Near-Final Days of Old Mopar Luxury: The 1989 Chrysler Fifth Avenue & Chrysler M Bodies

Learn more about eh Chrysler Fifth Avenue and its platform siblings, the Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury.

[@stephendavidbailey2743]

I love everything about this car. The styling. The kitsch. The obsolete mechanics. The outrageous interior. I would almost kill to have one. Thank you so much for bringing this to us. Thank you. Thank.

[@trsgringo]

It is almost like a "miniaturized" Cadillac Fleetwood Talisman.

[@aaronwilliams6989]

It is pretty darn handsome, heavy, old school for the most part and not chock-full of plastic crap and so overly sufistacated.

[@donavonmacallister3101]

I almost had one , guy sold it for 800

[@TouYube007]

Ive got one with 40k original miles on it if you're interested

[@stephendavidbailey2743]

@@TouYube007 My heart wants, but my Social Security income will not permit.

[@thebestisyettocome4114]

Had new in 1987. 5th Ave Chrysler had no issues. I picked up in May 2022, a 1998 Oldsmobile Regency 98. Top of the line for Oldsmobile for $5500 cash with 103K miles since new. White on Tan Leather. Just a wonderful and beautiful automobile. On vacation we took it on 9 states in 10 day. Miles now 110465. I love the car more than my new 2022 Lincoln Navigator with all the technology of today. From Clearwater Beach Florida. Mr. Hahn and wife.

[@vicarod]

Thanks for this video. My father owned a 1983 5th Avenue. White with that same red interior. Although I technically never owned it, I always considered it my first car, as I had exclusive use of it as his health deteriorated. I was 17 in 1989, and I put a lot of miles on that car. It was a bit of a lemon and never really ran right. This was way before I learned to turn a wrench. I feel if I had it now, I'd be able to maintain it and get it running right. Fun story: My dad being the old Italian guy that he was always had a $50 bill tucked in the tufting of the leather, between the lower seat portion and the pillow-top as can be seen in this video. "For emergencies " he would say...

[@michaelmassino6344]

To pay off the cops?

[@aaronwilliams6989]

@@michaelmassino6344 Yeah. LOL!

[@eth39232]

I miss interiors like this.

[@CH67guy1]

The 5th Avenue in this video is a very handsome car. Back in the 1980s I convinced my uncle to replace his 1981 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham with one of these 5th Avenues. His was white with a red interior. At the time his business wasn’t doing as well as it normally did and he was looking to save some $ by not getting another Cadillac, but instead, a less expensive car. He was very pleased with the Chrysler.

[@robertchristie9434]

In '82, I was a tooling engineer at the Detroit Tank arsenal. Just before Chrysler defense was taken over by General Dynamics, our VP of Manufacturing had an all-dark blue 5th for a lease car that was released in late '81. I used the car to pick up special orders to support production as long as I came back to the plant with it spotless and a full tank of gas. The 5th had not been released to the public and wherever I went, a crowd would gather to admire the car. A lot of luxury for under $12K. It was a sales smash hit and a very nice car.

[@christopherkraft1327]

This Fifth Avenue has a very plush interior. Nice exterior color too!!! 👍👍

[@IgoZoom1]

I can't believe I missed this somehow. Your channel is one of my favorites! My step-grandfather was retired from Chrysler. He and my grandma married in 1985 and he bought her a new '85 Dodge Diplomat to replace her '72 Ford LTD. Two years later, they traded up to a '87 Fifth Avenue (Black with Red velour). I remember how smooth and quiet it was. She was rear-ended in 1990 and it was totaled. My grandma had always dreamed of owning a Cadillac and he gave in. He bought her a '89 Sedan deVille. She drive it for years, but always missed her Fifth Avenue. BTW, the car featured here desperately needs wire wheels instead of the alloys. They complete the look. I prefer the velour to the leather too. But it's nice to see that any have survived. The 318 V8 and 3-speed were bulletproof by most accounts.

[@kcindc5539]

Omg during Spring Break ‘89 I rented a car in Miami from Budget, and the only thing they had on the lot was an ‘89 Fifth Avenue in burgundy with the pillow top seats and the completely numb steering. A 21 year old cruising Cocoanut Grove in that funeral director car. That car got me exactly zero a** at a moment in time anyone could get laid. LOL flashbacks!!

