For Sale 1969 Chrysler 300 Convertible $3600 Indiana

[rags]

i started with a 383-2 newport convertible that was every bit as bad as this. did all the sheet metal repairs from scratch, etc. finished it, have it to this day. trick is i was given the car. at 3600 i'd rather spend 72 and get a driver today than spend 2 years of free time and x number thousand more to fix this car. i'd like to see someone repair it, but the price of admission would have to be greatly reduced.

 

[Samplingman]

Yeah this one isn't great, but I think we're losing vision on this one. And I can't believe we're talking that it should be parted out.

It's a 300, it's a vert, it has the TNT, buckets/console, and it has awesome colors. If I didn't know what this car was I'd think we were discussing a 383-2 Newport coupe. This car is surely 1 of 100 or less?

I think the biggest questions, which I haven't seen answers for, are is the engine seized, how much unseen rust does it have in the framerails and windshield frame/cowl, is the top-frame OK, and how is the dashboard/electrics due to the outdoors exposure?

All the body lines look straight to me, that's a good sign. And it's no longer a virgin-metal car, so a different approach is needed. You simply don't do a 'full' restoration on this car as it will never be suitable for that. You fab up the trunk floor/extensions and quarterpanel patches from 16 ga sheetmetal. Maybe get floorpans from a 4dr and splice in as needed. It would be a lot of work but not terribly expensive (I've fixed quarters worse than this car). Fix it up with a cheap paintjob to be more presentable and enjoy it for a few years.

As far as the interior and the rest of it, perhaps it's not much different than any other project 'vert might need?

Yes, a lot of work, but if a guy could do it himself it has potential to be drivable and enjoyable again.

Get to it then!
Price is the issue with this one. At $1,000 it could be a decent long-term project. Mine didn't cost me that and it has solid floors and rails. $3,600 will keep a lot of stout rebuilders at bay, especially since better examples could be had for not much more.

 

[69CoronetRT]

It's a 300, it's a vert, it has the TNT, buckets/console, and it has awesome colors. ....This car is surely 1 of 100 or less?

Let me add to the heartbreak.

801 SPD -first day of production.

VIN number 522

96*** VON.

This car was a promo car. It was built to help sell all that came after it.

Plus, the top two lines of the, typical, fender tag codes are missing from this tag.

 

[polara71]

This was built at Jefferson correct?

Isn't this the looks of a typical 69 tag?

As soon as I looked I saw the 8 01 tis a heartbreak

 

[polara71]

If I were a Chrysler guy I'd be on this

 

[Fratzog]

If I were a Chrysler guy I'd be on this

Thought I knew you well but guess not. Figured your verdict would have been parts car.

 

[polara71]

Thought I knew you well but guess not. Figured your verdict would have been parts car.

Not with the color combination, options and the tag info. What's one more rusty hulk in the garage?

 

[69CoronetRT]

This was built at Jefferson correct?
Isn't this the looks of a typical 69 tag?

Yes and yes it's, mostly, typical of a 69 Jefferson tag.
But if this was a promo car, you'd think that it would have a lot more on the tag.
I'm thinking you'd see at least a stripe code.

First day glitch? Maybe. I'd love to see another first day tag from Jefferson to compare.

 

[Furyman]

Not a first day glitch...I've got a fender tag digi of CH43K9C102383 808 SPD both top lines are blank. I just had CE23G9C103949 815 SPD come in for parts top lines are coded. The earliest 69 300 rag was on egag last year....CM27L9C100006 no ft pic posted.
I looked at CM27K9C100057 a Canuk rag at the Markham Ontario car show back in the early 90's hood was down so no fender tag pic...white with black guts.
I've got 32 69 300 rags on my 69 spreadsheet...6 are L codes.

 

[patrick66]

I'd bet $2,500 would buy it. Guys, if a person was really jonesing for a 300 ragtop to build, being as this is a Day One build car and uniquely optioned, it's worth consideration. I'd hate to see a first-day car hit the crusher or be parted out.

You'd think if this were indeed a factory promo car, it would have the appropriate second fender tag that says "DEMONSTRATION CAR" or "PROMO CAR" on it. It's too late to be a "PILOT CAR", which were handbuilt examples for the line workers to orient and familiarize themselves with. Those are usually the production numbers less than 20, from what I've seen over the years. I've seen a total of six cars with that tag, and none were above the twentieth car built.

 

[69CoronetRT]

Furyman. Nice to see you. It's been a while.

 

[fury fan]

Get to it then!
Price is the issue with this one. At $1,000 it could be a decent long-term project. Mine didn't cost me that and it has solid floors and rails. $3,600 will keep a lot of stout rebuilders at bay, especially since better examples could be had for not much more.

