on 2040-cars

I'm offering for sale my 1961 Chrysler 300G, the last in the series of true Letter Cars that set the benchmark for American performance cars for years to come. There was a reason they were called the "Beautiful Brutes".  1961 was a watershed year for the 300 series. It was the last year that Virgil Exner, creative force behind Chrysler's "Forward Look" which revolutionized American car design, had a direct hand in the style and design of the cars.  It was also the last year that a Letter Car was built on Chrysler's New Yorker 126" wheelbase. (Look at the flow of the fins on a short wheelbase Chrysler to see the difference the extra 2" make)  But most importantly, 1961 was the last year that the 300 was ONLY a Letter Car. From 1962 until the discontinuation of the series, a buyer could buy almost any bodystyle in Chryslers lineup in "300" trim. Letter Cars were continued thru 1965, but arguably the "specialness" was gone.

Only 1280 G's were produced in 1961 and only 337 are known to exist today. Of all the 300G's built in 1961, only 200 were equipped with Factory Air Conditioning. This 300G is one of those 200 and not only is the car in outstanding condition, the air conditioning blows ice cold.

The equipment in the car is as follows:

Factory Air Conditioning w/Heater             Power Windows                                                                                              Remote Control Drivers Mirror plus matching passenger side

Power Steering                                          Power Antenna                                                                                                         

Power Brakes                                            Golden Touch Radio(search tune button on floor) w/rear speaker

Power Front Swivel Bucket Seats             Tinted Glass

EVERYTHING in this car works! The windows, switches, seats, electric motors, lights...EVERYTHING. The factory tinted glass is original to the car, the tint bands clearly visible in the front and rear window glass, and is not scratched or chipped, and has all the "Forward Look" markings on each section. The rear window still has the original "Air Conditioning by Airtemp" sticker on it. The original "Jiffy Jet" windshield washer reservoir bag is intact and the washers work.

I have owned this car for the past three years. I purchased it from a gentleman who cherished it for 25 years. 10 years before I bought it, he parked it in his dry, heated, underground storage, put the cover on it, and didn't go back to it. Circumstances in his life changed and the car sat, tucked away under a cover. When I found it, it almost felt like a barn find...This car is known in the 300 Letter Car community,  but had dropped out of sight.  In addition, before he parked the car away, he had it stripped and refinished in the original and correct WW1 Alaskan White.  The paint used is a high quality formula called Glasurit, a European RM paint used by (I'm told) Mercedes etc as OEM. The paint is outstanding and at car shows I'm always asked if it's just been repainted. All of trim was removed for the refinishing and the professionalism of the job shows. The chrome and stainless is near show quality.

I have done a HUGE amount of mechanical refurbishment during my time with the car and it is truly sorted, really able to be driven anywhere.

 I will try to list everything that has been done over the past three years.  The transmission was rebuilt by a local classic car transmission specialist. He supplied me with a digital file of the teardown and rebuild. It shifts and kicks down as it should (and allows the 413 to perform as it was designed to).  I  had a small transmission cooler properly and discreetly mounted to keep the new transmission cool. Gas tank and sending unit replaced.  Both correct Carter AFB 2903S carburetors were removed and completely rebuilt. Brake shoes relined. New wheel cylinders, two on each front wheel, and one large wheel cylinder on each rear wheel. New master cylinder. I converted it to a later 60's Mopar correct dual chamber low profile master cylinder (for safety, I take my kids in the car), The radiator was removed and recored with a 4 core copper high efficiency inside the correct numbers matching Mopar labelled A/C specific rad shell. The car always runs cool, even on the hottest summer days.  The alternator was rebuilt and boosted to 65-70 amps, (1961 was the first year of alternators) new voltage regulator, new spark plugs and wires, new molded hoses and belts, and all the many hoses under the hood have Chrysler original style spring clamps for authenticity. There is a new Mopar reproduction battery, (car still has, I believe, it's original factory battery cables), heater control valve rebuilt, new hood pad and seal, 4 new Diamond Back correct WW width 3 1/2" radial tires (Michelin Latitude marked on the inside sidewall), inside dome light lense replaced, (near impossible to find) and the electroluminescent dash lighting power pack was replaced. The front suspension bushings were replaced as well. The original style exhaust system is in place with the correct tailpipe turndowns, correct crossover with the branches to both sides of the Cross Ram manifolds to warm the choke thermostats. The oem style mufflers were replaced with Magnaflow mufflers which give the car a slightly more authoritative sound, totally in keeping with the character of the car.

I had installed a Pioneer cd/ipod sound system that's hidden in the glove box and operated with a radio frequency remote control with hidden speakers and ipod wire. This allows great music while driving but not sacrifcing any originality of the interior. It also sounds infinitely better than the new retro style reproduction sound systems. The factory Golden Touch radio is still connected and works perfectly.

I have purchased and will include with the car,  a set of  brand new in boxes, 12" x 2 1/2" front and rear drums and all new shoes with original style (asbestos) linings. I purchased these at a noted vendor at the Chryslers at Carlisle show last summer. These were purchased just to have them for the future. I paid over $800 US for the package.

The leather interior is the original interior, in very good condition but not concours condition with some minor drying and cracking in the leather in a couple of spots. It shows beautifully and is by no means in need of replacement.  I had the seat covers removed and the foam replaced to firm things up as the original foam was disintegrating and crumbling on the carpet. 300 G interiors are one year only interiors and I've seen many cars that are incorrect. The drivers side aluminium and rubber squares footpad is in great condition and mimics the square pattern design embossed in the leather upholstery. The door panels facings are starting to get a little loose. A good upholstery shop could stretch and easily make these right again.

Last but certainly not least is the motor, the vaunted 413 Cross Ram, 375hp, 495ft lbs torque, 10.1-1 compression. It starts easily, warms quickly, drives smoothly (with some attitude), and delivers performance that still raises eyebrows 53 years after it was built. It doesn't smoke on startup or on acceleration. It does not leak and it does not burn oil.

This car looks the part, and would sit proudly on a lawn at a concours event (it was invited but we were unable to attend) but the neat thing is that it can be DRIVEN there unlike a trailer queen. It is in exceptional condition.

The car is located in Toronto, Canada and is stored in a warm, dry, underground parking/storage facility. I require from the successful bidder a $1000 deposit (PayPal is acceptable) within 24 hours of completion of the auction. I will facilitate with any paperwork and logistics necessary, make inquiries regarding shipping and brokerage,  but the buyer must arrange their own shipping. Before the car is released, I require a bank wire transfer for the balance but will accept some sort of cashiers cheque or money order but again, will not release the car until my bank confirms authenticity and cleared funds in our account.

I just had the car inspected/appraised and will post the report or gladly email a copy to you. It was completed by one of the most trusted appraisers in Canada. He is well known and has a great reputation within the classic car community.

Thanks for reading all of this and good luck in the auction.

Please feel free to email me thru Ebay or directly at rbanks@trebnet.com for additional information or questions.

The inspection/appraisal report is located here....http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/rbanks7/media/IMG_1675_zps81586b71.jpg.html

If you're unable to open it please contact me and I'll forward it directly.