrell got old enough that friends were concerned about his driving abilities, so the last time he brought it in for inspection, it "wouldn't pass". The mechanic had been previously informed to make sure of it.

The car was originally red and was repainted white at some point after some "creative bodywork".

This is upon arrival at my shop:

Not too bad, right?

Then I started to dive in:

Yes, expanding foam and plywood where metal used to be.

Custom trunk torsion bar welding technique:

More to follow.

John

 

[TheFearlessFury]

Sounds like storytime!

 

[MYSINBIN]

I forgot to mention at the start that everything except the radio worked on this car when I got it. All lights, heater, gauges, speedometer, etc.

Rear seat removed:

Tail lights and housings removed:

Mismatched cornering lights:

Customized front turn signals:

Under hood flow thru ventilation:

And the absolute best thing I found in the car:

Darrell in his happy place. Like I said, this car meant the world to him.

It's an odd optioned car as well. Dual mirrors, center rear seat belt, no fender mounted turn signal indicators.

More pics as I continue to dismantle will follow.

The more I get into it, the more I marvel at what was done to keep it going.

Hope the adventure is entertaining.

John

 

[detmatt]

That's kool, this car is a real survivor with a slightly different definition of the word and to him those were not cougars but quite a collection he had himself surrounded by!

 

[commando1]

I'm looking at this double bracing at the trunk hinges on this 67 Newport convertible :

Above is the bracing that was on my 67 Newport hardtop.

Was the double bracing a convertible only thing?

 

[MYSINBIN]

I'm looking at this double bracing at the trunk hinges on this 67 Newport convertible :

View attachment 84565 View attachment 84566

Above is the bracing that was on my 67 Newport hardtop.

Was the double bracing a convertible only thing?

You could be right.

I'll compare this to my convertible and we'll see.

Stay tuned.

John

 

[tallhair]

Hope the adventure is entertaining.

It definitely is and the pic of the 'beauties' with Darrell really makes it. For some reason I'm imagining this guy was a friend of Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon's characters from Grumpy Old Men and that he hired those beauties (ala cool hand luke) for that picture that he always showed everybody down at chuck's bait shop when they were telling lies and someone questioned his stories about his prowess and history with the ladies

 

[MYSINBIN]

You could be right.

I'll compare this to my convertible and we'll see.

Stay tuned.

John

Actually, after looking at your pic again, it looks like the second brace is there. Look behind the trunk light wire.

Y/N?

John

 

[MYSINBIN]

It definitely is and the pic of the 'beauties' with Darrell really makes it. For some reason I'm imagining this guy was a friend of Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon's characters from Grumpy Old Men and that he hired those beauties (ala cool hand luke) for that picture that he always showed everybody down at chuck's bait shop when they were telling lies and someone questioned his stories about his prowess and history with the ladies

Cool hand Luke... ...Cool car Darrell

You might be onto something.

 

[70_NPORT]

Plywood and expanding foam.
No.
That's all.

 

[commando1]

Actually, after looking at your pic again, it looks like the second brace is there. Look behind the trunk light wire.

Y/N?

John

I believe you are right, John.

 

[tallhair]

Actually, after looking at your pic again, it looks like the second brace is there. Look behind the trunk light wire.

Y/N?

John

Yes it's definitely there but the paint job was so well done it blends in nicely in the pic

 

[67-Fury]

What a pile. My God.

 

[MYSINBIN]

What a pile. My God.

Yeah, but it was loved.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

I'd drive it. It's a babe magnet.

 

[live4theking]

I first thought that you were crazy when you said you bought it for parts. Not any more. Keep the story coming. Some folks will do anything to keep a car rolling.

 

[70_NPORT]

I get the love part....wanting to keep it seaworthy and all...but foam and wood? Im betting no body shop would recommend that, lol.

 

[Fury440]

Beautiful story! My bet is Mr Brown was either a dirty 30's or pre WWII baby. I was born in 42 so I guess in my generation or earlier. We learned everything is fixable if you are creative in your thinking, so plywood and expansion foam makes perfect sense to me.
My dad was born in 1917 and lived through the dirty 30's as the bread winner for his mother and 3 sisters after his dad died in 1935. He fixed everything and discarded nothing. Many of his repairs, or more properly "resurrections" boggled the mind with his creativity. I learned, what have have turned out to be bad habits, from my dad and have since followed the credo of "If you're going to do something, do it right or not at all". However, if the Zombies take over (after Trump becomes president) I will resurrect my father's teachings and survive quite well!

 

[MYSINBIN]

I first thought that you were crazy when you said you bought it for parts. Not any more. Keep the story coming. Some folks will do anything to keep a car rolling.

I thought I was too, but I could have taken just the top and windshield, scrapped the rest and still been ahead dollar wise. I figure the running drivetrain is a bonus.

John

 

[tallhair]

I thought I was too, but I could have taken just the top and windshield, scrapped the rest and still been ahead dollar wise. I figure the running drivetrain is a bonus.

John

And the artifacts and real or imagined stories are priceless