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Veteran
Posts: 143
 
Location: Chippewa Lake, OH | Hi all,
I'm new to this site, and I'd like to share some photos of my '57 Chrysler Saratoga that I just picked up last weekend. This is my first classic car, and I think I picked one that doesn't need too much done! She's mostly ready for the body shop, and I'm going to have her painted black with mint green insert and mint green roof to go along with the mint green and dark green interior. The car seats have been beautifully redone, along with the headliner and door panels. Plus, she is already fitted with a CD player, which was nicely put in where the old radio was. I am still in need of a few parts, like a dash pad 'cause all I have is the old cover, a windshield, hubcaps and new headlight doors and rings... Anyone know if the rims were originally 14", and where I can buy some real fat wide whitewall tires? (I was looking at Coker Tire, but their whitewalls for this car are only 2.5 inches, and I was thinking a little wider?) Let me know what you all think! |
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Veteran
Posts: 143
Location: Chippewa Lake, OH | Opps, forgot the pictures...
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 750
Location: kansas city, mo. | super cool car! nice place to start. looks great. welcome to forward look. mike in k.c. |
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Veteran
Posts: 235
Location: NC USA | beautiful car
I like the color scheme. you just cant beat black. Hope you make an album of it. The wheels should have been 14 I think all chryslers came with those (saratogas windsors New Yorkers) except for station wagons ( they got 15inch) but that was later in the 59 and so on. I had a local guy get the wide whitewalls. Look at my photo album to see if you want wider than those. IF those are it I can ask him about who he got them from.
Casey IN NC
Edited by mulletman59 2005-10-05 12:53 AM
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Expert
Posts: 2308
Location: The Bat Cave, Fairborn, OH | Great looking ride! Once you get it painted properly it's going to attract a lot of attention. I kind of like your wheel treatments as it sits myself. I suppose you bought it that way, but to my eye anyway, it looks great. I don't really think you need to put wide-whites on it. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 394
Location: Beavercreek, OH | What a beautiful beast you've got there. Man, I wish I had found my car in the kind of shape you've found yours in. When you get through with it, you should have heads spinning in all different directions around the neighborhood. I love 57 Chryslers. In fact, I believe that in heaven all the angels drive 57 Chryslers, except Ole Gabriel who goes for the pinnacle with a 57 Fury!
Keep us posted on your progress. I am interested to see how you're gonna work this one. |
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Veteran
Posts: 212
Location: Ontario | great car, and great to see this color combo, keep us posted wwith the finishing touches of the resto...congratulations, first classic and a FL ! |
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Expert
Posts: 2011
Location: Ballwin, Missouri | Great looking car. The more I see this model the better I like it's looks.
Is this model very easy to find or are they rare?
On the subject of tires, has anyone done any business with this company?
I got their catalog in the "welcome" packet they were giving out at Monster Mopar
this year. I have seen white walls at 3 1/2" in this catalog, so WIDE white walls
are available.
http://www.dbtires.com/ |
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Wise Old Village Idiot
Posts: 3591
Location: Dellslow, West ("By God") Virginia ! | Larry. ALL the information you need to know about Coker and Diamondback radial wide white tires can be found in the "Tire" section archives. Some VERY interisting info is in there. |
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Regular
Posts: 88
Location: tracy, ca | love the car, look forward to pics of finished paint. hate the radio. it sticks out like a sore thumb. i myself would have went with an underdash or hidden radio and kept the beautiful original. but if u love it, that's all that counts i guess.  welcome to the club!--jeremy |
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Veteran
Posts: 143
Location: Chippewa Lake, OH | Thanks for all of your opinions/suggestions about my car! I've been driving her every weekend, with '50's music blasting, and I've never seen so many people take double takes! I've also had alot of people slow down in there own cars and just stare... My favorite is little kids--- they have no idea what my car is, let alone where it came from!
