1953 Chrysler New Yorker project episode 1

First in a series of videos related to my 1953 Chrysler New Yorker project. In this video I do a once over of the car I bought and just got unloaded of the trailer.

[@AS-zk6hz]

It’s a great car with very advanced engineering.

[@brianandrews7099]

My dad bought a 4 door ‘53 Chrysler Windsor when I was a kid, as a project car. He bought it in running, driving condition for $300.00 in 1983. They are built like a tank! Ours wouldn’t start if the weather even looked like rain! It floated down the road and had the clutch pedal that could be used to up/downshift, or it would shift on it’s own. It had two wheel cylinders under each brake drum. They were definitely low speed cruisers, if you tried pushing it hard in any way, you’d scare yourself to death! They are wonderful old cars but parts can be tough to locate and rechroming all the “pot metal” chrome will surely bankrupt you! Harry Truman had one. I’d love to find another one someday, just for old times sake!

[@auteurfiddler8706]

The two wheel cylinders were in the front. There was only a single in the back. "Lockheed" brakes. Getting a set of these is is expensive. I would consider rebuild kits for these as well as the master. Notice, the front and rear drums are the same, though you would have to remove the rivets to swap them around .

[@abesKIA]

Hi JJ, sorry for your loss. Thanks for putting up the 3 vids, i have just started a channel on a 54, your interior and body is much better than mine! I have the 235hp poweflite so maybe that compensates me somewhat. Hope you are well.

[@TheREALOC1972]

My best friend just bought a 53 New Yorker but his is a 2 door. He admittedly paid a little too much for the car ($7500) but not out of the realm of what it's worth. the engine is toast, been sitting without the valve covers and intake for approximately 35 years, but there's a antique cars restoration shop here so he's just going to take the drive train out including the rear end and donate it to them so they can spend the money to rebuild it and another classic can live, he would love to keep the original engine it's not finanically feasible for him. He's just going to put the 318, 3 speed torqueflite auto trans and rear end out of a 73 Dart he has rusting away in his parents barn. He wasn't "looking" for a New Yorker either but he was looking for a "50's something" and stumbled across it and couldn't turn it down.

[@user-tn3qm7pf4i]

nice rusty new yorker53 deluxe man 🙂

[@KDoyle4]

if 6 volts worked in 1953, 6 volts will work now. Keep it stock.

[@garyporter516]

Leave the 6 volt. They worked fine when new. I love these cars too.

[@auteurfiddler8706]

And needed on this car to shift unlike any other car of the era.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

The Fluid Drive in this form came out in 1946. You drive it exactly as you stated. It also has a kick-down, just like HydraMatic. When selecting a range from Neutral, you do need to declutch, also if you want to change to Reverse or Lo, you must declutch. Otherwise, it is clutch-free until you park it and shift to Neutral. The Fluid Drive concept first came out on the 39 Imperial, consisting of a 3 speed manual with overdrive and shorter gearing, extended to Saratogas and New Yorkers for 40. The direct ancestor of this form of Fluid Drive came out on the 1941 Chrysler 6 and the DeSoto, but was vacuum operated. In 46, this hydraulically operated unit came out on both 6 and 8, updated in 1952 with a true torque converter instead of a simple fluid coupling.

[@h8troodoh]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing that information..

[@alexkalish8288]

That is a very nice car and could be restored easily. Good choice, one of the top Chrysler models for 1953.

[@BillySBC]

Fluid-Drive transmission, they had not quite developed the automatic transmission yet but they had invented the torque converter, so they just put the torque converter in front of the 3-speed manual trans that they had. It worked well, most people would just push in the clutch and put it in 2nd gear if they were only driving around town less than 35mph or so. Will make a nice driver for you. Good luck.

[@auteurfiddler8706]

By this time they had for forward gears. But you are right that the company found that only three and four had much use since the torque converter did the work starting from a stop. Even in the "Fluid Drive" with a fluid coupling that was not as good as the torque converter "Fluid Torque Drive". So their first true automatic had a Torque converter and two forward gears. PowerFlite.

