1965 Chrysler Newport Town Sedan

Scott Szeliga writes: When I was a kid my dad had a dark Blue metallic 1965 Chrysler Newport 2-door hard-top. He kept it until he traded it on a 1972 Chrysler Newport. When I got my driver’s license in 1980, I wanted a 1965 Chrysler Newport like my dad’s but I ended up buying a 1974 Dodge Dart Sport with a Slant-six because gas in Suburban Detroit, MI (where I still reside) was already $1.35 a gallon and projected to hit $2.00 a gallon by mid 1981.

Well, in August of 2003, while riding my bike through my neighborhood, I came across a house with what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a 1965 Chrysler Newport Town Sedan in the driveway with a For Sale sign in the front window. It caught me by surprise because by 2003 there weren’t too many 1965 Newport’s still on the road in MI; I hadn’t seen one in years around here.

So, for a nominal fee, I picked up the Newport (much to my wife’s dismay) with 62,000 and change in original miles on it. The car is all original except for the upholstery, door opening sponge type batting, new carpet, antenna, and coolant recovery bottle for the radiator.

As of this writing (April 2008), she has 64,389 miles on the odometer. I overhauled the 2-barrel Stromberg carb when I got the car, and eventually replaced the master cylinder and voltage regulator. The previous owner did repaint the top of the car which is a close match to the original powder Blue. She'll be getting a complete new paint job this summer (original color of course).

My wife calls the Newport the beast. She’s really not fond of the Mopar and would like me to sell it. I tell her the Chrysler pays me a dividend every time I turn the key!

I did a title search which went back to 1986. I’m at least the 5th owner of this Mopar. The Chrysler has always been a Michigan car. Per the info. in the Owner’s Manual, she was delivered to Schacher Chrysler Plymouth in Pinconning, MI on June 15, 1965. This dealer has long been out of business but their P& A code was 63018. The car resided in Pinconning, Bay City, Essexville, New Baltimore (where I bought it), and now Sterling Heights, MI.

At the 2005 Woodward Dream Cruise in Michigan

Update October 22, 2013

Since this page was posted in April 2008 I did remove all the chrome trim, the grille, headlamps, tail lamps, etc., and had the Chrysler painted back in March of 2010; it is not quite the original color as I wrote of but a non-metallic light blue. The old C body looks great! Runs great too! She has just over 65,000 original miles on the clock now.

I have not driven the Mopar much in the last couple of years but she is garage kept and clean and more often than not fires up on the first attempt (love that gear-reduction dividend). Even my wife and kids like riding in the Chrysler.

Thanks again for keeping this great site alive and running!

Thanks Scott!

These big Mopars are quite a treat, as you well know! 

And thanks for the 2013 update and pat on the back. The Newport looks great!

Thanks,
Gary H.

April 28, 2008; revised October 22, 2013