1970 Fury III. I was 12, and given the honor of 'starting the car to warm it up' for my Dad before work. I would head out to the detached garage, pull open the garage door, and jump in the car, making notice of the ignition key light that semi lit up the Key lock. Having to make sure the key was upside down to push into the ignition, I would pump the gas pedal twice, turn the key and hear that familiar whine followed by the 318 coming to life. I would then sit in the driver's seat, turn on the parking lights, rear window defogger (on high) and admire the beauty of the lit dashboard dreaming of the day I would be old enough to drive. That was a good car, and a great dad.
That starter sound nearly brought up some old MOPAR memories, but it didn’t crank long enough to get the true starter sound that I remember. Most of the old MOPARs that I remember usually took a lot longer to start than the well-maintained vehicles that Adam demonstrates here-including the one with the frosty roof!😊
YUP! I have a very distinct memory of my uncle starting up my great aunt's Dodge Dart Swinger and him commenting on how that car's starter would always spin the engine for so long before it would fire, probably about 8 revolutions easy from the sound of it! She traded it for a Ford Fairmont, not a bad car for its time but certainly lacking in character compared to the old Dodge! Had other family and friends that had Chrysler products and always thought at the time they sounded unrefined and almost comical compared to Ford and GM, but now hearing Adam start this car it's like chicken soup for the soul! :)
It was the best starter in its day but Chrysler had the worst starting engines especially in cold weather. The Japanese had a similar one used in Toyota. Then came the one, I believe from Nippondenso, with planetary reduction gears which was an even better design but it didn't have the unique sound.
Used to laugh when cop shows made by Universal in the 70's used the sound effect of a Chrysler gear reduction starter for every single car they showed on screen regardless of what make it was.
I sold Chrysler parts in the 1970s. To this day I can remember the part number 3874767 for the 4 post ballast resistor. Even if a car had a 2 post resistor, we would convince them to get a 4 post with 2 of the posts as spares. I always loved the unique sound of a Chrysler starter motor. Your 1972 New Yorker is amazing.
Oh the ballast resistors.. need to keep a couple for an emergency $3 breakdown. Had many Chrysler products in my day. Only car my favorite person (my papa) would drive. Only real issue I ever had was when I was 18 (1980) my 1970 Newport Custom w/ 383 would eat starters on a fairly regular basis ( 5 in a year and a half). Got so good at changing them that I could lay on the ground and do purely by feel, and fast. Ahh the good old days. 😊
The auto industry is very homogeneous A lot of parts in modern cars are all produced by a small handful of companies things like transmissions steering racks electronics or often uniform or there's not many options which is why everything feels the same ultimately it is more efficient and saves money but it feels the same
My grandad used to work as a mechanic's apprentice in England in the early 50's and he told me he could recognise cars by the sound of their transmission!
@@rogermignone9850 My stepdad's dad and my grandad loved the 283, they both said it was GM's best engine. I've always loved the idle of those classic V8s❤️🇨🇦
Yeah, I remember that sound. In fact, if you were a car guy you could tell the difference between, MoPar, Delco and Autolite starters by the sound they made. But without a doubt, the MoPar was the most distinctive.
It does bring back memories. You could always tell when a Chrysler vehicle started. Drove a 1966 Dodge Polara for many years. That was a time when you could work on the car, without having to spend 30 minutes just to get to the engine to work on it.
This was a great summary of some of Chrysler's innovations! And I love the phrase "the Highland Park Hummingbird" -- so evocative. It always brings back memories of my parent's '67 Monaco. The floor mats in that New Yorker are wild -- so appropriate for the time.
I learned to drive in my dad’s 1973 Plymouth Fury III, 318 2bbl about 45 years ago. That starter sound is indelibly etched into my mind, especially if it didn’t start immediately. Hearing it always brings me back. 🥰
Yes yes Redhook! Absolutely if it didnt catch for a couple seconds that was even better. 😅 My dad had a ‘63 Valiant. Even when I make it to the Memory Care unit, I hope that I can at least remember that sound.
Growing up in a staunchly MOPAR household throughout the 80s and 90s, my family regularly had older Chryslers 'in the fleet' at any given time - from the seemingly mundane ('78 Cordoba, '80 Diplomat, '82 Mirada) to the exciting ('69 Cornet 500, '71 Charger R/T). The "Highland Park Hummingbird" was definitely part of my life sound track; it's permanently, fondly imprinted in my memory! Thanks for the great video, Adam!
Yes, yes, yes! Thanks Adam. It never gets old. I remember that sound from childhood in my Dad's '64 Dodge Phoenix (in Australia) and then, to less effect, the '73 Chrysler by Chrysler. I now have a '77 New Yorker Brougham. I suspect it might have the earlier starter as it definitely has the Highland Park Hummingbird sound. Pure bliss!
Highland Park Hummingbird Memories: My granddad's 1968 Plymouth Fury III Wagon, 4bbl 383 (300 HP), towing package, 1968-73 My dad's 1973 Plymouth Satellite Wagon, 2bbl 318, 1973-79 My dad's 1972 Newport, 2bbl 400, 1983 My 1973 Chrysler Newport Custom, gold coupe, 2bbl 400, 1985-87 (first car) My two brown 73 Newports, 2bbl 400, 1992-96 and 1996-98 My 1966 Newport, 2bbl 383, June-December 1998 (my favorite of all my giant tanks, Bosch Platinums really perked her up, from 9 to 13 MPG on the street without touching anything else) You see all kinds of videos about the memorable ways engines snort, but this is the first one I've seen about a starter sound. But what a sound.
The Highland Park Hummingbird is sweet music to my ears!! :-) My folks '63 Newport introduced me to the "sound" and it remains a comforting sound anytime I hear it. Thanks Adam!!🥰
I used to work for my Stepfather in his auto electric shop in the summers rebuilding starters and alternators. The Mopar gear reduction starter (the alternators as well) were far and away the most durable starters out of any manufacturer.
We had a 68 Coronet with a slant six, never had a problem with the starter cold or hot. Actually the sound was a bit more distinctive probably because of the cheaper, less insulated model.
Your correct. The sound certainly is more distinctive and audible. The starter is fully exposed on the side of the slant 6 as opposed to under the V8. We had a few slants too. Dee dee dee .....
I went to great lengths to have my original starter for my 67 Coronet rebuilt, it had never been touched, so it was perfect, and I didn’t want the details on the aluminium housing to be destroyed by blasting. The guy got the message and got it done, perfectly. That sound is part of my DNA.
Adam, my first vehicle was an eleven year old 1968 New Port Custom with a 383 and always liked the gear reduction starter melody. My New Port is now a distant memory, but to commemorate my 63rd birthday I purchased a 14,000 mile 1971 New Yorker, now I can relive the unique starter and 440 performance. As always your presentations never disappoint 👍.
Wow. What a car you found ! 71 New Yorker. Practically zero miles. The last year of good compression and tons of earth pounding torque. My folks had one for a long time, the most boring tan, black top. Split 50/50 seats and recliner passenger, power driver, cruise, tilt wheel, forget now if it telescoped. Rather surprised manual windows and just AM radio. Is unexplainable how long it took an affordable upgrade of FM to become popular when AM was such crappy sound, especially in a thunderstorm. Way back when, it passed two semis into the dark of night, up down hills by Sioux City. The 4 lane was ending and figured the semis would grind slower up each bigger hill. So, zipped around them, guessed 85/90. Got around just as 4 lane ended and glanced down, didn’t see a needle. Yikes. Back off that accelerator ! Had no idea top end and didn’t want to. Love that starter sound indeed ! Reminds me of childhood and could tell a whole block away, when MOPAR was cranking up. The bodies might have been a little tinny, but all of their drivetrains could take a lickin and keep on for 200,000 miles. 340 4 bbl and 383 4 bbl also were special good performance engines. GM and Ford guys used to dump considerable $$$ into beefing up their motors and stock comparable sized MOPARS would beat them. Enjoy your baby !! If hard starting, gas boil hot, flood, then not enough in bowl cold, I found adding an approx 3/8” thick heat insulator spacer under the carb did wonders. Just had to lengthen the choke rod by that same 3/8” or so. Bought spacer from some performance parts catalogue.
Ford and Chevy guys used to say Chryslers were crying not to start, because of their starter’s sound. If I owned a Chrysler product from back in the day, I would never change out that starter.
