UPDATE – The seller has decided to lower their reserve significantly! Also, a reader contacted us to let us know that this car might be a rare Pace Setter hardtop! We are doing our own research, so stay tuned for more updates.
UPDATE – The seller took more photos of the various numbers on the car, including the body tag, the radiator number, and the carburetor. You can find the photos in the gallery below!
If a Mopar enthusiast has their sights set on one of the company’s “Letter Series” offerings, many agree that the 1963 300J could be the pick of the bunch. Part of its attraction is its relative rarity, with only 400 buyers parking one in their garage. Our feature car is one of those vehicles and is a rock-solid restoration candidate that runs and drives. Its drivetrain configuration enhances its desirability, making it one of the rarest Chryslers ever built. The owner wants it to find a new home with someone willing and able to recapture its former glory. Therefore, he has listed it exclusively with us at Barn Finds Auctions.
Chrysler offered buyers five standard paint shades to grace the panels of their new 300J, although, as was the practice at the time, a few buyers chose Special Order shades. This car is 1-of-159 where the original owner selected Oyster White. It is a subtle and restrained color that allowed the vehicle to slip under the radar as a genuine sleeper. The paint has seen better days, but that is one of the few negatives with this classic. The baked paint and dry surface corrosion are clear indications that this gem has spent its life in Arizona, as is the lack of significant rust. A small repairable spot in the right lower quarter is visible in the gallery below. Otherwise, this Chrysler retains its original steel and is as solid as the day it rolled off the line. The body sports a couple of dents on the driver’s side, but like the rust, these could be tackled without resorting to panel replacement. The only missing trim piece is a rocker molding on the driver’s side, with the remaining parts suitable for polishing or restoration. This beauty features its original tinted glass, which is in excellent condition. And the seller has a clean Arizona title in hand and is ready to be transferred to the next owner.
The update from the previous year’s 300H brought more than a mere cosmetic restyle to the table with the 300J. Its standard (and only) engine offering was the most powerful to see service under the hood of a “Letter-Series” model. The 413ci V8 inhales deeply through a pair of Carter four-barrel carburetors mounted on a radical cross-ram intake. One change required to accommodate this new intake system was relocating and mounting the brake booster under the fender. The power output of 390hp is impressive, but the 485 ft/lbs of torque was nearly enough to rotate the earth on its axis. What is bolted to the back of this V8 transforms an already rare car into an automotive unicorn. The standard transmission was a three-speed TorqueFlite that fed the ponies to the rear wheels. However, buyers could order their new “J” with a no-cost heavy-duty 3-speed manual transmission and a Sure Grip rear end. Interestingly, this one has a 4-speed. After doing some research, it appears there were a few 4-speed equipped cars built in ’64. It’s entirely possible that this one is a late ’63 that was one of the first cars to receive the 4-speed, but it’s a mystery that’s definitely worth investigating. The seller has provided photos of the transmission and rear numbers. From what little information we could find, this numbers-matching beauty could be 1-of-7 equipped with a manual and the Sure Grip rear end. If it’s a factory 4-speed, then there’s no doubt it was the only ’63 optioned this way. The performance potential is impressive for a vehicle tipping the scales at 4,170 lbs. The journey down the ¼-mile should take about 14.7 seconds, while that beautiful V8 shouldn’t run out of breath until the needle nudges 140mph. The originality and rarity of this car’s drivetrain combination is the first slice of good news, with its mechanical health adding to the attraction. The brakes are new, as are the tires. The owner recently treated the Chrysler to a tune-up, and it runs and drives.
Typically, the same Arizona climate that preserves classic steel can wreak havoc on trim, and this Chrysler has not been immune from those issues. Its Claret Red leather is baked, as are the remaining upholstered surfaces. This aspect of the car requires TLC, but tackling this part of a restoration can be one of the most satisfying undertakings for an enthusiast wishing to be hands-on in their build. The interior is complete, retaining desirable items like the console and pushbutton radio. The parts required to return this interior to its former glory are readily available, and the owner gives the winning bidder a starting point by supplying a new carpet set and a new trunk mat. The original owner accentuated the interior’s luxurious impression by specifying air conditioning and a power driver’s seat.
