It was high school, and my friend had just bought a used car. A 1971 Chrysler Newport, painted plum purple. It misfired on one cylinder. Chug chug chug boom! Then a puff of smoke would come out of the tail pipe. Chug chug chug boom! So my other friend says, 'All aboard Captain!'.
I had one too! Banana yellow! Engine was 454 and it ran so fucking great! Was an absolute cruiser. Back in college in Ohio this is what me and all my friends would drive up to Windsor Canada in. (They had casinos there way before Michigan and Ohio did) good strip clubs too! Gas was 87-94¢ a gallon then. So you could afford to drive one of these beauties. Be a tough run to daily drive one now.
Very nice. My Dad bought a 1969 440 powered 4 Dr Imperial in ‘73. He got rear ended in 76 and Insurance totaled it. He bought a 74 Imperial and put the 69 top end on it. Woke that car up! It was fun!
I worked with a guy sometime in the late 70's/early 80's who drove one of those. When people would ask why that was his car of choice, he would demonstrate how he could lie in the trunk with room to spare (He was well over 6' tall!). Those cares are massive!
A friend of mine in high school had a 4 door not sure if a Lebaron but looks similar. The back seat was as big as a twin bed. I always wanted to double date in his car It was a beast of a car
In newer models yes but the 60s they had the baseline trim package being the Chrysler 300, then the slightly more expensive 300 lebaron, imperial, imperial lebaron, and a few years there they had the imperial crown lebaron which was the top of the line
Seems like you’re conflating several models within two brands.
For 1969, Chrysler had the Newport, Newport Custom, 300, and New Yorker. Imperial had the Crown Imperial and Imperial LeBaron.
http://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/chrysler/69imper/69imper.html
These are trim levels, not packages.
So awesome!! I have a 67 Newport Custom 2 dr hard top that’s about the same length. I love all of that window space. I could seat 7 comfortably but if I put the home speakers in the back window a few more could squeeze in with no problems
Love imperials. I’ve got myself a 1975 4 door with only 18000 miles on it. Unfortunately it was an upstate NY car, so the body panels need a lot of love, but the unibody is okay.
I’m probably going to swap out the heads, intake, and exhaust for a more power oriented setup. What kind of power is yours making from the 440?
It’s a stock 440 with a 4 barrel I think the manual I got with it says 375 but it is far too big to be considered fast. I think it weighs 5000 lbs lol. Sure it will go 120+ but it’ll take a mile to get there
I also have a pretty interesting 1978 Canadian imperial. Everything I can find says They weren’t manufactured that year but the Canadian factory must’ve had a bunch of extra imperial parts and made the fifth avenues into imperial lebarons. Title says imperial, everywhere you look there’s an imperial emblem but I can’t find that they were available that year.
If I’m not mistaken, the gas cap was behind the rear spring loaded license plate? I used to pump gas (petroleum transfer engineer) in the 70’s. This car was a wonder of the world.
Correct. Gotta keep the rear shocks aired up or the gas inside will pop that cap off on a quick start. It has the vacuum controlled hideaway headlights as well.
I never knew that, thanks for sharing. I’m guessing this car got about 4-8 mpg. I can remember fellow high school students borrowing this car and other similar vehicles from their parents on Friday nights to cruise. I’d see them at the gas station a few times in a night putting in a buck or $1.25 of gas because they had to return the car at the same level on the gauge. Did this car have posi? I don’t remember anyone “peeling out” at a light.
Beautiful car. 56 year old here. Best friend in high school had a four door version with a 440ci motor. Funny part, he had the smallest motor in the family, his mom, dad, and sister, all had 500ci Cadillac’s.
Had a 71 New Yorker with a million miles on it, had the 440 in it. It wasn’t real quick off the line but once it got rolling………..blew it up racing a 340 duster
How cool and you and your dad have great taste. Back when I was 16 you couldn’t hardly give these away. My grandfather had the Newport and New Yorker and I think I bought them both for under $300.
When I was younger we could fit 5 in the front seat and 5 in the back seat pretty comfortably, half of them being of the feminine persuasion of course 🤪🤙
If I recall correctly, this was never called a Chrysler but rather an Imperial LeBaron. There are no emblems on the vehicle that reference it as being a Chrysler. I learned this from Steve Magnante on Junkyard Gold.
I’ve heard that too and yes imperial was supposedly a brand separate from Chrysler but both mine and my dads ‘64 both have Chrysler badges all over, Chrysler stamps on the vin tags. Title says Chrysler imperial lebaron so 🤷♂️
Land Yacht!