Really great ! So many of us have this sound imprinted in our heads. One cool Chrysler fact is that the 1962 year was actually a re-introduction of the Chrysler gear reduction starter. Late 1920's Chryslers had an earlier 6 volt version, probably dropped for cost cutting in the 1930's, like when their flathead sixes regressed from 7 main bearings in the 1920's to 4 mains from the 1930s on.
Dads ‘63 Valiant starting up. And especially when the motor didn’t quite catch for a couple of seconds. Loved it. Even the rattling sound of the starter still spinning after the solenoid retracted, you could hear it spin down. All classic as heck!
We had many of those big block mopars back in the 70s and 80s. Yours has that begging "turn me loose" sound to it that other engines failed to match. That was a very quick start. Chrysler Engineering back after ww2 was so good other car makers domestic and overseas sent their engineers to Chrysler for training. Lovely NYer you have there. My dad bought his doctor's NY back in 1974 for $2000, had the 440 but because of the oil crisis he went to a more economical car, dad didn't care about the gas, he just thought he would never own a car alike that but when it came up he went right in. His was a 2 door, 1972. Those big cars back then gave rides no modern car can match, as those big cars absorbed the worst of the bumps and were very quiet.
Yes they did and they also used the 327 Chevy. Funny part was when you watch some of these old TV shows especially kojak which I recently saw and had to laugh one of the episodes they jumped into a Buick century and it was a Mopar starter🤣🤣 That was one of my long-running pet peeves a generic car starter no matter what brand they took a bunch of car nuts to realize that's not the right one Just like when it came to big trucks too they would use the two-cycle Detroit Diesel for everything revving away even if it was a cat or cummins
I certainly remember that sound. Does anyone remember the sound of the turn signal flasher on these. Ding-ka ding-ka ding-ka. I wish you would have mounted your camera outside so we could really hear the starter. Keep the videos coming. They're fantastic. You have a great fleet of cars.
My first collectible was a 1968 Chrysler New Yorker 2 door with a 440 V8. Loved, loved, loved the sound the starter made when it started! Thank you, Adam!
So weird! My dad loved Chryslers and in 'the early 70's he had a black '66 300 convertible that I loved too. And I ALWAYS remembered that starting sound and have ALWAYS listened for it in every car I've ever owned. To me, THAT'S what a starter is supposed to sound like, but I just didn't put all the pieces together until this video. Hearing that sound again was a trip down memory lane.
My dad was definitely a Chrysler man. The sound of a Chrysler start-up was always unique and I could recognize one with my eyes closed, but I never knew the technical reasons behind it. Now I do! Great video.
I worked at an independent repair shop in Napa that did a lot of Mopar from that vintage, this certainly brought me back, especially the beautiful New Yorker at the end. And yes, we did get a car from time to time with a failed ballast resistor on a tow truck - If the customer was even halfway mechanically savvy they'd leave with a spare in the glovebox :) Thanks for a great video!
I've NEVER heard of a "ballst resistor," and my Dad had a few Mopars-'75 Dodge Monaco, '70 Plymouth Duster(😱), '73 Chrysler wagon of some sort, memory eludes me. But no, never have... 🤷🙎
Your New Yorker is gorgeous! The only cars my Dad bought were Chrysler and his Company car was always a Chrysler. My Mother liked the Plymouth Sport Fury, her favorite, which they still own is a 1966 Plymouth Fury VIP four-door hardtop with all the options including standard fender skirts. The car is beautiful, all original with less than 45,000 original miles on the odometer.
We started with the 1964 Chrysler Newport my dad bought new. , with its wonderful geareduction starter, then a 68 Fury😊, 70 Newport, 72 Plymouth suburban, and many more mopar iterations. Great cars with their own unique features.
I'm a lifelong Mopar guy and worked as a starter & alternator rebuilder at a combination auto junkyard, dealer, and body shop. Paid for my gas and food while going to trade school to be an automotive mechanic
Such a unique starter sound. I always loved that startup sound. I also like the "cold" light and would go away when the engine reached operating temperature.
The whole sound of a big block Chrysler, not just the starter, is incredibly rich and glorious. Nothing quite like it. The Ballast Resistor was very reliable in my experience. Our 72 Dart had its original still in place when it was scrapped in 1985. Even at -40, we never had any issue with the starter motor in any of our cars, even one with a quarter million miles on it.
My 440 Charger starter never failed. Car would start right up with a Holley 850 and dual point ignition. Did have a ballast resistor fail though and it did have me stumped for a few hours. Super cheap and easy to replace back then.
That sound brings back memories from my childhood. My parents drove a 1972 Plymouth Fury and I remember imitating the sound of it starting while biting my lower lip. Also of note were the sounds of the belt squealing while revving and the headlight doors slamming shut when turning off the headlights.
Yeah, I had a '76 New Yorker w/HideAway headlites (🤭) and those lil doors DID slam shut, dint they? Like they were pissed you expised thm to rain, snow, etc... 🤔😏😂🤣
My grandparents had a 64 Dart, and later a 68 Fury....and they had both way into the late 70's....I remember that starter sound very well....thanks for the nostalgic trip.
I just loved that high pitched warble of the Chrysler starters. You could identify a MoPar car without even seeing it when you heard it engage. I found myself hoping I could get a swap out for my Chevy with that starter, but of course it wouldn’t fit. You should have swapped out a bad ballast on your New Yorker so it would turn over longer. Your car is so well tuned that the engine didn’t complete a full revolution.
I’ve NEVER, EVER heard a Chrysler start that quickly when cold until they switched to fuel injection. And I live in North Florida. If the temperature dropped below around 50F, that gear reduction starter got a workout 😂. It was even worse with the slant 6. As a kid, while waiting for the bus on winter mornings, I looked forward to the 5 minute ritual of my neighbor starting and finally driving her approx 1967 Dodge dart with the manual transmission. That high pitched starter whine would keep my 10 year old self entertained. Start, stall, start stall, backfire through the carburetor, stall, start rev up for a few minutes, then finally take off backfiring at each shift until finally hitting its stride just as it got almost beyond earshot. I think her choke didn’t work. Years Later I repeated a similar ritual with my brother’s hand me down 1967 dodge coronet slant 6. Never did fix the choke. But I was able to pat the accelerator quickly and only stall a few times. We also had a driveway and could get a good speed by the time I entered the road. We also had a 1969 170 engine Valiant and a 1976 Cordoba 400. All had a morning ritual. But none matched the extended ritual of our neighbor.
My Uncle always said that Chrysler was the only car to own because it was designed by engineers. He drove Chrysler New Yorkers all his life, his last being the fuselage-shaped Coupe that almost looked like a pickup truck.
Yes, I remember the sound well and love it! My first 2 cars were MoPar cars: 63 Dodge Dart Convertible and a 75 Plymouth Valiant. Both had that starter sound with the slant 6 in each. Thanks, Adam!
Reminds me of one of my friend’s cars in high school. I believe it was a ‘73 Sport Fury (It was called Big Red). The whine of the starter was interesting, as I was used to sound of my Chevy starter. It also had that great Chrysler A/C, which you could hang a side of beef in to keep it cool.
I remember keeping extra ballast resistors in the 70's for my Dodge Darts. Changed a few of them back then on the fly. Maybe 5 minutes tops. Everyone who owned a Dodge/Chrysler back then knew about it.
One high school friend of mine was given his grandfather's Plymouth Volare as his first car and one time when we were working under the hood I made the mistake of touching that ballast resistor on the firewall while it was running--YYYYEEEEOOOOWWWWW!!!! ("Oh, yeah, I should've warned you not to do that", my friend then said....) I think I know why they fail LOL, they get too frickin' HOT!!! 😆🤬
I have a 74 Dodge Dart and the humming bird is staying right where it is. I love that sound. That was brilliant that the guy with the Ram Pickup truck put an old starter in it so he could hear the sound, full props that shows commitment.
Don’t forget also that Chrysler was the first to introduce the alternator on the 1960 valiant. This was a significant improvement over the generators that other manufactures were using at the time. Interestingly, the Chrysler gear reduction starter was developed to enable the use of a smaller amperage battery while still being able to turn over the large V-8‘s at the time such as the 440 and high compression 426 for example. With the ballast resistor mounted on the firewall it wad subject to water running over it causing it to fail.