Since I have originally posted this, I have since bought a great pair of headlight doors and rings, a new glovebox and a color matched dashpad from 'Just Dashes' (Way too expensive, in my opinion!) I realized that the hubcaps that came with the car are indeed the correct original ones, and I'm still trying to find a few trim parts. I took her to mechanic to rebuild the exhaust who in turn told me I need new motor mounts and tranny mount which I bought from 'Kanter' but have not yet received... (I hope they work!) With the tires, I have realized that 3" or more whitewalls are not made for 14" rims. The widest I have found is 2 7/8 bias ply. I'll keep updating when I have more! |
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Veteran
Posts: 143
Location: Chippewa Lake, OH | I decided to decode my body tag and found out te following:
1. My car's paint scheme was 'WAW,' which means it had an 'indian turquoise' roof, 'jet black' body, and an "indian turquoise' insert.
2. She was built on 7/2/57, which I think was the end of the '57's?
3. She had the following options: "Antenna, manual," Power front seat- six way," "dual headlights," "Hood ornaments," "Radio-Music Master," "Heater- custom conditionaire," "Solex glass," and "Power brakes."
Does anyone know what option '265' menas on the tag?
Also, the things I don't know is the model number: "256"
the trim: "22"
the 'Item': "0276"
and the body: "24347"
Any help is always greatly appreciated!!!
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Board Moderator
Posts: 3186
Location: The not-so-great, dirty-white North ( Michigan) | If you contact DaimlerChrysler Historical, for around $45 they can give you pretty much all the info on your car including who was the original dealer it was deliverd to.
They can be found by linking from the DaimlerChrysler home page. |
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Veteran
Posts: 143
Location: Chippewa Lake, OH | Well, I got some new tires and repro hubcaps for my ride, and I think she looks like a million bucks! What do you all think of her now?
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 663
Location: Oakley, Ill | Neat! To who ever mentioned the radio--that is the stock location. It doesn't look like the one in my 57 Saratoga, but the location is the same. Do you have the side moldings for the car, or are you looking for them? I have 4 door ones but theywon't fit your car. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 612
Location: Kingston Springs , TN | Sweet Steve!
Mike |
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Veteran
Posts: 143
Location: Chippewa Lake, OH | I have all of the trim for the car, it's just not on since I need to get the car painted. The cd player/radio was installed where the original radio was. The previous owner made a custom metal plate so it would fit properly since the old radio was much larger than the cd player/radio. (I do have the original radio) |
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Expert
Posts: 3967
Location: DFW, TX | Looks great man! Gonna look even better when you get it down a little bit. 
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Veteran
Posts: 143
Location: Chippewa Lake, OH | Haha, I love the pic! Thanks for lowering my ride! Now, only if you could make it black with a turquoise roof and insert... |
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Expert
Posts: 1489
Location: New Castle PA | Your Saratoga was built 7-2-57. I wish I knew when the "last day" was. My '57 Adventurer was built on 7-11-57. Surely ours are some of the newest cars from that year!
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Veteran
Posts: 273
Location: Los Angeles, Ca | sweet ride!
regarding tires- check out the whitewall candy store. The owners even have a custom '58 Plymouth, so you know they're ok folk
http://www.whitewallcandystore.com/
-BV |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 632
Location: Belford, NJ | Steve, what is the width of the whitewall on your ride? I'm trying to upgrade my car with 15 inch wheels and 3 inch bias plys. Yours looks perfect! |
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Veteran
Posts: 143
Location: Chippewa Lake, OH | I have size 760-15 BF Goodrich Silvertown bias ply tires on my car from Coker Tire. The whitewall width is 3 and 3/8. I am really happy with how they look. I think the 15 inch tires and wheels look more appropriate for such a large car! |
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Veteran
Posts: 143
Location: Chippewa Lake, OH | I've FINALLY picked a name for my car: Diana. I picked this name for several reasons, but the main reason is Paul Anka's 1957 (of course) chart topping song: Diana. As you can read from the lyrics:
I'm so young and you're so old
This, my darling, I've been told
I don't care just what they say
'Cause forever I will pray
You and I will be as free
As the birds up in the trees
Oh, please stay by me, Diana
'Diana' is 24 years older than me, and I love her. Most people my age don't understand... BUT I know y'all understand!! ;-)
Edited by chipplake1 2006-08-19 12:13 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 612
Location: Kingston Springs , TN | Steve, are you driving Diana to Tulsa next year?
