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| So....some history.
My dad bought this car used in 1965. He then drove it for...decades. I came home from the hospital in it.
At some point, he bought something newer and it got parked. And it sat.
Outside, in New England.
My mom got sick of seeing it out there, rotting, so she started to harass him about it.
What are you gonna do about the Chrysler? What are you gonna do about the Chrysler? What are you gonna do about the Chrysler?
Finally, in a moment of weakness he said "Fine, I'll sell it."
This turned into "When are you gonna sell it?" "When are you gonna sell it?" "When are you gonna sell it?"
He sold it to me for a dollar. I was 13.
You could hear a pin drop in the house for over a month.
More to the story later. I know we all want some visual.
Edited by MrIncredible 2021-02-09 4:48 PM
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| Spring perches are in good shape. 
In fact....the whole back foot or so of the car is shot. If only I could...find a donor. 
Edited by MrIncredible 2021-02-09 5:02 PM
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| With the proper bracing..... 
Great things are possible. 
Edited by MrIncredible 2021-02-09 6:27 PM
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Location: Northen Virginia | keep us posted! how much cost the rear clip? I think I know that seller from ebay. |
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| I don't recall the cost-it was some time ago and I figured I'd share the....complete mess this car is.
Decades of New England salt.
It was never going to be cost effective, but I want it so...here we are.
Pretty sure I got it from Big M. I think he's on here. |
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| Wheel wells! First time it's had some that weren't 100% bondo since 1996.
Incidentally, I no longer have a trunk floor. Anyone know what other years will fit?
Edited by MrIncredible 2021-02-09 9:24 PM
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| Got it home from the shop that fixed the rear frame and grafted the end of the car. 
And shoved into the shop. 
Edited by MrIncredible 2021-02-10 12:59 PM
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Location: Tacoma, WA | Cool story, good for you. Looking forward to seeing the progress. |
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Location: Eastern Manitoba | looks like a excellent job of a difficult repair. I like the stance ,the wheels, and the colour of this car. They don't all have to be restored to original in my opinion. |
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Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | Great story and heavy provenance!
The work with the wheel well lips looks good, but why are they only tack welded? Will you make a full welding seal? |
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| pennerdodge - 2021-02-11 10:35 AM
looks like a excellent job of a difficult repair. I like the stance ,the wheels, and the colour of this car. They don't all have to be restored to original in my opinion.
I'm in agreement. I was planning on just building what I wanted. Not getting ridiculous though. It'll stay mostly stock.
wizard - 2021-02-11 1:09 PM
Great story and heavy provenance!
The work with the wheel well lips looks good, but why are they only tack welded? Will you make a full welding seal?
The shop it was at never finished the work (it's beyond my skill what they did). I'll be wrapping that welding up. |
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| So....one can't tell from the photos but....it sort of...sags where the floor meets the front fenders. Really, the rockers and floor are all rotted out too.
After some...creative searching and poking I did manage to locate an entire floor (with the crossmember no less!) in Arizona. I got it delivered. One of my supervisors was ready. 
Anyone deal with Real Steel Replacements? https://www.facebook.com/RealSteelReplacments/ THey claim they have a trunk floor that would fit this beast.
Edited by MrIncredible 2021-02-11 6:51 PM
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| Some time ago I went and did a metal shaping course being put on my Gene Winfield. Some of you may have heard of him. Nice guy. 
I figured the floor was beyond me....so I asked about the rockers and floor for the beast and he quoted it and I said do it. 
Edited by MrIncredible 2021-02-12 7:36 PM
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| Looking at the scope of work, I'm glad I didn't try it. Note the title-this car was never worth saving, but...I'm a stubborn idiot. 
Edited by MrIncredible 2021-02-12 7:39 PM
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Location: So. Cal | What shop did you use? They seem like they are doing a good job of it. Seems like you are no longer in New England. |
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| Gambino Kustoms in San Jose did the initial bit.
Gene Winfield Rod and customs did the floor.
I used to live in California. The car and I are out in mass now. The moving houses....twice mid restoration was no help.
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| The gauges had seen better days. 
JC auto fixed them up for me. 