As a auto electrician in Australia in the mid 80’s to early 90’s. I hardly ever repaired Chrysler alternators, starter motors and electronic ignitions. 🦘🇦🇺 for local content some of the later models had Email (brand) and Bosch alternators.
Your comments on the REASONS for the gear reduction starter and ballast resistor failure was what I was hoping for in this video, but was denied. I had heard these reasons before, but was looking for confirmation. As sometimes happens, the comments section is as good as, or better than the video.
The gear reduction starters always worked well for me. I’ve owned a number of late 60’s and early 70’s mopars, both big and small blocks. These starters had a lot of torque and required less current than their direct drive counterparts. The downside was the engine turned over a bit slower.
My father was devoted to Chryslers and I still own my first new car, a 1973 Dodge Challenger. She’s being mechanically restored now and I am ready to hear her distinctively charming start up noises again.
Wow you’re the original owner of a ‘73 Challenger? You really should make some videos about it. I LOVE seeing old cars still owned by the original owner, and can’t remember seeing such a ‘72-74 Challenger before. It particularly interests me because I’ve owned my ‘74 Challenger since ‘97. It has unfortunately been sitting for far too many years waiting for me to restore it like you are.
Of course the starter sound and the light package that lit up the key and put extra turn signal indicators on the front fenders. My 73 Dodge Dart Swinger.
It does big time. My parents had a 62 Chrysler like the red one shown. We haven't had that car since November 1972, thanks to a drunk driver. Fifty plus years later, the sound of the car starting brings back many happy memories from back then.
Memories indeed. Always knew when dad or mom started our car. Such a distinctive sound. By the way, we never had problems with ballast resistors. We had five cars and trucks of vintages from 1964 to 1977. Then again, we lived in balmy San Diego.
So thats what I call the "starter wail" of the mopar starter. We had a 68' Valiant with the slant six and it had this same type of starter. You could always tell a mopar by this peculiar starter wail. You are also right about its popularity, cause I also love its sound. In those days you could tell brands apart by their starter's sound.
Honestly, at times you can tell a car by that nowadays, too. I can usually tell a Ford F150 (or similar) circa 2010 apart based on the starter noise. Probably just because my parents have one and I know that sound very well, but still.
I've owned several Mopars of that era and that is a very familiar sound. Dad was a Buick guy until he bought a brand new '66 Newport and he became a Mopar guy after that. Kept that Newport for 20 years and took excellent care of it. Sold it to his brother-in-law who was a die hard Chevy guy. My uncle Joe said he always loved that car from the first time he saw us drive up in 1966. He kept it for several more years and sold it to a guy he worked with because the guy just wouldn't stop bugging him wanting to buy it. Thanks for the memories.
My mom had a 1973 Plymouth Duster with a slant six. I always loved the sound of the "Highland Park hummingbird." I read that it was developed originally with the 1962 B body engine compartment in mind for the V8 engines.
Well, that floating dash mounted compass certainly brings back memories for me. My grandfather always had it mounted on his cars. Particularly a 1979 Plymouth Horizon comes to mind.
I had a '72 Plymouth Satellite 4 door when I lived in Minneapolis I bought it back in 1987 for only $600 and it only had 78,000 miles on it, It had the 318 motor. When I first got it, it had to turn over a few times before it would start, so I bought a complete Accel plug wire set, spark plugs, distributer cap and points, installed everything and checked the timing with a timing light, It started up on the first turn of the key with the starter motor barely turning a revolution, then I put brand new oil and filter and air cleaner filter, it ran like a watch. you could practically balance a nickel on it's side on the air cleaner, I had to park it outside in the alley so I used a magnetic oil pan heater for the sub freezing winter weather and when I had to go to work at 6 AM the car would start immediately every time.
Sure it brings back memories. As a kid I'd pump the pedal before parents got into the car so I could hear that sound for even longer as they had to clear the flooded engine. I remember well. You knew what the domestic maker was just because of the starter sounds...Ford and GM sounding different as well.
I love that starter sound, instantly recognizable. My dad could work on any kind of car, I first heard about the Mopar ballast resistor in the early 1970's from him.
My father had a '68 Chrysler Town & Country Wagon, and a '70 Plymouth Suburban wagon; both had distinctive starter sounds. They were beautiful cars, superbly comfortable and stylish.
When I was young and green with cars, I bought a '75 Chrysler by Chrysler (Australian model) with the 360 V8. I thought something was wrong with the starter because it was fairly slow and sounded different to other cars. I ended up dismantling it and rebuilding it completely so it was like new. Imagine my disappointment when I found that it sounded exactly the same! I just didn't realise other starters weren't reduction drive. I came to appreciate the sound and any time I hear it, memories of old Mopars come flooding back.
I had a 1969 GTX 440 and I loved the sound of the starter. Music to my ears. It had a distinct sound no matter where you were. You could hear someone else start their Mopar a block of two away, and you knew that sound belong to a...... Loved it!!
I remember when my dad traded his 60 Windsor for a 66 New Yorker when I was a kid. The first time I heard the starter on that 440 it sent chills up my spine. I was treated to that sound right up through young adulthood as my dad's next car was a 69 New Yorker and then a 72 Imperial, which he still had when he passed in 1984.
I love that older American luxury cars had a low rumbling engine sound. A quiet cabin is nice, but that low engine frequency is great. I drive a Cadillac DTS with the Northstar V8, and it’s one of the last Cadillacs with that sound.
Mopar electronic ignition was 1st optional in 1971 for performance engines, std on Hemi. They were std for 73 on for all engines. I love the old Humming Bird starter, as big and heavy as it is, and have 1 on my 79 Chrysler 300 just because I love that sound!
Are you sure about that? "First to develop a mainstream electronic ignition was Chrysler. Introduced in May 1971 on 340 manual powered cars, it became a regular OPTION on some 1972 Chrysler products. For 1973, all Chrysler products had the new Electronic Ignition System (EIS) as standard equipment." May 14, 2019 This is the way I remembered it happening. Up until that time, most High Perf Mopar engines used Prestolite dual point distributors.
I've got those Hummingbird starters on both my Mopars and that sound never gets old. Interesting that you mentioned the ballast resistor as mine just went out in my '80 Duster. The last one made it 15 years. I keep a spare in the trunk now along with a voltage regulator. My Mopars get driven up to 500 miles a week so I'm happy that they're such reliable cars
Most Chrysler starters that fail are an easy fix. Simply rotate the copper main cable bolt or replace it. In my near 90 years I’ve owned many automobiles, the absolute best was the 65 New Yorker. It made 5 cross country trips to the east coast and didn’t know there was a hill or curve in either direction, 17 mpg was the average for these trips and she wasn’t babied.
The gear reduction starter in my '73 Coronet, as often as not, was roll it down the hill, pop the column-shifter up to second, and pop the clutch. I remember having to pop the hood and prop the choke open with a screwdriver and use a barbecue fork across the starter contacts. I also remember the voltage regulator went out with astounding frequency, like once or twice a month. Still remember the serial number because every time I would go in to buy any replacement part the guy behind the counter would ask: WL41G3A273522.
I had a 65 Plymouth Barracuda and lived in Minnesota where winter temp could and often did get to -27deg F My car sat outside and always started. My Dad always had Chryslers and you got to hear the sound of the starter. I remember watching a TV cop show and the policemen got in a car, you could not see the whole car but just the doors as they got in. When they started the car I said that's a Chrysler. My brother said how do you know. I told him by the sound of the starter. As this car drove off, I was right it was a Chrysler or Dodge.
I always remember the difference in noise the Chrysler starter made, it was a higher note whine - but always started as I recall. I just never knew why that was so. Thanks for your answer! Wasn't Chrysler the first to use the "Alternator" while everyone else had the "Generator"? A great improvement.
I can tell a car from tge 70's when I hear it start. Also the Buick 3800's. I think the 39 Chrysler is perhaps the best blend of 30's into 40's styling. The 39 Buick was pretty advanced styling. I wouldn't change a functional part on a car for the sake of upgrading. That often doesn't work out as intended. Of all the canted headlight cars I think that Chrysler carried it off the best. The ballast resistor: if you mount it with a space between firewall and it the air gap behind it will make them last forever. I only spaced it out a quarter of an inch.