Mike |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 327
Location: Orefield,Pennsylvania | I have seen this car somewhere before.I wish I could remember where. 
Edited by 72sst 2006-08-19 7:40 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 143
Location: Chippewa Lake, OH | Hi Mike, I would love to take her to Tulsa, but I'm kinda afraid to drive her that far! I'm hoping to get her painted this winter, then I need to get the front end rebuilt before I forgo a long trip...
Oh, for the other comment, I bought this car in Michigan, but I was told that it was originally from Wisconsin... |
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Veteran
Posts: 117
Location: OHIO | Try "UNIVERSAL TIRE" Hope this can help!
HTTP://www.universaltire.com |
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Member
Posts: 24
Location: Warren, Michigan | I thought that car looked familiar. I think it used to be owned by a guy here in the Detroit area, I remember the primer black. Very cool looking car, kind of sad to lose another Forward Look car here in Motown where there aren't very many of us, but you sound like you will take good care of her. Hope to see more pictures as you progress getting the car finished. Good Luck! |
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Veteran
Posts: 294
Location: Ohio | Sweet ride man.....make sure you check out the Ohio section on the board and come hang with us other Ohio Foward looker's at some shows.
chuck |
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Veteran
Posts: 143
Location: Chippewa Lake, OH | Yes, I bought the car in the Detroit area, somewhere off of Nine or Ten Mile Road. The fellow who owned it before me said he used to cruise around that area, I know that his wife was sad to her go! Anyway, I missed so many car shows this summer, I have been traveling alot for work and haven't been home much... However, I plan on taking her to shows next summer, as I refuse to travel anymore for work when cruising is so much more important to me! Thanks for all of your comments, I do appreciate it! |
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Veteran
Posts: 143
Location: Chippewa Lake, OH | I sold this car last summer to gentleman in Sweden named Magnus, has anyone seen it since? I asked him to send me an update but I haven't heard anything. I miss this car! I now own a 58 Edsel Pacer 2 door hardtop, but I miss my Chrysler. I visit this site daily and all I think about are the Forward Look cars, but I also love the Edsel. It was funny as I brought it home, my 87 year old grandmother laughed and goes "it was a flop then, why would you buy it now?!" LOL
Edited by chipplake1 2009-07-31 11:40 PM
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Inactive by user's request
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada | Seller's remorse is always tough, Steve.
The good news is, this project car is available from Big M:
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Veteran
Posts: 143
Location: Chippewa Lake, OH | HAHAHAHA If Diana looked like that now I might have to get into a fight! *rolls up sleeves*
Wait that's a 'Yorker does she run and drive? My father will kill me. His UGLY 69 Imperial hogs the front garage. He bought it for the 440 but its in wayyy too nice of shape to part out. Runs and looks like new car. Got dead bodies? Then this is the car for you! Anyone want a 69 4 door hardtop Imperial???!
Edited by chipplake1 2009-08-01 1:25 PM
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Steve, Gramma knows best (there should be a TV show, like that, some day..)
Ditch the Deadsel and move on up to the Mightly Chrysler New Yorker (TWO-door, at that !) .
John Fowlie can get it in driving condition for you.
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Veteran
Posts: 143
Location: Chippewa Lake, OH | I would trade the Edsel for a running car like that! My Edsel is a rare car, it has the automatic lever, not the troublesome electronic push button. I was told there were only 700 or so Edsels made with the lever automatic, it was discontinued in late 57. Anyways, here's a pic of the Pacer. Don't kill me people!
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Inactive by user's request
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada | chipplake1 - 2009-08-01 10:17 AM
His UGLY 69 Imperial hogs the front garage. He bought it for the 440 but its in wayyy too nice of shape to part out. Runs and looks like new car. Got dead bodies? Then this is the car for you! Anyone want a 69 4 door hardtop Imperial???!
I know what you mean..........a relative gave me this plate for my '68 Imperial as a joke:
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My New Ride: '57 Chrysler Saratoga 2 DR HT