Edited by MrIncredible 2021-02-13 9:35 PM
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Location: Northen Virginia | Holly s**t$ I never seen a floor changed like that. Outstanding job.
Edited by hemidenis 2021-02-13 11:37 PM
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Location: Kalispell, MT USA | Google search Gene Winfield... the man is a LEGEND! his custom cars are awesome!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Winfield |
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Location: northern germany | WT*.... sometimes it is better, cheaper and easier to build the "parts car" instead of the project car.... |
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| Since when does practicality enter this hobby? |
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Location: Williams California | Just finished reading through your thread.
Great work to save your Dad's car!! Lots of work, but the sentimental value probably drives you more than anything. I never had the chance, as the '57 Plymouth Plaza I was brought home from the hospital went to the junkyard when it was five years old, due to the massive amounts of rock salt used in southern Michigan winters then.
Looks like your metal workshop classes paid off, I've known Gene Winfield for many years, he had a swap meet booth across from mine through the 1990's before he moved to Mojave. Nice guy indeed!!
---John |
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Location: northern germany | MrIncredible - 2021-02-16 10:24 AM
Since when does practicality enter this hobby?
For me, far away from the sources, since day one and I'm into the FL "hobby" since the 80s. |
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Location: northern germany | big m - 2021-02-16 11:43 AM
Just finished reading through your thread.
Great work to save your Dad's car!! Lots of work, but the sentimental value probably drives you more than anything.
---John
The question is, how long does that car remain that car. Building around the VIN? So everything you attach to the drivers side A-Post makes it "his Dad's car"?
Imo, the "parts car" should have been used. |
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| There was no parts car.
The rear bits came from the scrapyard.
That floor was all that was left of the car that it came from. As in, for no discernible reason, the guys selling it owned a floor and no other parts of the same car.
I would have zero interest in another '61 Chrysler. You could give me a cherry two door '61 300, all the options, ram induction.
I would sell it and build this same car.
It might make more sense if you realize one of the last things my old man did with me before he passed was to build this car with me. I drove it in High school. Then some personal tragedies happened and it got left outside and the rust caught up. This is restoration #2.
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Location: northern germany | MrIncredible - 2021-02-16 12:30 PM
There was no parts car.
Ok, these are the photos you posted and the rear end of this solid one is patched to your car, so I got the impression that there was a parts car...
Edited by 1960fury 2021-02-16 5:29 PM
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 (partscarcutup.jpg)
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| No, just parts available via Big M.
My seven button radio turned up today!
Edited by MrIncredible 2021-02-16 6:22 PM
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Location: So. Cal | Nice! Wish I could find some 7 button radios for the '57 Chrysler. I can get 10 of them for the DeSoto, but harder to find the Chryslers for some reason.
I know how you feel. I recently sold my first car, a '68 Barracuda. It needed a lot of work that I was never going to be able to give to it, and I already had 2 replacements for it, so it didn't make sense for me to keep it. I finally let it go to a friend that I knew would build it up and not flip it or part it out. Still, hard to let it go. |
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Location: Hilltown, PA |
My father was a car guy, he infected me with the disease that would become a hobby, career, and love, when I was very young.
He passed away 11 years ago, and even though my skill set as a technician and fabricator surpassed his decades ago, to this day I still qualify the quality of my work by asking if he would approve of the job I have done.
Almost every day there is something I wish I could share with him, and I often lament not having saved more "touchstones" from his life.
You keep right on with that Newport - and cherish every moment that it keeps your father in your heart and mind.
Gregg |
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Location: WA/USA | When the rockers are gone with the floor and floor framing, I'm convinced that this is the way to do it. It can be every bit as good as the original car this way, if done right. A lot of work but worth it for your dads car! |
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| More progress. I have a new front frame bit that is way less rusty.
The shop that had replaced the floor-they only bolted the front frame in the rear-the front holes didn't appear to line up at all. Not sure what's going on there. I'll do a fit check with the new clip and see, as it's lighter sans motor and all.
Edited by MrIncredible 2021-03-15 4:37 PM
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Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | From what car did you get the sub-frame?
