1963 300 Help Decoding a Tag

[Jalopy Papi]

Hi C-Body Brain Trust,

I am looking at a 300 that's for sale in my area. Can anyone decode this tag (pictures attached) to see if this car originally came with a manual transmission?

thank you!

 

[69CoronetRT]

A/2 = Automatic

 

[MarkLevi]

For the body code - isn't a 300 "82x", not "80x"? Did I screw something up on my cheat-sheet?

Thx
M

 

[69CoronetRT]

For the body code - isn't a 300 "82x", not "80x"? Did I screw something up on my cheat-sheet?

Thx
M

The VIN code tells you the model i.e. 823 = 82= Chrysler 300; 3 = 1963 model year
The BODY code on the tag only tells you the line and body configuration i.e 802 = Chrysler (80) Two door HT (2)
They're not supposed to match on purpose.

(see example. The VIN is 913 but the Body is 912)

The 225 trim helps confirm this is a 300

 

[69CoronetRT]

FWIW. The 8033 VIN indicates a Pace Setter coupe. Here's another example with the 8033 VIN

1963 Chrysler 300 Pacesetter Coupe

 

[MarkLevi]

OK - thanks. I looked again (at the VIN) and I see it is/must be a "2", not a "0" - which is where I got off track and extended that to the fender tag. There something of an illusion - at least to my feeble eyes - that made it seem a "0" and I went down the primrose path!

 

[MarkLevi]

FWIW. The 8033 VIN indicates a Pace Setter coupe. Here's another example with the 8033 VIN

1963 Chrysler 300 Pacesetter Coupe

Yeah - but that would be a convertible and a "5" - that, too, had me trying to figure where I went wrong.

 

[MarkLevi]

Welp - followed your link....thought the Pacesetters were all convertible; but I guess only the pace cars were....

 

[69CoronetRT]

Yeah - but that would be a convertible and a "5" - that, too, had me trying to figure where I went wrong.

You're not wrong. An 82 VIN does indicate a 300. The model is not designated on the tag; the body style is.

 

[MarkLevi]

OK - I looked at that VIN yet again....it's a "4"...not "0" or "2". Geez it looks funky to me. So - a 300-J

Phew!

 

[Fury Pursuit]

The car isn’t what you think it is…everything has been added. It’s not a J.. it’s not an original car.

 

[MarkLevi]

The car isn’t what you think it is…everything has been added. It’s not a J.. it’s not an original car.

Do tell. Is that second digit re-stamped? ...It is still bugging me that I can't tell what it is....
Please help OP out if you've got the inside scoop or something.

Thx
M

 

[Jalopy Papi]

to my eyes the vig tag looks like: 80 33224407

So if this is a pace setter it had the 426 not the 413, is that right?

It does have the dual quad long ram.

 

[69CoronetRT]

to my eyes the vig tag looks like: 80 33224407

So if this is a pace setter it had the 426 not the 413, is that right?

It does have the dual quad long ram.

View attachment 570536

P/6 = 413-4bbl.

 

[Fury Pursuit]

It’s not a real car guys. It isn’t a Long Ram car. Nothing is correct on it. It’s been put together…I think the guy that buys it will be left holding the bag. You could probably sell the parts and get your money back at this point.

Then again it could be the most incorrect cobbled together car that Chrysler never built but did, because “you never say never” when referring to MoPar, but I don’t think so…

 

[Jalopy Papi]

I AM a real car guy, just not a real knowledgeable car guy! Ha, ha.

I didn't know there was a short ram, but here's what it looks like!

Thank you guys for all your help. The wealth of knowledge here is astounding!

 

[Fury Pursuit]

Yes, it's a 63/64 Cross Ram set up. The car in question is not a cross ram car, or a manual gearbox car, etc. etc. etc. A real running 63 J Cross Ram car recently sold for 7,500. So the asking price on the subject car is the sum of its parts.

 

[Jalopy Papi]

FWIW. The 8033 VIN indicates a Pace Setter coupe. Here's another example with the 8033 VIN

1963 Chrysler 300 Pacesetter Coupe

Hi 69CoronetRT,

I apologize in advance but I'm still a little confused.

you mentioned above "The VIN code tells you the model i.e. 823 = 82= Chrysler 300; 3 = 1963 model year". this car's vin is 8033 so not a 300, right?

you also mentioned that the trim code "225" confirms it as 300, so it is a 300?

the link to the pacesetter you sent also has a 8033 vin not 82xx, so this one is also not 300?

I'm promise you I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'm just not following. I do very much appreciate your assistance in helping me decide if this is a Frankencar or a really unique 300.

 

[Fury Pursuit]

Here’s the car in question.

1963 Chrysler 300 2 Dr Hardtop

 

[69CoronetRT]

Hi 69CoronetRT,

I apologize in advance but I'm still a little confused.

you mentioned above "The VIN code tells you the model i.e. 823 = 82= Chrysler 300; 3 = 1963 model year". this car's vin is 8033 so not a 300, right?

you also mentioned that the trim code "225" confirms it as 300, so it is a 300?

the link to the pacesetter you sent also has a 8033 vin not 82xx, so this one is also not 300?

I'm promise you I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'm just not following. I do very much appreciate your assistance in helping me decide if this is a Frankencar or a really unique 300.

This is new territory to me. I'm not familiar with the Pace setter cards. It appears that they are based on the 300 model and are a special sub variant.

We see the second digit coding, the 0 Zero in the second VIN position, designating a sub model or "special" model used in later years to designate something similar like the 66 S/S Darts, the 67 S/S Coronet and GTXs, and 68 S/S Hemi Darts and Barracudas. They ar3e all social purpose and built version of an existing model.

So it appears to me that the Pacesetters were a limited run sub variant of the 300 meaning they would have some of the same characteristics of the 300, like the interiors, yet have enough changes from he original model to warrant a sub variant and different VIN. Its not unusual to me to see the interior code for both the 300 and Pacesetter.


There are folks on here far more well qualified than I to answer you question in better detail.