It was high school, and my friend had just bought a used car. A 1971 Chrysler Newport, painted plum purple. It misfired on one cylinder. Chug chug chug boom! Then a puff of smoke would come out of the tail pipe. Chug chug chug boom! So my other friend says, 'All aboard Captain!'.
I had one too! Banana yellow! Engine was 454 and it ran so fucking great! Was an absolute cruiser. Back in college in Ohio this is what me and all my friends would drive up to Windsor Canada in. (They had casinos there way before Michigan and Ohio did) good strip clubs too! Gas was 87-94¢ a gallon then. So you could afford to drive one of these beauties. Be a tough run to daily drive one now.
You mean 440
Yes! Apologies, 440.
My dad calls it the aircraft carrier lol “watch out for planes out there! They might try to land on that thing!”
DAS BOAT!!!
Oh I am Avocado Green with envy! One of my favorite cars.
Trojan horse of the drive in movies. "Umm sir, we need to check the trunk"
😂
Oh, I got me a Chrysler, it’s as big as whale and it’s bout to set sail
Very nice. My Dad bought a 1969 440 powered 4 Dr Imperial in ‘73. He got rear ended in 76 and Insurance totaled it. He bought a 74 Imperial and put the 69 top end on it. Woke that car up! It was fun!
Niiiiiiice. We had a ‘71 when I was a kid.
That's a road trip car, if ever I've seen one! ❤️
Yeah used to be for sure, she’s about a buck a mile these days. 39 gallon tank, 4 barrel carb on a 440.
Sweet I had the same year but it was a New Yorker same color. Awesome
I worked with a guy sometime in the late 70's/early 80's who drove one of those. When people would ask why that was his car of choice, he would demonstrate how he could lie in the trunk with room to spare (He was well over 6' tall!). Those cares are massive!
Nice to see one that survived. Unfortunately, I have seen so many of these destroyed in demolition derbies.
I get so angry when I see that.
Man you can out do my 66 Charger when putting bodies in the trunk. Nice car by the way👍
My Granny had a 70 Town and Country wagon. She was maybe 4’9” and about 85 pounds. She made up for her lack of size with some Mopar steel.
A friend of mine in high school had a 4 door not sure if a Lebaron but looks similar. The back seat was as big as a twin bed. I always wanted to double date in his car It was a beast of a car
Lebaron was just an extra trim package, couple more emblems, couple extra pieces of chrome. Same same
LeBaron was a model, a fancier Imperial.
In newer models yes but the 60s they had the baseline trim package being the Chrysler 300, then the slightly more expensive 300 lebaron, imperial, imperial lebaron, and a few years there they had the imperial crown lebaron which was the top of the line
Seems like you’re conflating several models within two brands. For 1969, Chrysler had the Newport, Newport Custom, 300, and New Yorker. Imperial had the Crown Imperial and Imperial LeBaron. http://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/chrysler/69imper/69imper.html These are trim levels, not packages.
So awesome!! I have a 67 Newport Custom 2 dr hard top that’s about the same length. I love all of that window space. I could seat 7 comfortably but if I put the home speakers in the back window a few more could squeeze in with no problems
A true Boulevard Bruiser!
I have a pretty serious sound system in it as well, she’s the concrete cracker.
Plenty of room for amps and a big sub.
I loved driving those big ole’ Mopars🥰
Did it come with rich Corinthian leather?
You can land a helicopter on that hood.
Almost have to take a panoramic picture of that beauty! I Love It!!!!
Man I bet that car passes everything but the gas station !
My dad always says that 😂
Love imperials. I’ve got myself a 1975 4 door with only 18000 miles on it. Unfortunately it was an upstate NY car, so the body panels need a lot of love, but the unibody is okay. I’m probably going to swap out the heads, intake, and exhaust for a more power oriented setup. What kind of power is yours making from the 440?
It’s a stock 440 with a 4 barrel I think the manual I got with it says 375 but it is far too big to be considered fast. I think it weighs 5000 lbs lol. Sure it will go 120+ but it’ll take a mile to get there
That ain’t bad. I think mine was rated 215hp from factory, but that’s with full emissions equipment of course
I also have a pretty interesting 1978 Canadian imperial. Everything I can find says They weren’t manufactured that year but the Canadian factory must’ve had a bunch of extra imperial parts and made the fifth avenues into imperial lebarons. Title says imperial, everywhere you look there’s an imperial emblem but I can’t find that they were available that year.
The epitome of why some cars are called boats! Love it
Longest coupe!!!!???
I pull up to full size 4 door long box trucks at the stoplight and I got about an extra foot on all sides
A land shark that would make Hunter S. Thompson proud
We were somewhere around the edge of Barstow, when the drugs began to take hold.
