Every gearhead is inspired by something, and nine for ten that inspiration comes from a family member. Two separate events pretty much cemented my love for all things fast and unholy: the day my uncle Benny brought home a white mid-1970s Camaro on turbine wheels, and the night I rode with my cousin Vance in his 1973 Newport. Vance was many things, but first and foremost he was a personality…about fifteen years older than I am, he was normally quiet and rather introverted, but when he got into his outgoing moods, oh, the fun that could be had. This is the guy who bought Super Soakers for all of the kids in the neighborhood for one of my birthdays. And the guy who, one night while driving me back from Portal Pool, decided that Westmoreland Road was the perfect place to show very young McTaggart the benefits of a worked-over big-block. Vance’s Newport was well beyond stock…my grandfather always bitched about that “loud gas hog” and my mother explicitly forbade me from riding in it…but she worked nights and that threat was hollow. Being shoved back into the seat of that Chrysler was like a Saturn V rocket launch at that age and the noise was biblical. I loved it.

That being said, with age comes knowledge, and one thing that Vance’s Newport didn’t have was beauty. The front end of Chryslers finally had to meet the Federal large-bumper regulations, so the beautiful chrome hoop bumpers of 1972 had given way to a massive grille and a railroad tie. And we’ll ignore the fact that his Chrysler was turd brown, not the beautiful green that this 1972 is. You can’t ignore the Oldsmobile-aping taillights or the small rust spots in the car, but considering that this thing is coming out of Ohio, it’s a miracle it still exists. This is another car you can simply get in, twist the key and drive as-is and the work is purely up to you. You’ll need a professional windshield installation since the front glass has a crack, but in the deal you’ll get a new windshield.

Opening price for this 1972 400-powered Mopar is $2500, and even with the windshield swap factored in, you’ll have plenty of cash left over for the fuel costs. It’s not a collectable, probably will never be, but take it from me: you’ll have plenty of fun just the same. Who knows…if you’re lucky this Newport might have the towing package that makes everything more fun!

Craigslist link: 1972 Chrysler Newport Custom