Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present a very rare, 1 of only 400
ever built, 1963 Chrysler 300 J 'Letter Car' 2 door hardtop with
its original 413 2x4 barrel carbs short cross ram option engine
matched to the 'Torqueflite' automatic transmission with leather
power front bucket seats, pile carpeting, padded dash, map lights,
rare factory options including 'Airtemp' air conditioning amp;
Heater amp; Defroster! 1 of 400 produced in 1963 Black paint 413 CI
V-8 engine Dual 4-barrel carburetors with cross ram Automatic
transmission Power seats Power windows Power steering Power brakes
White Sidewall Tires Electric Clock Heater amp; Defroster ($102)
'Airtemp' Air conditioning ($510) 'Solex' Tinted Glass ($43)
'Golden Touch' AM Radio ($93) The Chrysler Letter Series cars with
the highly desirable and legendary High Performance 413 CID 2x 4BBL
V8 'Short Cross Ram' engines with dual 4 bbl carburetors which were
matched to the legendary A-727 HD Torqueflite automatic
transmission were cars that were extremely powerful for their day
and which became the basis for a successful racing engine in
Chrysler's future and cemented Chrysler's reputation for
engineering great engines that would serve Chrysler well in various
forms for the next 20 years. The flagship model for the Chrysler
lineup in the late fifties and early sixties was the Letter Series
convertibles and coupes and were called the 'Beautiful Brutes' by
the renown writer Karl Ludvigsen and produced two of the most
memorable performance cars ever made. Unabashadely created for
NASCAR which they dominated until 1957 when US manufacturers shied
away from competition support. Originally powered by the most
potent V8 Hemis yet, the 1955 C-300 (1,725 built) and the 1956
300-B (1,102 built) had a New Yorker Newport fine body styling with
an Imperial eggcrate grille. Off the track the 300 proved to be
about more than just performance with a luxurious leather interior
and all modern factory options. The 413 with ram induction (the
original standard long rams 375 hp engine) had more torque, at
lower rpm (495 lb ft @ 2800) than the later 426 Hemi (480 @ 3200).
At low speeds the "long rams" 375HP engine was superb but over 4000
rpm performance would suffer and to solve this issue Chrysler
engineers removed a section of the inner walls of the manifolds to
create the optional "short rams" 400HP engine. This option was
obviously quite redundant for the street and only really intended
for Daytona bound cars that competed in the 'Flying Mile' there and
only about 15 of these ultra rare 'short rams' were actually
factory built. This $800 option also included a 4 speed manual
gearbox made for the Facel Vega, a Chrysler powered French luxury
car. One of the short ram 400HP cars driven by Greg Ziegler set a
'Flying Mile' record of over 144mph in 1960! The 300J delivered
more performance in a luxury car than any other American production
car, no matter the price, and compared favorably with the most
costly European Gran Turismo automobiles in its ability to maintain
very high speeds over any type of road, rough or smooth, flat or
hilly, or twisted with hairpin curves but whilst also remaining a
luxuriously appointed and comfortable ride at the same time! The
car presents as original and correct with a phenomenally well
preserved interior with the trim, brightwork, and all accessories
in beautiful condition boasting its original and unique steering
wheel having been covered in a leather rim kit. On the dash the
module is home to push-button transmission controls, and the
factory center console-mounted tachometer has been replaced with a
modern unit. The original upholstery and trim in Red leather
displays a hint of patina with copper, and evokes the spectacularly
exotic Chrysler Turbine Cars of the same year. Only one engine was
available on the J, the 413ci Golden Lion big block V8 with
distinctive, race-bred cross-ram intake manifolds mounting dual
quad-barrel carbs rated at 390 hp and 485 lb-ft from new. The 300
had the American press with Chrysler promoting and marketing the
300J in 1963 as "Close cousin to the most powerful of racing
machines, with unmatched interior luxury!"With all new styling from
Virgil Exner, being billed as the "crisp, clean custom look" these
300 letter series was the most exclusive of the range with a
blacked out grille and offered in hardtop only. As was usually the
case, the press fell all over themselves hurling superlatives at
the 300-J. The rare and limited production Chrysler letter cars
were the pride of Detroit with the 1955 Chrysler 300 hardtop
considered as the first real muscle car, with 300 horsepower from
its 331-c.i. Hemi V-8, 0-90 mph in 16.9 seconds, and a top speed of
130 mph. The company sold 1,725 of these homologation specials, and
Chrysler was to dominate NASCAR through these years. The 300B of
1956 gained 12-volt electrics and the signature fins that were
applied to all Chryslers for the rest of the decade. The Chryslers
C-300 of 1955 was the first American production car with 300 hp.
The C-300 and its 1956 successor the 300B absolutely dominated
high-level American stock car racing at a time when the word stock
still meant something, and set a number of flying mile records at
Daytona Beach as well, including a hugely impressive 139.37 in
1956.The Hemi V-8 was punched out to 354-c.i. and 340 hp, while
high compression heads delivered 355 hpmore than one per cubic
inch. The 300B set the world passenger car record for speed at
Daytona Beach at 133.9 mph with only 1,102 were sold. By 1958 the
iconic Hemi was replaced by the 413-c.i. Wedge engine and the
Chrysler 300Fs were timed at a remarkable 145 mph at Daytona. The
300G of 1961 would be the last big fin car, and the front was
heavily modified to accept angled headlights. Some 3-speed cars
were built, and sales climbed again to 1,280 hardtops and 337
convertibles. Chrysler broadened the range in 1962 with a
non-letter 300 Sport series. These cars were basically a Windsor
replacement, with sedan, hardtop, and convertible body styles. The
300 Sport lacked the fire-breathing letter cars performance but
looked the same. This diversification of the name hampered 300H
sales, with only 435 hardtops and 123 convertibles selling. The
grille remained the same as 1961, but the rear fenders were
de-finned. A complete redesign arrived in 1963, with the 300 Sport
series continued, now further confusing buyers by offering Indy
Pace Car packages as well. The 300J was no longer offered as a
convertible and only 400 hardtops were sold. The shape was little
changed for 1964, but the 300K staged a surprising comeback; a
convertible returned to the line and 625 were sold along with 3,022
hardtops, beating 1957s record to become the most popular of the
letter series cars. By 1965, the Chrysler 300 letter brand had been
diluted by all the various models offered as plain 300s. The 300L
sold quite well, with 2,405 hardtops and 440 convertibles but it
did not hold the same magic as the more exclusive early cars.
Chrysler ended production of the letter series with the 300L, and
there was no 1966 letter car. Never common, Chrysler 300 letter
cars have a dedicated following, and their performance remains
remarkable even today. The"Business Mans Express"as they were
otherwise known, there isn't another Jet Age American car on the
road that can keep up and the idea that a car so large could handle
the power and precision they desired seemed anathema to Detroit,
yet here was a machine that proved someone really understood. With
massive gobs of torque and the luxury feel of a larger European
sedan with cornering that nothing else made in America (barring a
Corvette) could match, the 300-J for 1963 had...for more
information please contact the seller.