From what car did you get the floor? |
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Regular
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| It's the original subframe right now. I recognize my horrendous welds.
I found the email from the seller when I bought the floor:
"I parted out a 1961 Newport, 1961 300G and a 1962 something Chrysler and I know there's a good floor left there."
So....one of those.
The "new" sub frame is from a 1964 300.
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+
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Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | The 61 Newport would work, the 300G would be wrong and the 62 would also be wrong.
Since the transmission fit the tunnel, I'd think that You must have either the correct floor or the 300G one.
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| Can I ask what would be off for the 300G one?
I do know all the bits where it connected to the rest of the body seemed to be spot on.
I figure worst case sceraio, I cut the ears off the frame and move them to match where it bolts around the A-pillar area. |
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Location: Chicago | How far off are the front subframe-to-body mounts? The crossmember in the floor/which engages the rear crossmember of the the front subframe should be the same/same location whether it’s a short wheelbase Newport or Windsor, or a long wheelbase New Yorker or 300G. The differences are the mounts on the firewall, but they are completely different - by a couple or more inches where they meet the subframe. Sounds like where the new floor/sills were welded in to the body does not line up to the firewall-to-subframe brackets - hard to tell from the photos but looks like the subframe was off (would have to be really) when the floor/sills were welded in. In retrospect the front subframe should have been used in the final alignment process. Shouldn’t be too difficult to rectify at this point.
Love this project!
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Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | The 300 has the large front suspension and the sub-frame is longer. |
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| I appreciate the info gents. I'm going to get the drivetrain out of the way and play with it.
I'm open to suggestions on what the most viable fix might be.
Edited by MrIncredible 2021-03-16 8:39 AM
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Elite Veteran
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| (OH SNAP)The 62 something was most likely a New Yorker! I believe it's about a 4inch difference from a 61 Newport. Moving body mount back may only way or putting NY front sub and front clip on.
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Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | That's what I thought as well, it's easy to confirm just by holding a front fender in place. |
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Elite Veteran
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| I just measured a 61 300 and a 61 Newport sub frames. Outside to outside sub frame mount measurement is 27in on on 300 and 24in on Newport.
You might be able move mount forward from your current sub frame?
I think what you done is put a NY floor into a Newport!!!!!!
However you (MAY)run into some other problems
You might have panel fit or flex problems?
Your fenders and inner fenders may not fit?
You might have to find a 61/2 NY clip and sub?
I admire the level of skill and work that was done with car.
Have to agree with Sid,maybe should have taken solid parts car and transferred as
many parts or (soul) from your car to that one.
I have what's left of a 61 Newport if you can use anything from it? |
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| 61 parts
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Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | Here's a photo for comparison from Dieters 300F restauration, 300G is the same. As you can see, the forward support pionts straight down on the "big" cars.
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Elite Veteran
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| Here's the 61 Newport section. Hard to tell but you can see there's a difference.
Maybe you can get away with changing out these sections?
Edited by Apollo 61 2021-03-16 2:39 PM
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+
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Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | It's difficult to see, but I think you have a "big" car sub-frame. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 769
| If he has the big car frame then wouldn't it have the sway bar?
Also there is a difference in front fram i noticed.
The small frame mounts flat on bumper bracket.
The big frame mounts in a channel shape on bumper bracket.
Mr incredible,post a pic of front of your frame where the bumper bracket bolts to frame. |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+
Posts: 13045
Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | Yes, that's correct. If I understood it correctly the OP has tw subframes, one original and one from a 64 300.
Please post photos of both the subframes. |
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Regular
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|
Original front frame bumper mounting area:
Firewall brackets:  
The hole to hole distance between the two mounting areas is 22". The other subframe is identical. The holes on the car measure 24".  I'll try to get some pics of the other subframe.
Edited by MrIncredible 2021-03-16 8:27 PM
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| My current plan was to take the newer subframe and make sure it matches the old one. Should that be the case I was going to bolt up the sheet metal to it and see where it should be, and what is off where. |
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Elite Veteran
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| From what I'm seeing you have a small car sub frame with a big car floor pan.
This is what your body to frame area should look like.
Maybe that area can be changed out?
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1961 Newport resurrection
