The Chrysler 300 letter cars have always been an oddity to me – performance and luxury sound like a great combination, but production numbers were always low. Here’s your chance to scoop one up as this 1964 Chrysler 300K is being offered here on craigslist in Bakersfield, California for $9,750.
The 300 debuted for the 1955 model year as a high-performance personal luxury car. I’ve always liked personal luxury cars – tack-on a “high-performance” descriptor and my interest is piqued. Buyers in those days must not have shared that level of interest with me, because Chrysler built just 16,981 of the 300 letter cars during their 11 consecutive model year run. You can tack-on another 501 produced if you consider the 1970 300H part of the series. The 1964 model year alone accounted for about 21% of total letter car production with 3,022 2-door hardtops and 625 2-door convertibles built.
I don’t know if there are any color breakdowns available for the letter cars, but I feel like especially the J and K are most often seen in white. That non-descript color gives the plain white wrapper effect with unsuspecting power under the hood. The body looks straight and the white paint appears to have life left in it. Those wire wheels play more to the “personal luxury” than “high-performance” description of the car, but I take no issue with them. The seller describes this 300K as “very solid.”
New for 1965 was leather interior moving from the “standard features” list to an option choice. The original buyer of this opted to pay the premium and selected a red color for the finish. There’s some surface wear but, overall, it appears to have well withstood the test of time. There’s no detailed photos of the dash to see its condition. The steering wheel is cracked but the carpet looks clean and shows little wear. Unfortunately somebody has added large speakers to the rear deck. I don’t know if it’s the perspective of the photos, but the full-length center console looks like a behemoth. Power driver seat, power windows, and tilt-wheel offer modern comforts.
Powering the 300K is a 413 cubic-inch V8 producing 360HP. Power is sent to the rear wheels by the optional TorqueFlite automatic transmission. You’ll enjoy mechanical modern comforts too as this car is equipped with power steering and power brakes. The seller says it “runs well.”
I don’t see a lot to not like here. This looks like a complete, original, driving car for less than $10k. It’s equipped with some modern conveniences and packs a decent punch under the hood. Are there any nits you’d pick?
It’s a really nice car and a nice price too. Obviously cherished by mature owners which of course were the primary targets for this kind of vehicle.
I realize the Mopar B-bodies are sought-after, however it’s still a mystery to me how one can still buy a fully usable unmolested top-of-the-heap 2dht Mopar like this letter car at the same price of a ‘restorable’ B-body like the Coronet seen yesterday. This 300K is a muscle cruiser for gents. Extremely nice find! 👍
I completely agree!
The market has not yet recognized these for their collector value.
Perhaps it is the “more mature” styling?
Personally I’d choose to snap this one up for the price, enjoy it as is, & then either keep it or sell it for a profit when the values finally begin to rise to the level of the other vintage Mopars!. :-)
Well Bear I personally hope these will stay under the radar so we don’t end up with gallopping prices on these cars in the future too. If vintage car prices hadn’t skyrocketed there would’ve been enough cars for everyone and any wallet
Nice looking car. Sorry I don’t see any signs of a/c. This was the big brother of my 64 Dodge Dart.
I saw one of these at my first demolition derby around 1970 or so. It beat the living hell out of every car out there. I dont know if it had the vaunted x frame, but it was something to see. When you think back to those times, how many classic cars were ruined that way, just makes me ill. Side note, a derby car caught fire once, and I tore my Fathers rear pocket right off because I was afraid for him. He was quite embarrassed, literally.
Starting in 1960 everything but the Imperial was unibody.
Vance,
Your perception of ruined classics is beyond the centuries of wisdom & knowledge when it comes to demo/derby.
On the Chrysler issues, I find most of the styling, well, boring.
The body design engineers at Chrysler must have been out to lunch, but, the frame and power plant teams where geniuses!
We always referred to Chryslers as “Cluges” and “duds.”
Plymouth of the 60’s, well hell yeah!!
Cool car and you don’t see Ks often even though it was the best seller of the letter series. Problem, though, is they aren’t that much different from the non-letter 300s, especially with the standard 360-horse engine which could be had as an option in the lower-level 300s. Would be more exclusive if it had the optional engine with 2 four barrels or the 4-speed manual with this engine. Even so, at this price hard to go wrong (ditch the wheels, though).
Agree. Nice car. Lose the wheels.
2 4 barrels was not offered on64 300s neither was 4 speed transmissions these cars were never meant to be hotrods their claim to fame was high end highway machines pure and simple,
A `63 Front end apparently on a `64 300K. Headlamp doors & grill are `63.
That is the 64 Grille the 63 had a round 300 emblem on the center of the cross
Nope. The grille is definitely ’64 and the ’64 300s kept the round headlight bezels of the ’63s while the Newport and NYer didn’t.
Tiger,
I’m constantly amazed at guys knowledge of car phacts and details.
A feather, (I spell it pheather) in your cap on this one for being so astute👨🎓
The spectacular 1954 Nash Ambassador Country Club Lemans is rarer than any Chrysler letter car, and rarer than any specific year of letter car.
I’m confused. I see heater hoses that appear to be connected. I also see what appears to be a bypassed core by the passenger hood hinge. Was this an a/c car and that hose is to keep the evap core clean?
nope that means the heater core is leaking. no a/c on this one . or heater either at this point
This car has never had factory A/C.
Great car and great price.
1967, single, good job, ’56 Chevy 4 door – reliable but boring, money to burn, USAF reserve, found a ’59 300 on used car lot near the base, owner shipped to Nam, drove it, it was incredibly fast and comfortable, but the body and interior were beat, so passed, looked at a few ’63 4 door hardtops, which to my sense, were good looking cars, ended up with ’54 Corvette, seller drafted and off to Ft. Dix and scared to death, and ’60 Jag XK 150 S from another serviceman. Reassured Corvette seller that he could get through basic, kept quiet about his chances in Nam. Bargains now due to misfortune of others, like the Depression, and the Vietnam era, and I suspect, the next year of Covid when survival of some necessitates the sale of toys.
I knew a diamond merchant who bought a new 1955 300. He was taking a lady on a ride from San Diego to Reno for a fun weekend. A guy with a new T-Bird tried to play games with the guy with the Chrysler so the guy with the Chrysler put his foot to the floor. When the speedo hit 150 he cruised there as the T-Bird got smaller then disappeared from his rear view mirror. A few miles later he came upon a CalTrooper road block. He framed his ticket for 150 MPH. Spy in the sky got him.
Gorgeous car at a reasonable price. Insure it, drive it and enjoy it.
I could have bought that exact car at a car lot near Seattle, Washington last year for under $6000.00 and or MUCH LESS if I really wanted it. It has it flaws. It is NOT as flashy as it looks in photos. It has had repaired possible rust and body damages on the right rear quarter and possibly elsewhere, if I remember correctly and a at best, a fair repair and repaint.
In 1961 the 383′ with 2 4 barrel Carters on long ram manifolds was available on some Mopars. I had one in my ’61 Dodge Dart Phoenix 2drht. I got in a high end contest with a ’62 Impala. He peaked at 102 and I passed him to about 108, then quit. I could pass anything but a gas station and a tire store.
back in the day (new or few yrs old) the mopwr guys really liked em. Didn’t the company come out w/the name again in early ’00 (lancia thema)?
I bought this car. It needs a few things mechanically, but for the money you’d be hard pressed to find anything else this interesting in decent shape. Car Maybe a 61-63 thunderbird because they sold a ton of them.