My dad's 1968 Polara and later my 1975 Dart. When I bought my '75 brand new, I quickly went down to the local NAPA store & bought an Echlin ballast resistor. I never had to use it on my own car but rescued several people over the years with the classic, "crank / no start" symptom. I'd plug in the new resistor that and - viola'! I always told them to go to the parts store and buy TWO units - one to replace the one I gave them and the other for their own spare. 🙂
My 1939 Morris 8 had electric wipers.Two knobs protruded from the dash which let you engage one or both wipers which were electric and also enabled you to lower the wiper below the windscreen to allow the windscreen to be opened for ventilation. Rolls Royce had a similar electric system before 1936.
American car brand Duesenberg had 4 valves per cylinder and dual overhead camshafts on their straight 8 cylinder engine as early as 1928 🤣😁❗ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duesenberg_Straight-8_engine
Oh yeah I love that sound. That brings back memories. There is something special about that sound. I had a friend who’s parents always had Big Chryslers with Big block 440 s. The Chryslers had such a nice ride. My first new car was a 1977 3/4 ton Dodge van with a 360. It sounded like that. I thought I was the only one to notice the unusual sound. I sure didn’t know there was a name for it. That sure sparked a good memory for me. Thanks man.
Amazing, a nearly fifty two year old car did not even crank two seconds, ice cold and ran smoothly and sounds great. GOD, how the automotive industry has lost its way.
It's because he kept the car tuned properly, used better sparkplugs and ballast resistors. Otherwise it would have been harder to start than a GM or Ford of the same era. Chrysler's new engineering technology still had bugs.
All car companies are even more innovative than ever, but the basics have already been developed. It's the little things now, like all the development on the Hemi, like the intercooler that uses the air conditioning to get the air really cold, to cranking out the Demon which can do a wheelie, stock, to breaking a thousand horsepower in a mass produced car.
I remember back in the 60's. A guy started a very nice 59 Ford Country Sedan and it sounded like a Cryco starter when he fired it up. I asked him about it and he smiled and opened the hood. He swapped the original power train with a 383 and 727 Torqueflite. It looked like it was factory installed by the high quality of the workmanship. Yes you could tell a Chrysler starter 500 feet away. 8:07
Gosh this instantly brings back memories. That dash and the fan noise at idle, too. First car back in high school was a 15-year-old '75 Plymouth Valiant with the 318 (that never started this well in cold NE Ohio)... I can't get enough of these fuselage cars. 👍🏻
Grew up with a 68 Plymouth and a 71 Dodge. You never forget the sound of a Mopar starter motor. Back in the mid 90's I had a starter go on a Mercury Sable. I swear they replaced it with a Mopar starter because the replacement had that same sound. The 68 Plymouth had those same massive accelerator and brake pedals.
I have owned many Mopars throughout my life (I’m 66 years old) my favorite being a 1970 300, and love the old starter sound, your ‘72 started fairly quickly, especially on a cold morning..
My Dad had a 68 and a 73 Plymouth bought new and we never had a Ballast Resistor go bad. Baby Brother got the 68 and drove it well into the late 70s and I got the 73 and drove it until 82. The only issue I had with the 360 V-8 was the crossover passage coking up causing the automatic choke to quit. Dad had added a manual choke to fix that issue, I replaced the manifold with a 4 barrel manifold and had no further issues. Sold the car as I was moving to a vehicle inspection state and it was rusting out.
That was a common problem with the 2 barrel 360 intakes. It also caused a stumble that no amount of tuning would get rid of. Removal and chiseling out the carbon was the only cure.
I grew up in a primarily Ford family, but we had relatives who had Mopars, and we had neighbors across the street that were a big Mopar family. I also had a good friend down the street whose parents had a late 60s Belvedere wagon for many years. I'm very familiar with that Mopar starter sound. It always reminded me of Dino on the Flintstones, when he went out to great Fred when he came home. The Mopar starter sounds a lot like Dino's bark. The guy that installed an old Mopar starter on his 90s era Dodge Ram is Tyler of Tyler's Forgotten Car Rescue. He's been known to buy and work on a lot of 60s and 70s Mopars. He's also discussed the movie "Duel" in several of his videos.
I worked as a Chrysler tech in the early 90s. The old humming bird would outlast the 88- up Nippondenso which were still very costly at the time. A young Dakota pickup owner was complaining of the cost and I told him to get the old style one for a 87 and he did 50 bucks reman. Worked fine and he liked the retro sound.
Many Nippondenso starters get replaced just because there's a bad connection at the terminal leading from the solenoid to the actual starter motor. I used to run alot of demo derbies, and always ran Chrysler big blocks (usually a 400), and always used a modern Nippondenso starter on them so they would spin faster. I do love the old Chrysler starters for highway use though.
@@johneckert1365 Yeah many of the nippondenso starters that just click intermittently just need 20 bucks worth of copper contacts replaced in the solenoid. Our shop bought an assortment kit for 139.00. Comes with the plungers that push the drive out too. Fixed the Denson starter on my Harley too. Lol
I drove a 1971 Chrysler Newport with a 383 cubic inch engine. It was a wonderful car! Yes, I remember very well the sound of the gear reduction starter. As my car aged, it took much longer to crank than your '72 New Yorker giving more time to enjoy the distinctive sound of the gear reduction starter! A friend had a '64 Newport with the same starter.
About 1976 a neighbor on the east side of Detroit had the same color car as yours - a 1972 Newport. On a cold morning it would crank and crank to get running. You can never get that sound out of your head. It’s horrible but I wouldn’t change it as it defined an era and was the sound of stranded motorists everywhere.
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1970 Fury III. I was 12, and given the honor of 'starting the car to warm it up' for my Dad before work. I would head out to the detached garage, pull open the garage door, and jump in the car, making notice of the ignition key light that semi lit up the Key lock. Having to make sure the key was upside down to push into the ignition, I would pump the gas pedal twice, turn the key and hear that familiar whine followed by the 318 coming to life. I would then sit in the driver's seat, turn on the parking lights, rear window defogger (on high) and admire the beauty of the lit dashboard dreaming of the day I would be old enough to drive. That was a good car, and a great dad.
That starter sound nearly brought up some old MOPAR memories, but it didn’t crank long enough to get the true starter sound that I remember. Most of the old MOPARs that I remember usually took a lot longer to start than the well-maintained vehicles that Adam demonstrates here-including the one with the frosty roof!😊
YUP! I have a very distinct memory of my uncle starting up my great aunt's Dodge Dart Swinger and him commenting on how that car's starter would always spin the engine for so long before it would fire, probably about 8 revolutions easy from the sound of it! She traded it for a Ford Fairmont, not a bad car for its time but certainly lacking in character compared to the old Dodge! Had other family and friends that had Chrysler products and always thought at the time they sounded unrefined and almost comical compared to Ford and GM, but now hearing Adam start this car it's like chicken soup for the soul! :)
Ree ree ree ree...Vroom!
Ree ree ree ree...Vroom!
It was the best starter in its day but Chrysler had the worst starting engines especially in cold weather. The Japanese had a similar one used in Toyota. Then came the one, I believe from Nippondenso, with planetary reduction gears which was an even better design but it didn't have the unique sound.
On a real cold day, -5, I would step on the gas pedal slowly 4 times, turn the key and my 69 383 would fire on the first hit!
Used to laugh when cop shows made by Universal in the 70's used the sound effect of a Chrysler gear reduction starter for every single car they showed on screen regardless of what make it was.
I sold Chrysler parts in the 1970s. To this day I can remember the part number 3874767 for the 4 post ballast resistor. Even if a car had a 2 post resistor, we would convince them to get a 4 post with 2 of the posts as spares. I always loved the unique sound of a Chrysler starter motor. Your 1972 New Yorker is amazing.
I loved that sound too!
Except the resistance is different for the two sets of posts.
Oh the ballast resistors.. need to keep a couple for an emergency $3 breakdown. Had many Chrysler products in my day. Only car my favorite person (my papa) would drive.
Only real issue I ever had was when I was 18 (1980) my 1970 Newport Custom w/ 383 would eat starters on a fairly regular basis ( 5 in a year and a half). Got so good at changing them that I could lay on the ground and do purely by feel, and fast. Ahh the good old days. 😊
@@guylaraway6102 yes that's true, but at least it would get you home.
put some curb feelers on it
I'm an old guy.I remember the time you could identify a car by just the start up sound. Oh well,,what a shame.