Owning a 1963 Chrysler 300J is a rare experience that few will experience courtesy of the low production total. Our feature car takes that exclusivity to a higher level due to the original owner’s transmission choice. Defining which category a 300J falls into is challenging because this car offers a perfect blend of performance and luxury. Therefore, it could be considered a genuine Grand Tourer deserving of total restoration. Its solid nature makes it ideal for someone wishing to be hands-on in their build. Could that person be you?
- Location: Prescott, Arizona
- Mileage: 82,345
- Engine: 413ci V8
- Transmission: 4-Speed Manual
- VIN: 8033224407
- Title Status: Clean
Bid On This Auction
desoto1415 bid $9,000.00 2023-06-09 10:50:21
pontiacpat bid $8,300.00 2023-06-06 08:55:51
gr8racer bid $8,200.00 2023-06-06 07:15:19
67INDY bid $8,100.00 2023-06-02 12:56:33- gr8racer bid $8,000.00 2023-05-27 20:43:01
Twayne bid $7,750.00 2023-05-27 07:30:26- gr8racer bid $7,500.00 2023-05-26 20:27:03
W30442 bid $6,850.00 2023-05-26 15:21:31
David bid $4,300.00 2023-05-26 14:57:12
Pikll bid $3,599.00 2023-05-26 14:30:58
Michael D bid $2,800.00 2023-05-26 13:16:52- W30442 bid $2,500.00 2023-05-26 12:21:58
- Michael D bid $600.00 2023-05-26 09:47:13
Corky bid $500.00 2023-05-26 09:22:26
Jergs bid $250.00 2023-05-26 09:22:09
I think I saw this on a flatbed truck yesterday in North Jersey. Am I right?
Prescott Arizona.
Virgil Exner proved, too late, that after his Forward Look excesses he still was capable of a spare, elegant, well-proportioned design. That was the ’63 Chrysler. And after doing the ’63 models, he was let go.
Beautiful rare car. Someone who loves huge, powerful vehicles and has the skill to rehabilitate them will find a great project here.
what got him canned were the ’62 Dodges and Plymouths
The exterior trim on this vehicle is from a standard 1963 Chrysler 300, not a 300J. An internet search for the 300J reveals the only chrome trim runs around the side windows and extends onto the hood to the grill. Standard 300 models have more chrome trim similar to the Newport.
The exterior trim on this vehicle is from a standard 1963 Chrysler 300, not a 300J. An internet search for the 300J reveals the only chrome trim runs around the side windows and extends onto the hood to the grill. Standard 300 models have more chrome trim similar to the Newport.
Could you recheck the VIN? On a 300J it should start with 8433. Thanks.
Dan and Edwin,
I’ve done some serious research on this car and spoken with the owner. Yes, the VIN starts with 8433, so it IS a 300J. No one seems to know why it has some non-J trim. As I mentioned in an earlier message stream on this car, I suspect it may either be a very early example, or a mix-up on the assembly line, both situations were not uncommon for MoPaR factories. The car has all the special J equipment like the remote power brake that appears to have been there from new. The owner also says he’s got the special parts that are not shown in the photos.
I really want this car, my favorite cars all are equipped with big engines, stick shift, and factory A/C [because I live in an area that has 99/99 summer weather [99f temps and 99% humidity]. I’m also partial to big powerful Chryslers and have owned numerous Letter series cars over the past 50 years. Based on the number of J cars, and the rarity of the stickshift, when combined with the rare factory A/C, this is likely a one-of-a-kind Chrysler.
Sadly, this car would have probably sold for 4 times the current price 20 years ago [maybe even more], but I’m simply too old to tackle another project, and no longer have a shop to work on it anyway. So I can only hope that someone besides me realizes just how rare this car is, and takes on this fairly easy restoration. And I hope that in the near future someone will announce here they’ve bought the car and can confirm it’s a 300J
This car does not have 300J badging.
Excellent info Bill! Thanks for the deep crawl.
Too bad that there isn’t a way to verify that the factory put the wrong trim on.
Would make it even more of a unicorn right?
