Unverified Ownership My Vintage Touring Car Part Deux - 1929 Chrysler 75

Andeh

is teahte tbungafloed
Joined
Oct 23, 2007
Messages
3,514
Location
Cumbria, UK
Car(s)
Fiestas, Mondeos, Anglia, Austin 7, Corsair, Chrys
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Recap of the recap. So to recap, I bought a barn find 1936 Standard 12, which I sold to buy a 1931 Rover Two Litre, which I sold to buy a 1927 Chrysler 60, which I have now part exchanged for this 1929 Chrysler 75.

Quick specs: 4.0 straight six, three speeds, hydraulic brakes, and a touring body. The engine is a development of the same block as my old Chrysler, but significantly more powerful.

Interesting history with this one, it was bought new in Bournemouth, England by the first owner. These cars were actually offered in the UK at the time, as right hand drive models, produced by Chrysler in Detroit. I can't imagine who would buy such a vehicle in the UK, as the road tax would have been horrendous at the time. (Cars in the UK were taxed by fiscal horsepower, which was calculated from the bore and number of pistons).

It was originally bodied as a saloon, which made way for a makeshift pickup-cum-tow truck body during WW2. The back end was cut off and a winch fitted for recovering wrecked cars. The large torquey engine and strong chassis must have made it well suited to such work. The car continued on in this guise through to the 1960s, during which it was laid up in a shed. Re-discovered in the 1990s, the car was by all accounts a wreck. The remains of the original body were removed, and this beautiful Vauxhall Velox style body was crafted by renowned 30-98 coachbuilder, Eric Peppercorn, hence the very Vauxhall/Bentley-esque lines.

The car was finished during the mid-2000s and used for European trips by the then-owner, I’ve been told it towed a fully loaded camping trailer to the continent on multiple long distance summer trips. It was purchased by the previous owner, James Baxter in the 2010s, who set to work tweaking the car in numerous ways. The wheels were banded to increase their size from 19” to 21” which improved the ground clearance the looks immensely. A windscreen and hood were fashioned, and the engine received a twin SU carburettor conversion. James used the car for family holidays and for VSCC trials, as I do with my Austin. It’s during this period I became acquainted with the car and fell in love with it.

In 2021 I sent my old Chrysler 60 over to James for some improvements, notably the twin carb conversion of this car, however after a while an offer was made to sell the 75 in part exchange for the 60. A deal was done, and I had a substantial Chrysler upgrade.

I drove it home in on the M1 at 70mph. This is something I’d never done in a vintage car before, and I quickly realised this one is a keeper. It’s all the performance I’d ever want from a prewar car, and should allow me to reach events much further afield than I could with the old car which cruised at 50mph. I’ve been assured it’s been accurately clocked at 80mph and wouldn’t disgrace itself on the hillclimb circuit.

Since taking ownership I’ve done a couple of tours and lots of general driving. It’s a fantastic, powerful, torquey car. Even though it’s only returning 12mpg, it’s a small price to pay for such usable performance. I’ll be entering this car in select trials, but the Austin will remain the primary trials weapon, this is mostly for touring.

Plenty more to cover in time, but I’ve had it over a month and knew a thread was due.


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View: https://youtu.be/RYNTGGc_3D4
With the previous owner:


View: https://youtu.be/JKR8MzI76wQ
Towing the previous owner's hillclimb car:

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Gorgeous!
 
Definitely one of the coolest vehicles ever owned by a Final Gear member.

Also - are those wooden-spoke rims? You doing 70+ mph on that?
 
Definitely one of the coolest vehicles ever owned by a Final Gear member.

Also - are those wooden-spoke rims? You doing 70+ mph on that?
Yeah, it's on wood. Wires were an optional extra, and I'd like to change in the future but would require new hubs which are difficult to acquire.

The old one was on wood too. Be reet.
 
Yeah, it's on wood. Wires were an optional extra, and I'd like to change in the future but would require new hubs which are difficult to acquire.

The old one was on wood too. Be reet.
I think the wood wheels are way cooler than wire wheels... Although I guess wire wheels are a bit more better and saferer.
 
Testing a camera mount prior to its first trial next weekend. Wish me luck, this will be a vastly different beast to the Austin on mud!


View: https://youtu.be/_K9n7Ks1-FQ
 
Makes one heck of a green laner, can't wait to see videos/pictures from the trial.
 
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