To the novice Chrysler enthusiast, the return of the 300 in 1979 might not seem like much more than an attempt for the company to glorify its already luxurious Cordoba a step further on the outside. But those fans who are really in the know revere these somewhat rare cars as a valiant effort to bring back some higher performance into the luxury mix, at least as much as possible considering the dismal period the auto industry was in at the time. This one appears to be a nicely preserved driver, with owner number three living in Rush City, Minnesota, and offering his 1979 Chrysler 300 here on Craigslist at an asking price of $14,500.
Rocco B., thanks for your excellent tip here! The seller says his Mopar is an all-original example that’s only been driven a total of 45,000 miles, a thousand miles per year if I did the math correctly, so with such low travel it’s obviously had some periodic downtime although we don’t get any details regarding the car’s specific history. But a close look at the photos reveals what appears to be a nicely preserved body and finish, and I’m not spotting any obvious signs of rust or other issues outside.
One of the nice features here is that this one’s equipped with T-Tops, always fun to have so long as they’re not leaking on rainy days, and I’m certainly not seeing any corrosion issues around the roof cut-outs where they fit in or any problems with the trim surrounding these areas.
The 300 package wasn’t an inexpensive addition for the Cordoba, costing an extra two grand but it got you some good stuff in terms of performance based on late-seventies standards, including a 360 with a 4-barrel carburetor on top. 195 horsepower may not sound like all that much nowadays, but for ’79 it was actually pretty good plus out back was a 3.23-geared rear end and a more heavy-duty suspension underneath. A set of fresh spark plugs has been recently installed along with a carburetor rebuild, and there’s also a pair of new mufflers.
Ricardo would be proud of how well the red leather has held up inside, and most everything else in there is also still looking well-preserved, leading me to believe the low-mileage claim is probably accurate. Another cool relic is the CB radio mounted under the dash with the antenna still on the trunk lid to complete the experience, although there’s no mention of whether or not it’s still working. What are your thoughts on this 1979 Chrysler 300 and its asking price of $14,500?
Top of the asking price in my opinion but is a nice car. Great on the freeway. A lady that worked at the bar of the gun club I worked at in my younger days insisted her boyfriend at the time buy her a brand new Cordoba at the time and I got to use it a couple of times to go to the liquor store if we ran out of something important and being two of the same. It gave me experience driving them. Would be a nice car to own but not at that price
There’s a Tarantino movie in there somewhere.
Liquor and guns, what could go wrong?
That combination is perfection from the very inception. The entire affair started with a full bottle of 190 proof special reserve Wild Turkey. Smooth as glass with each sip. I, fortunately, had the wherewithal to pack the venerable S&W .44 magnum. A stunning chrome plated hand canon with a proven ability to pierce cast iron and 8th inch plating. Loaded with hollow point high grain bullets courtesy of myself. I made no reservation about my pride in the clearly visible handcrafted ostrich holster gifted to me by my travel companion and trusted advisor Manuel. A former cartel member who was on the run but brought a host of knowledge to the trip. He was trained by the old masters in what many consider “the dying arts” one of which was leather crafting. We were well into our second gallon of the whisky when all the living hell broke loose on highway 9 at just before the 5:00 news. The car was running at peak performance holding steady at 95 mph and straight as an arrow. The platinum plugs clearly benefited the 440 which caused a fantastic explosion within each cylinder that burned every molecule of atomized fuel. The only limitations were my foggy vision and occasional flashbacks from more traumatizing events that plagued my memory. ….
Long live GONZO!!!
😆😄😁😳 That’s a great one SirRaoulDuke! We had some pretty interesting moments.
Looks to be a well-preserved, low-optioned model. T-tops, but no power windows or seats or cruise control, as I have seen on so many of these. And please, take off the hitch in the back.
Actually, my father left the hitch on his 1969 Road Runner after he sold the boat, because it protected the rear end. I remember my sister getting rear ended, with no damage because of that tow hitch !
My buddy was stopped at a red light, when a guy with a Pontiac Sunfire impaled his car on his trailer hitch. Light turns green and my buddy just drives away!
Also hers always had power everything and the stupid trailer hitch even though she never even tied a ribbon on it. Waste of money but hers did come with a radio that had a cb in it. Nothing but the best. I liked her yellow one with a brown half vinyl top. ( behind the t-tops). That one was classy.
Did the trailer hitch have any chrome left on it?
Give me that ’69 convertible mentioned earlier over this one anytime.
Hard pass from a diehard MOPAR guy here. That price is way rich for this little value car. Even in great shape, that price is the top price this would get in any decade to come. So, if you want to pay it, go right ahead. Just drive the wheels off and enjoy. You won’t see Wayne Carini knocking down the door to steal it and resell it at Bonhams in any lifetime.
I had the 1977 Dodge Charger Daytona version of this car. Two tone beige, t-tops, 400ci (truck motor), tan leather, factory AM/FM 8 track, CB radio. It ran a 17.1 1/4 mile and topped out at 111mph.
As another die-hard Mopar guy and the current/original owner of a sunroof version…the price seems a bit high! I’d LOVE it if mine were worth that much, but I’ve seen much nicer ones go for less. Too bad he didn’t spend an hour cleaning up the engine compartment a bit, and that AC compressor isn’t your basic RV2 that was used for years. Hmm. They’re great cars though and I hope it finds a good home. GLWTS!
Looks like dealer installed AC
It’s for sure a sweet ride but the price is a bit rich. At $9.5k – $10.0k I think it’s a fair deal.
Also, I recall the Cordoba of similar vintage carried 400 CI V8. What am I missing that the 300 with a 360 CI mill is the premium priced model?
Only because they were equipped with the E58 Police 360…
We had a 76 Cordoba with the 400ci, it was still a dog, even back then. A spirited cruiser but not a performance car in any form.
Absolutely love it!
Nice looking 300, T tops are fairly rare.
It’s overpriced IMO.. should be around $10-$12K at most. If it had power seats/windows..a bit more.
I owned one back in the early 90’s..it was a beat up daily driver by the time I got it.
The E58 360 ran well though. These 300’s are the last of the B body platform rear wheel drive V8 Mopar’s… from that era.