I need to correct something, as another BF reader reports he has actually looked at the car and reports the VIN starts with 8033, and that indicates it’s a 300 Pacesetter hardtop, not a 300J.
I still believe this car may well have been built with the J engine when new, as whatever changes would have been done, were done so many years [and miles] ago, back at a time when it would not be worth making such a detailed change.
This car is begging for a new owner who is willing to do the research thru the Chrysler archives to find out how it left the factory assembly line.
Photo of Data plate and VIN # will help get bids
Motor! Intake manifolds! This is what we used to call a BMC: “Big Mighty Chrysler.” Would be a worthwhile project because the final product would be so unusual. Still, there’s a lot of car there to restore properly, so it won’t be cheap.
413 is a beast of an engine. I believe it’s a wedge too.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t that intake set-up called the “Sonoramic”?
Not to pile on but the trim on the back of the car is standard ’63 Chrysler 300 too. The auction car has ‘300’ lettering on the trunk lid while the 300J has a small round emblem. The standard ’63 300 has a bright metal panel between the trunk lid & the top of the bumper, which the auction car has. On the 300J, there’s just paint.
It’s in Prescott Arizona.
Thanks Bill. Hopefully Barn Finds (or the owner) will get the VIN number changed to 8433 in the listing information so as to indicate a 300J (and also indicate that the car title reflects 8433 as well). The trim could have been added later, not as big a deal.
This is the second time in the last few months one of these has surfaced; the other one was a pretty nice black/red leather car with original factory paint: sold for $35k as a survivor.
The question there, and it applies here, is the 4 speed original, or was it a change out from a factory 3 speed manual. 4 speed seems hard to document from Chrysler and the 300 Club, while 3 speed manual is documented.
Yes it’s called a cross ram engine I seen on Nicks Garage he is one of the best Mopar mechanics that I ever seen he done a rebuild of that very engine it’s had a little over 390 hp it’s really quit an engine
That’s a Borg Warner t-10. The only 4speed 300s were a very few 1960 F which used the French Pont a Mousson unit that was available in the Facel-Vega. There is no code for the 4 speed. The Pont A Moussan was a custom installation off the assembly line at some kind of Chrysler “Skunk Works”. Here’s more:
https://300f.com/4speed.htm
In 1963 Dodge and Plymouth made the BW T-10 available but it proved to be much too fragile and unable to handle the power and torque of the big block wedges. The 3 speed manual used in some 300s may have been the Mopar A-745.
UUUUUGGGGGHHHH! Exner about over his cow anus car styling fetish. Truth be known, I actually like the styling and proportions of this beast. But those taillights, anyone enjoyed a ball park frank lately??? Seriously, this would be a stunning car with new paint. I like the boat style cowl panel, dash keeps the nautical theme. So riparian. Ms Bucket would be proud
4 speed Pont-a Mousson available during 1960. 4-speed also listed as available for 64-66 300 letter cars and probably also other Chryslers except New Yorker. The later 4 speed was probably an American sourced trans; The Pont-a-Mousson trans probably not sturdy enough for RB torque. Also, there was a 400 hp motor available in 61&62 plus a 405 hp lump that was dealer installed in 1963.
I noticed there’s no pictures of the left dash board where the push button transmission would be. That would prove if it was a real 4 speed car
If I remember correctly a flat panel was installed in that location ie no trans pushbuttons. It also appeared that it did not match the rest of the dash board. Something was off.
The real bull in the pen is the 4-speed manual. The A833 New Process 4-speed wasn’t released until 1964. Chrysler didn’t feel the Borg-Warner T-10 unit sturdy enough to install behind the 413 or the 426 Wedge engines. Perhaps it’s a late 1963 edition and the 4-speed is an early release, the question is, how would you prove that. If it’s real, it very well could be that mythical 1-of-1 car everybody hopes to find..At $8,000 it might be worth the gamble. It’s intriguing to say the least, and it does run. A running and rare car does remove on of the elephants from the equation. As has been pointed out, many of the parts needed to restore this car are available. Restored it’s a very valuable car. I hope someone grabs this vehicle and breaths new life into it.