The auto industry is very homogeneous A lot of parts in modern cars are all produced by a small handful of companies things like transmissions steering racks electronics or often uniform or there's not many options which is why everything feels the same ultimately it is more efficient and saves money but it feels the same
Ah, yes. The Slant 6, whether it was in a 77 Plymouth or a 94 Jeep.
My grandad used to work as a mechanic's apprentice in England in the early 50's and he told me he could recognise cars by the sound of their transmission!
Also, can you remember the Chevy idle sound....like the old 283.
@@rogermignone9850 My stepdad's dad and my grandad loved the 283, they both said it was GM's best engine. I've always loved the idle of those classic V8s❤️🇨🇦
Yeah, I remember that sound. In fact, if you were a car guy you could tell the difference between, MoPar, Delco and Autolite starters by the sound they made. But without a doubt, the MoPar was the most distinctive.
Absolutely, and it was a great sound!
Yes that brings back memories. I was a kid in the 60's and 70's and you could hear a Chrysler start from a block away.
Yes, and it was a tremendous sound!
Yes, to some it was music to others it was mayhem!
It does bring back memories. You could always tell when a Chrysler vehicle started. Drove a 1966 Dodge Polara for many years. That was a time when you could work on the car, without having to spend 30 minutes just to get to the engine to work on it.
This was a great summary of some of Chrysler's innovations! And I love the phrase "the Highland Park Hummingbird" -- so evocative. It always brings back memories of my parent's '67 Monaco. The floor mats in that New Yorker are wild -- so appropriate for the time.
My parents had 66 and 71 Monacos. The 71 was nice, but that 66…. We loved that car!!
I learned to drive in my dad’s 1973 Plymouth Fury III, 318 2bbl about 45 years ago. That starter sound is indelibly etched into my mind, especially if it didn’t start immediately. Hearing it always brings me back. 🥰
Yes yes Redhook! Absolutely if it didnt catch for a couple seconds that was even better. 😅 My dad had a ‘63 Valiant. Even when I make it to the Memory Care unit, I hope that I can at least remember that sound.
Growing up in a staunchly MOPAR household throughout the 80s and 90s, my family regularly had older Chryslers 'in the fleet' at any given time - from the seemingly mundane ('78 Cordoba, '80 Diplomat, '82 Mirada) to the exciting ('69 Cornet 500, '71 Charger R/T). The "Highland Park Hummingbird" was definitely part of my life sound track; it's permanently, fondly imprinted in my memory! Thanks for the great video, Adam!
Yes, yes, yes! Thanks Adam. It never gets old. I remember that sound from childhood in my Dad's '64 Dodge Phoenix (in Australia) and then, to less effect, the '73 Chrysler by Chrysler. I now have a '77 New Yorker Brougham. I suspect it might have the earlier starter as it definitely has the Highland Park Hummingbird sound. Pure bliss!
And my dad's 1967 and 74 Plymouth Furys and 1979 Chrysler LeBaron.
I’d love to have a 75-78 New Yorker, especially the Brougham with the St. Regis package.
Highland Park Hummingbird Memories:
My granddad's 1968 Plymouth Fury III Wagon, 4bbl 383 (300 HP), towing package, 1968-73
My dad's 1973 Plymouth Satellite Wagon, 2bbl 318, 1973-79
My dad's 1972 Newport, 2bbl 400, 1983
My 1973 Chrysler Newport Custom, gold coupe, 2bbl 400, 1985-87 (first car)
My two brown 73 Newports, 2bbl 400, 1992-96 and 1996-98
My 1966 Newport, 2bbl 383, June-December 1998 (my favorite of all my giant tanks, Bosch Platinums really perked her up, from 9 to 13 MPG on the street without touching anything else)
You see all kinds of videos about the memorable ways engines snort, but this is the first one I've seen about a starter sound. But what a sound.
The Highland Park Hummingbird is sweet music to my ears!! :-) My folks '63 Newport introduced me to the "sound" and it remains a comforting sound anytime I hear it. Thanks Adam!!🥰
I used to work for my Stepfather in his auto electric shop in the summers rebuilding starters and alternators. The Mopar gear reduction starter (the alternators as well) were far and away the most durable starters out of any manufacturer.
We had a 68 Coronet with a slant six, never had a problem with the starter cold or hot. Actually the sound was a bit more distinctive probably because of the cheaper, less insulated model.
Your correct. The sound certainly is more distinctive and audible. The starter is fully exposed on the side of the slant 6 as opposed to under the V8. We had a few slants too. Dee dee dee .....
@@richceglinski7543Super easy starters to change on those slant 6 👍
@@johneckert1365But, they were harder to work on once you got into them.
@@n.mcneil4066 good point
I went to great lengths to have my original starter for my 67 Coronet rebuilt, it had never been touched, so it was perfect, and I didn’t want the details on the aluminium housing to be destroyed by blasting. The guy got the message and got it done, perfectly. That sound is part of my DNA.
Adam, my first vehicle was an eleven year old 1968 New Port Custom with a 383 and always liked the gear reduction starter melody. My New Port is now a distant memory, but to commemorate my 63rd birthday I purchased a 14,000 mile 1971 New Yorker, now I can relive the unique starter and 440 performance. As always your presentations never disappoint 👍.
I'm 63 too and love the sound of the starter.
Wow. What a car you found ! 71 New Yorker. Practically zero miles. The last year of good compression and tons of earth pounding torque. My folks had one for a long time, the most boring tan, black top. Split 50/50 seats and recliner passenger, power driver, cruise, tilt wheel, forget now if it telescoped. Rather surprised manual windows and just AM radio. Is unexplainable how long it took an affordable upgrade of FM to become popular when AM was such crappy sound, especially in a thunderstorm. Way back when, it passed two semis into the dark of night, up down hills by Sioux City. The 4 lane was ending and figured the semis would grind slower up each bigger hill. So, zipped around them, guessed 85/90. Got around just as 4 lane ended and glanced down, didn’t see a needle. Yikes. Back off that accelerator ! Had no idea top end and didn’t want to. Love that starter sound indeed ! Reminds me of childhood and could tell a whole block away, when MOPAR was cranking up. The bodies might have been a little tinny, but all of their drivetrains could take a lickin and keep on for 200,000 miles. 340 4 bbl and 383 4 bbl also were special good performance engines. GM and Ford guys used to dump considerable $$$ into beefing up their motors and stock comparable sized MOPARS would beat them. Enjoy your baby !! If hard starting, gas boil hot, flood, then not enough in bowl cold, I found adding an approx 3/8” thick heat insulator spacer under the carb did wonders. Just had to lengthen the choke rod by that same 3/8” or so. Bought spacer from some performance parts catalogue.
Ford and Chevy guys used to say Chryslers were crying not to start, because of their starter’s sound. If I owned a Chrysler product from back in the day, I would never change out that starter.
Really great ! So many of us have this sound imprinted in our heads. One cool Chrysler fact is that the 1962 year was actually a re-introduction of the Chrysler gear reduction starter. Late 1920's Chryslers had an earlier 6 volt version, probably dropped for cost cutting in the 1930's, like when their flathead sixes regressed from 7 main bearings in the 1920's to 4 mains from the 1930s on.
International trucks also had a gear reduction starter with a Bendix drive on their larger Red Diamond engines.
Dads ‘63 Valiant starting up. And especially when the motor didn’t quite catch for a couple of seconds. Loved it. Even the rattling sound of the starter still spinning after the solenoid retracted, you could hear it spin down. All classic as heck!
That was a great sound! Loved it!
We had many of those big block mopars back in the 70s and 80s. Yours has that begging "turn me loose" sound to it that other engines failed to match. That was a very quick start. Chrysler Engineering back after ww2 was so good other car makers domestic and overseas sent their engineers to Chrysler for training. Lovely NYer you have there. My dad bought his doctor's NY back in 1974 for $2000, had the 440 but because of the oil crisis he went to a more economical car, dad didn't care about the gas, he just thought he would never own a car alike that but when it came up he went right in. His was a 2 door, 1972. Those big cars back then gave rides no modern car can match, as those big cars absorbed the worst of the bumps and were very quiet.
You got that rite! 😉👍
I think Hollywood used this starter sound for all cars starting, or at least the Mopar police cars in Adam-12.
Yeah that Chrysler started like a General motor can 😊
Yes they did and they also used the 327 Chevy.
