Alistair's Grandpa cruiser Chrysler...
Posted: Fri Nov 17, 06 1:34 pm
I needed a daily driver, having had an awful year for dead or dying cars and not being able to complete the resto of my Vauxhall Ventora. So I sold the Vauxhall as an unfinished project and bought this to serve as daily driver, at least over the winter...
Its a 1985 Chrysler Fifth Avenue, 318, all the stock smog gear in place, running a little weak and needing a little TLC. It was cheap and its solid as a rock. Its also the most comfy car you can ever ride around in.
Its also the slowest most evil handling car on the plannet. But there is at least some entertainment to be derived from a car thats so bad its good.
This is my second Fifth Avenue. Its becoming a habbit!
Its an M-Body for those who don't know, last of the traditinal RWD Mopar sedans. The M body is based on the J body which is based on the F body which was derived from the A body. So Chrysler's last top of the range RWD V8 luxo full size tank was actually a beefed up compact! This makes them quite driveable on UK roads, its a whisp smaller than a B body so it can be parked easy enough.
To get the "big car ride" in a downsized car Chrysler mounted all the suspension, axles, subframes, etc. on rubber "isomounts". Even when new this makes the handling vague and wooly, imaging what 20 years wear and tear does to them... I reckon my best bet would be to either enjoy the challenge of getting the beast around a mini-roundabout without it ploughing straight on and embedding itself in a wall or I could install the police spec (AHB) solid mounts and front & rear sway bars. As luck would have it I know someone who has a set for $80...
As they say, a million American pensioners can't be wrong LOL
Anyway, here it is in all its "glory"
Its a 1985 Chrysler Fifth Avenue, 318, all the stock smog gear in place, running a little weak and needing a little TLC. It was cheap and its solid as a rock. Its also the most comfy car you can ever ride around in.
Its also the slowest most evil handling car on the plannet. But there is at least some entertainment to be derived from a car thats so bad its good.
This is my second Fifth Avenue. Its becoming a habbit!
Its an M-Body for those who don't know, last of the traditinal RWD Mopar sedans. The M body is based on the J body which is based on the F body which was derived from the A body. So Chrysler's last top of the range RWD V8 luxo full size tank was actually a beefed up compact! This makes them quite driveable on UK roads, its a whisp smaller than a B body so it can be parked easy enough.
To get the "big car ride" in a downsized car Chrysler mounted all the suspension, axles, subframes, etc. on rubber "isomounts". Even when new this makes the handling vague and wooly, imaging what 20 years wear and tear does to them... I reckon my best bet would be to either enjoy the challenge of getting the beast around a mini-roundabout without it ploughing straight on and embedding itself in a wall or I could install the police spec (AHB) solid mounts and front & rear sway bars. As luck would have it I know someone who has a set for $80...
As they say, a million American pensioners can't be wrong LOL
Anyway, here it is in all its "glory"
in SDS
