The Chrysler 300 was chosen to pace the field at the 1963 Indianapolis 500. Not the Letter Series muscle car, but the “lesser” Sport Series which were sold in larger numbers. We’re told this Chrysler is one of these automobiles, but it’s not wearing the requisite Pace Setter Blue paint. Needing loads of love, this 300 looks to have been hibernating in a barn for a long time and has stayed mostly complete over the years. Located in Stockton Springs, Maine, this once magnificent Mopar is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $3,500. Our gratitude goes to Barn Finder “RichardinMaine” for bringing this drop-top to our attention!
Four Chrysler-branded automobiles paced the Indy 500 from 1911 through 1962. That’s when the 300 Sport got to be the fifth one to have those honors in 1963. Only one other Chrysler has done so since then, although Dodge, Plymouth, and DeSoto have all taken turns. As is common practice with these pace cars, Chrysler built 2,167 replicas (1,861 convertibles and 306 hardtops). We understand that the 383 cubic inch V8 was the most commonly chosen engine, but not exclusively. This is not the first time one of these pace cars have turned up here on Barn Finds (check out this nice example we covered 2022).
If this Chrysler 300 is one of the pace car replicas, then either the color was changed to light blue or you could order them in something other than Pacer Setter Blue, which was akin to turquoise. But we don’t see any telltale indications this car is anything other than a regular 300. We assume the Chrysler has been dormant for many, many years. In fact, the structure it resides in looks to have been forgotten about for a long time.
There is plenty of rust to go around (and probably more we can’t see). The convertible top has seen better days and exposure has taken its toll on the interior, as well. Given normal attrition over the past 60 years, perhaps only a hundred of the pace car replicas still exist. If this is one, it would be a cool car to restore, though we’re not sure that you might put more into the project than you’d ever be able to recover.
The VIN will ell the story. Pace Cars started with 8033. Other 300 Sport VIN’s started with 8233. I would be glad to decode the VIN and Fender Tags.
I’ve got a ’63 Pacesetter convt. I could use your help in decoding mine.
Could be a pace car! Could be a 1 of 1 special order pace car in a different color! Could have the Hope diamond in the trunk. Or it could be a car that has been sitting in a rodent-infested barn for 4-5 decades and there is little left to restore. It is probably an interesting car to restore, however, I would not trust the seller’s optimism.
It has to be a pace car, it says so on the box on the floorboard!
But it is a cool car if you had time.
Love those 60s Chryslers.
It a rough one but it is a convertible. It is not the best looking 60s Chrysler. 61, 62 and then 65 to 70 rule with the 65 300 and New Yorkers being the best to me. Even in today’s world I think this will likely end up a parts car. There isn’t enough interest in this body style to bring this back or resto mod it.
Sure are a lot of cars for sale stored in buildings full of junk. I would have thought a lot of these folks would at least put the cars in a decent environment for potential buyers to see. Selling a piece of junk in the midst of junk isn’t going to help sales at all.
Rare convertibles are best left in drafty, leaky barns, with dirt floors, and with the windows left open. That way, grandpa could start “fixin’ her up,” when he won the lottery.
Would be a great car to restore if you had an endless source of cash and a desire to literally throw your money away. One would never recoup the dollars spent to “revive” this abused, forgotten Chrysler.
did anyone read this is barn finds,not showroom finds,
Neat ol’ car. Hope someone gets it back on the road.
Umm, Russ? I’m confused by your remark that Dodge, Plymouth, and Desoto took turns at being Indy 500 Pace Cars after 1963… No Desotos after ‘61..,
1956 DeSoto ADVENTURER was that years Pace Car. Final 61 DeSoto production (3,200) stopped on November 22, 1960.
Lost cause.
Like downsized ugly 62 Plymouth and Dodge, Chrysler styling for 63 was something even a mother would have trouble loving! Pace car or not, the 63 Chryslers were a LOST cause for me! 👎 Totally FUBAR!
Another Pro Street candidate, Blown and injected Hemi is the way to go lol 😂
My pacesetter convertible had a brass emblem about 11/2” dia. with a 300 in the center console
I’ve owned several 63 & 64 Chrysler 300 convertibles & hardtops, regular 300 and 300J versions, but never a Pacesetter. I suspect this IS a Pacesetter convertible, but either the front fenders were replaced due to an accident, and the emblems left off rather than drill the holes to mount ’em, or when the car was repainted the holes were welded up. As far as I know, no Pacesetters were ever painted in “other colors” as they were all made in advance, then shipped to dealers. This does have the correct center console that was different from the 300J console.
If the floors are solid it’s not a bad price.
Appears to be missing a shifter, possibly the entire transmission?
Mine has the Brass emblem as well. It’s supposed to have the original owners name on it but mines blank.
Nope, the rectangular hole in the console is an ash tray with the lid open. Chrysler products had an automatic transmission with the push button shifter on the dash, and the push-button system was never adapted for a console.
Push button automatic transmission, buttons on left side of dash, looks past restoration, parts car if pace car claim is bs. Still a ton of work.
Has anyone noticed the rumbleseat? Unless I missed it, the seller did not include a pic of it opened. I saw an ad for a 63 300 convertible a few years ago with this odd installation, definitely not factory.
I have also owned a number of 63 & 64s, and vote that this is not a Pace Car, though on the rad support, there are traces of the aqua (I forget the factory name) Pace Car color.
Also, the rear wheel well appears to have been loaded up with filler, which is not a good sign for the rust that may be hidden elsewhere.