[@slicksnewonenow]

My dad was part owner of a Chrysler dealership in Houston years ago. One of his pals was a MOPAR factory rep. Whenever Dad wanted a new demo, he wangled whatever he wanted through his friend, who apparently had some say at Chrysler. One of dad's demo cars was one of these New Yorker Fifth Avenues, black with black vinyl top... Red leather interior and pinstripe... And the full Police package engine and suspension! It ran like a scalded dog, but looked just like any other New Yorker on the road. We used to have a real blast with that car! I've always wondered what became of it?

[@michaelcoffey7362]

Nice😀

[@klwthe3rd]

I didn't think you could order the police package with all those luxury options? Your dad's friend must have pulled some heavy strings to make that happen.

[@jasonschwartz2347]

Not too sure how much that dog was scalded. Had an 85' Diplomat with police package as well. Built like a tank, but pretty darn slow.

[@Brisoup1]

@@jasonschwartz2347 Maybe by today's standards, but 0-60 in 10 seconds was considered quick in 1985.

[@wmalden]

I used to call Chrysler Corp. staters “bird call starters.” Your imitation was a good one!

[@jorgeespejo9639]

Yes it Was!

[@DanEBoyd]

As I once saw it iterated in a MOPAR magazine many years ago: "Nyert nyert nyert nyert nyert..."

[@modiste]

I heard the sound referred to as the “Detroit hummingbird”

[@erics9754]

@@modiste Yes the coolest starter noise of all the big three and it was also very reliable. Unlike the presenter I love the sound of them and also unlike the presenter I found these had a better ride than a comparable Ford at the time.

[@paulog8813]

Nice Aston Martin Lagonda on he side. I know it’s not your theme, but I wish you made a video about it.

[@bradlemmond]

I can't believe I had to scroll down this far to find a comment about the Lagonda!

[@dillonmiller956]

My 7th grade pre algebra teacher drove a black ‘89 Fifth Avenue that he lovingly called the leprosy wagon because of its habit of having things just randomly fall off of it. He said he still drove it every day because despite this habit, it was always the most reliable car he ever owned.

[@earnestdavis2820]

I am the proud owner of a 1986 5th Ave. It's a daily driver with 99 K on the speed O. It has all the problems with the lean burn but have learned to live with it. I really like the interior. I was in the auto repair business so I keep up the maintenance. I put about 3 to 4K a year, mostly Highway trips to visit relatives and park it and go any where in their car. I hope to keep this one going for a long time. I haven't made a car payment since 1996. I've had this car for 16 years. It needs a repaint but the cost, well I don't care what it looks like as long as it gets me from point A to B and back. I'm 71.

[@slicksnewonenow]

@Earnest Davis Hiya Earnest... I'd say yank the Lean Burn off of it. Put a small Holley four barrel, or better yet, one of those 600-ish CFM Demon carbs on it. They replicate the wonderful, old Thermoquad. That 318 should run forever!

[@mdogg1604]

I'm a 1950 model myself...lol. I have a '90 Cad that I bought in '93. It does all the "heavy lifting" and gets 21 mpg suburban driving. My garage queen is a '08 DTS that I strive to keep off salty Iowa winter roads. I can't remember the last time I had a car payment either.

[@wanderingjackwolf9510]

I have a 1987. In March, when I turn 40, I will have been driving it for 16 years. Put over 100k miles on it myself. In recent years, I've added a Quadrajet 4 barrel carb on an aluminum intake, HEI Distributor, 2.25" dual exhaust with one catalytic converter and Flowmaster FX Mufflers. I have a rear fender that needs replaced and I need to do something about that open 2.24 gear.

[@lincmerc1581]

Wow! I haven't made a car payment since 1997. I drove a 1989 Grand Marquis from '97-2018. Currently daily a '95 Taurus GL wagon and an '04 Accird LX.

[@fourdoorglory5945]

What a great car show! Thanks for sharing all of these great cars with us Adam.

[@parttimepreppers9907]

My parents had an 83 or 84 can't remember. They let me take it on vacation once...totally enjoyed the Ride and comfort leather seats!

[@citibear57]

I liked the 'turn signals/park lamps above the headlights' design. (The 1977 Chrysler Le Baron Coupe was a gorgeous car, especially in the copperish-brown paint). I feel that Chrysler's design team got the styling right, front to back, as well as inside with these cars. Most people didn't know that this car was based on the Volare/Aspen.

