Michael Riley's Blog: Hemmings Find of the Day – 1972 Chrysler Town & Country Premium station wagon

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Hemmings Find of the Day – 1972 Chrysler Town & Country Premium station wagon

From the seller’s description:

This 1972 Chrysler Town & Country 9-passenger Station Wagon (fondly known as “The White Whale”) is a complete time capsule. I was looking for a perfect, original 70s wagon for a long time, and this was the best one I could find.

This is a highly optioned model, with the Chrysler 440ci V8 engine, 3 speed automatic column-shifted transmission, factory air conditioning, a dual-action tailgate (that flips down like a pickup bed door, or opens to the side like a car door), power steering, power brakes, and rear power window. The car has an added air suspension system in the back to improve the suspension and handling when towing a trailer or with a large payload. In spite of all of these options, for some reason the car was ordered with only an AM radio. Original Mopar FM radios to fit this car are available easily online if you wish, but I just use my bluetooth speaker when not using the AM radio.

With its original owner from 1972 to 2014 in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle/Tacoma Area), this car was clearly garage kept and pampered. The Pacific Northwest is known for being one of the best areas of the country to buy classic cars from– no rust, and no excessive heat and sun to damage painted surfaces and interiors.

This car is NOT a restoration. It is one of the most well preserved original cars you will be able to find. It’s not very frequent that you find a station wagon well preserved. After all, most were owned by families whose kids destroyed their interiors, or farmers, artists, contractors, landscapers, etc. who did their share of damage as well seeing as though the cargo area when the seats are folded down can hold a full 4’x8′ sheet of plywood!

VIN: CP46T2C207001
Detailed VIN Decoding/definitions:
C- Chrysler “C” body
P- Premium Price Class
46- 9 passenger station wagon body style
T- 440ci V8, 4BBL “RB” Engine
2- 1972 model year
C- Jefferson, Michigan Assembly Plant
07001- Sequence number, produced January 1972

The car is nothing short of everything you could want in:
-A weekend cruiser with the kids or friends
-A display piece at your automotive business, surf shop, or other beachfront/lakeside business.
-A Mopar collection
-A car to occasionally drive to work (I have done this, about half 3000 miles I’ve put on were from my 100 mile daily round trip commute)
-A family truckster to channel your inner Clark Griswold and load up the kids and go on a vacation with. Bring your boat or camper trailer– she’s got a hitch!
-A surf wagon

The paint, though it does have minor rock chips consistent with almost 94k miles, has a good luster and a rich white color. The vinyl “woody” trim is also in excellent condition, with a few minor chips but no noticeable fading or peeling. The interior is nearly perfect, though I would argue the car achieves overall perfection for a nearly 45 year old car. There is NO rot to speak of anywhere on the car, up or down. The paint protects the metal well, and any surface corrosion in the door jambs and other inconspicuous areas commonly afflicted with paint wear are well cleaned and sealed with wax to prevent additional rust from spreading. The brightwork is in surprisingly excellent condition for the vintage. All of the glass and trim are in perfect condition with no pitting.

I have spent a lot of time and money (almost $5000 documented) in the past year to improve the driveability, safety, and reliability of the White Whale:
-All new tubeless radial tires installed 1200 miles ago
-Full Tune-up- Spark Plugs and Wires
-Front wheel bearing adjustment
-Entire brake system serviced. All soft brake lines replaced, new master cylinder, repaired vacuum booster, replaced brake light switch
-Replaced light bulbs
-Repair exhaust system leaks (including manifold gaskets)
-All fluids drained, flushed, and replaced
-Complete professional paint strip and detail at A Buff and Beyond Co.

The only outstanding issues the car has are few and minor:
-Fuel gauge is not always working properly. I’ve not spent any time trying to fix that as I don’t rely on the gas gauges in any of my old cars– notoriously unreliable. The low fuel light does seem to kick on appropriately when there’s just a few gallons of gas left. The next owner may choose to fix it, or do what I do and use the trip-o-meter to determine your fuel on board.
-A stitch has popped on the front bench seat. Fairly easy to repair by a competent automotive upholstery shop, hardly noticeable and not getting any worse during my 13-14 months of ownership and 3k miles.
-Rear bumper- This is not a problem really but in the spirit of full disclosure, the original owner sold the car with a not-so-visible scuff on the rear chrome bumper (I didn’t notice until I had the car on a lift), and a bend in the top of the bumper which is more visible but doesn’t stand out.

The million dollar question: Why am I selling such a cool, nearly perfect car? Because I’m stupid and I promised my “boss” I wouldn’t have any more cars than an agreed number, and I’ve exceeded that number by a few. She says that either the “White Whale” goes, or I go with it!