Funny part was when you watch some of these old TV shows especially kojak which I recently saw and had to laugh one of the episodes they jumped into a Buick century and it was a Mopar starter🤣🤣
That was one of my long-running pet peeves a generic car starter no matter what brand they took a bunch of car nuts to realize that's not the right one
Just like when it came to big trucks too they would use the two-cycle Detroit Diesel for everything revving away even if it was a cat or cummins
@@truckerkevthepaidtourist Hollywood needs an expert! Mopar starter on Kojak's Buick Century is just plain wrong!
And if you listen closely, on Emergency....Squad 51's early 70s Dodge truck always had that startup sound.
I certainly remember that sound. Does anyone remember the sound of the turn signal flasher on these. Ding-ka ding-ka ding-ka. I wish you would have mounted your camera outside so we could really hear the starter. Keep the videos coming. They're fantastic. You have a great fleet of cars.
My first collectible was a 1968 Chrysler New Yorker 2 door with a 440 V8. Loved, loved, loved the sound the starter made when it started! Thank you, Adam!
Loved when it took a few tries!
So weird! My dad loved Chryslers and in 'the early 70's he had a black '66 300 convertible that I loved too. And I ALWAYS remembered that starting sound and have ALWAYS listened for it in every car I've ever owned. To me, THAT'S what a starter is supposed to sound like, but I just didn't put all the pieces together until this video. Hearing that sound again was a trip down memory lane.
@MarkAllen60 I loved that sound better than any other!
My dad was definitely a Chrysler man. The sound of a Chrysler start-up was always unique and I could recognize one with my eyes closed, but I never knew the technical reasons behind it. Now I do! Great video.
The legendary Chrysler starter with the "No, no, no.. vroom" sound! Brings back many many memories! Love it!
I worked at an independent repair shop in Napa that did a lot of Mopar from that vintage, this certainly brought me back, especially the beautiful New Yorker at the end.
And yes, we did get a car from time to time with a failed ballast resistor on a tow truck - If the customer was even halfway mechanically savvy they'd leave with a spare in the glovebox :)
Thanks for a great video!
I've NEVER heard of a "ballst resistor," and my Dad had a few Mopars-'75 Dodge Monaco, '70 Plymouth Duster(😱), '73 Chrysler wagon of some sort, memory eludes me. But no, never have... 🤷🙎
Your New Yorker is gorgeous! The only cars my Dad bought were Chrysler and his Company car was always a Chrysler. My Mother liked the Plymouth Sport Fury, her favorite, which they still own is a 1966 Plymouth Fury VIP four-door hardtop with all the options including standard fender skirts. The car is beautiful, all original with less than 45,000 original miles on the odometer.
We started with the 1964 Chrysler Newport my dad bought new. , with its wonderful geareduction starter, then a 68 Fury😊, 70 Newport, 72 Plymouth suburban, and many more mopar iterations. Great cars with their own unique features.
I'm a lifelong Mopar guy and worked as a starter & alternator rebuilder at a combination auto junkyard, dealer, and body shop. Paid for my gas and food while going to trade school to be an automotive mechanic
Such a unique starter sound. I always loved that startup sound. I also like the "cold" light and would go away when the engine reached operating temperature.
I always loved that too!
The whole sound of a big block Chrysler, not just the starter, is incredibly rich and glorious. Nothing quite like it.
The Ballast Resistor was very reliable in my experience. Our 72 Dart had its original still in place when it was scrapped in 1985. Even at -40, we never had any issue with the starter motor in any of our cars, even one with a quarter million miles on it.
You scrapped the 72 Dart in 85? Why would you get rid of a still reliable car?
My 440 Charger starter never failed. Car would start right up with a Holley 850 and dual point ignition.
Did have a ballast resistor fail though and it did have me stumped for a few hours.
Super cheap and easy to replace back then.
That sound brings back memories from my childhood. My parents drove a 1972 Plymouth Fury and I remember imitating the sound of it starting while biting my lower lip. Also of note were the sounds of the belt squealing while revving and the headlight doors slamming shut when turning off the headlights.
I imitated that sound too! Loved it!
Yeah, I had a '76 New Yorker w/HideAway headlites (🤭) and those lil doors DID slam shut, dint they? Like they were pissed you expised thm to rain, snow, etc... 🤔😏😂🤣
My grandparents had a 64 Dart, and later a 68 Fury....and they had both way into the late 70's....I remember that starter sound very well....thanks for the nostalgic trip.
I just loved that high pitched warble of the Chrysler starters. You could identify a MoPar car without even seeing it when you heard it engage. I found myself hoping I could get a swap out for my Chevy with that starter, but of course it wouldn’t fit. You should have swapped out a bad ballast on your New Yorker so it would turn over longer. Your car is so well tuned that the engine didn’t complete a full revolution.
@fensterlis I couldn’t agree with you more. Greatest sound ever!
When they are tuned right, the old starter will spin the mill to life in about 1/2 to 3/4 crank.
They make aftermarket gear reduction starters from companies like Tilton but aftermarket parts are always suspect.
@@jeffrobodine8579 shit.... OEM parts suspect these days..........
I’ve NEVER, EVER heard a Chrysler start that quickly when cold until they switched to fuel injection. And I live in North Florida. If the temperature dropped below around 50F, that gear reduction starter got a workout 😂. It was even worse with the slant 6. As a kid, while waiting for the bus on winter mornings, I looked forward to the 5 minute ritual of my neighbor starting and finally driving her approx 1967 Dodge dart with the manual transmission. That high pitched starter whine would keep my 10 year old self entertained. Start, stall, start stall, backfire through the carburetor, stall, start rev up for a few minutes, then finally take off backfiring at each shift until finally hitting its stride just as it got almost beyond earshot. I think her choke didn’t work. Years Later I repeated a similar ritual with my brother’s hand me down 1967 dodge coronet slant 6. Never did fix the choke. But I was able to pat the accelerator quickly and only stall a few times. We also had a driveway and could get a good speed by the time I entered the road. We also had a 1969 170 engine Valiant and a 1976 Cordoba 400. All had a morning ritual. But none matched the extended ritual of our neighbor.
😂😂😂 … It’s so funny because it’s so true …
I've never heard a Chrysler cold start that quickly in the winter either. Brand new they didn't start that quickly under those conditions...😄😅🤣
Music to my ears...that starter sound and the rumble of the 440!
My Uncle always said that Chrysler was the only car to own because it was designed by engineers. He drove Chrysler New Yorkers all his life, his last being the fuselage-shaped Coupe that almost looked like a pickup truck.
What year was that? 🤔
Walter Chrysler's vision was the best engineering. That is the reason Chrysler exists.
@@bobbyhunt7010 Yeah, unfortunately, being the first of its kind means it has bugs to be fixed - fortunately they fixed them by the 80s.
Oh yes, that brings back memories. We had many a mopar in the family from 1967-1982. Darts, Dusters, Furys & VIPs.
Yes, I remember the sound well and love it! My first 2 cars were MoPar cars: 63 Dodge Dart Convertible and a 75 Plymouth Valiant. Both had that starter sound with the slant 6 in each. Thanks, Adam!
Reminds me of one of my friend’s cars in high school. I believe it was a ‘73 Sport Fury (It was called Big Red). The whine of the starter was interesting, as I was used to sound of my Chevy starter. It also had that great Chrysler A/C, which you could hang a side of beef in to keep it cool.
Loved the sound of that starter!
I remember keeping extra ballast resistors in the 70's for my Dodge Darts. Changed a few of them back then on the fly. Maybe 5 minutes tops. Everyone who owned a Dodge/Chrysler back then knew about it.
One high school friend of mine was given his grandfather's Plymouth Volare as his first car and one time when we were working under the hood I made the mistake of touching that ballast resistor on the firewall while it was running--YYYYEEEEOOOOWWWWW!!!! ("Oh, yeah, I should've warned you not to do that", my friend then said....) I think I know why they fail LOL, they get too frickin' HOT!!! 😆🤬
@@terrybeavan4264
Just WHAT motivated you to touch it in the first place??? 😏🤭🫣
@@MattGuzman-ng2yx Wondered if it got warm LOL! :D
I have a 74 Dodge Dart and the humming bird is staying right where it is. I love that sound. That was brilliant that the guy with the Ram Pickup truck put an old starter in it so he could hear the sound, full props that shows commitment.