[@citibear57]

@Eric Ruud Yes, they were awesome! The coupe was just a beautiful car: front, back, and sides!

[@Calyboy59]

My mom had purchased one brand new. I recall always washing it for her, then taking it for a spin around the corner. It was like a poor man’s Cadillac for sure.

[@ericwhitehead6451]

I had an 84. The lean burn was long gone, I installed an Edelbrock Performer manifold, an edelbrock 1406 4bbl and an exhaust from an Aspen R/T. It had the HD suspension from the factory, all options except for the aluminum wheels. Even with a Flowmaster, kit was still a quiet car, and had no problem spinning the rear tires. Oh, the previous owner installed an 8 3/4 rear from a 69 Satellite with 2.94 gears.

[@malcolmhamilton5200]

Big fan. Got four right now. 82, 83, 85 & 86. The 82 is a NewYorker(one year only as an M-body) with a factory Thermoquad and no cat right from the factory(Canadian spec) with leaded fuel filler pipe. All have been converted to gear reduction Denso stater motors(Iacocca bought Denso outright) and 140 amp small case Denso alternators. Cures all their electrical gremlins. Converting backwards to the MP distributors with vacuum advance and a digital multispark box will really wake them up on both pickup and mileage. Very parkable being essentially midsized(when they were new) and very comfy seats for long trips. Real stereo pit once you convert the rear speakers from 5x7 to true 6X9s and a decent modern head unit for hands free and USB. Used to hotrod them with 360s but ever since Katrina hit, I live with the later roller cam, higher compression 318s(140-160 HP BTW and never changed torque of 280 ft/lbs, right off idle). Love em' as daily drivers. Dirt cheap used. Dirt cheap for parts. Unbelievably reliable. Like you say, despite old technology, they are fine riding cars. Malcolm Ottawa Valley

[@gavinconley9019]

i want to get one as a project car and soup up the engine and take care of it

[@bobtepedino5661]

Dad had an '83 - the last year it was called "New Yorker Fifth Avenue." I was impressed and bought an '87. Both cars were tomb-quiet and trouble-free. Dad traded his in '88 for a Lincoln Town-Car that was a continual problem and I traded mine in 2007 for a Jeep that I loved even more.

[@robbkiker6861]

Your channel is also interesting because you talk about the cars at a show that most of us would simply walk by without knowing the significance or history. Thanks!

[@tedlym.3390]

It must be extremely rare to find an old Chrysler product without rust. Thank you,

[@dave1956]

Yes, here in Wisconsin the fenders rusted out in three years until Chrysler finally put fender liners in. My friend had a 1971 Charger that started bubbling after two winters.

[@dave1956]

@Eric Ruud 99% of these vehicles were used and abused. They just did not hold up. People typically traded every three years so the vehicle manufacturers cared less.

[@erics9754]

No more rare than any other big three automobile manufactures. They all rusted out Chryslers were no worse in this era than a Chevy or a Ford these in particular seemed to hold up very well if you washed them and took care of them.

[@ddellwo]

My brother-in-law had an ‘86 5th Avenue in slate blue with a grey leather interior. It was definitely a dinosaur in it’s time , but I found it to be handsome and a very comfortable car to ride around in!

[@freddyhollingsworth5945]

These seats were just amazing. Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth dealers said if they could just get people to sit in the seats, the car would "sell itself", even the next generation FWD ones were just as comfortable if not more comfortable.

[@OnkelPHMagee]

I had a 1988 Fifth Ave. I concur.

[@pgtmr2713]

This comment speaks to me. I love my Grand Marquis seats, especially after work. My other car has stiff seats with bolster, which I love too. Polar opposites. These Chrysler seats look way more plush. I'll take em in cloth though.

[@slicksnewonenow]

It's absolutely true... The "big" Chryslers still had almost "chair high" seats in them in the early Eighties... Very comfortable and your legs weren't sticking straight out in front of you, as if you were sitting on the floor. And they certainly were well made. The leather was of superior quality.

[@OnkelPHMagee]

@@slicksnewonenow In a model-specific discussion group on FB, we decided that the front seats in the M-body Chrysler were reused from the corresponding R-body of 1979 to 1981. They're actually a hair too wide for that interior space, and adjusting the power seat with the door closed is extremely difficult. The seats themselves were quite comfortable.

[@aaronwilliams6989]

They were both pretty comfortable. I got to ride in both.