[@junkman7426]

I've got a '53 New Yorker I drive all the time. Love these cars. Mine also had power brakes but the master was completely trashed, and could not find any parts for it so I converted to a manual power brake master. It has remote booster. You can find and use a universal remote booster if you want power brakes. I don't have power steering so I'm a little jealous. haha The 331 Fire Power is awesome. I can literally balance a nickel on its side. Fantastic engine with a nice reliable carburetor. I need to the big optima 6V battery to turn it over. Has lots of CCAs for starting this big boys. I don't think the 'tractor/industrial' batteries they have on the shelf at the autoparts store are sufficient for these cars.The M6 auto works well too as long as you have the fluid at the proper level and use the right oil. You can only really use 3 of the 4 gears though. You'll see, it's interesting. Good luck. Your chrome is quite beautiful on yours. Great find.

[@JJSelagy]

I will be be doing an update video soon, had a family setback and did not work on the car for months but now I am back at it.

[@randalletilly2592]

That isolated under the hood is for cold Start Starting method startes car with 12volt battery! Thats why u have 2 batterys ,Then isolated lets it runs off the six volt ! Ur welcome

[@auteurfiddler8706]

I have a 52. You really need a service manual. Almost nothing on the car works like a 1955 and newer car, even things that look like they do. A parts book and video from Chrysler Tech on KZbin are also helpful. In 1953, no other major car line offered a padded dash. 1953 was the first year the fenders in the rear were part of the quarters on Chryslers and not bolt on. 1953 saw the long front clip from 1951-52 New Yorkers which symbolized and made roof for the straight 8 engines before 1951 removed since the V8 was shorter than the 6, not longer. Your description of "Fluid" drive and "Fluid Torque Drive" was right on. There is NO option to convert to 12 volts since the shifting is all electro mechanical , with three devices on the trans and three under the hood. So , this is unlike any other 6 volt car. Six volt positive ground , by the way.

[@sethhuber25]

Nice, I have a pretty similar story with the one I got a couple months ago, not really looking for one but I found a decent one for a good price so I figured why not

[@auteurfiddler8706]

20:00 That emblem may be jack and spare tire instructions. By the way, even if you have 15 inch Mopar wheels from, say, 1971 they probably won't fit. The pegs on the drums and the bumps for the rivets eliminate a lot of wheels. And may wheels require special lug nuts which won't work since the car uses bolts. I was able to find right hand bolts easily since they are used on trailers. The only source for left hand bolts is used. I tried to clean the rust out of the drums and off the bolts, but when I did what was left was a bit loose. It is possible to have a machine shop press studs into the drums, but I don't know the parts numbers. The HAMB and P15-D20 and Forward Look are the relevant web sites. If you cut down the pegs without putting in studs, it makes mounting the wheel a challenge. Finally, the shape of the face of the wheel is different than later wheels and the hub caps either require the factory wheel to clear or they require a wheel with more front space. I was not able to use a tire bigger than 215 70 or 205 75 15 but 215 75 15 may just fit.

[@robertlacob8831]

Nice old car. Have fun learning along the way to recovery/restoration!

[@auteurfiddler8706]

29:22 it may be that someone installed a 12 volt battery to run a radio. And kept the 6 volt for everything else. Maybe also to put 12 volts to the starter. I will double check where the tray should be. Probably on the side of the car with the starter, driver side. I think. As I said before, this (Fluid drive) is the only car you can't convert to 12 volt negative ground. I know some automotive electrical engineers and it is beyond even them. You would have to measure the load amperage drawn of all the six devices, write it down, then have all of them rewound by design shops to match the higher voltage. You COULD do it if you replace the engine and trans with a 54 and newer version since those shift with hydraulics. PowerFlite or Torque Flite. If your car has the block with the bellhousing cast in, it is nearly impossible to use just a newer trans. Late 1954 and possibly late 1953 they went to a convention engine block and got rid of Fluid Drive an Fluid Torque Drive. There is no good reason to convert an old car to 12 volts and there never was. There is no advantage. The only guys that did it did so because they did not know you can run 12 volt negative ground devices like an under dash 8 track (snicker) with a voltage converter. If you don't believe me, try searching those three web sites I mentioned. But few if any of them have Fluid drive cars. They either have manuals or hydraulic transmissions. Basically there is no one left except me that knows what they are (and "Tech", the Chrysler equivalent to the Pillsbury doughboy or Snuggle the Fabric softener bear in Chrysler Tech videos) and how they work. Oh, if you know anyone who can resurface a clutch in 2024 save the name.

