Tony:
Thank you for the wonderful write up on the history of the
300’s. And thank you , too, for putting this up for “peer
review”. I have a lot to say and maybe you can include some
of my thoughts where appropriate in the history.
In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, Chrysler had a strange habit
of stockpiling parts that they would use over a course of several model
years. This is a practice that is quite different from
today’s “Just In Time” practice. Producing a large lot of one
part all at once kept production cost per unit low, but then they had to
stockpile and store excess inventory over time. This practice
was apparently used for many items, including body trim and engine intake
components.
Trim – Prior to the introduction of the 1957 models, I believe that
Chrysler ordered a large stockpile of trim to be used exclusively on the letter
series 300’s. If you look closely, you will see that the body
side trim did not change on the letter series 300’s from 1957 through
1961. When new management took over at Chrysler during the
1961 model year, they discovered a large stockpile of Chrysler 300
trim. I believe that the 1962 non-letter 300 was developed as
a way of using up that stockpiled inventory.
In-Line Dual Four Barrel Intakes – The new B-block (short stroke,
361 & 383) and RB-block (long stroke 383 & 413) engines were developed
for introduction in the 1959 model year. I believe that
Chrysler ordered a large lot (approximately 1,500) of in-line manifolds for the
new RB-block engine (413). This intake was standard on the
300-E and optional on other lines, including DeSoto, Dodge, and
Plymouth. I believe that Chrysler only used about 50% of this
inventory during the 1959 model year. The remaining stockpile
sat on the parts shelves during the 1960 and 1961 model years when the cross ram
manifolds were used. Then, in 1962, new Chrysler management
ordered use of the remaining stockpile on the 300-H and the “300-H engine
package” for the non-letter 300’s.
Long Ram Cross Ram Manifolds – These manifolds were developed for
the 1960 model year. These manifolds where especially
designed to be used on both B and RB blocks. They were
standard equipment on the 300-F and 300-G and optional on DeSoto, Dodge, and
Plymouth. These manifolds were designed for “exhaust heat” of
the carburetor plenum. I believe that Chrysler ordered a lot
of approximately 3,000 pairs and used them all up during the 1960 and 1961 model
years.
Short Ram Cross Ram Manifolds – These manifolds, like the long ram
manifolds, were developed for the 1960 model year. These
manifolds, too, where especially designed to be used on both B and RB
blocks. These manifolds were used on the “400 horsepower”
engine option available on the 300-F and 300-G and were also optional on DeSoto,
Dodge, and Plymouth. These manifolds were designed for
“coolant heat” of the carburetor plenum, making this engine a “cold blooded
beast”. The “400 horsepower” engine was used on all the
“Speed Week Special” 300-F’s and 300-G’s, as well as all “Pont-a-Mousson”
300-F’s. I believe that Chrysler ordered a lot of
approximately 1,000 pairs of these manifolds for the 1960 model
year. These manifolds were also available as a “dealer
installed” ram option in 1962. I suspect that only 25% of the
manifolds were used by the end of the 1962 model year. In
order to “use up” the remaining stockpile of short ram manifolds, Chrysler
developed the special “390 horsepower” 413 with 9.6:1 compression, solid
lifters, and special cast iron headers that adapted the short ram manifolds to
“exhaust heat”. I believe Chrysler expected to use them all
up on the 300-J. However, due to the high price of the
heavily equipped 300-J and the “better, but not perfect” cold start drivability
of the ram engine, sales were not as expected with only 400 units
built. In order to use up the remaining engines, Chrysler
“homogenized” the 300-K making it more affordable and offering a single four
barrel engine standard with the ram engine optional. The last
of the short ram manifolds went out the door by the end of the 1964 model
year.
300-K
Automatic Transmission – The 1964 model year marked the first time
a full size Chrysler was equipped with a six-position (PRND21), console mounted
selector, automatic transmission. This new style of automatic
transmission was available only on “console equipped” Chryslers in
1964. Since only the 300 and 300-K were available with a
console, all 300-K’s with automatic transmission and all console equipped 300’s
with automatic transmission had this new transmission. All
other Chryslers continued to use the five-position, pushbutton automatic
transmission in 1964. Also, a federal government mandate to
standardize all automatic transmissions in vehicles built starting with the 1965
model year required all manufacturers to switch to a PRNDL/PRND21 selector
configuration, mounted either on the steering column or in the
console. This is why the pushbutton transmission disappeared
after 1964.
3-Speed Manual Transmission – This transmission was considered
“standard” on Newport and 300. What this means is that the
base price of these two models did not include the cost of the automatic
transmission. However, it was Chrysler Corporation policy to
build all “unsold” cars of these two models with the extra cost automatic
transmission. The 3-speed manual was only available by
special order. A customer wanting the manual transmission
could order their car this way, but had to pay a $2,500 nonrefundable cash
deposit upon ordering the car. Now, some dealers were known
to have special ordered manual shift cars for their inventory as “loss
leaders”.