[@maxr4448]

This car and the 1975 Seville are the only 4 door cars I ever thought of maybe getting a vintage vehicle....just for their style and size. Loved the look of these. "In your face" style. Never to be again.....

[@thewiseguy3529]

I didn't like these, but I didn't know what I was missing. Very nice car. Impressive

[@excellentlistner5925]

Thought it was just me that noticed the slow winding starter of the Mopars of the 60's and 70's, thanks for making that comment. You validated my thought from all these years.Another great video! Thanks

[@sking2173]

They were “slow winding” because they were a gear-reduction design.

[@excellentlistner5925]

@@sking2173 My Mom had a gorgeous 1970 Imperial. Starting it was nip and tuck sometimes, seemed to struggle maybe because of the Gear-Reduction you have mentioned winding up that amazing 440..

[@lightningblue648]

My uncle had a new 88 or 89 Diplomat. They drove it till 2002 when it was destroyed in a flood. Not a perfect car by any means, but a solid car for years of effortless driving. I always found it amazing that this car was built by AMC in its final years and helped pave the way for Chrysler to buy AMC.

[@klwthe3rd]

@Eric Ruud Chrysler stuck and agreement with AMC to build these full size cars as you noted from late 1986 to 1989 because Chrysler couldn't sell enough of these cars. AMC plants weren't at full capacity and Chrysler needed as many of these as could be built. Win win for both manufacturers. This car was mostly ALL PROFIT for Chrysler since the tools and dies were paid off long ago. I remember reading an article about this deal back when i was a teenager.

[@DSP1968]

What a beautiful example! This must be the best color combination for these. I am reminded of a neighbor of my grandparents who bought a sliver/gray one of these when they were first introduced. She LOVED that car and when she heard they were going to be discontinued, she went out and bought another identical one, and continued to use the older one as her primary vehicle. It was fun to see two of these in her suburban garage.

[@klwthe3rd]

What an awesome story!

[@GenXtra65]

I had an ‘83 and one of the rear door opera lights went out. I found out it was fluorescent and it had a rather elaborate power conversion circuit just supporting this decoration! A new replacement was astronomical in cost so I found one in junk yard. Hey, the car didn’t look the same at night without that light! I am not ashamed that I wanted that light fixed! LOL The seats smelled just as good as a classic Caddy.

[@klwthe3rd]

I agree with you. Opera lights really make a car look regal at night. I would have fixed it too.

[@rafaelfiallo4123]

Probably electroluminescent. It's s material that lights up when current is passed through it. Most of the domestic opera lamp cars went to this is set up in the 80's.

[@ast-og-losta]

I had a 86 model. It was a great car. The seats were excellent for road trips. Very happy with mine when I had it.

[@Underappreciatedclassics]

Someday I would love to own a M-body. I love these old school brougham like cars

[@johnmaki3046]

Over the years, I've owned and driven LOTS of "brougham style" cars from G.M., Ford, and Chrysler. The MoPars were the BEST OF THE GROUP!

[@huntermalone3449]

I recall seeing lots of these during the 1980’s - and probably because the “volare/aspen” origins enabled them to keep the price reasonable - while dressing it up with a kitchen sink collection of every domestic luxury car theme imaginable - tufted loose cushion seating, formal rear window, coach lamps, padded coach roof with frenched rear window, wire wheel covers - and of course, the Rolls Royce themed radiator grille topped with a “crystal” hood ornament. The steak & potatoes crowd loved it.

[@stephendavidbailey2743]

It's ginchy. Two feet shorter than a Cadillac Talisman, but just as outrageous.

[@SuperJoes70]

I am a GM fan but Chrysler has in my opinion one of the most comfotable seats from that era of luxuary cars

[@josevidal6458]

Beautiful car....perfect color.

[@seed_drill7135]

My buddy had one in college. One day he had the pleasure of chauffeuring blues musician L’il Ed from the airport to campus. Ed really liked the plush velour interior, sagging headliner and all.

[@jefferysmith3930]

I love your channel, Adam. “ let me slide by this Aston Martin Lagonda to get a good look at the Fifth Avenue”. Fantastic!

[@anthonym.cardali1875]

I was thinking the same thing, but the Lagonda was probably on the Tow Hook a lot more times than the Fifth Ave

[@Vader1957]

I owned a 1986 Fifth Ave . that red with a silver hood and roof. Same interior. I loved that car. I got good mileage on the highway and really had a nice ride. Had it for 4 years. If I could find one in like new condition, I would buy another for a Sunday driver.

