Sometimes you need muscle, sometimes style. This has a bit of both. The original Chrysler 300 hit the market in 1955 as personal luxury car that focused on performance. The first of these low production cars had a C-300 badge in ’55. The following year they became the 300B, in ’57 the 300C and so on. The letter series skipped “I” and ultimately ended with the 300L in 1965. A non-letter series 300 came about in 1962 as a baby brother to the alpha cars, of which prodution continued through 1971. What we have for sale here is a 1966 Chrysler 300, the first year since its inception that the 300 did not feature an alphanumeric badge. This example is located on Milwaukee Craigslist for $5,000 and “ran when parked,” everyone’s favorite thing to hear when buying an old car.
In 1966 one could get a 300 with a 440 V8 or like this one, a 383. According to the seller, the car went into storage in running condition, but currently needs a helping hand. From the available photos, it seems a little dusty, but nothing a weekend of wrenching and brake cleaner couldn’t handle.
One could opt for a four door hardtop, two door convertible or a two door hardtop in 1966. This one is the latter, and it’s got a great stance. Though the seller notes some rust, this doesn’t appear to be a major cut and paste operation. The green paint is a little faded, but most of the trim appears present, giving it a bit of shimmer. If you’re into the P word, I say roll with it as is for the time being.
Inside is where things get really fun. The upholstery is dressed in a flannel-like material it appears, which makes me want to immediately take a nap on it. For some reason, though, it doesn’t look original. A quick Google search didn’t bring up any other cars with a similar seat pattern. Anybody know if this is original? In any case, I dig it. Chrysler promoted these cars as luxurious, and this one certainly looks the part.
Without further inspection, this 1966 Chrysler 300 seems like a reasonably priced project. Do the brakes, clear the tank, clean the 4barrel carb, replace the plugs and install a new battery and you might be cruising. Or, it could be a complete catastrophe and require a whole lot more? Are you willing to find out for $5,000 plus a free 100 mile tow or is this an easy no?
