The Chrysler 300 Letter Series was perhaps the first U.S. muscle car, arriving less than a decade before the Pontiac GTO. Chrysler added the 300 Sport Series in 1962 with less power and more doors to widen the appeal of the 300 brand. The seller has a 300 4-door hardtop from 1970 that no longer has a drivetrain or a title. This roller is said to have a good interior and perhaps some rust where a vinyl roof once was. Located near Spokane, Washington, this Mopar project is available here on craigslist for $1,100. Checking the tip box again for “Curvette”!
Chrysler would continue the 300 (Sport Series only, as the Letter Series was retired in 1965) through 1971. It would re-emerge in 2005 and last until 2023 as a rear-wheel-drive automobile. Back in 1970, the 300 was offered with a 440 cubic inch V8 as standard equipment, so we assume it and the companion TorqueFlite automatic transmission are now gone here. Three body styles were available, the 4-door HT seen here plus a 2-door HT and a convertible.
According to the seller, the odometer here reads 48,000 miles, but the device has turned over. So that’s enough miles for the engine and tranny to have been worn out, possibly explaining why they were pulled (when?). We don’t see much in the way of rust except where a vinyl roof covering may have once resided. So, the body of this Chrysler could be mostly okay, but we’re not sure. And we’re told the interior is “beautiful.”
This car has disc brakes (front?) and hideaway headlights, which the seller says still operate properly. There is no title, suggesting this is a cheaper parts car to help as a donor for another 300 project. Nearly 10,000 300 4-door hardtops were built, but when was the last time you saw one? And are four doors too many?
Yeah, I know, “model with a lesser following, blah blah blah.” Shame about the drivetrain. Were the funds available, a modern 392 would move this thing along nicely.
No engine, transmission, title with lots of rust where the vinyl top once resided. Who knows what else it might need. It might be inexpensive, but full sized cars from the mid-60’s to early-1980’s that are turn key drivers can be found for a few thousand more.
As always, if this is someone’s dream car, that changes the dynamics. For someone looking for a vintage driver, buy the best car you can find that fits your budget.
Steve R