[@epiccowboymemes2042]

My grandma had that car's successor, the LHS. I have fond memories going to McDonald's and Burger King. She spoiled us rotten, but the car unfortunately did not return the favor. It accumulated the notorious oil burning issue.

[@hbanyea]

My father had a Blue 89 with Blue interior, I absolutely loved that car!!

[@stephendavidbailey2743]

Holy peter! Just noticed the Aston Martin Lagonda next to the Fitth Avenue. Another outrageous sedan.

[@kamwilson5776]

Kinda strange place for a Ashton Martin Especially a Lagonda

[@johnnymason2460]

In 1989, the Fifth Avenue, Diplomat, and Gran Fury all had a 5.2 liter V8 with a carburetor. It made 140hp. Police departments loved the Diplomat and Gran Fury. I would love to have one of these 1989 cars. Maybe replace the old engine with a 230hp 5.2 liter Magnum V8 from the Dakota. It's too bad that Chrysler couldn't have redesigned these cars similar to how the Caprice and Crown Victoria were done. It would have made them more popular.

[@pgtmr2713]

5.9 out of the Dakota Sport, Or Grand Cherokee. Speaking of redesign like Ford that's kind of what I thought of the 4.7l OHC V8 in the Dakota. My friend had one. We pulled the Tq wire to the transmission, that livened it up. Of course also killed the transmission in short order.

[@johnnymason2460]

@@pgtmr2713 Actually, that's not a bad idea. A 250hp 5.9 liter V8 would work great if the engine fits.

[@chriscadillac8448]

A LOT OF INTERESTING ARTIFACTS IN THAT LOT. VERY NICE. 👍

[@golferpro1241]

We had the Gran Fury’s in NYC in the late 1980’s. They had 318’s in them. They were fast when new but once they had 50,000 NYC miles on them they got real slow. Loved those cars!

[@golferpro1241]

@Eric Ruud think we had one that went 87,000 thousand. Usually condemned at about 65,000-70,000 miles. Those cars run 24/7 on local streets, no highways. They lasted pretty well.

[@adamsneidelmann8976]

Buddy of mines dad had one of these when we were in high school. Very comfortable car.

[@cellulanus]

I've got two of these. One of them was actually my first car. Reliable as all hell. Was also a good car to learn to drive on because it trained me to be a very gentle and defensive driver. The car doesn't care how much gas you give it they'll get up to speed when they damn well please.

[@damnjustassignmeone]

Look at that beautiful red leather interior. Nice.

[@elizabethcherry920]

I drove these as taxis back in the early 90s, the one major problem with these 5th Aves being used as a taxi was the rear axle, for some reason they just could not hold up to the abuse these cars took, seeing this one brought back some great memories. I also got to drive the K-car based replacement for 1990 and in my personal opinion that 90 5th Ave landau was a far superior car then the M-body version, the funny thing was the one that I drove was the same color as the one shown in this video, it's called black cherry metallic w/ matching interior

[@CH67guy1]

I seem to recall that the “Ultradrive” transmission in the 1990 models you speak of was a dud. Premature transmission failure and then it went into “limp home” mode.

[@mrdiplomat9018]

Actually, the airbag in the driver’s wheel started in 1988, my Diplomat police package had one 👍

[@greggc8088]

I always loved those cars. I remember as a kid when my neighbor bought a new one and they never could get that lean burn system to run right. I'm not sure if he ever just took it off or left it that way until he sold it a few years later.

[@trsgringo]

I drove one of these as a taxi for ABC Taxi in Portland, Maine about 25 years ago. I recall that they seemed to have a surprising amount of low end torque, and they were comfortable.

[@ryanelectra225]

I had many friends at this show. Wish I could have been there and met you. Love your videos. These cars are Lee Iaccoca’s last gasp of baroque

[@arevee9429]

Chrysler products have never impressed me as durable, and I've owned a few of them, but these must have had something going for them because many did service as police cars and taxis. I drove a late 70's Lebaron new that was quite nice and owned an Aspen wagon that was dismal but it did have good handling and a nice ride.

[@aaronwilliams6989]

The Chrysler version was quite popular with older civilians with more money. Those were everywhere. The Dodge are Plymouth versions were almost 100% fleet and almost nonexistent amongst the buying public.