[@sunny-yl4pr]

I like that car.

[@joenicoud5967]

SAME CAR TRUMAN DROVE A GIFT TO HIM FROM THE HEAD OF CHRYSLER CORPORATION I THING IT HAD ALL THE EXTRAS THE IMPERIAL HAD AT THE TIME

[@arturonavarro3566]

Muy bonito . Very nice. From Barcelona (Spain)

[@auteurfiddler8706]

28:40 You can see the car has power steering because the power steering pump is attached to the back of the generator. Mine does not have that. They all have power brakes. AC was actually available for the first time and it worked well but the vents were in the back not the front.

[@auteurfiddler8706]

28:49 two barrel carb with devices for the transmission control built in. Also, dual point distributor with vacuum advance. Resistor wires but non resistor plugs.

[@conquerjr.4043]

Please upload more. Just bought this as my first project car and any help would be much appreciated!

[@AS-zk6hz]

Get it up on a lift and see what it really needs always look at the bottom and you will see where the real problems are. Learn more about Chrysler They were way ahead in engineering over ford and gm

[@ronaldmcclure4023]

I bought a 1950 Windsor and my wires were rotted out so I’m going with 12 volt conversion and replacing all wires.

[@auteurfiddler8706]

You threw away the inspection cover? It could be either for brakes or transmission. Better check to see that those are in place. Driver footwell and trans tunnel.

[@AS-zk6hz]

It’s fluid drive a semi automatic. In 54 they went full automatic

[@christianbattestin9747]

It actually has a fluid coupling, not a torque converter.

[@auteurfiddler8706]

15 inch wheels. 14 inch won't fit on 12 inch drum brakes. In the late 50's they went to 14 inch. And smaller 11 inch diameter but wider brakes to lower the cars a bit.

[@auteurfiddler8706]

The wheels were tube types, but they will work without tubes.

[@66skate]

That white sheet in the trunk likely had the jacking instructions printed on it. The large spring is used to anchor the jack.

[@JJSelagy]

it turned out to be a piece of asbestos that the tire rubbed on

[@michaelbenardo5695]

That looks like a Gopher Snake.

[@edsyphan3425]

It's called semi-auto. It's only a two speed though.

[@66skate]

The drivers side looks like it may be converted to 12 volt. Hard to see the connection, but appears the red cable goes to the relay and black to ground.

[@garyporter516]

The wheel discs are 1950.

[@Anders.W.]

Same year ass mine Pontiac.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

You can't go to 12 volts on this car. You will fry the relays on the transmission.

[@JJSelagy]

you can if you voltage reduce the items that need under 8v to survive. I am actually putting a new 360 magnum and 727 in it. Currently in the process of a total rewire and adding a fuse box and voltage reducer for the few items that I am keeping that are 6volt.

[@brandonstrain599]

mk you👉👈💙

[@michaelbenardo5695]

2 barrel, not 1 barrel.

[@BUD100ify]

Pygmy Rattlesnake

[@christopherhale5445]

Another dead encounter......one vid .....then gone......shame

[@JJSelagy]

hang on, life got in the way. My son died 4 days after making this video. Things got put on hold for awhile but I am back working on the car. I will post an update.

[@General.Longstreet]

@@JJSelagy Very sorry to hear that My condolences

[@longtext6141]

Hi , do you have Facebook or gmail chanel? About cooperation YTB because it's not convenient to talk on ytb