Photos from the Cohort by Slant Six.
We have visited this lot of abandoned Mopars not too long ago. As told previously, they were scattered around the grounds of the G.O. Car Auto Sales in West Mifflin Pennsylvania. All part of a collection that belonged to CC’s Slant Six family, and that earlier this year was in the process of selling, moving, or giving away for parts.
Today, I’ll just share the images, with the bits of info Slant Six added on some (he may chime in the comments section later). I started with my favorite -and sad- shot above, with a Plymouth 1970 Fury III. Engine was formerly a 383 but now seems powered by trees.
A couple of shots of a 1972 Plymouth Valiant. Some trees around, but none apparently inside the car.
Some fuselage fun with this 1972 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham, carrying a 440 and a factory towing package.
1973 Dodge W200 3/4 Ton 4WD Custom Longbed Stepside Truck.
Plenty of hubcaps on that dump bed. Recognize any?
Another pair of A-bodies, both Darts, the top a 1974 and the bottom a 1975.
1978 Plymouth PW100 Trailduster. Its useful life came to an end in 1987, when it was parked on this spot and “never ran again.”
1978 Chrysler Newport, with 440 V8 and 4 bbl. Thermoquad. As told in the photos’ original caption: “Dad’s daily driver from 1991-1995. Unmoved from this spot since 1995.”
1980 Chrysler Cordoba with a 318 and 4 bbl.
1980 Plymouth Volare, a former West Mifflin Police Car with an E58 360 engine.
1980 Chrysler New Yorker with a Slant 6.
And one last view of the lot, with some of the Darts we’ve featured before.
What an unusual micro collection. Though it helped improve advertised mileage, the rustic(?) Slant Six never seemed a suitable engine, for the luxury compact M-Bodies, or the R-Bodies. And the Cordoba/Mirada. As I do recall, hearing quite a few of these Mopars, so equipped at the time. A Mirada with the Slant Six, seemed to drain whatever masculine energy they exuded. Much preferred the ‘boattail’ LeBaron coupes of 1977 through 1979.
To be fair, Mercedes Benz was offering diesels during this time that were slower than a forklift. By comparison the slant 6 was right for the times.
318 made sense for so many owners, with a limited mileage penalty. The Sixes were fine in the Volare and Aspen. As teens we figured the LeBaron/Diplomat owner was either an old guy, cheap, or accepted, what the dealer had on the lot.
I grew up just down the hill from West Mifflin, where my dad had a ’70 Plymouth Fury III. Thanks, for the trip back in time.
It looks like that ’72 New Yorker Brougham came without a vinyl roof which would make it pretty rare for the times, but we never had them in our house – my family sold C-P back in the day and my dad knew the rust dangers that lay underneath.
Notice it says “were scatted around” in the article. They’ve, I hope, been cleared away? Have not been to “W/M” area in years, just not thinking it could handle this much “litter”.
Lot a “memorie’s of a life, long ago in those pics.
I find this sad, so many vehicles left to rot away .
I hope that many local MoPar enthusiasts come to take whatever they can to keep others on the road .
-Nate
The Trailduster was cool closest I have come to seeing one in wild was in a car classifieds 30 years ago.
R-Bodies and their predecessors seemed to be near-exitinct in NJ by 1990 when my car consciousness began. I have seen under 5 in my whole life. I have seen hundreds if not 1000s as many of the competing GM models which is way more than even the lopsided sales ratios
The ’78 Newport with the Thermoquad was equipped with the infamous Lean Burn ignition; “Dad” probably parked it in 1995 because it wouldn’t run or start. The ’72 New Yorker’s 440 was equipped with straight electronic ignition.
These cars don’t look too bad. I’d love to have that ’72 New Yorker.
All of the vehicles featured in this article by Rich were photographed at the end of May 2024 and are all still there in August 2024.. The Blue ’78 Newport to my knowledge never had any issues with the lean burn. Dad would park things when he bought a new toy, never to play with some of the old toys ever again. This Newport was one such toy. I thought it was a 400 in that car, not a 440. My memory could be off as the hood has not been opened since 1995.
We took the Blue ’78 Newport on a family trip (one of the few that we took as a kid) Across the state to the Poconos and to the tricky Triangle to see Bush, ARCA, and NASCAR in 1992.
I used to play around in that back lot taking cars apart. Those cars are still there. from when I was ~10 years old or so.. the Green ’78 Chrysler, and the Green ’78 Diplomat on the left in the last picture. They are difficult to see because the place is really overgrown and weedy now compared to 1989.
That is where I truly felt I learned to work with my hands, those parts cars that Dad took in on trade or bought to fix up something on the front line that required too much time, work or $ to pass PA inspection.
I was able to take my meager toolbox and go out to those cars and just wrench away all day without fear of breaking something or the need to reassemble any of it. Just taking apart stuff for fun! Those were awesome summers as a kid!