[@OnkelPHMagee]

I had a 1988 Fifth Ave. The airbag came as an option in mid-1988. You were right about it being standard in 1989.

[@klwthe3rd]

Very correct. Late 1988 they introduced it as an option but then realized by 1989 it was smarter to just make it standard.

[@BillLaBrie]

My mom had one. It served her well despite sparse maintenance until about 160k. When I’d visit from out of town I’d get it washed and get the oil changed. I’d also usually have to change out a power window motor or two. Those seats look terrific but there’s some brace under the cushion that digs into your hips after a couple hours. The 318 was ok but no powerhouse. It was a classic meh-mobile.

[@erics9754]

The seats in my dad's were so comfortable I fell asleep in them so I can not relate. I found it to be a great car it was not a meh car far from it today's cars are meh to me and most make me sick with the hard-as-hell seats and screens and crappy riding suspensions so you can feel the road. I do not want to feel the road at all I want to float above it and steer with my pinky. Cars today are the exact opposite of what I love and people today are the far opposite of good and most have garbage taste and low IQs lol.

[@BillLaBrie]

@@erics9754 I find most people online have personality disorders.

[@ellisonhamilton3322]

Handsome color. I like it.

[@bobhill3941]

Me too, along with the red interior and matching pinstripe, although if it was me, I would of gone with cloth!

[@ellisonhamilton3322]

@@bobhill3941 I prefer cloth too, but many people equate leather with luxury. I don't. I want performance and comfort and IMO nicely stuffed cloth seats are more comfortable.

[@bobhill3941]

@@ellisonhamilton3322 Yes they do, even though it was historically the opposite. You slide on it, it's hot in summer/freezing in winter and expensive. Like you, I want to be comfortable. I share your opinion.

[@bobhill3941]

@@ellisonhamilton3322 I can also tell you from personal experience that cloth seats (having grown up before heated/cooled seats) that cloth seats are self-regulating, I was always comfortable regardless of the outside temperature, and yes, they were well padded.

[@T-41]

I owned one of these beauties, an ‘87 Fifth Avenue with leather seats, a very comfortable car. It was well built and got 20 mpg with highway driving which was ok for the time. Very durable and reliable car, I did have the carburetor rebuilt at 100,000 miles. I decided to sell it at 205,000 miles on the odometer and move on despite the fact that it still looked good and drove fine. I have second guessed that decision ever since- never had another car afterward that I liked as much. Later I had a 2003 Seville SLS with the Northstar V8 . It was very attractive, very comfortable, and more powerful and sophisticated than the Fifth Avenue, but the long list of expensive repairs spoiled the experience. I let it go to stop the bleeding.

[@fleetwin1]

Yeah, your "woop woop" compression test imitation is much better than your old school mopar starter! These cars were actually pretty nice, and fairly reliable. Those are some seats in that car! I would be afraid of wrecking them just by sitting on them continuously.

[@jmoe2514]

My mom had a 86 fifth Ave and I loved the shag carpet and over stuffed seats!! I have a super soft spot for M Body

[@cadillaccountryclub]

We rented a Mercury Monarch back in the 1980's these cars remind me of that.

[@christopherarmstrong2095]

My favorite Chrysler ever built.

[@ericbitzer5247]

Really? Chrysler put out some outstanding cars earlier. Take a 66 NewYorker or Newport or 300 for instance with 440 engines. I thought they were cool too but definitely not my favorite.

[@cliffm6566]

I love these M body Fifth Aves, great size, nice interior and with the 318 was a nice road car.😍 This burgundy finish gives the car a very lux appearance.

[@greendryerlint]

In the 1990s I had a 1980 "R body" New Yorker, Fifth Avenue edition that I bought off a coworker's grandfather. It had a 360 V8. It was black like the car briefly shown in this video. It was one of my favorite cars ever. Despite its age and having some rust, everything worked on it and it had less squeaks and rattles than most of the other cars I've ever owned. It also was extremely reliable. After sitting for a year before I bought it, I put a battery in it, started it, and drove it home. It wasn't the fastest car by any means, but the 360 had some nice low end torque, even with lean burn. It was a great highway cruiser and I took it on several trips. I had 3 cars at the time and this was always the one I could go to that would never fail, regardless of the weather. When I first got it, it had some dried up internal transmission seals and wouldn't go into reverse until it warmed up. After about a year of ownership the problem faded until it only had a slight delay going into reverse. I also liked how unusual it was. It was a fairly rare car for the time. It cost me $275 when I bought it in 1995 and I sold it after putting well over 100K miles on it for $200 in 2000. It had over 200K miles on it at the time and the 727 trans had developed a leak I didn't feel like fixing, plus the rust had gotten worse. I was sad to see it go, but the LHS that replaced it made things right 😀

