Favorite Forward Look Cars

Don't take any offense, but it looks even better without the skirts. IMHO. But I was never Skirt guy with these. I had '59 Belvidere that came with skirts. They laid in the shop.
To me anyway, they always seemed to make the backend look like it was real low or had saggy springs. But it's your car, you have the right to choose.
Thanks for the extra pics:thumbsup:. She's a knockout.
No offense taken..........Truth is, I've heard about every comment there is when it comes to this car. It has been accused of being a Cadillac, a Pontiac, the ugliest car they have ever seen, Why would Pontiac ever let Dodge use the Phoenix name? Why would anyone restore a mutt like that? to the people that walk right past a 100 point 57 Chevy to look at the Dart because they had never seen one before. Don Garlits did a preview on it at the Nationals back in 1997 while he was with ESPN2. He asked me to bring it to his show in Ocala FL that year. It ended up with three trophies at his show. Plus it got me and the bride a private tour of his personal shop and museum. A very personable guy. He told me he campaigned a 60 Dart back in 60 and 61. His was a D500 car with the 383 and dual quads. He said he won a lot of races with it back then. Mine don't get out much anymore. The paint is like the original stuff. Vermillion red Lacquer. It still shines up nice but is getting faded and cracked like lacquer does. But it has held up pretty good for being 35 years old. It needs a new coat of Base/Clear these days but probably won't get it till the next owner throws the skirts away and does it his way. Guess that's what makes the world go around.
 
Six --
Since I'm an old fudd, I can offer a little to your story. Back in 1960, my dad and I were car shopping and even though he was a Plymouth guy from way back, we had to look at the new Dart which had just come on the scene. The Dodge dealer in our town (Pueblo, CO) was not a very big agency, but they did have a magnificent blue/white Phoenix 2-dr H/T, which I thought was one of the most beautiful cars I've ever seen. Unfortunately, we were looking for a car with a bit more than a 318, so we ended up getting an all-white Fury, but with the SonoRamic Commando engine. By default, the '60 Fury has become my favorite Forward Looker, even though it pales in comparison to the Dart, and it became my first automotive love affair. Since no one can forget their first love, I had to return to the days of my misspent youth with the car below. Incidently, this one has the chrome skirts that were "cool" in those days -- so cool that three sets were stolen (after which the wheel covers were replaced by baby moons). Since the pic was taken, the car has been outfitted with the more appropriate "gangster" white walls.
Joe Godec

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Very nice Fury Joe! Those cross rams still draw more attention than the Hemi at car shows. I see your 60 still has the generator like mine does. Chrysler pioneered the Alternator in 61. Here are a couple pics of a 61 Dodge D500 with the cross rams and Alternator. I don't remember who owns this car but it is a gorgeous member of the forward look too.

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Six --
Actually, the alternator came out as standard on the '60 Valiant and on the seven (or nine?, or ten?) Chrysler 300F Specials with the 400 horse "short" long ram 413 and Pont-a-Mousson 4-speed, six of which ran extremely well at the 1960 Daytona Speed Week. I saw the green "Plodge" when it first made its appearance some five-six years ago. I believe it turned out to be a custom job. Yours has it beat all hollow.
You might find it of interest that when my Fury was off-loaded into my drive and I was proudly showing it to my neighbors, my wife came out to say, "I thought it was ugly when it was new and I think it's ugly now." I was utterly deflated.
Joe
 
I am very fortunate in that my very favorite FL car is the one I own.
1961 Dodge Dart Pioneer 2-door sedan, low-optioned 225/A903.

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Except for the one I already own ('59 Firedome 2dht), I would have to say my top 3 would be;
'57 New Yorker 2dht, '57 Fireflite 2dht and '60 New Yorker 2dht
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The entire 61 lineup,Plymouth,Dodge,Desoto,
Imperial,Chrysler has got to be
the wildest design year ever offered!
I also dig the 60 Plymouth and Dodges. Especially 60 matadors
57/58 Plymouths
59 Dodges
58 Desotos
 
#1 57 300 C hardtop or convertible. Everything about it is the gold standard forward look to me. From the overall styling with just right accents to the Brutish, simple - wonderful grill design. Best overall early hemi. Huge round gauges and fantastic looking radio. Leather etc. - there’s nothing I dislike about this car. Forward Look perfection.

#2 57/58 De Soto two-door hardtop or convertible. I don’t care for the Dodge front end Firesweeps but all the rest are magnificent. These are the cleanest styled 57/58FL cars short of the 300. Wedge or hemi, doesn’t matter still has that great Chrysler engineering.

