A Chrysler Chronicle

There are two kinds of classic car buffs: those who have restored an old car, and those who want to. For anyone who has looked at a rusty heap in a field and seen only the gleaming new machine it once was, the urge is powerful, but also intimidating. Restoration can be a difficult, expensive, and—especially for the novice—mysterious undertaking.
Dave Floyd, an enthusiast with a lifelong love for the great cars on the road in his youth, is one who answered the call. In this book he traces every step of restoring a long-neglected 1948 Chrysler New Yorker to its original glory, all on a real-world budget and in the spare hours left by a full-time job.
Every task, every discovery, every obstacle, every triumph and frustration comes through in a detailed account that is part diary, part practical guide, part love story. Told with great charm, his story is inspiring to any prospective old-car hobbyist, and a special treat for Chrysler devotees.

A former NASA aerospace engineering technician and quality inspector who served as president of the Antelope Valley (California) Region chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America, the late Dave Floyd accumulated more than 25,000 happy miles on his Chrysler after he completed its restoration.

Dave Floyd
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 149
Bibliographic Info: 73 photos, appendix, index
Copyright Date: 2000
pISBN: 978-0-7864-0910-5
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      7

Introduction      11

1-David Meets Goliath      15

2-Down to Business      23

3-Coming to Life      51

4-Gathering Momentum      59

5-Making It Tidy      71

6-Back on the Road      85

7-More Work to Do, and a Farewell      93

8-Making It Shine      101

9-Goliath’s Second Life      121

Afterword      133

Appendix: Restoration Expense Ledger      137

Index      145

“an excellent description of the restoration process”—Antique Automobile; “entertaining…a primer for anyone starting on a restoration…a neat little book”—Old Cars Weekly; “inspiring to any prospective old-car hobbyist, and a special treat for those involved with Chryslers”—The Automobile; “a tremendous amount of technical information…excellent…enjoyable and informative and on a scale of 1 to 10—it’s a definite 10!”—Antelope Valley Press.