[@CH67guy1]

That was a big big car! I remember my cousin had one. I think hers was two tone paint with a tape stripe. I never saw many of them on the road. Quite unlike the car featured in this video. They sold like hotcakes, or at least it seemed that way.

[@martinliehs2513]

I remember the Chrysler starter motor sound. It always seemed more pronounced on the slant six engines. One wag at Car and Driver magazine describes the sound phonetically as "eee-rip-rip-rip".

[@drippinglass]

I’m a Mopar guy, and I hated these. The transverse torsion bar suspension had a design flaw that you could never get the front ends alined correct. They were notorious for eating front tires. It was really nothing more than a reskined Aspen/Volare. They would have been better off continuing the A and R body cars.

[@cadillacguy1890]

I grew up in a Chrysler household. I thought GM keys were upside down. Keep working on that Chrysler starter imitation.

[@rafaelfiallo4123]

These where whittled down from a full line of cars, when they came out in 1978 they had a sedan, wagon and a coupe. There even was a t-top option for the coupe. I had read that they originally planned this as a "Seville-Imperial" which is where the eagle emblems and LeBaron name stuck around from.

[@TVHouseHistorian]

These were wonderfully reliable and comfortable - SO much better build quality than the Cadillacs of the time. I’m still far more of a Cadillac fan, mainly because Cadillac’s ride quality was superior. Now, when they switched these to front wheel drive, the problems began. I had a 1990 New Yorker Landau, and it was a maintenance nightmare. Absolutely loved your Chrysler start-up impression!!! I personally prefer the start-up sound of the HT-4100. Horrifying engine, but it holds so much nostalgia for me.

[@davehue9517]

Since day 1, I've been a car kid. I remember so well when the Chrysler, Plymouth, Jeep dealer down the street from our house got the 5th Avenue on the lot... I thought these were real luxury...

[@jimcabezola3051]

Amazing to see this car next to an Aston Martin Lagonda. Wikipedia claims 645 of these were made...it's easy to see why, 😆!

[@zacharysandberg]

The M and F bodies are my favorite malaise era Mopars. I've had several late 1970s 2-Door Diplomats and my dad had a Plymouth Volare Wagon when I was a kid.

[@timothymabry6663]

I started out as a new car prep guy at a Chrysler dealership in 1984. The factory must of had a special on the 5th Ave's because the owner ordered about 50 of them. They just kept rolling in on the transports. I loved them because they paid 2.4 hours to prep and rarely had any problems to fix. Just pull the plastic, set the tires and pound on the heavy wire wheel hubcaps and they were good to go. The dealership had a RED TAG sale and they were all lined up with a price tag hanging from the rearview mirror. Within 2 weeks they were all gone. The owner knew his customers!

[@AJ67901]

I am amused that you'd attend a car show where there's a unicorn on display in the form of an Aston Martin Lagonda, but you chose to video the high volume Fifth Avenue next to it. I completely understand the point of your video, but the irony was there. Thanks for all of your videos from this show.

[@RareClassicCars]

Well, I may have a video of it ;)

[@gordonborsboom7460]

I was thinking the same. Then four old guys role up and completely ignore the Aston and focus only on the Chrysler. That is nearly impossible. I didn't even see a glance. INCREDIBLE !

[@AJ67901]

@@RareClassicCars you got a lot of mileage out of that show!

[@tatj83]

Still love the styling and have wanted one for years. If I had the room now and found one as clean as this one looks, who knows?

[@acidgolem2132]

My granpa own this car, he got this car when he moved to Albuquerque New mexico. He went missing a few years ago and I miss my pop-pop ever since.

[@mattg8369]

My grandmother had a white Fifth Avenue with the blue roof and interior.. Loved it. Now, if she had the Lagonda sitting next to this...

[@iandyck3069]

Great commentary as always. Love the M bodies. Wish more KZbinrs reviewed them.

