Last week, before the snow hit, I cleared out some of the scrap metal cluttering up my garage and took it to the local recycling yard. Usually there are a handful of old cars in front, and the first one of them I saw from the road was this grandly formal old Chrysler Windsor, awaiting its fate with the shredder.
It was my first time at this yard. Their process wasn’t super clear, but in any case you must first weigh-in your vehicle at the scale across the road. So there I was with my scrap-stuffed minivan, waiting at the scales among quite a few heavy trucks and folks with trailers. If anyone is interested, a 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan whose seats have been removed and filled with crap weighs in at roughly 4,300 lbs. with the driver aboard.
Then it’s through the entrance, and now I can get a better look at the ’49 Windsor. It has a bit of body damage on the driver’s side, but overall isn’t all that rusty-looking. Since these aren’t worth a ton of money, I understand why a restoration probably didn’t make economic sense, but it’s still rather sad to see this almost-senior citizen end up here. Some retirement. Hopefully, all that chrome can be stripped off to help another Windsor stay on the road a while longer. From 1939 into the 1960s, Windsor designated the full-size, mid-level Chrysler. While 1961 was the last year for the Windsor badge in the U.S., Canadian Windsors (which were, ironically, rebadged American Newports built in Windsor, Ontario!) continued in production until 1966.
Many 1949 Chryslers, including Windsors, were advertised as a Silver Anniversary models to celebrate the nameplate’s 25th year. The Windsor sported a new post-war design with somewhat squarer and more upright styling.
The front end was not nearly as massive-looking as in 1946 to 1948.
The Windsor was powered by the same corporate flat six found under the hood of pretty much every Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth of the day. The Chryslers got a slightly larger 250.6 cu in version, but the Prestomatic fluid drive semi-automatic transmission it shared with its corporate cousins likely blunted most of its 116 hp. Slow and steady would be definitely be the preferred (and perhaps only) pace here.
Directly across the path sat this pair of rather sad-looking International L-series pickups. The L-series ran from 1949 to 1952, when it was replaced by the R-series. Like the Windsor, these also featured a straight six, but unlike the L-head Chrysler engine, the Silver Diamond engine in International’s light-duty trucks used overhead valves. The truck at the left looks to be a L-170 heavier-duty model with the older, flathead Super Blue Diamond engine. I suspect these two were sourced from a farm clean-up. You’ll still find lots of old trucks in the fields around here.
Being stuck behind some big trucks that took time to unload gave me the chance to spot this 1960s GM pickup waiting out its last days.
Finally, it was my turn to dump my load of mostly cut-up Toyota pickup box pieces and bent trampoline poles. I was able to deposit everything behind this early 1980s GMC. I had planned to take my wife out for a nice dinner with the proceeds, but I guess the price of scrap metal must be down: I got only $17.30 for 380 lbs. of scrap steel, which we spent on a couple of grocery store-bought pizzas and a tub of mint chocolate chip ice cream, with 40 cents left over. Maybe the next metal run will be a little more profitable so that I can more adequately reward her suffering as the spouse of a car obsessed nut-job.
Definitely not a L170 as they would not have been fitted with a bed. The L140 and larger trucks also had slightly different front fenders with larger wheel openings to fit the larger diameter wheels and tires they received. Sad to see them go as it looks like they have a few good parts still.
Correct. Those are probably L-110 or -120 pickups, 1951 or ’52 models, going by the exposed door hinges. 1950 (first production year as I understand it) had hidden door hinges, same as my ’50 L-170.
You are likely correct. I didn’t take a note of the model when I was there but it looks like 170 when zoomed all the way in.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveseven/8114310999/sizes/o/in/photostream/
The way those badges are made the bottom part of the number or letter overhangs the bar below. See attached picture of a L170 badge.
Snow already? It’s 75 degrees in Pittsburgh, PA as I write this. My golf buddy told me yesterday that some kind of storm is supposed to hit us next week. I hope it’s just a few flurries.
Can”t handle snow this early.
It’s a real pity to scrap that Chrysler. Glass and grillwork look pretty good. I’m sure someone could use that car. Lots of good stuff.
If you missed it I shared the snow love yesterday – https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-outtake/cc-outtake-first-snowfall-edition/
I have always wondered if there were some chuckles around the ad agency when doing these pieces on the 49 Chryslers. I can think of several adjectives to describe these cars, but beautiful is usually not up at the top.
However, the 49 is my favorite of the K.T. Keller hatbox Chryslers. There is something about that massive, heavy grille that fits with these cars. The later grilles were a touch too subdued on these. It is a shame to see another one go away.
Agreed; like so many cars, the first year was the best. Must have been a crappy job to undo your best work: “Now how are we going to do something different on this front end for year two? Well, what ideas did we discard the first time around?”
The annual styling change really was ridiculous, when it came to trying to disguise what was obviously the same car.
It’s a bit sad then the hardtop model only arrived with the 1950 models. Just imagine what if Chrysler had offered an hardtop right from the start with the 1949 “second series” models?
Also, I spotted this picture of a proposed 1943 Chrysler. http://www.flickr.com/photos/glenhsparky/8046700463/ That design looked a bit similar to the 1949-51 Nash “Airflyte” design used in the Ambassador. I guess K.T Keller think the roof wasn’t high enough for those who wear a hat.
