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This week’s episode of The MuscleCar Place Podcast is out!
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This week’s podcast show guest is Mr. Tom Henriksen, a Fire Inspector in my town of Ames, IA. Of all of the guests I’ve ever had on this podcast show, Tom was someone I literally met at a gas pump, and was actually someone I had wanted to meet. I had seen his ’65 Newport at a car show in early spring, and the car itself was too weird to not like.
To begin, it’s a ’65 Chrysler Newport with a 383 and a 4bbl carburetor with air conditioning. Not impressed yet? Well, try this on for size; it may be the only 4-speed and 4-door ’65 Newport in existence, and to top that off it appears to have the factory police package which is a package that the Chrysler Museum is not known to have ever existed!
Tom bought the car from the original owner a few years back after declining to purchase it on eBay. He had always regretted losing the eBay purchase and chose to seek out the car by calling the newspaper in the town in Texas where the car was listed for sale.
It turned out that it was a tiny town where everyone knew everyone, and within a few phone calls Tom was in contact with the lady who owned the car. She explained that her husband had bought the car new from the local Chrysler dealer after the police department it was ordered for had to decline the car due to lack of funding.
Her husband didn’t mind the heavy duty brakes, suspension, and electrical system because he was a HAM radio operator and the Newport was the perfect package for his needs.
The Newport went into storage in the early 1970′s and Tom bought it in the unrestored condition that you see it as here. The only real work he’s had to do to the car was to recharge the air conditioner and replace the speedometer cable, and he chose to add a few vintage Motorola radio’s to complete the package along with a huge cherry light on top. He also decided to turn it into a Fire Marhsall car as well as a nod to his profession.
Thanks for the interview, Tom, and thanks for keeping this rare “Mystery” car on the road!
