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The WPC Club, Inc.                          Mopar Logo
            
Plymouth, Dodge, Fargo, DeSoto, Chrysler, Imperial, Maxwell, Chalmers,  
                                        
Jeep and Eagle & related Automobiles.     All Mopar /  All Years /  All Models     

 

If you are a WPC National Member and would like to have a photo and write up of your car displayed here please contact Ian for more information

   

                                                                                Scroll down for photos of members cars.       

 

1956 DeSoto Adventurer 

zappone

Larry Zappone , Woodinville,  WA.
1956 DeSoto Adventurer

1956 DeSoto Adventurer - 320 horsepower hemi with dual 4 bbl Carter WCFBs,  and a demonstrated top speed of 144 mph (not by me!).  This was DeSoto's equivalent to the Chrysler 300B, Dodge D-500, and the Plymouth Fury, and was available in six exclusive color combinations of white & gold, black & gold, or black and white, with a gold & tweed interior to match.  Only 996 Adventurers were built, in a single two week run.  This car is equipped with the optional HighWay HiFi 16 rpm record player, the InstantAire gasoline heater, and the 16 jewel Benrus self winding steering wheel watch.  I have owned my Adventurer for almost 30 years - restoration was completed in 1990.

Larry Zappone , Woodinville,  WA.  
1956 DeSoto Pace Car Convertible

1956 DeSoto Indianapolis Pace Car convertible - When DeSoto was awarded the job of pacing the 1956 Indy 500 mile race, a Fireflite convertible was decked out in the Adventurer's exclusive color and trim package to do the honors.  An estimated 200-300 were also built for sale to the general public.    Two cars were prepared for the actual race (one as a backup), and it is highly probable that these were equipped with the 320 hp Adventurer engine in lieu of the standard 255 hp hemi.  Pat Flaherty won the race and was awarded the actual Pace Car.  This car was acquired in 1994,  restoration was completed in 2002, and it's first showing was the WPC fall show in Victoria, B.C.


Mel Shotten owner

smale

1960 Chrysler Windsor,  Mel Shotten
Cincinnati, Ohio    
 I grew up in Detroit and my father bought Chryslers.  When he was trading in his 1956 Windsor four door in 1960, I begged him to go to a new Windsor convertible.  I thought it might help me with the girls when I was a senior in high school.  Well he did buy one for his only child—and it did help with the girls (although not as much as I hoped).  Then I went out of town for college, but returned for the next summer.  One day my father dropped the Chrysler off at a neighborhood gas station for an oil change and asked me to pick it up after I got back from my summer job.  When I walked over to the station, there were police cars and lots of red accident tape.  When I looked for my beloved convertible, I saw it upside down in the demolished station, totally crushed.  Evidently, the serviceman had placed the hoist wrong—without properly adjusting the movable arms--and the car had slipped off, caught on the front of the engine block, swung around, entirely destroyed one of the brick and glass wall of the station, and then landed upside down, virtually totaled.  My father blamed me for the whole mess—i.e. it would not have happened if he had not been weak in buying me that damned convertible—and promptly went out and bought a Pontiac sedan.  

This past January when by chance a friend interested in Detroit Iron told me there was an eBay ad for a 1960 Windsor located in Arizona which looked great, seemed rust free and had a claimed 48,000 original miles on it.  When to cut a long story short, I called the owner in Arizona, bought the car (with a considerable leap of faith since I did not have it inspected) and had it shipped to then-wintery Ohio.

 

1960 Chrysler Saratoga, Ian & Shannon Smale,
Victoria, BC , Canada - a Pacific Island paradise 


I sold our 1962 Chrysler 300-Sport after 26 years and bought this in June 2008.  This is a rust free, Southern California car and spent its entire life in L.A until I bought it.  It is well optioned with
power steering, power brakes, power windows, 6-way power swivel seats, Solex Glass, with top tint on front and rear glass, deluxe padded steering wheel with clear lucite rim, Mirror-Matic (automatic-dipping rear view mirror), flight-sweep deck lid, rear bumper guards, body side color sweep, dual fender mirrors with left remote control, Golden-Tone AM radio, and aftermarket Mark-IV A/C under dash. The car has a Golden Lion 383 with a Carter four barrel carb.    . Album of the car


190 New Yorker

1954 Crown Imperial  

1960 Chrysler New Yorker convertible
Francois Maugin, France

My 1960 Chrysler New Yorker is the only one of this type in France in this condition. I found it under an amount of cartons in a garage. It was not in glorious conditions and it took me several years to have it usable.


