Classic/Antique Car Repair/1953 CHRYSLER

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Expert: Paul Wilczynski - 12/22/2009


Question
HELLO PAUL,

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 1953 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY WAGON.  IT HAS 81000 MILES BUT HAS BEEN IN THE GARAGE FOR 40+ YEARS.  I WILL DROP THE TANK AND CLEAN OUT FUEL LINES. POUR A FEW DROPS OF OIL INTO EACH CYLINDER BEFORE CRANKING. DRAIN OIL AND RADIATOR FLUIDS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?

ANY SUGGESTIONS YOU COULD MAKE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

THANKS,

JOHN

Answer
What do I think?

I think you're on the right track, but have a lot more to travel...

The 40+ years, if the car has not been properly de-commissioned (as Rolls-Royce terms it) for storage, will have taken their toll on every single unprotected part on the car.

Every soft seal will be suspect. Your motor may see some damage unless it had fresh oil put in before storing it. The brakes should get a 100% thorough going through, rebuilding the master and wheel cylinders and replacing all lines and hoses. There's no feeling like travelling 40 mph down a road or street in a 4000 pound missile and finding out you have no ability to stop...

So, it's not just a matter of getting it running. There's the matter of getting it to stop once it's moving, and then there's the biggest challenge of all--making it reliable so that it can be enjoyed as an object of beauty instead of a source of stress.

--Paul

Classic/Antique Car Repair

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Paul Wilczynski

Expertise

Most questions involving vintage car restoration, mechanical and body, paint and upholstery. Parts sourcing. Extensive experience in wood-bodied station wagons, British and French cars of the '40s through '70s. Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger, Citroen Maserati, VW Beetle, 1955-65 Chevrolet (especially Nomad station wagons), Corvair.

Experience

Wide-ranging and long-term. I owned a restoration shop in the 1970s, continue to dabble in vintage exotics. At one time, had a seven-car collection of contemporary exotics which I had restored and maintained myself. When I was 18 years old, I designed a woodie kit for the VW Beetle, which I developed into a product which was featured on television and in over 100 magazines and 25 books at last count. I still own and drive one of my creations. I owned a design and fabrication consultancy from 1982-2002, specializing in show car fabrication for manufacturers including Ford, Mazda, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, etc. Since 2003, I have been a department manager in Industrial Design, and a full-time instructor in automotive design and fabrication at the university level. My students go on to design automobiles as staff designers for major auto manufacturers worldwide.

Organizations
Western Automotive Journalists, Industrial Design Society of America.

Publications
Long list of magazines and books, including Playboy, VW Trends, VW Greats, Hot VWs, and European automotive magazines.

Education/Credentials
I teach design and fabrication at university level. My education is in Industrial Design, University of Illinois (1966-1970).

Awards and Honors
Many awards for restorations in local concours and shows.

Past/Present Clients
Mazda, Ford, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, Mercedes, Porsche.

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