This must be the time of year when Mopar enthusiasts unload their Chrysler 300s. In the past 24 hours, we’ve posted up two of these big coupes, and now there’s a third here on craigslist which looks like a great candidate for a driver quality restoration. Still wearing its now-rare New Jersey blue plates (think of them as the Cali black plates of the East), this hardtop is said to have been driven less than 5,000 miles over the past 15 years.
While the seller doesn’t say whether it’s been registered for road use in that time, seeing this old state registration sticker does give some indication as to how sparingly it’s been used. The 300 has just under 100,000 miles, which puts it in the company of a very small group of classics that haven’t been stored in a bubble but also haven’t been over-used. While the coupe does wear some aftermarket wheels, it appears largely original elsewhere.
The interior appears to be in fine shape, and I think I even spy an original radio in the dash. We can’t see much of the seating surface area, but the pad in the bottom of the frame may indicate it is preserved underneath. The switchgear appears solid and even the horn ring looks clean and bright. The automatic transmission has been rebuilt and the 300 is said to be just as solid underneath as it appears inside.
As the seller says, this would make a great cruise night car, and I’m inclined to agree – it’s just the wrong time of year to sell it! If it were mine, I’d find some period-correct wheels and maybe even lower it a bit to complete the lean, mean look these 300s were born with. Fortunately for the next owner, the current seller has also completed some front end work and a valve job, so this 300 seems like it’s ready to roll. Would you agree?
Cool plates, be neat if the number was ECTO 1 like the ambulance in Ghostbusters, Too bad these drive like a barge (and suck gas like one, too) Always liked the lined glass headlite covers on this vintage of Chrysler, and Imperials had the same thing I’m pretty sure
Being as how this is the season to be thankful and joyous…..I’m both…seeing that our American auto heritage is alive and well does my heart good regardless of all of the 50 mpg, jellybean huggers. I’ve worked all my life and if I choose to drive a barge, I’m thankful for it. The newest vehicle I own is a 1990. The only thing we have to fear….is fear itself. I owned a 65 New Yorker at one point and it was a solid, dependable product and a pleasure to drive. Vehicles such as this, from it’s era, cannot, and should NOT be compared to vehicles of the present era in any way, by anyone who considers themselves an enthusiast.
The ECTO 1 reference is a very,very far reach….Grasshopper.
I like how BF’s kind of keeps a theme going in their choice of cars. Not sure if it’s intentional, but this car is more to my tastes ( as compared to the 4 speed earlier) Although, I do miss the console, these were cruisers, gentleman cruisers, not stop light gear banging beasts ( not that there’s anything wrong with that), just some cars, for me, have 2 distinct categories. Like I wouldn’t want a 4 speed ’64 T-Bird, or 4 speed ’69 Grand Prix. It’s hard to think just a 4 speed could add over $20g’s to the price, and quite frankly, I think this is a better deal ( 4 speed cars are driven harder) Very nice car here.
Much agreed Mr. A. Although I’m more inclined to the column shift, tufted, pillowed upholstered town type cars with the crystal bud vases vs. the console controlled sporty types. Given the differences, I can certainly appreciate your preferences. We’ll see you over at the Old Motor !
HI DG, Old Motor is a great site. One of these days David will respond to me. Just a quick correction, the 4 speed one, I thought was $29,000 dollars, but it looks like it’s 29K miles, according to David below. The 4 speed one is up to $12,600.
Have a friend with 4 speed 1965 Chrysler.
29k miles.
These cars are beautiful.
Agreed – one of Chrysler’s print ads in Reader’s Digest for the ’65’s had a 3/4 view of an ivory 2dr taken a little lower than your shot, and the tag line was: “This is the most beautiful Chrysler ever built”. I cut it out of the magazine and kept it for years; I was 10 years old and believed it – still do.
What Dave are you referring to?
HI DG, Old Motor is a great site. One of these days David will respond to me. Just a quick correction, the 4 speed one, I thought was $29,000 dollars, but it looks like it’s 29K miles, according to David below. The 4 speed one is up to $12,600.
Hi David, I’m referring to David Greenlees, the curator of the site “Old Motor”. Excellent place for gear heads. They have a comment section, like this, but he doesn’t tolerate half the shenanigan’s that go on here. If you’ve never been there, check it out, but you have to behave. http://theoldmotor.com/
Sorry guys but I love anything with a factory 4spd .For me I love the Idea that back in the day all you had to do was check a box,and you got what you wanted.Not like today ware as you get what you get. This is how We make them,pick a color.Yaa it may be a little rediculous for a big old barge like this to have a 4spd but thats also what makes it rare,and for some people desirable.
Were these cars availabe with hidden headlights ?I know where there is a car that look like this but has hidden head lights.Could it be a Dodge or a Plymouth version of this car?Is it a rare factory option?
Such memories are brought to mind of my 2 year old ’65 Chrysler Windsor. We bored the 383 .030 over, high performance purple cam, 440 heads with manifolds and a reworked torqueflite with floor-mounted push button shifter by Ramchargers Detroit….A great 4200 lb. cruiser that could hold her own and surprise many “stoplight contenders”. A fine automobile and for all you whiners, of course, it was a different time, gas prices were low and this automobile would deliver 20 mpg if you were a little “economical” with the accelerator pedal. All in all, for it’s time, the Chrysler, as were the rest of their products of the era, were fine automobiles…..