#3 62 Chrysler 300 two-door hardtop. I’m totally biased as I grew up around one of these in the 70s. That said, I still think these are an elegant design and don’t agree with the ‘plucked chicken’ reputation these cars have. The beautiful thin A and C pillar 2 door hardtop greenhouse looks better-cleaner on the 62 than 60-61. Astro dome dash. First year for the aluminum 727 torque flight. Everything is toned down just right for the 62s in my humble opinion.

The 62 is the only one I actually own. Price keeps Number one and number two picks out of my garage unfortunately.

It’s easy to see why everybody is all over the boards with Forward Look favorites. The amazing amount of Variations/differences for all of the divisions and model years - they are all significantly unique.

Steve weim55 Colorado
 
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#1 57 300 C hardtop or convertible. Everything about it is the gold standard forward look to me. From the overall styling with just right accents to the Brutish, simple - wonderful grill design. Best overall early hemi. Huge round gauges and fantastic looking radio. Leather etc. - there’s nothing I dislike about this car. Forward Look perfection.

#2 57/58 De Soto two-door hardtop or convertible. I don’t care for the Dodge front end Firesweeps but all the rest are magnificent. These are the cleanest styled 57/58FL cars short of the 300. Wedge or hemi, doesn’t matter still has that great Chrysler engineering.

#3 62 Chrysler 300 two-door hardtop. I’m totally biased as I grew up around one of these in the 70s. That said, I still think these are an elegant design and don’t agree with the ‘plucked chicken’ reputation these cars have. The beautiful thin A and C pillar 2 door hardtop greenhouse looks better-cleaner on the 62 than 60-61. Astro dome dash. First year for the aluminum 727 torque flight. Everything is toned down just right for the 62s in my humble opinion.

The 62 is the only one I actually own. Price keeps Number one and number two picks out of my garage unfortunately.

It’s easy to see why everybody is all over the boards with Forward Look favorites. The amazing amount of Variations/differences for all of the divisions and model years - they are all significantly unique.

Steve weim55 Colorado
It is unusual to see eye to eye with someone on a topic like this, but I agree with all your assessments. The only caveat is that I feel the 300F goes in just before the 62 300Hs. I obtained 3 of the 4 many decades ago when they were affordable, otherwise I would not have even 3 of them. The Desoto Adventurers have eluded me, but that is OK. The first car I ever restored was my 1962 300H that I completed in 1978 and following it was my 300C. I obtained my 300F in 1990 from the original owner who called me up one night and since he had a terminal illness, he wanted me to have the car going forward because I did all the maintenance on the F for him when the Chrysler dealers no longer knew how to service them. He pretty much almost gave the car to me out of appreciation and wanting it to have a good home going forward. It still has an original 29K miles on it after all these years, but I can still take it out and drive it today. It is all completely original - even the paint, chrome, etc. and still looks like new. If is the reference car for the Chrysler 300 Club International, Inc. for the F series.

In terms of overall driving pleasure, the 300H excels the others, second is the 300C due to its taught handling but less comfortable ride, and third is the F only because it feels a little too soft and is more of a boulevard cruiser. They are all almost equally fast although the 300F does excel in the midrange performance due to the rams but the other two are not far behind. I believe I like the 300H best in overall driving because it is on a lighter, shorter wheelbase platform than the other two and is the most nimble and refined feeling of the three.
 
It is unusual to see eye to eye with someone on a topic like this, but I agree with all your assessments. The only caveat is that I feel the 300F goes in just before the 62 300Hs. I obtained 3 of the 4 many decades ago when they were affordable, otherwise I would not have even 3 of them. The Desoto Adventurers have eluded me, but that is OK. The first car I ever restored was my 1962 300H that I completed in 1978 and following it was my 300C. I obtained my 300F in 1990 from the original owner who called me up one night and since he had a terminal illness, he wanted me to have the car going forward because I did all the maintenance on the F for him when the Chrysler dealers no longer knew how to service them. He pretty much almost gave the car to me out of appreciation and wanting it to have a good home going forward. It still has an original 29K miles on it after all these years, but I can still take it out and drive it today. It is all completely original - even the paint, chrome, etc. and still looks like new. If is the reference car for the Chrysler 300 Club International, Inc. for the F series.