New starter , master cylinder,replaced the freeze plugs,and intake gasket.
Car runs and drives and stops, installed the ignition into the dash.
Installed radio and radio knobs.
The 802 on the data tag says it is a 1963 Pacesetter 300 Sport. It does have a lot of 300J parts but not legit plus the 4 speed pretty much gives it away. Love the crossram though, that alone is worth some money.
I looked at this exact car in 22 in Quartzsite, AZ. It is not a letter car. Vehicle ID plate 1st 4 is 8033xxxxxx. Dan B has it correct 63 Pacesetter. Yes it has a ‘J’ 413 crossram engine it. I believe it came original with a 383. Do your own research. I tried working a deal to get this, didn’t work out. Has damage that it did not have then. I’ve got lots of pictures of it. I would still restore it as is and drive the wheels off it.
The intake manifolds & carbs are probably worth what the car is bid too & nothing but the wedge 413 or 426 would come with it & not many like this car was made. Very cool car as always if I had the money , I’m like a dog that chases cars it won’t be long till I sprint again!
That is not the normal Sonoramic crossram setup. Most are divided plenum the entire 30 inches. Those are the much rarer so called “short cross rams” with the first 15 inches being open plenum.
I think this car is neat. I’m not a buyer, though. I just felt like flapping my lips.
None of this matches. It’s a 1963 Pace Setter 300 that came with a 383 2bbl 305 hp. The radiator is correct for the car (300 non-letter) the differential is correct for a 63 300 (non-letter). In my opinion which I have 30 years experience in 300s and have had 30 of them. This is a 63 300 pace setter that someone installed a 63 300J engine and transmission.
very common practice. In 1980’s I did the same thing to my 63 Newport that i blew the engine in and swapped in a 413-cross ram from a wrecked 300 in the junk yard. all in my High school auto shop class. Got an A in the class and built me a sleeper corvette killer!
Thanks! I really enjoyed this review. ,Here’s why. Back in the mid-60s, I was 10 years old in 1965. At that time, my dad had a 63 Chrysler Newport. It was a white 4 door hardtop and blue vinyl interior. It was equipped with the 361 cid, and a 2 barrel Carter carburetor. . It was a very good car, but we used it t o pull a 17 foot travel trailer, the 361 proved to not have enough power to pull the trailer up the steep grades in the Sierras. It would over heat, and require us to stop at least for an hour before continuing up the grade. It wasn’t the Chrysler’s fault, we were asking it to do something it wasn’t built to do. In 1969 my dad bought a 69 300, It had Chrysler’s famous 440 cid with a 4 barrel Carter carb. That 300 did a great job hauling that trailer anywhere we asked it to. Our next door neighbor had a 63 300. It was white with blue vinyl interior. It of course had a 383 cid under hood. It was a much different car than the 63 Newport.At the same time, my uncle had a 64 300, a two door hardtop, and it also had a 383 cid, with a 4 barrel Carter carb. It was very light blue with blue vinyl interior. He also towed a 16 foot travel trailer. With a 383 cid and a 4 barrel Carter carb. The 383 cid made all the difference in the world. It could handle the 16 foot trailer no matter where it had to. It wouldn’t even overheat on the steepest grades. So with a few Chryslers from the same era as the one featured here, I know those cars pretty well. I thought they had a great and sofistcated look. The 63s and 64 Chryslers featured a very classy sculptured body, that only lasted for 2 years. Following the 61 and 62 Dodge and Chryslers downsizing, which by the way was a rumor heard at a Chrysler Corporation party. The rumors passed around the party were that GM had planned to downsize the Chevrolet, Pontiac and Oldsmobile full-size çars, So the Chrysler suits made the decision to downsize there large platforms, Chrysler did, and GM never planned to. A very costly move for Chrysler all based on a rumor. So sad, Chrysler Corporation lost millions in sales. Well that’s what I’ve read in several articles. That 63,64 Chrysler sculptured look in my opinion, fit the big Chrysler style very well. The 63 and 64 elegance is one of my favorite cars. But then again, the 65 model year for Chryslers and for the next few years I thought the larger Chryslers were great too.