Cordoba Convertibles Were Built In 1977

[RWG75]

Of all the strange places to find information about this, would ya believe Popular Mechanics from April of 1977?

https://books.google.com/books?id=quIDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA78&dq=cordoba+convertible&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwihs8G5-_bdAhUOSN8KHXLPA90Q6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=cordoba convertible&f=false

Screen grabs:

 

[YY1]

I remember late 1976 (I was 8) the press was making a big deal out of "no more convertibles being produced".

 

[dmoore]

I remember late 1976 (I was 8) the press was making a big deal out of "no more convertibles being produced".

I was 15 and I def remember it!

 

[WileERobby]

I remember late 1976 (I was 8) the press was making a big deal out of "no more convertibles being produced".

Oh, I recall people were plunking down serious $$$ for the Eldorado, the "last" convertible !! Lol !! What a joke !

 

[YY1]

There was also reasonably big fanfare when Chrysler "reintroduced" the convertible with the 400/600 IIRC.

 

[Dennis J Davis]

Yeah I remember when convertibles were said to be unsafe...all that did was make them more expensive! But I will admit I never heard or saw a convertible Cordoba....t top yes so I guess you learn something new every day!!!

 

[RWG75]

This is the one that has always annoyed me for a lot of reasons.

Rally red which you don't see much of - Emess specified no metallics, white interior and how can ya not dig that - especially in a convertible. Sport mirrors instead of the base round ones. Aside from the continental kit and the gangster white walls, I'd totally have this one.

Don't have a screen shot but do have a very strong memory of it being on ebay around 2006ish. A well know person in the Cordoba world got in to a bidding war with somebody and got ran up to $20,000. Yeah, that number is nuts but it seems to has stuck as what these things are worth. See the white over green one. Last time I saw it was on Craigs list for around $16k in maybe 2012.

The first screen grab is the first time I spotted it - ebay in 2003. Pretty sure the seller is one of those cyber flippers that buy and sell cars without actually taking possession of them. That got me going on a search and the second screen grab is what I found. As far as I can tell Russo and Steele is your generic collectible car auction house - kinda like Meecum but much smaller. I want to say that I also found a page on their website where they were trying to sell it for $3500 before the auction but don't have a screen shot of that. Another instance of not being able to find a buyer.

 

[RWG75]

Text from the Motoexotica ad above. Note how they talk about the opera windows that aren't there and I've never verified the bit about zip out rear window.

Motoexotica is offering a RARE Chrystler convertible not often seen. This vehicle is a VERY rare 1977 Chrysler Cordoba CLASSIC II with only 12,000 ORIGINAL MILES! Only a very limited few ever sent right from the factory to Largo, Florida for this conversion. This convertible is VERY rare due to it having a dealer installed Continental Kit with 4-inch white walls and 5 American Racing wire wheels.

In 1976 Phil Merrill Chrysler-Plymouth ordered 3 Cordoba’s to be sent right from the factory to Emess Coach Builders in Largo, Florida for this conversion. They were then shipped back to Phoenix where they were displayed in the showroom for the selling season of the 1977 models. In September 1977, Lanker Chrysler-Plymouth purchased the agency along with the 3 convertibles and they were subsequently sold. It is impossible to get a count on the number of Cordoba conversions that were done, as the coachbuilders went out of business in 1977.

Factory options include AM-FM stereo tape, power door locks, cruise control, remote trunk release, tilt wheel, power seats, and A/C. Features of the Classic II included full double strength folding convertible top in choice of black or white, top boot matching interior of car, fully carpeted trunk area, fully electro-hydraulically operated top, fully reinforced body with frame added, all bright work stainless steel or polished aluminum and rear windows with zip out. The opera windows in back are an integral part of the top assembly and retract when the top is folded.

The top is going to need some attention due to it coming apart from the body in the rear right corner (see photo) as well as some seam seperation and a discolored rear window. The top does go up and down though with a flick of a switch and the boot fits perfectly. The 5 American Racing 5-spoke wheels are all in great condition including the space saver spare in the trunk that appears to of never been used. Engine compartment is close to new condition. There is some minor crazing in the paint from age, but very presentable.

 

[RWG75]

If ya think the roof is fugly, check out the continental kit. Just noticed that they moved the back up lights over under the tail lights. Aside from being fugly it also seems to cover the slot in the bumper for the jack. I have an NOS bumper in my stash so I can deal.