I was offered $90/tonne for scrap steel last week delivered a price drop has kicked in here with the Chinese demand easing.
> Canadian Windsors (which were, ironically, rebadged American Newports built in Windsor, Ontario!) continued in production until 1966.
While that is basically correct, Windsors were built in Canada with many Canadian-made parts. Consequently, there are some differences in the details beyond having different badging. For example, the radios have identical faceplates but were made by different suppliers, so the electronics are different. Seatbelt buckles are totally different, a different distributor that’s difficult to find replacement parts for, engines were painted red instead of turquoise, all-steel timing gears instead of the nylon-coated ones (a bad idea) used in the US engines, etc. I suspect that the paint colours are slightly different on the Canadian Chryslers as well, but finding that info on mid-60’s Canadian-built Chryslers is difficult today. Auto paint store databases just list the US paint names and formulas.
Thanks for the additional info. Canadian specific information is very poorly documented.
My dad had a 1949 Canadian Windsor and I didn’t know that it was based on the American Newport. Anyway, I thought it had more than adequate power. The flat head six had a long stroke which gives loads of torque. Even circa 1990 I never had any problem keeping up with traffic. The brakes are also adequate for the low demands anyone ever put on it.
In fact, it was a real hoot to drive. In town you could leave the fluid drive in second and just cruise around. Came off lights fine even in second. Those old flat heads had their good points and toque was sure one of them. The Spitfire six also had full pressure lubrication and lasted forever with even the most basic maintenance. There are still loads of them working as stationary engines.
The fun part was showing up at a date’s house in it!
> My dad had a 1949 Canadian Windsor and I didn’t know that it was based on the American Newport.
David meant that the Canadian market Windsors after 1961 were equivalent of the US market Newport.
Sentences I’ve Never Said or Heard Dept.:
“Honey, I have to make a scrapyard run. We just have too many of these bent trampoline poles lying around.”
Bent. Trampoline. Poles.
Gymnast or acrobat, David? 🙂
Trampoline was for the kids. Unfortunately we live in one of the most windy parts of North America. One day the trampoline took off and traveled across the yard destroying its self.
About 3 years ago, one of those windblown trampolines kept me from buying a sweet old 71 Polara sedan with a 360. The guy had it outside and a trampoline got blown onto it and put some dents in the trunklid and busted the windshield. I was willing to live with the trunk, but the windshield cost proved to be the wedge that kept the both of us from coming to a number that we both could live with. A shame.
Never skimp on the quality of your trampoline, I always say.
Guy at bar: “No, seriously, a flying trampoline hit my Polara!”
Bartender: “Yeah, sure buddy. I think you’ve had enough.”
I’ll always remember my first glimpse of a 1949 Chrysler Windsor in the Fall of 1949 when I was a kindergarten student. I was already an apt student of the auto industry so I knew what I was looking at but it is a funny story. I was 5 years old and every morning I had to walk down to the corner of my street and wait for a car pool driver to pick me up except when my Mom was the designated driver. On this particular day I was taking my best friend Susie to school with me and my mother had given me a serious talk that morning about watching out for kidnapers! Must have been something on the news about it. So there we are waiting for the driver of the day whose car I would recognize of course. And up drives this big dark blue Chrysler Windsor (driver of the day had new car) and I did not recognize the driver. I refused to enter the car or let my friend Susie get in. I think we were the first pickups and the driver was a grandmother so her student wasn’t there. I think she had to go get the other kids and then come back to get us. I am a little fuzzy on how it ended (was 63 years ago) but I do remember the pretty interior of the Chrysler. Our family car at the time was a 1949 Kaiser Special that also had a very comfortable interior, seats so plush that my dad used to go out and sleep in the car some nights. He was 5’8″ and could stretch out full length on the back seat.
I’m pretty sure that the L-series Internationals lasted until 1954.
I’m another one who always hates to see things scrapped even though most people think their time has come. I think this feeling largely stems from the time when my father sold a 1947 Autocar 6-wheel dump truck for scrap. It had a Hall-Scott gas engine and was still running, but no one else would buy it. (I’m thinking this was in the mid-1970’s.) I rescued a couple of vehicles from wrecking yards – at least for a time – and parts from quite a few others.
IH did not observe model years as everyone else did and the year on the paper work often reflected the date the truck was sold not made. In general the L series trucks are considered and were built in 1950-52.
I had an AL110 registered as a 53 but being Aussie built it probably didnt match the US model years it had a 3 speed knuckle smasher column change The entire steering column was moved across the cab putting the vent window in the middle of the shift pattern should you have it open once moving it would go pretty much anywhere in top though.
If it is an AL then it was purpose built as a RHD model so it didn’t have the steering column “moved”. That also means that the dates the series were built varies from our US versions.
The last truck is a 1980 model. I hate to see those get destroyed without being stripped first — those headlight bezels are hard to find.
How I do love the scrapyard. I was off yesterday & spent most of the day there…spent $60 but got a lot for that $60. The best find was an owner’s folio out of a destroyed ’73 Country Squire — I went though it later that day — it had a perfect owner’s manual, shipping invoice, window sticker, and even one of its build sheets.
I’m thankful the owner lets me “shop” — most yards don’t want you hanging out.
Bezels aside, that Grille guard looks like it may have come out of the GM accessory catalog. What a shame.
I’ve never seen one of those before — it looked like a nice piece too.