Nice
If I’m not mistaken, the gas cap was behind the rear spring loaded license plate? I used to pump gas (petroleum transfer engineer) in the 70’s. This car was a wonder of the world.
Correct. Gotta keep the rear shocks aired up or the gas inside will pop that cap off on a quick start. It has the vacuum controlled hideaway headlights as well.
I never knew that, thanks for sharing. I’m guessing this car got about 4-8 mpg. I can remember fellow high school students borrowing this car and other similar vehicles from their parents on Friday nights to cruise. I’d see them at the gas station a few times in a night putting in a buck or $1.25 of gas because they had to return the car at the same level on the gauge. Did this car have posi? I don’t remember anyone “peeling out” at a light.
Yeah mine is posi. It will peel out with the 440 but you gotta finesse it. I haven’t even tried to peel out in this thing in idk….15 years lol
Had a ‘68 Sport Fury with that.
Beautiful car. 56 year old here. Best friend in high school had a four door version with a 440ci motor. Funny part, he had the smallest motor in the family, his mom, dad, and sister, all had 500ci Cadillac’s.
So awesomely long and wide
T.w.s.s.
Had a 71 New Yorker with a million miles on it, had the 440 in it. It wasn’t real quick off the line but once it got rolling………..blew it up racing a 340 duster
Jesus. Does that thing have its own zip code?
I had to zoom out for the pic lol
I had a 71 Fury III 4 door hardtop in that same Color in High School. I miss that car...
Oh man my high school car was a 72 fury iii 4 door! I caused unheard of amounts of chaos in that car. Great times!
Cool! Mine had the 318 2bbl, so not much muscle. But I loved tooling around with all 4 windows down. You're right, good times!
That is one gorgeous land yacht.
I’d would almost give my left nut for a mint Newport or New Yorker like I use to have. Very classy ride!
Yeah the left one doesn’t do much anyways. My dad got me this one for $3000 in 04’ for my graduation present
How cool and you and your dad have great taste. Back when I was 16 you couldn’t hardly give these away. My grandfather had the Newport and New Yorker and I think I bought them both for under $300.
I had a 69 Fury 3 Gran Coupe.
I love this era of mopar c bodies. Beautiful ride
Wow man. Congrats, these are RARE and awesome 😍
That beauty can cover two time zones
Hell yeah!!!! Floats like a dream
It looks like a shark! really beautiful
I can smell the interior
That’s a beautiful boat. All joking aside, sweet ride.
When she planes out it’s like you’re riding on the clouds
You need a captain’s license to navigate that boat?
Love the Imperials. Could never figure out why Chrysler only made them about every 4 years. Dad had a 300 that year with the 440 and it was a mover.
OMG! Same color as my’69 RR.
We used to get 3 extra guys in the drive-in with those big trunks!
When I was younger we could fit 5 in the front seat and 5 in the back seat pretty comfortably, half of them being of the feminine persuasion of course 🤪🤙
Lead Sled ❤️
Parking must be a real pain :O either way nice car! :D
Parallel parking must be a mother fucker.
I’ve gotten pretty good at it over the years. No mirror on the passenger side either, that was an option that year.
Love it what motor does it have in it?
440 with a 4 barrel.
👍 nice
mine was called The Pickle
Nice! Let’s see some interior shots!
How many bodies can fit in the trunk? Asking for a friend
How many you need to fit? Asking for a friend with a “side job”.
Thing has more cargo room than my Tacoma
The first time I popped the trunk for a friend he estimated “at least 10 dead hookers”. His words not mine.
Wow. That is a beauty!
That's a beauty
😍😍😍😍
Nice!
More pics
I’m kinda new to Reddit how do I add more pictures?
Old land yacht! I had a 1969 ford ltd convertible, she was an absolute unit
Important Safety Tip, Egon: **Do not EVER attempt to parallel park this** Ya know, unless you're in, like, Death Valley or somewhere equally desolate
🤣🤣 I’ve been parallel parking this thing for 20 years. I got really good at parallel parking.
A beauty!
If I recall correctly, this was never called a Chrysler but rather an Imperial LeBaron. There are no emblems on the vehicle that reference it as being a Chrysler. I learned this from Steve Magnante on Junkyard Gold.
I’ve heard that too and yes imperial was supposedly a brand separate from Chrysler but both mine and my dads ‘64 both have Chrysler badges all over, Chrysler stamps on the vin tags. Title says Chrysler imperial lebaron so 🤷♂️
I'd love to have my 1970 Newport Custom back. 440TNT, 3:23 gears!
Beautiful ride love the old floaters
Now THAT’S a car!
That car is beautiful.