 

[RWG75]

One of the few I've seen that were column shift. Has air / cruise / tilt / am-fm-8 and looks like the top switch is where the rear defrost switch would normally be. A better look at how they cut down the rear seat and have never seen what they did for the top of the inner quarter trim.

 

[RWG75]

400-4 ELB looks untouched - right down to the hose clamps. This one also seems to have the 60 amp alternator and now I'm thinking the 100 amp came with rear defrost cars rather than power window cars as I mentioned earlier. This one also doesn't seem to have the air compressor for the shocks but I'll get to that later.

 

[RWG75]

Wendel forwarded this one to me near the end of 2010 - another tan one and another column shift car. The thing I find uber weird about this one is the burgundy interior. The pic from the back makes it look like Emess added a filler panel to the sail panel when they cut the top off.

The seller said they impounded in San Bernardina, CA with 53k on the clock and that it sat in their impound yard untouched for 8 yrs after that. Said they had paperwork for it but I never got an ask price. Suspect it could have been had real cheap and yes, I have an extra windshield in my stash.

 

[RWG75]

This one showed up on ebay in October of 2009 with 25k on the clock. Apparently spent most of its life in Michigan until the original owner died. The person that inherited it drove it to Florida and it ended up on the local corner used car lot. Might have something to do with the economy going to hell the year before and would ya believe sold for $3500??

Another tan one with PW, PDL, 400, floor shift, leather, wire wheels and sport mirrors. Also had the trunk dress up with the black carpet. Yes, these pics do suck.

 

[RWG75]

This set of pics gives a little more detail on how Emess finished the rear inner quarter trim and how the roof folds down. If you know these cars, you can also spot the fill panel I mentioned above.

 

[RWG75]

Under hood looks very clean, very original, very unmolested. Has a/c, cruise and 60 amp alt. Doesn't seem to have the air compressor (see next one) and I spy an orange box ECU so thinking the evil lean burn was disco'd.

Somebody explain to me why I didn't jump on a plane and scoop this thing up. Oh wait, I remember - economic crisis in full swing, bs retirement job on the verge of going poof and all the garages were full.

 

[RWG75]

One of the production numbers that I've seen tossed around on the net is a total of 7. That's clearly wrong but I'm wondering if that number is actually how many tan (Jasmine Yellow) ones they built. Here's another.

Original owner bought it in Boston, went to second new england owner around 1985. I came across it when the 3rd owner picked it up in 2007 - with 10,000 original miles on it ! He said it came with some documentation from the conversion shop but I never saw it. He also lived about 10 miles from me but we didn't meet until bumping in to each other on the net. I also never saw it in person with the top up - go figure.

 

[RWG75]

Wendel claimed that Emess installed air shocks and on board air but this is the only one I've seen with the compressor and gauge. When he took me for a ride, I did hear the rear tires hit the inner wheel house once or twice as they reshaped them to make room for the roof in the down position.

The compressor is mounted right behind the battery and looks kinda similar to the vacuum operated ones on Imperials factory equipped with automatic load levelers. Don't recall seeing an air tank and axle position valve like that system used. The control was mounted under the radio.

 

[RWG75]

Like the others it was 400-4 ELB, floor shift, air, cruise, tilt, pw, pdl, leather, power seat. Wendel said he had never cracked the 4bl all the way open and I had to object to that.

These pics won't show it but when you got up close and started looking for it you could see where they touched up the paint around the areas where they cut the roof off. One of the door panels was a little faded in the usual spot (he later found an NOS one) but ya could pretty much eat off of this thing.

 

[RWG75]

Wendel walked with a cane and had health and mobility issues. When he mentioned that one of the dash lights was out I showed his wife how to reach up behind and change the bulb. I can be helpful like that.

 

[RWG75]

How many times have you seen one of the fender medallions mounted wrong? This one was drivers side only. Trunk lock cover was missing when he got it, which I find odd, but he found an NOS one.

He sold it and the white one around 2013. Doubt it even had 15,000 miles on it by then. Usual story about down sizing and blowing town for some place warmer. The Charger was just as nice as the others and got sold too. Yeah, I passed on this one too and I think it had something to do with being between pointless [early] retirement jobs at the time. Well, that and my over whelming lack of garages.