Barn-Find 1973 Chrysler Newport Custom: A $1,500 Mopar Project Stuck Under a Carport

A 1973 Chrysler Newport Custom two-door hardtop has surfaced for sale in Eastside, Washington, where it has reportedly been sitting idle beneath a carport long enough to gather dust and unfinished repair work. Listing photos show a car caught mid-project: half of the body still wears its faded gold paint, while the remaining panels have been stripped and primed for respray. It carries an asking price of $1,500, a figure low enough that a buyer could reasonably treat it as a parts donor rather than a restoration candidate.

For two decades, from 1961 through 1981, the Newport served as Chrysler’s entry point into the full-size segment. The 1969–1973 generation is remembered for its “fuselage” design language, a rounded, wraparound treatment applied to the bodywork from nearly every angle. The Custom trim on this car sat a step above the standard Newport, adding a richer level of equipment. Notably, it rode on the same 124-inch wheelbase as the range-topping New Yorker, which helps explain the car’s substantial footprint.

Under the hood sits a 440 cubic-inch big-block V8, paired with a TorqueFlite automatic transmission. The listing notes the engine currently turns over but will not fire, and the odometer reading is ambiguous — it could be 110,000 miles or 210,000. Buyers should also keep in mind that 1970s emissions tuning sapped output from the 440 compared with earlier versions, and fuel economy was never a strong point. A commenter flagged that this particular 440 appears to breathe through a two-barrel carburetor, an unusual configuration, and pointed out the car’s cruise control hardware as parts worth salvaging.

The interior is described as rough, with the driver’s seat held together by black duct tape that contrasts sharply with the upholstery. Bodywork is said to need plenty of attention, though the shell is reported to be relatively straight overall. Production figures show roughly 154,000 Newports left the factory in 1973, and a little over 12,000 of those were Custom two-door hardtops like this one — a reminder that these cars were once common but have thinned considerably.

Timing may partly explain why the Newport faded from the scene. Sales ticked up modestly between 1972 and 1973, then dropped sharply in 1974 as oil market turmoil and rising gasoline prices pushed buyers toward smaller vehicles. Anyone who takes on this project would likely end up with the only example of its kind in the neighborhood. The car is being offered through a Craigslist ad, and as with any long-distance purchase, an in-person inspection before money changes hands is the sensible move.