Happy Birthday to....

[Trace 300 Hurst]

.....LENGTH.

Today, January 25th, is my car's 50th birthday.

We celebrated this morning by attending a gathering of a handful car guys here in Jacksonville, FL who are the board members and judges of the Amelia Island Concours de Elegance, including the Founder and Chairman of the Big Show, Mr. Bill Warner. It's an unofficial meeting known as "car talk" at a local Golden Corral (ugh!) for breakfast, and I was invited join this gang by the judge who awarded my car the "Judges Choice" award at a significant local car show. I was thrilled about both "awards", believe me!

The first time Bill saw my car a few months ago, he said "Wow, great shape! I've never seen one of these before." Huh? Bill Warner--who is buddies with every superstar car collector and race team owner--has never seen a 300 Hurst? I must have misunderstood what he meant. He probably meant "I've never seen a 300 Hurst at a Golden Corral before."

Anyway, today was a big day because Bill brought his Muntz out for the first time in the 14 years he's been restoring it. So after breakfast (ugh!) off we went for a picture-taking session of the Muntz with his fancysmancy Nikon, then back to his Concours office headquarters (which isn't in Amelia Island, it's in downtown Jacksonville) to play with the pics and continue talking about car history and car trivia and car owner trivia and car judging trivia.....and on and on. Fascinating stuff for a little Mopar guy like me to be in the middle of these guys who are the big shots of the sports car and collector car world. Happy Birthday, indeed!

Here's a pic Bill took of my car. Notice the nice flowers, please. Yes, it needs cropping....too much parking lot. He said he'd do some PhotoShopping and email that version in a few days. Cool!

And here's his Muntz. 198 were made (two with Chrysler Firepower engines, so they say), and about 100 still exist. His has the Lincoln flathead, earlier cars had the Caddy V8. Grace Kelly owned one before she became a Princess, so that's good enough for me!

And now I'm going to tinker with my car this afternoon, and maybe give it a half-quart of oil for its Birthday.

 

[Newport 66]

Wish your 300 a Happy Birthday from me and buy his caretaker a beer and a shot!
Nice pictures too......

 

[polara71]

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

Hahahahahaha......that's friggin GREAT polar71! That got an official LOL out of me, and I think LENGTH heard me, too!

 

[fc7_plumcrazy]

.....LENGTH.

View attachment 347887

Today, January 25th, is my car's 50th birthday.
View attachment 347890

And now I'm going to tinker with my car this afternoon, and maybe give it a half-quart of oil for its Birthday.

I really don't want to sound like an ******* but your 300 Hurst didn't have birthday on the 25th of January. That date was stamped on all 300 Hurst Fender tags regardless of their real SPD.

Looking at your VIN ending 0C226179 it was probably built 22nd of April 1970.

Carsten

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

We learn something every day. I looked at my collection of 7 Hurst fender tags (that I photographed) and sure enough, they're all 125. However, we had fun celebrating anyway.....ignorance can sometimes be bliss. And now I'll celebrate again on April 22.

Do you have any idea why all the tags indicate 125? And why do you target April 22 as the real build date/week? I think I read about this somewhere a while back....forgot.

BTW: The car was first titled on July 24, 1970 (I have the papers) in Clovis NM. Spent its first 28 years there in that dry climate, then to the second owner in Amarillo's dry climate in 1998. And now me in humid Florida since June 2018.

 

[fc7_plumcrazy]

W

Do you have any idea why all the tags indicate 125? And why do you target April 22 as the real build date/week? I think I read about this somewhere a while back....forgot.

certain special production models do always show the same SPD.
In example all 1969 A12 Super Bee/Road Runner (440+6) only have two different SPDs stamped on the tag (329 & 426).
All 1970 Super Birds do have B30 stamped. Usally models that had to be modified later on. Just like the 300 Hurst.

The estimated date 422 comes from the closest car I have around it. There is a good chance it had the same SPD

Carsten

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

Certain special production models do always show the same SPD.
Usually models that had to be modified later on. Just like the 300 Hurst.

Ah, okay, that makes sense. I have to imagine that date was mandated for all tags as they were later created for particular cars/options in the run as orders were placed, etc. I'm sure you know that the Hurst is also an "A12" car.

I'm gonna have another party on April 23rd when we can be sure the car was probably not quite a day old. Close enough!