4-Speed Manual Transmission – The 1964 model year marked the first
time a full size Chrysler was available with the Chrysler A-833 4-speed manual
transmission. This transmission was available as an extra
cost option (same price as the automatic transmission) on the 300 with either
383 or 413 engine. Since the 300-K came standard with
automatic transmission (automatic transmission cost included in the base price),
the 4-speed manual was available on the 300-K as a no extra cost
option. Like the 3-speed manual, the 4-speed manual was only
available by special order. A customer wanting the manual
transmission could order their car this way, but had to pay a $2,500
nonrefundable cash deposit upon ordering the car. Now, some
dealers were known to have special ordered manual shift cars for their inventory
as “loss leaders”. Dealer sales literature claims that the
4-speed manual was only available with the 360 horsepower engine.
However, a Technical Service Bulletin issued by Chrysler claims that the
4-speed manual was available with the ram engine.
This tells me that at least one ram inducted 4-speed 300-K was built, but
I’ve never seen it or heard of it.
Reclining Passenger Seat – This feature first made an appearance in
the 1963 New Yorker Salon, on the Salon’s special split-back bench
seat. For 1964, Chrysler offered this feature not only on the
Salon, but offered this feature as standard equipment on all passenger side
bucket seats fitted in 1964 Chryslers. Bucket Seat equipped
1964 Chryslers included all 300’s, all 300-K’s, and New Yorkers equipped with
bucket seats.
1964 Silver 300 Package – This package was a spring promotional
sales package offered on the 300 and 300-K in the two-door hardtop body style
only. This package (code 329) consisted of the Silver paint
color, the black vinyl canopy top and roof molding, and black interior color
only. A total of 2,152 Silver 300’s and 255 Silver 300-K’s
were produced. Some people might ask why Chrysler offered
this package. To understand, you have to look at the
previously mentioned Chrysler New Yorker Salon. The Salon was
a special New Yorker offered only in 1963 and 1964. One
exclusive accessory of the Salon was the black vinyl canopy top and roof
molding. Until the Silver 300 package was offered, this vinyl
top was only installed on the Salon. I believe that Chrysler
had high sales projections for the Salon and ordered a lot of approximately
5,000 vinyl tops. Only 633 Salons were built in 1963 and only
1,621 Salons were built in 1964. With a large stockpile of
unused vinyl tops sitting on the shelf, I believe Chrysler came up with the
Silver 300 package as a way of using up the vinyl tops before the end of the
year and subsequent body change in 1965. The Silver color was
used on Dodges and Plymouths, but not offered previously on
Chryslers. The Silver color complemented the “Embassy Gold”
color only available on the Salon and used as “Anniversary Gold” on the
Dodge. On a side note, Chrysler Canada offered the only
two-door model New Yorker in 1964. The Canadian two-door New
Yorker used the Salon vinyl top, domestic Newport side trim, and the domestic
300 interior, except that a rectangular “New Yorker” emblem replaced the
four-pointed 300 star on the door panels. Total production of
the Canadian New Yorker two-door was 300 units. The combined
production of Salons, Silver 300’s, and Canadian New Yorker two-doors comes in
at just below 5,000 units.
Production Figures
1964 300 two-door
hardtop
10,379, includes 2,152 Silver 300’s
1964 300 four-door
hardtop
11,460
1964 300
convertible
1,401
1964 300 four-door sedan
(Canadian)
2,078
1964 300-K two-door hardtop
3,022, includes 255 Silver 300-K’s
1964 300-K convertible
625
Best Regards, Chris the KMANIAC
-----Original
Message-----
From: Tony Rinaldi <
awrdoc@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Chrysler 300 Club
<
Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc:
Mark Souder <
MRS954@xxxxxxx>; Tony
Bevacqua <
tonysru2@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sat,
Mar 8, 2014 6:42 am
Subject: [Chrysler300] Diamond Jubilee 300
Circus-History
Hi
To All,
The
effort that members contributed to the short histories for the Diamond Jubilee
Big Top Tent car placards is in the process of being used to update the 300 Club
Int’l website by Bob Merritt.
The
table of facts and the descriptive text is undergoing one last review by the
perspective letter year consultants.
Noel
Hastalis has agreed t o complete a detailed spec sheet that will be used as a
poster.
That
leaves the full history of the Chrysler 300 from inception through today’s
offering. This info will be printed on a 4 ft. tall poster.
Please
help us by reviewing the text.
Please
download it, review it and edit away with
any changes you feel will accurately portray the history of the 300
Marque.
Suggested changes can be e-mailed. OR the
document is set up to trac t changes (deletions will be strike thrus and
additions will show up on the side.)
Make your suggested changes and add your
initials to the document's name and e-mail it.
The description of the current offerings is
weak. Not sure if there will be a model change by 2015?
Looking forward to your assistance &
input.
Tony Rinaldi,
Mark Souders,
Tony Bevacqua
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