Don’t forget also that Chrysler was the first to introduce the alternator on the 1960 valiant. This was a significant improvement over the generators that other manufactures were using at the time. Interestingly, the Chrysler gear reduction starter was developed to enable the use of a smaller amperage battery while still being able to turn over the large V-8‘s at the time such as the 440 and high compression 426 for example. With the ballast resistor mounted on the firewall it wad subject to water running over it causing it to fail.
We always cut a piece of sheet metal, poke a hole in it, mount under the ballast and fold it over. Rain won't drip on it.
As a auto electrician in Australia in the mid 80’s to early 90’s. I hardly ever repaired Chrysler alternators, starter motors and electronic ignitions. 🦘🇦🇺 for local content some of the later models had Email (brand) and Bosch alternators.
Your comments on the REASONS for the gear reduction starter and ballast resistor failure was what I was hoping for in this video, but was denied. I had heard these reasons before, but was looking for confirmation. As sometimes happens, the comments section is as good as, or better than the video.
The gear reduction starters always worked well for me. I’ve owned a number of late 60’s and early 70’s mopars, both big and small blocks. These starters had a lot of torque and required less current than their direct drive counterparts. The downside was the engine turned over a bit slower.
And waking the neighbors at 5:30 in the morning...
@@rayhope7957 how did you know? Were you my neighbor 😂
I was the kid with the hard to start slant six waking neighbors up...@@ginamiller6015
@@ginamiller6015
😅😂🌞🐓📣
I loved that slow wind up - kinda like airplane radial engines first wind ups
My father was devoted to Chryslers and I still own my first new car, a 1973 Dodge Challenger. She’s being mechanically restored now and I am ready to hear her distinctively charming start up noises again.
Wow you’re the original owner of a ‘73 Challenger? You really should make some videos about it.
I LOVE seeing old cars still owned by the original owner, and can’t remember seeing such a ‘72-74 Challenger before.
It particularly interests me because I’ve owned my ‘74 Challenger since ‘97. It has unfortunately been sitting for far too many years waiting for me to restore it like you are.
@@jpjautotech7622
You need to give us an update on your car, as well! 👍
Of course the starter sound and the light package that lit up the key and put extra turn signal indicators on the front fenders. My 73 Dodge Dart Swinger.
It does big time. My parents had a 62 Chrysler like the red one shown. We haven't had that car since November 1972, thanks to a drunk driver. Fifty plus years later, the sound of the car starting brings back many happy memories from back then.
Memories indeed. Always knew when dad or mom started our car. Such a distinctive sound.
By the way, we never had problems with ballast resistors. We had five cars and trucks of vintages from 1964 to 1977. Then again, we lived in balmy San Diego.
So thats what I call the "starter wail" of the mopar starter. We had a 68' Valiant with the slant six and it had this same type of starter. You could always tell a mopar by this peculiar starter wail. You are also right about its popularity, cause I also love its sound. In those days you could tell brands apart by their starter's sound.
Honestly, at times you can tell a car by that nowadays, too. I can usually tell a Ford F150 (or similar) circa 2010 apart based on the starter noise. Probably just because my parents have one and I know that sound very well, but still.
@@Myriadys some Fords you can tell too. I bet it starts like my 94' GT 5.0
I loved that!
100%!
I've owned several Mopars of that era and that is a very familiar sound. Dad was a Buick guy until he bought a brand new '66 Newport and he became a Mopar guy after that. Kept that Newport for 20 years and took excellent care of it. Sold it to his brother-in-law who was a die hard Chevy guy. My uncle Joe said he always loved that car from the first time he saw us drive up in 1966. He kept it for several more years and sold it to a guy he worked with because the guy just wouldn't stop bugging him wanting to buy it. Thanks for the memories.
My mom had a 1973 Plymouth Duster with a slant six. I always loved the sound of the "Highland Park hummingbird." I read that it was developed originally with the 1962 B body engine compartment in mind for the V8 engines.
I miss my old mopars..
I remember the "cold" light well. Must have been a "thing" for awhile, as my '65 Galaxie, '67 Newport, and '67 Fury had one
Well, that floating dash mounted compass certainly brings back memories for me. My grandfather always had it mounted on his cars. Particularly a 1979 Plymouth Horizon comes to mind.
I had a '72 Plymouth Satellite 4 door when I lived in Minneapolis I bought it back in 1987 for only $600 and it only had 78,000 miles on it, It had the 318 motor. When I first got it, it had to turn over a few times before it would start, so I bought a complete Accel plug wire set, spark plugs, distributer cap and points, installed everything and checked the timing with a timing light, It started up on the first turn of the key with the starter motor barely turning a revolution, then I put brand new oil and filter and air cleaner filter, it ran like a watch. you could practically balance a nickel on it's side on the air cleaner, I had to park it outside in the alley so I used a magnetic oil pan heater for the sub freezing winter weather and when I had to go to work at 6 AM the car would start immediately every time.
Sure it brings back memories. As a kid I'd pump the pedal before parents got into the car so I could hear that sound for even longer as they had to clear the flooded engine. I remember well. You knew what the domestic maker was just because of the starter sounds...Ford and GM sounding different as well.
I'm in Australia and have owned many Mopars. Yes, I love that starter sound.
I love that starter sound, instantly recognizable. My dad could work on any kind of car, I first heard about the Mopar ballast resistor in the early 1970's from him.
I love the Mopar starter sound in my 1975 Dodge Dart Swinger with the 225 Slant 6 . 🤗❤
That sound was something that about all Chrysler fans loved back in the day.
My father had a '68 Chrysler Town & Country Wagon, and a '70 Plymouth Suburban wagon; both had distinctive starter sounds. They were beautiful cars, superbly comfortable and stylish.
When I was young and green with cars, I bought a '75 Chrysler by Chrysler (Australian model) with the 360 V8. I thought something was wrong with the starter because it was fairly slow and sounded different to other cars. I ended up dismantling it and rebuilding it completely so it was like new. Imagine my disappointment when I found that it sounded exactly the same! I just didn't realise other starters weren't reduction drive. I came to appreciate the sound and any time I hear it, memories of old Mopars come flooding back.
👍 🤭😂🤣 cool!
I had a 1969 GTX 440 and I loved the sound of the starter. Music to my ears. It had a distinct sound no matter where you were. You could hear someone else start their Mopar a block of two away, and you knew that sound belong to a...... Loved it!!
I remember when my dad traded his 60 Windsor for a 66 New Yorker when I was a kid. The first time I heard the starter on that 440 it sent chills up my spine. I was treated to that sound right up through young adulthood as my dad's next car was a 69 New Yorker and then a 72 Imperial, which he still had when he passed in 1984.
@Gary7even There is no sound that was ever better than that!
I love that older American luxury cars had a low rumbling engine sound. A quiet cabin is nice, but that low engine frequency is great. I drive a Cadillac DTS with the Northstar V8, and it’s one of the last Cadillacs with that sound.
I really enjoy your thoughtful and passionate videos. You cover aspects of the automobile industry that most people would never think about!
Mopar electronic ignition was 1st optional in 1971 for performance engines, std on Hemi. They were std for 73 on for all engines. I love the old Humming Bird starter, as big and heavy as it is, and have 1 on my 79 Chrysler 300 just because I love that sound!
Are you sure about that? "First to develop a mainstream electronic ignition was Chrysler. Introduced in May 1971 on 340 manual powered cars, it became a regular OPTION on some 1972 Chrysler products. For 1973, all Chrysler products had the new Electronic Ignition System (EIS) as standard equipment." May 14, 2019
This is the way I remembered it happening. Up until that time, most High Perf Mopar engines used Prestolite dual point distributors.
I've got those Hummingbird starters on both my Mopars and that sound never gets old. Interesting that you mentioned the ballast resistor as mine just went out in my '80 Duster. The last one made it 15 years. I keep a spare in the trunk now along with a voltage regulator. My Mopars get driven up to 500 miles a week so I'm happy that they're such reliable cars
Most Chrysler starters that fail are an easy fix. Simply rotate the copper main cable bolt or replace it. In my near 90 years I’ve owned many automobiles, the absolute best was the 65 New Yorker. It made 5 cross country trips to the east coast and didn’t know there was a hill or curve in either direction, 17 mpg was the average for these trips and she wasn’t babied.
The gear reduction starter in my '73 Coronet, as often as not, was roll it down the hill, pop the column-shifter up to second, and pop the clutch. I remember having to pop the hood and prop the choke open with a screwdriver and use a barbecue fork across the starter contacts. I also remember the voltage regulator went out with astounding frequency, like once or twice a month.