 

1954 Chrysler Crown Imperial 8 Passenger Sedan.
Earl Humphreys

 I purchased the car in 2007 as a retirement project.  The Imperial required a lot work and time to restore.  Had I known now how difficult it would be get parts,  I probably would not have picked such a rare car.  All is now worth it as I get so much pleasure and comfort with it.  The thrill of sitting behind the wheel, driving it, feeling it's hemi engine power or just riding in the spacious fancy rear compartment is blissful happiness
.

Feller

1950 Chrysler Windsor Newport Highlander.
 Don Feller,  Portland Oregon  

“Winnie the New” has been in our family since 1978 and came with only 60K miles and still is in mostly original condition.  Today at 81K miles she is ready for more touring.  She has been treated to a paint job & new front seat in 1978, and wire wheels recently.  She has faithfully taken us to Victoria, BC three times already as well as many tours in the north west. “Winnie” began life in L.A on Aug 15, 1950 and resided in Portland ever since.  I took my driver’s exam at 16 in a ’50 Windsor and always appreciated the ‘fluid drive’, despite never being able to ‘burn some rubber’.

 

1949  Dodge D-32 C Special Deluxe four door sedan (Canadian Production)

Paul Jenkins   Charlottetown,  Prince Edward Island

I purchased this Automobile as the second owner from W.G.Barbour Ltd,the local
Chrysler/Dodge dealer here on Prince Edward Island in 1968 .
I added an exterior sun visor and other Mopar accessories, presently the car
has about 43000 original miles and is an exceptional solid and dependable driver.
The car is driven every year during our short summer season and spends seven months
each year in storage up on jacks .
This Canadian model Dodge is about exactly the same as the American built
Plymouth ,basically only the grill is different .. 
  

1961 Chrysler

  1962 Chrysler

1961 Chrysler Saratoga 4 door hardtop,  Christopher Gannon, Victoria, BC Canada.  

This beautiful car was found sitting in storage in NewWestminster, BC in May 2018 after a 37 year sleep.  It’s all original including paint and interior, in remarkable condition.  This car was once owned by WPC Member George LaBash and can be seen in the March 1980 Winter Photo Meet issue of the WPC News.  I bought it from his grandson.  We gently coaxed this car back to life and installed a complete new muffler system and went over the brakes, including a rebuilt  booster.  This is a Canadian built  1961 Chrysler, hence the model name Saratoga,  which was discontinued in the US after 1960.  It’s model designation is RC-2-M  which corresponds to the US built 1961 Windsor, the middle model in the lineup.   It is currently wearing 1958 Chrysler wheel covers. 

1962 Chrysler 300 Sport Convertible.  Owner - Christopher Gannon, Victoria, BC  Canada

 

This car was found sitting in the desert behind a shed in Southern California in 2013.   It was in running condition but sun baked.  I bought it and had it transported to Victoria, BC / Vancouver Island where we live and while rummaging around iunder the dash one day,  I found a slip of paper.  That slip of paper was  a Chrysler Special Car Order sheet, and this car was  built  specifically for Mr. Robert Keller, son of former Chrysler preident K.T. Keller.  It's wearing original sun baked paint and the paint code is also a special order,   an Imperial color for 1962. This car has a 413 4 barrel,  and has now been rebuilt. 
.

 1957 Chrysler 300-C   - 2009 photo  - still wearing its original paint and upholstery.

John & Arlys Chesnutt,  Portland Oregon.         "  Today " 

John and Arlys were married in July 1959,  and celebrated their 50th anniversary July 2009.   John dated Arlys in this car in 1958.  They brought their babies home from the hospital in this car. 

