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When I was 11 in 73(2 months before the first oil crisis), we went to Florida and were supposed to rent a Ford Gran Torino from Avis, but the car wasn't available so they upgraded us to a new Fury Gran Sedan, yellow with a white vinyl roof. Being a young big Mopar lover at that time, I loved the car so much and the new car smell I would ask dad for the keys so i could just sit in the car and pop the hood so i could see the engine (360). I remember dad telling me it "rides like a cloud but it hesitates when i step on the gas"--probably emissions control
6 years later in 79(right during the second oil crisis) we were shopping for a new car and I wandered off to the used car lot and spotted a 73 Fury III. It was unlocked so i got in but the car was a total disaster. The burled fake wood on the dash and horn pad was badly scratched to metal, the headliner had cigarette burns, and the rear seat was coming apart. Although this car was essentially the same as the one of 6 years prior, I actually didn't stay long because of this "Christine" feeling about it--like it was going to explode or start up or catch fire.
So I wonder, has anyone seen any 73 Galaxies or Impalas 6 years old in that bad shape? Was it purely owner contempt or were the Mopars the first to look ratty after a few years?
I wonder how long that car sat there, who bought that car, how much they paid for it and how long it lasted after purchase. Any ideas?
I guess it depends the big 70's car saddled with emissions controls were not very collectable compared to a same vintage mustang or camaro and around the time compression was being dropped because they phased out leaded gas. So they were way down on HP compared to a 70-72 versions. the only large car from the gas crisis I really liked were the monte carlo SS with a 454...
When I was 11 in 73(2 months before the first oil crisis), we went to Florida and were supposed to rent a Ford Gran Torino from Avis, but the car wasn't available so they upgraded us to a new Fury Gran Sedan, yellow with a white vinyl roof. Being a young big Mopar lover at that time, I loved the car so much and the new car smell I would ask dad for the keys so i could just sit in the car and pop the hood so i could see the engine (360). I remember dad telling me it "rides like a cloud but it hesitates when i step on the gas"--probably emissions control
6 years later in 79(right during the second oil crisis) we were shopping for a new car and I wandered off to the used car lot and spotted a 73 Fury III. It was unlocked so i got in but the car was a total disaster. The burled fake wood on the dash and horn pad was badly scratched to metal, the headliner had cigarette burns, and the rear seat was coming apart. Although this car was essentially the same as the one of 6 years prior, I actually didn't stay long because of this "Christine" feeling about it--like it was going to explode or start up or catch fire.
So I wonder, has anyone seen any 73 Galaxies or Impalas 6 years old in that bad shape? Was it purely owner contempt or were the Mopars the first to look ratty after a few years?
I wonder how long that car sat there, who bought that car, how much they paid for it and how long it lasted after purchase. Any ideas?
If you don't take care of a car the end result will be the same. I can't believe all the people even today that buy a brand new car and six months to a year later it looks like hell. The interior is trashed and the body is riddled with dents and scratches. Well, I guess it's their money?
When I was 11 in 73(2 months before the first oil crisis), we went to Florida and were supposed to rent a Ford Gran Torino from Avis, but the car wasn't available so they upgraded us to a new Fury Gran Sedan, yellow with a white vinyl roof. Being a young big Mopar lover at that time, I loved the car so much and the new car smell I would ask dad for the keys so i could just sit in the car and pop the hood so i could see the engine (360). I remember dad telling me it "rides like a cloud but it hesitates when i step on the gas"--probably emissions control
6 years later in 79(right during the second oil crisis) we were shopping for a new car and I wandered off to the used car lot and spotted a 73 Fury III. It was unlocked so i got in but the car was a total disaster. The burled fake wood on the dash and horn pad was badly scratched to metal, the headliner had cigarette burns, and the rear seat was coming apart. Although this car was essentially the same as the one of 6 years prior, I actually didn't stay long because of this "Christine" feeling about it--like it was going to explode or start up or catch fire.
So I wonder, has anyone seen any 73 Galaxies or Impalas 6 years old in that bad shape? Was it purely owner contempt or were the Mopars the first to look ratty after a few years?
I wonder how long that car sat there, who bought that car, how much they paid for it and how long it lasted after purchase. Any ideas?
Hard to say.
They made less Mopars than they did Fords & GM products.
I've seen some Hemicudas (of course) that look BETTER than they did on the showroom floor.
I actually saw a Fury II on the highway heading towards Chicago and I was surprised the wheel didn't fall off.
Depends on the owner and the car,I guess.
Your case sounds like it was purely owners fault. A close friend of mine drives his '77 Newport weekly... all original and everything is in mint shape. And IMHO the late 70's were a gloomy time for Chrysler and the near future to that yielded quite a bit of low quality product. So I would say that is certainly possible for the Chryslers of the vintage we are discussing to last a very long time if cared for. You and you alone are responsible for your vehicle!
But, if you got a good one of a lot of those 70s cars it was heirloom quality. For all the trouble with Aspens and Volares, I still see them driving around from time to time. The only domestic Chryslers (not counting Colts, et al...they all rusted away ten years ago) from that time period I don't see many of anymore are the Omni/Horizon and the St. Regis/Newport. K cars are getting rare, though. In the lesser areas of SE MI, usually near a Chrysler plant, Cordobas and Miradas still are surprisingly plentiful in spots. There's still quite a few Dart/Valiant/Duster types available on eBay, and there are currently two Valiants for sale within a half mile of each other near me, both well overpriced. I even saw a cheap Valiant sedan, probably 74-75, the other day in Canada.
it really depends on many things, for instance low end cars, like the fury lll, the galaxie, and the bel aire, tended to get less maintenance than higher end cars did, the ltd, marquis, new yorker, impala, etc. remember that up until the late 70's, average loan lengths were about 36 months.
another thing to consider is the owner of the car, and how they cared for it. i have seen mopars from the early 70's these days that have pretty much stock interiors, that are still in good condition, others that have been fully replaced, and others that are trashed. this is true with all cars.
the third thing to consider is where the car spent most of its life. the desert southwest is harder on cars than say northern kansas for instance.
I don't know if Mopars aged faster or not, but they certainly did rust away faster.
Not compared to my old man's '73 LTD. By '76 you could lift the front door skin up and away from the door, without opening the door itself. The chrome strip was the only thing holding it on. Three years and gone.
The '73 Plymouth wagon held up pretty well, into the early eighties with maybe 120k, give or take on it. A '73 Monte Carlo a cousin had lasted until maybe '80 or so when the frame finally gave in.
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it really depends on many things, for instance low end cars, like the fury lll, the galaxie, and the bel aire, tended to get less maintenance than higher end cars did, the ltd, marquis, new yorker, impala, etc. remember that up until the late 70's, average loan lengths were about 36 months. 
