NOT MINE NOT MINE 300 Hurst

[Trace 300 Hurst]

I always thought one of the 300 clubs kept a list of these, or is it just letter cars?

I looked and looked for a Hurst list of some sort, thinking the same thing you guys did. But I've come to realize that the 300 Club is not particularly fond of the Hurst. When I stopped by their gathering at Carlisle over past years, I thought they wanted to spit on me. Only Al Moon was decent, the rest were total pricks, whoever they were.

 

[Big_John]

I always thought one of the 300 clubs kept a list of these, or is it just letter cars?

The 300 club "International" does keep track of VINs for the various letter cars and that includes the 300Hurst. They don't publish the VINs for any of the "letters" on their website though, as I would imagine some guys wouldn't like that info to be on that level of public info.

My last newsletter had all their VINs listed for the '61 300G, which makes for some really exciting reading. (insert sarcasm smiley). They did list current owners and if junked or unknown if junked. Four pages worth.

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

Here's their registry. I find it troubling that it shows one Hurst convertible. We all know that it's the famous "Linda Car", and it is not a Hurst (but it's ultra cool!!) And nowhere do they discuss the 485 vs. 501 production number differential. It's my opinion that the 501 number is pure imaginary fiction by someone who--long ago--was thinking of the NASCAR requirements for "homologation" for non-stock/hand-finished cars like the Dayto and the Bird and assumed the Hurst was similar. Chrysler themselves say it was 485, so there's that.

 

[Big_John]

I find it troubling that it shows one Hurst convertible. We all know that it's the famous "Linda Car", and it is not a Hurst (but it's ultra cool!!)

It's my opinion that the convertible is a Hurst car. If you think about it, that car was built (I believe) before the production cars were and was built by Hurst, not copied or cloned by someone in the field. So, while not a production car that was available in a dealership or as an option, it could almost be considered a prototype. As far as I know, the only differences are no Imperial seats and it has an honest to god Hurst shifter in it.

I have no idea on the production numbers. From what I see, with other cars, the production numbers seem to vary from source to source. IMHO, the lower number is correct and the whoever was in charge of that list didn't get the memo.

 

[69CoronetRT]

Good letter. thanks for posting.

RE: The transmission. There's a little smoke going on with that response. Yes, the T code used the 669 transmission assembly. The 670 transmission found in Hursts was used behind B, C and E body 440-4bbl U code 375 horse cars. So the tranny was used in other '70 C bodies and other applications. It wasn't limited to just Hursts. It's not particularly 'special'. It was the recommend transmission for the application.

 

[69CoronetRT]

Here's their registry. I find it troubling that it shows one Hurst convertible. We all know that it's the famous "Linda Car", and it is not a Hurst (but it's ultra cool!!) And nowhere do they discuss the 485 vs. 501 production number differential. It's my opinion that the 501 number is pure imaginary fiction by someone who--long ago--was thinking of the NASCAR requirements for "homologation" for non-stock/hand-finished cars like the Dayto and the Bird and assumed the Hurst was similar. Chrysler themselves say it was 485, so there's that.

I find it troubling that any entity that 'registers', gathers, collects and archives VINs and information on cars would be so pretentious to assume they are the definitive source for 'surviving'. There are probably cars stuck in backwood ravines in Kentucky, buried underneath collapsed barns in Iowa and shells left for dead out in the middle of the AZ desert that survive but aren't 'known'.

Cars that existed and registered 20 years ago and four owners prior could have been totaled by natural disasters or collisions. The registry would never know they no longer survive.

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

Good letter. thanks for posting.

RE: The transmission. There's a little smoke going on with that response. Yes, the T code used the 669 transmission assembly. The 670 transmission found in Hursts was used behind B, C and E body 440-4bbl U code 375 horse cars. So the tranny was used in other '70 C bodies and other applications. It wasn't limited to just Hursts. It's not particularly 'special'. It was the recommend transmission for the application.

Yeah, I always chuckle about the "special transmission". I think that was marketing smoke because of the connection (so to speak) of Hurst and trannys. Since it didn't have a Hurst shifter, they used a little unproveable smoke flavoring.

I find it troubling that any entity that 'registers', gathers, collects and archives VINs and information on cars would be so pretentious to assume they are the definitive source for 'surviving'. There are probably cars stuck in backwood ravines in Kentucky, buried underneath collapsed barns in Iowa and shells left for dead out in the middle of the AZ desert that survive but aren't 'known'.

Cars that existed and registered 20 years ago and four owners prior could have been totaled by natural disasters or collisions. The registry would never know they no longer survive.

