1973 Chrysler Newport Custom review from North America

The lower ball joints, water pump, heater control cable, all motor mounts, distributor, engine compartment heater control leaking, drivers door lock on pillar needed to be brazed up, speedometer also broke. All.

Repaired between 72000-136000 miles.

Even with all the above repair I still consider my yellow two door 1973 Newport to be one of the most reliable cars and comfortable vehicles I owned 25 years ago. I liked that car. I put a lot of miles on in a year and 8 months, partying & running around with girls. The motor mounts did not break. But the rubber on them flattened causing a steering part to slowly rub a hole in the oil pan. Because the motor height dropped. After the speedometer was repaired the odometer only would register half miles driven. The alternator and radiator never failed. It came engine wise with a orange or red dual air horn air cleaner all hooked up atop the thermo

quad carburetor. But the air lid decal read 400 c.i..But the factory label on the radiator support read 440 LA family? And it ate gas even back then. I put dual exhaust and coil over shocks on the rear. I finally traded it in when the engine started smoking bad and the steering box got sloppy and needed rebuilding, which was typical of Chrysler steering boxes then. I am trying to remember these things, but it has been 25 years. The 400 engines from 1972-1974 had 15 or so more horsepower than the 440 mopers, because of the bore & stroke design. A little believe it or not factoid. I could keep right up with new 79 corvettes getting on the highway. Because corvette power was low that year.