No-can-do, I'm above capacity already, and would like to downsize. If I had capacity, though, I'd try to track down the guy north of me that has a pair of 69 300 coupes, 1 low-mileage nose-wrecked in the early 70s, the other slightly rougher and great parts car. Put the front end of the parts car on the coupe, then put the rest of it into this 'vert. But that's two projects (or is it 3-4?). Nice fantasy to truly harvest/salvage 1 car very completely to save 2 others.

If it was $1000 the TNT would be gone and the rest scrapped, so we should be grateful, I think. I don't think any of us here would sell that car for $1000, would we? And I'd like to see where these better examples are. I remember 2 Fusey 300 vert projects on ebay recently, 1 a 1970 EV1 red (but only E85) that went non-available before auctions end, and a green 70 with TNT that sold for ~$3900. It was complete and drivable but crusty underneath (as was the red one). Everything I see on CL is 4drs with asking prices of $5000 and up. No reasonable-priced convertibles around here.

I'm just saying cars like this one don't come around very often, and deserve being 1/2-way saved/preserved by an amateur and then we see what the future holds for that car in 5-10 years. At that point Dusters and Darts will be $50k and cars like this might gain the spotlight.

 

[mdh157]

This car does need to be saved.........although it is one he!! of a project. Must have been a show stopper when new. I wonder how many 70 300 rags had the 440 HP? gotta be 25% or less, they are rarely seen nowadays.

 

[De Soto Joe]

Ok. My 1970 Challenger convertible cost me $550 after talking the guy down from $1875, in 1983. It was worse than this in rust and such, was missing the original engine (340), and crawled sideways down the road (had been hit, hence the fibreglass fender flares on the rear, dang). On year 4 of the resurrection, I saw a better than I had re-frankenstiened 1970 Challenger in a Pic-a-part, in Sunvalley California, up on yard stands. Very disheartening that day.

Then finally, I finished to the best of my ability, my Challenger Convertible. I had 5 years of sweat in that, a whole new body except the power budge two scoop hood (which needed extensive rebuilding anyway), new floors, new interior except the back seat panels and the steering wheel, new engine, rebuilt trans, added 3:23 posi, lots and lots of paint and bodywork...

All total, it was a solo work except hanging-welding on the parts-car back fenders. $4500 of my minimum wage earned money had gone it that that thing. I sold it for $5800. Only $1300 profit over five years of much toil and strain.

I'm sure it's been re-restored at least once since then, with fresh coats of factory Plum Crazy w/white interior, and that makes me happy, I saved it from squished.

After I get a home, garage, tools... and find and resurrect a 1961 DeSoto 2dr, I'd take this on...

 

[commando1]

Ok. My 1970 Challenger convertible cost me $550 after talking the guy down from $1875, in 1983. It was worse than this in rust and such, was missing the original engine (340), and crawled sideways down the road (had been hit, hence the fibreglass fender flares on the rear, dang). On year 4 of the resurrection, I saw a better than I had re-frankenstiened 1970 Challenger in a Pic-a-part, in Sunvalley California, up on yard stands. Very disheartening that day.

Then finally, I finished to the best of my ability, my Challenger Convertible. I had 5 years of sweat in that, a whole new body except the power budge two scoop hood (which needed extensive rebuilding anyway), new floors, new interior except the back seat panels and the steering wheel, new engine, rebuilt trans, added 3:23 posi, lots and lots of paint and bodywork...

All total, it was a solo work except hanging-welding on the parts-car back fenders. $4500 of my minimum wage earned money had gone it that that thing. I sold it for $5800. Only $1300 profit over five years of much toil and strain.

I'm sure it's been re-restored at least once since then, with fresh coats of factory Plum Crazy w/white interior, and that makes me happy, I saved it from squished.

After I get a home, garage, tools... and find and resurrect a 1961 DeSoto 2dr, I'd take this on...

That is a long way of saying, "I'm not interested"...

 

[De Soto Joe]

That is a long way of saying, "I'm not interested"...

But also a way of saying it's worth it... for someone.

 

[fury fan]

Only $1300 profit over five years of much toil and strain.

Understood on that, and it's great to come out ahead, often we don't. But us C-body guys have never been in it about the money, that's something that always made us different from the musclecar guys, something I thought we were all proud of.

OTOH, I'll always say you have to consider the money, because saying 'I'll keep it forever' is not iron-clad and therefore 'money is no object' is foolhardy.

But - on this car a guy could put some money in it, improve the car greatly, keep it from destruction, and have something worthwhile. Again, I'm not talking about correctly restoring the car, just about giving it some sanctuary and buying it some time. Or maybe just storing it indoors!

 

[1969vert500]

I wonder if this one has a sheet hid in it anywhere? I would LOVE to see that. It would be a stunner and I would be willing to tackle it if I did not already have my 69 440 L code polara vert to do, and the orange one, and the white one! Projects seem to be easy to get but never easy to get done!!

 

[sauterd]

well, guess I'll ask about this one too. Was it a happy ending? Or did she go to her grave?