I've been looking at those Hurst numbers for years....never change. That's a dead document. Nobody is paying any attention to it anyway.

For instance, do they have this "survivor"? No way of knowing.

Or this one?

 

[69CoronetRT]

Yeah, I always chuckle about the "special transmission". I think that was marketing smoke because of the connection (so to speak) of Hurst and trannys. Since it didn't have a Hurst shifter, they used a little unproveable smoke flavoring.

I've been looking at those Hurst numbers for years....never change. That's a dead document. Nobody is paying any attention to it anyway.

For instance, do they have this "survivor"? No way of knowing.
View attachment 657452
View attachment 657455


Or this one?
View attachment 657453
View attachment 657454

YE GADS! Poor thing.

22670X? J99759?

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

YE GADS! Poor thing.

22670X? J99759?

226704

May-70

99759

Parts car in PA, stored indoors. Console, Cruise, AM radio.

I put it in my our spreadsheet today, along with the car in the field, below.

232867

Sitting in a field in MI since 1992. Has all the fiberglass parts. Console car.

 

[Big_John]

I got a worse one. 300Hurt in a junkyard

 

[Big_John]

I find it troubling that any entity that 'registers', gathers, collects and archives VINs and information on cars would be so pretentious to assume they are the definitive source for 'surviving'. There are probably cars stuck in backwood ravines in Kentucky, buried underneath collapsed barns in Iowa and shells left for dead out in the middle of the AZ desert that survive but aren't 'known'.

Cars that existed and registered 20 years ago and four owners prior could have been totaled by natural disasters or collisions. The registry would never know they no longer survive.

The registry that the 300 club does is mostly based on members' cars. While that does give a decent representation of a portion of the VINs, it's obvious that their registry isn't and never can be complete.

I mentioned that their last newsletter had '61 300G VINs. There looks to be just under 600 cars listed, which is around 1/3 of the cars that were produced. Their "surviving" numbers are at 550, and that also lines up with their list that includes cars known to have been scrapped.

So, 63 years later, having a list of 1/3 the cars?? Not too bad. Plus a decent survivability rate, but I digress...

Do they have a good list of 300Hurst cars? Probably not. A look at the roster (which lists cars members own) doesn't show a lot of depth in members owning those cars. That may change though. There's more of these cars trading hands in the past couple years... Prices have gone up and I think they've gone from being an oddity to being a "collectable".

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

Do they have a good list of 300Hurst cars? Probably not. A look at the roster (which lists cars members own) doesn't show a lot of depth in members owning those cars. That may change though. There's more of these cars trading hands in the past couple years... Prices have gone up and I think they've gone from being an oddity to being a "collectable".

Does their list show 226726 (formerly my car) as still belonging to John R. Skaggs, the second owner who passed away in 2020?

 

[Big_John]

I looked and looked for a Hurst list of some sort, thinking the same thing you guys did. But I've come to realize that the 300 Club is not particularly fond of the Hurst. When I stopped by their gathering at Carlisle over past years, I thought they wanted to spit on me. Only Al Moon was decent, the rest were total pricks, whoever they were.

I can't speak to the guys that treated you like that. I'm sorry if they did.

On the other hand, my encounters with the group have been very positive.

Al Moon's wife is in charge of the club registry. They would be the people to go to and the ones most likely to help.

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

On the other hand, my encounters with the group have been very positive.

That's because you don't own a Hurst.

 

[Big_John]

Does their list show 226726 (formerly my car) as still belonging to John R. Skaggs, the second owner who passed away in 2020?

If he was a member, and gave the VIN on his club application/renewal, then yes, they would probably have it listed.

As I said, they really don't make that stuff real public. I'm sure it's updated as new members with cars come in. Since I participate in their email list server, there are often requests regarding letter cars that are for sale. Basically it's a "Is this VIN listed?" and they will come back with, "Yes, it belonged to so and so" or "No, we don't have that" and I assume they will add VINs of true letter cars as they see them.

That said, I've seen zero crosstalk about the 300 Hurst. It's just not a popular car among the rank and file.

 

[Big_John]

That's because you don't own a Hurst.

And I never will either... I don't want to be "one of those guys"

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

If he was a member, and gave the VIN on his club application/renewal, then yes, they would probably have it listed.

Yes, he was a member. I inherited his 300 Club docs when I bought the car and Polaroids of his attendance at club events, which are now with the current owner.

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

And I never will either... I don't want to be "one of those guys"

Now that's damn funny, that there is!