[@RADIUMGLASS]

I would see these all over the place even into the 2000s. They cost about $15k in 1985. The over 60 crowd were regular buyers of these and typically paid cash for them.

[@wilcoautomotive545]

I've had a number of these m bodies over the years in both police and normal trim. I agree on rich up the carb certain models you can adjust the metering rods and that really helps especially at tip in. They all have crazy low numeric rear axles so they're never going to be a quick acceleration. The later lean Burns have a knock sensor so you can bump up the timing a bit and the knock sensor will trim it down on detonation.

[@ThisCarChannel]

Would like to drive one of these. They are extremely rare overseas. The seating position, interior design and overall proportions seem to make this a refreshing car to drive. The design is really very cool too! Stately and strong!

[@ramoncarter6585]

Just last week was looking at video of Chrysler's in the mid 70s came here today looked one I truly love saw one of these beautiful babies early last year it looked good the passenger side window was broken out, in 2016 saw a Good looking fifth avenue in gold these were some luxury cars also liked the Diplomat and Reliant too really like the 5th Avenue.

[@michaelpohas2608]

Got a kick out of your imitation of the gear reduction starter. Interesting to note that starter sound was used a lot in TV and movies even if the car was a GM or Ford!😆

[@zilksmooth]

Use your Highland Park Hummingbird imitation as your intro theme. You are SPOT ON MAN

[@towerofresonance4877]

I'm a 1987 Chrysler 5th Ave owner. Only 78k miles. It's always under wraps. It doesn't drive in rain, snow. I even called the town to find out when they had street swept. Doesn't have any rust.

[@carlweitzel1753]

Thank you for all that you do. Your knowledge is incredible.

[@gdi9320]

I enjoyed the commentary. The styling of the exterior and interior on these were impeccable, loved the fact the HVAC/Radio controls were turned towards the driver.

[@tombrown1898]

The inverted headlights always reminded me of those strange photographs of a man with his nose above his eyes. Please do something on the R Body. I really liked those!

[@timothykeith1367]

I've heard the enterior can be transferred to Aspen/Volare. I think Chrysler should have updated the A body and made the F/M body larger. At the time they hoped the R body would sell well.

[@calbob750]

In 1979 Chrysler was on the verge of bankruptcy and dealers were pushing inventory. The local dealer had a fully loaded LeBaron Town and Country on the lot. Sticker was $10,000 and I bought it for 7,500. Had the fake plastic wood trim and am/fm/cb radio. 318 V8. A great driving family of 4 vacation car. Mpg highway was low 20’s. Interior was comfortable and luxurious. After five years of ownership the metal backing on the wood trim started to rust and stained the body. Body work and painting would have been expensive. Time to trade.

[@kroge007]

Adam, I bought one of these new in 84. I had it for seven years and never had a problem with it. The White House used these for staff vehicles back in the Reagan era in Navy Blue in which Chrysler leased to them.

[@anthonym.cardali1875]

Reagan and Iaccocca were buddies then. Part of the bailout

[@pkguy3]

These 5th Ave's were very popular with the older set on the Canadian prairies back in the day.. I have to wonder if they win the award for having the most insignia's on the interior letting you know that you're in a 5th Ave. because they seemed to be placed everywhere you looked

[@rayedwards4132]

Love these cars. I've owned a black 83 and a silver 86.

[@gwiz3059]

Sensatrack shock on all four corners eliminates the jitter and improves ride 100 percent 👍🏽

[@aaronwilliams6989]

My dad wanted one but couldn't afford it or didn't want to pay the high cost of one when he did finally have more money. He decided to just drive what he already had, understandably. It got him where he needed to go and back.

[@michaelcoffey7362]

Cool, my Uncle Benny had a 1987 car like this, with the 318v8, a nice car 😀

[@charlesc5983]

Salivating over the Aston Martin lagonda parked next to it

[@loumontcalm3500]

A gussied Aspen

[@WhittyPics]

Those seats look insane

[@auaiao9]

They are Incredibly comfortable.

[@erics9754]

The seats in cars today are insane and uncomfortable .Engineers back then cared more about comfort than what they care about today, making the seats hard as hell.

[@brianhayes7618]

I had a 87 Fifth Avenue fully loaded red on red always thought it was a beautiful car. To this day my wife says it was the most comfortable car she has driven out of the many we have had in the last 30 years. I think if I could find one in good shape I might be tempted to make another purchase. Thanks for sharing