In terms of overall driving pleasure, the 300H excels the others, second is the 300C due to its taught handling but less comfortable ride, and third is the F only because it feels a little too soft and is more of a boulevard cruiser. They are all almost equally fast although the 300F does excel in the midrange performance due to the rams but the other two are not far behind. I believe I like the 300H best in overall driving because it is on a lighter, shorter wheelbase platform than the other two and is the most nimble and refined feeling of the three.
It’s interesting to hear the favorites from someone who has actually had long-term ownership and driving experience of these. Like many of us here I was too young (Born in 64) To be around these cars when they were still common sites on the road. I’ve driven a handful of FL examples over the years but they were all very tired, loose specimens that needed everything. Never so much as even ridden in any Chrysler letter car. So like many here my choices come from years of reading on the subject and exposure of good examples from various car shows. My own 62 is a very low mileage original so it’s nice to take in one of these that is still very tight and get a feel for the chrysler versus all of the other various GM stuff I had over the years. It’s a wonderful car that for the most part lives up to the Chrysler engineering I’ve always loved of that era. It’s always been interesting to me all of the fandom for the 61 GM 2 door hardtops (deserved) (and the 62 Belair) when I truly feel the Chrysler is a better looking design on the same concept.
Thank you for your input on your favorites and Lucky you for having a set of keys to all of them!

Steve weim55 Colorado
 
It's a fool's errand as I see it to pick a favorite. I think the examples posted here would be (and should be) anybody's favorite if it were parked in their garage. Forward Look? Time capsules in chrome and steel, and still out there reminding us all of the power and prestige of the USA. Chrome on the roof of a New Yorker? Why not? We're the US of A, baby. We do what we want, because we can!
These cars symbolize an era and a memory. The survivors of the time and the aspirations of a muscular country of jet airplanes and rockets on the way to outer space. MOPAR survivors, still running strong. A reminder of what was. Much has been forgotten or rusted away. We are the keepers of the visions and dreams of the people aspiring to the bright "forward" future. A favorite? OK. It's the one in my driveway, now. If I were still a ten year old kid? It would still be a 1960 New Yorker, but a Town and Country 9 Passenger Station Wagon!
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I really rank the 1960 New Yorker as one of the best ever designs. In some ways I prefer it to my 300F just because it is so much easier to work on and maintain compared to my 300F with its ram induction.

I haven't shown it for a while now so here it is again since you brought these 1960 Chryslers up...............................

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I really rank the 1969 New Yorker as one of the best ever designs. In some ways I prefer it to my 300F just because it is so much easier to work on and maintain compared to my 300F with its ram induction.

I haven't shown it for a while now so here it is again since you brought these 1960 Chryslers up...............................

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I love this! What a great ride. I hope you take it out and about as I do mine. Say, when I park it at the hardware store to buy a few things -- this and that -- I come out of the store -- invariably there are three or four guys standing around the car waiting to talk. It's a piece of history, and it is our job to relate that history, as well as to acknowledge their appreciation of the era and the style and the optimism that the Forward Look cars embodied. There are no better examples in steel and chrome that define the power and prestige of our country than Forward Look MOPARS. On to the future! The jet age! The moon! Outer space! It's all there exemplified in the Forward Look cars.
.... And then... "fashion" moved on. The Chrysler ads that touted, "Suddenly It's 1960," in 1958 were spot on ... until 1961 arrived. It's too bad. These are my favorite cars -- any of them -- all of them.
BUT! I consider myself one lucky guy to own a fine example of the Forward Look era.

Enjoy your rides, guys. Whether or not we want we realize it, we are amateur museum curators of Detroit's engineering and stylistic 60's heyday. Keep 'em rolling. Talk to kids when they show curiosity about the car. Let's all help grow their interest and keep the Forward Look more than a splashy styling footnote.


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Both cars shown above are real beauties , The '60 New Yorker and man, the '60 "F" was for the longest time one of my dream cars and a car that would have made me get rid of most of my other cars so I could acquire one! I was real close a few times ....
But alas, I look upon my 58's and I go right back to leaving the "F" as a foot note in the back of my Brain. The '58's were my first love and as it is said your first love is the strongest and the one you never really get over! But I don't have get over my first love as I still have them... I resurrected these , one was a rusted hulk (Fury) , the other a cast off due to a Kaput engine which all adds to the attachment! When I take them out I do get the occasional question , but most folks just look , I did get a comment once about the unsteady idle of the Fury , the individual thought I should get a tune up. Oh well .... Anyhow ... Thankyou Mr. Exner where ever you are!!

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