Still remember the serial number because every time I would go in to buy any replacement part the guy behind the counter would ask: WL41G3A273522.
😂 lol! You prolly had them on speed-dial! 🤣
@@MattGuzman-ng2yx I lived a short walk from Alan Kane's Major Dodge which was a block from Enterprise rent-a-car.
That engine is nicely tuned to start that quick! Always loved the sound of a Chrysler starting up.
Also known as the Highland Park hummingbird 😊
Just got my 1964 Chrysler 300 K running again after sitting for 30 years...... HAPPY THANKSGIVING......love your videos... I sent you a "TIP"
I grew up LOVING that sound. It's such a shame that Chrysler ditched that unique sounding starter.
I couldn’t agree with you more!
I had a 65 Plymouth Barracuda and lived in Minnesota where winter temp could and often did get to -27deg F My car sat outside and always started. My Dad always had Chryslers and you got to hear the sound of the starter. I remember watching a TV cop show and the policemen got in a car, you could not see the whole car but just the doors as they got in. When they started the car I said that's a Chrysler. My brother said how do you know. I told him by the sound of the starter. As this car drove off, I was right it was a Chrysler or Dodge.
I always remember the difference in noise the Chrysler starter made, it was a higher note whine - but always started as I recall. I just never knew why that was so. Thanks for your answer! Wasn't Chrysler the first to use the "Alternator" while everyone else had the "Generator"? A great improvement.
They were
The sound of the starter is part of the whole experience of a car. I would not change that.
I could always tell a Chrysler when it started.
Gramps had a 62 Dodge Dart, slant-6, and that starter sound i knew as a child, & could tell the difference blindfolded by sound over dads Buick.
I've always liked the sound of those starters
I have too!!
I can tell a car from tge 70's when I hear it start. Also the Buick 3800's. I think the 39 Chrysler is perhaps the best blend of 30's into 40's styling. The 39 Buick was pretty advanced styling. I wouldn't change a functional part on a car for the sake of upgrading. That often doesn't work out as intended. Of all the canted headlight cars I think that Chrysler carried it off the best. The ballast resistor: if you mount it with a space between firewall and it the air gap behind it will make them last forever. I only spaced it out a quarter of an inch.
My dad's 1968 Polara and later my 1975 Dart.
When I bought my '75 brand new, I quickly went down to the local NAPA store & bought an Echlin ballast resistor. I never had to use it on my own car but rescued several people over the years with the classic, "crank / no start" symptom. I'd plug in the new resistor that and - viola'! I always told them to go to the parts store and buy TWO units - one to replace the one I gave them and the other for their own spare. 🙂
My 1939 Morris 8 had electric wipers.Two knobs protruded from the dash which let you engage one or both wipers which were electric and also enabled you to lower the wiper below the windscreen to allow the windscreen to be opened for ventilation. Rolls Royce had a similar electric system before 1936.
American car brand Duesenberg had 4 valves per cylinder and dual overhead camshafts on their straight 8 cylinder engine as early as 1928 🤣😁❗
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duesenberg_Straight-8_engine
Oh yeah I love that sound. That brings back memories. There is something special about that sound. I had a friend who’s parents always had Big Chryslers with Big block 440 s. The Chryslers had such a nice ride. My first new car was a 1977 3/4 ton Dodge van with a 360. It sounded like that. I thought I was the only one to notice the unusual sound. I sure didn’t know there was a name for it. That sure sparked a good memory for me. Thanks man.
Amazing, a nearly fifty two year old car did not even crank two seconds, ice cold and ran smoothly and sounds great. GOD, how the automotive industry has lost its way.
It's because he kept the car tuned properly, used better sparkplugs and ballast resistors. Otherwise it would have been harder to start than a GM or Ford of the same era. Chrysler's new engineering technology still had bugs.
My 1980 Chrysler has this starter motor. Great sound.
Too bad they still aren't innovative.
Too bad they're no longer American
@@TalismanPHXyes I know Daimler Chrysler Benz then stellantis ruined everything
All car companies are even more innovative than ever, but the basics have already been developed. It's the little things now, like all the development on the Hemi, like the intercooler that uses the air conditioning to get the air really cold, to cranking out the Demon which can do a wheelie, stock, to breaking a thousand horsepower in a mass produced car.
The video I didn’t know I needed! My late father was employee number two at Direct Connection, so I truly grew up in a Mopar household.
I remember back in the 60's. A guy started a very nice 59 Ford Country Sedan and it sounded like a Cryco starter when he fired it up. I asked him about it and he smiled and opened the hood. He swapped the original power train with a 383 and 727 Torqueflite. It looked like it was factory installed by the high quality of the workmanship. Yes you could tell a Chrysler starter 500 feet away. 8:07
Gosh this instantly brings back memories. That dash and the fan noise at idle, too. First car back in high school was a 15-year-old '75 Plymouth Valiant with the 318 (that never started this well in cold NE Ohio)...
I can't get enough of these fuselage cars. 👍🏻
Grew up with a 68 Plymouth and a 71 Dodge. You never forget the sound of a Mopar starter motor. Back in the mid 90's I had a starter go on a Mercury Sable. I swear they replaced it with a Mopar starter because the replacement had that same sound. The 68 Plymouth had those same massive accelerator and brake pedals.
I have owned many Mopars throughout my life (I’m 66 years old) my favorite being a 1970 300, and love the old starter sound, your ‘72 started fairly quickly, especially on a cold morning..
Classic sound
I had a 77 cordoba with a 400 and a 85 van with a 318 . Great vehicles , beautiful memories
Thanks for the video
My Dad had a 68 and a 73 Plymouth bought new and we never had a Ballast Resistor go bad. Baby Brother got the 68 and drove it well into the late 70s and I got the 73 and drove it until 82. The only issue I had with the 360 V-8 was the crossover passage coking up causing the automatic choke to quit. Dad had added a manual choke to fix that issue, I replaced the manifold with a 4 barrel manifold and had no further issues. Sold the car as I was moving to a vehicle inspection state and it was rusting out.
Adam, I like the floor mats in your New Yourker
That was a common problem with the 2 barrel 360 intakes. It also caused a stumble that no amount of tuning would get rid of. Removal and chiseling out the carbon was the only cure.
I grew up in a primarily Ford family, but we had relatives who had Mopars, and we had neighbors across the street that were a big Mopar family. I also had a good friend down the street whose parents had a late 60s Belvedere wagon for many years. I'm very familiar with that Mopar starter sound. It always reminded me of Dino on the Flintstones, when he went out to great Fred when he came home. The Mopar starter sounds a lot like Dino's bark. The guy that installed an old Mopar starter on his 90s era Dodge Ram is Tyler of Tyler's Forgotten Car Rescue. He's been known to buy and work on a lot of 60s and 70s Mopars. He's also discussed the movie "Duel" in several of his videos.
I worked as a Chrysler tech in the early 90s. The old humming bird would outlast the 88- up Nippondenso which were still very costly at the time. A young Dakota pickup owner was complaining of the cost and I told him to get the old style one for a 87 and he did 50 bucks reman. Worked fine and he liked the retro sound.
Many Nippondenso starters get replaced just because there's a bad connection at the terminal leading from the solenoid to the actual starter motor. I used to run alot of demo derbies, and always ran Chrysler big blocks (usually a 400), and always used a modern Nippondenso starter on them so they would spin faster. I do love the old Chrysler starters for highway use though.
@@johneckert1365 Yeah many of the nippondenso starters that just click intermittently just need 20 bucks worth of copper contacts replaced in the solenoid. Our shop bought an assortment kit for 139.00. Comes with the plungers that push the drive out too. Fixed the Denson starter on my Harley too. Lol
I drove a 1971 Chrysler Newport with a 383 cubic inch engine. It was a wonderful car! Yes, I remember very well the sound of the gear reduction starter. As my car aged, it took much longer to crank than your '72 New Yorker giving more time to enjoy the distinctive sound of the gear reduction starter! A friend had a '64 Newport with the same starter.
About 1976 a neighbor on the east side of Detroit had the same color car as yours - a 1972 Newport. On a cold morning it would crank and crank to get running. You can never get that sound out of your head. It’s horrible but I wouldn’t change it as it defined an era and was the sound of stranded motorists everywhere.