" Before the girl, there was the car. And now, after more than 50 years of twists and turns, the girl and the car remain at the heart of a love story".   See the full  story and video here

 

 1957 Chrysler 300-C    -  1958 photo

John & Arlys Chesnutt,  Portland Oregon.       " The Early Days "

" Before the girl, there was the car. And now, after more than 50 years of twists and turns, the girl and the car remain at the heart of a love story".   See the full  story and video here

Lil Red Express

1965 Valiant Custom 100

                1979 Dodge Lil Red Express Truck   Bruce Bouvet,  Victoria, BC Canada

 

Being surrounded by MOPARS while I was growing up was nothing new as both my parents were in the automotive business.  By the time the LRE came into production my naval career was well under way and I had both a Valiant Convertible and Barracuda in my garage.  This did not however stop me from approaching my Dad to sell me a LRE new.  The conversation ended in IT’S NOT A PRACTICAL TRUCK.  I did however own the family 1972 Dodge Adventure SE for several years.  Fast forward to 5 years ago I spotted a LRE for sale on the mainland.  At first I was hesitant to enquire as the ad was listed by a commercial seller( thinking he was a curber).  Finally I decided to move on it and told my wife I was going to sell my fishing boat to make room for one more MOPAR.  When she asked what I had in mind I told her a Little Red Express truck, her immediate response was “Oh that’s the truck with the exhaust stacks behind the cab”.  This really caught me by surprise as other than the occasional ride in the existing fleet I thought she new nothing about vehicles.  Turns out the truck was owned by the stepfather of the one placing the Ad.  He had it listed through his sports equipment business.  He himself was a Chevy guy.  A deal was struck and I brought it home and set to work clearing up some non correct issues.  An AM/FM cassette stereo had been added and a non factory tach stuck out of the dash.  The build sheet called for an AM/FM stereo 8 track and factory tach.  I was able to obtain both these items on the internet.

Optional bedside rails were also added.  There were also a few leak issues that I had to address.

The added little red trailer started out as a long shot pipe dream but came together rather quickly after placing an Ad for a Dodge short box step side box.  At that time all I had were the factory wheels.  The whole project took little over a year to complete.

                   1965 Valiant Custom 100 Convertible     Bruce Bouvet,  Victoria, BC Canada \

This Valiant Custom 100 Convertible has been in the family for 50 years.  My Dad first brought it home for my Mom in 1969 after bringing it in on a trade-in at a Vancouver Chrysler dealership were he was a salesman.  The original owner a middle aged lady just wanted something newer.  I have had the car since 1972 after my parents decided to purchase a 1972 Dodge Adventure SE to tow their trailer.  This was the second car I ever owned and served as a principle driver for a few years.  I eventually would own the Adventure SE and semi retired the convertible.  The slant 6 still runs strong with just over 83k miles.  The car is pretty much original (aside of your general maintenance) having only minor cosmetic interior work, a new top and a repaint.  It still sports the original boot cover.

 

 

 

1965 Valiant Barracuda

1965 Valiant Barracuda Commanda

                    1965 Valiant Barracuda  Bruce Bouvet,  Victoria,. BC  Canada 

Having owned my 1965 Valiant Custom 100 convertible for many years I collected numerous spare parts.  Finally in the early 80s I decided to put them to good use.  I had always liked the Valiant (Canadian) Barracuda remembering having my Dad bring one home as his dealership supplied  demonstrator.  I located one car but eventually found the rust issues far beyond my capabilities.  However as luck would have it a family friend had one that he was willing to let go.  Overall the car was in good shape other than the fact it had been attacked (painted) with a brush and roller inside and out in two tone blue.  Over the next several years I set to work giving it a frame on restoration.  But as usual life gets in the way, what with my naval career and family health issues.  The project took almost 14 years to complete and if not for a kick in the seat of my pants by a fellow friend who was restoring a Valiant Convertible the car might still be in the garage collecting dust.  This one is also powered by the 225ci

     1965 Valiant Barracuda Commando  Bruce Bouvet,  Victoria,. BC  Canada  

Well once you get the bug there you never cease to be interested in what is out there.  This 1965 Valiant Commando Barracuda was owned by one of our local club members for some time.  It had been off the road for many years after a garage it was being stored in along with his wife’s 1965 V-8 Barracuda was virtually destroyed by a falling tree.  The Commando car came out pretty much unharmed while his wife’s car sustained heavy damage but was eventually repaired and sold.  Anyway it was mentioned to me in passing that the Commando car was for sale.  Arrangements were made to look at it and I brought my cheque book just in case.  I really did not need it but the Commando V-8  feature drew me like a magnet.  A deal was struck and the car was trailered home.  The engine had been rebuilt but the transmission and brakes needed to be done.  Also new seat covers, headliner, new carpet and new tires were added.  This car is always a crowd pleaser with the factory rally stripe and red line tires.

 

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