For Sale 71 300 U Code Sunroof

[Tobias74]

Ten grand for a rebuilt 440? No wonder folks in North America aren't buying these cars, it doesn't make any sense, at least not to me.

-Car bought for $2500 in the same condition as it currently sits. (Please correct me I'm wrong)

-Engine bought for an an astronomical price of $4500 to keep car complete.

-Engine rebuilt for (an insane price to me for my experience) $8500

So it has cost a total of $15,500 for a car that's a shell and needs a complete restoration other than rebuilding the engine. No wonder the auctions get the money they do, if buyers are coming across examples like this 300, spend three times as much for a car you can simply step into, turn the key,and drive away.

Best of luck to you Tobias, but this one makes me go , and not in a good way.

Ya I did not go with a factory rebuilt on the Engine, I had to pay the Maschine shop for the labor alone $4500 than I spend a fair amount on parts including aluminum heads 1:6 roller rockers and all the other parts I needed to make safely 550HP at the wheels I do have all the paperwork to proof

 

[LocuMob]

Ya I did not go with a factory rebuilt on the Engine, I had to pay the Maschine shop for the labor alone $4500 than I spend a fair amount on parts including aluminum heads 1:6 roller rockers and all the other parts I needed to make safely 550HP at the wheels I do have all the paperwork to proof

I was hoping that was some of the reason for the cost. They don't give away those aluminum heads, too bad.

 

[Beep Beep Dave]

The original story of this car is in this thread.

What I don't understand is the following -- @Tobias74, please help me out. I am not criticizing any of your decisions, I am just befuddled by the current situation.

When you bought the blue '71 sunroof 300 back in 2017, you said that the "Engine was long gone" but you had later "found the engine but the owner of the engine wasn’t ready to sell me the engine and after talking for over 10 months he finally sold me the engine for a amount of money where I usually buy nice C Body’s for, it was important for me to have the original engine and transmission when I start the Restauration" (blue emphasis added).

I fully understand your passionate search and the decision to buy the engine at the time despite the cost. As @Ripinator and @Dobalovr commented at the time, it was really fantastic that you managed to reunite the engine and the car!

Now, however, you are willing to sell the two separately. The engine and trans cost you $4,500 for the original + $8,500 in rebuilding costs. Even if those are Canadian dollars (are they?), we are still talking about USD9-10k here.

--> Is $10k the price of a rebuilt 1971 U-code 440? If so, then this 1970 300 'vert in Montreal (on which I passed last Saturday) is a good deal at $15k US -- regardless of my issues with the underbody/repaint and the lack of fender tag.

--> If not, then why would you boost the price of the 300 so much if sold as a complete car?

I think what you are missing is the car is being offered at only $1500 USD as it without the engine tranny. That is a great price for this car.

The engine is available for what he has into it. You can see that he does have a use for the engine. If he is going to replace it he is going to have to spend the money all over again. So the $10k is what the engine is worth to him. I am sure he doesn't want to start over and build another engine. When I read this that's what I get out of it.

To me with the two choices available just getting the car for $1500 is a no brainer. Not having the original 440 would be nice but not a deal breaker if you are looking for a great project at a reasonable price.

At this price point the car has a chance to get restored, without the threat of getting parted out.

Dave

 

[Tobias74]

I was hoping that was some of the reason for the cost. They don't give away those aluminum heads, too bad.

 

[barnfind]

Canada registration in my name, we don’t have titles in Canada

Thanks, I was VERY interested in the car until I read about the engine. It was a no brainer while ignorant of the original engine. One has to wonder about the fate of the original engine if not purchased together. Will it go in another car and possibly be sold off? 11.5k is steep for a car needing a resto, is the there a boat ride in the cars/ and or engines future? Knowing the original engine exists changes the car from getting put back on the road with a non orig drive train (easy choice). To it should be put back right in my view (the more expensive route). Gonna give it some thought, Found another field of mopars for my next days off. Thanks for the response.

 

[LocuMob]

View attachment 277170 View attachment 277171 View attachment 277172 View attachment 277173

Are those the standard or ported version?

 

[BLIMP]

This would be a fun car to own, love the color options!

 

[saforwardlook]

Thanks Tobias for your straight up answers to my questions, as I remembered just enough to recall there was an original engine attached to this car last night, but I did forget until thinking more that there was indeed a 1971 New Yorker with the same appearance as yours and I recalled this morning that it was him I was talking to about his car being running and driving. So my apologies for my wrong assumptions in that regard.

And thank you for your willingness to allow the engine you have now to go with the car, if your costs could be reimbursed. Your time and patience in your higher output desire and working with the machine shop in achieving your goal is probably not going to be monetized and that is a sacrifice on your part. So thank you for that as well.

Personally, while I believe the engine going with this car that you have in its present form would be desirable, I still believe your sunroof car would well worth restoring even with a non-numbers engine as long as it is a real U code engine from 1971 since it is one of the rare sunroof versions and had a U code engine originally that is documented on the fender tag. The only thing I would make non-stock on your car would be to change the radiator support to a 26" version and use the largest 26" radiator that was available that year (I think the nos. on the top tank 3443947 if I am recalling correctly). Personally, if I were buying the car I would take the engine as is as long as the idle isn't too lopey (which is quite possible with a roller cam system) and run a very quiet exhaust sytem and then just surprise some folks when driving that car (sleeper).

Whenever you see a B body for sale or even the black 72 Triple Black Plymouth C body Gran Coupe that a member of this site has, also with a sunroof, cars with this rare option always command premium prices when restored nicely. So to me at least, they are always worth "saving". If I didn't already have 2 of these sunroof 300s, I would seriously consider buying your car either way even without a/c. I don't see how you could lose. I believe if you wait it out a little, at least someone from overseas would likely buy this car either way since they value these models and there is already one over there that is also with the same color combination as yours that always has a following it seems. But I also hope that someone in the U.S. sees the value in this car even at the $1500 price. If I didn't have a couple, yours would have been sold already. Good luck with the sale, either way. And thanks for rescuing it in the first place, otherwise it would have probably been history by now.

 

[saforwardlook]

View attachment 277170 View attachment 277171 View attachment 277172 View attachment 277173

I also had a few questions yet Tobias. What is the compession ratio now that you have aluminum heads (better able to dissipate heat than the stock cast iron ones and therefore able to use premium fuel with less likelihood of pinging) to get the HP you want.

Did you choose to go to the full .060" bore limit (maybe for maximum power/torque), or did the condition of the engine necessitate that large of an increase? Also, what number of miles show up on the odometer on that car? Given that the rust is pretty minimal for a car sitting out as long as that one has and given where it is located, I am thinking it is a fairly low mileage example since it also seems to have its original paint too. And which supplier did you get those heads from?

 

[Tobias74]

I also had a few questions yet Tobias. What is the compession ratio now that you have aluminum heads (better able to dissipate heat than the stock cast iron ones and therefore able to use premium fuel with less likelihood of pinging) to get the HP you want.

Did you choose to go to the full .060" bore limit (maybe for maximum power/torque), or did the condition of the engine necessitate that large of an increase? Also, what number of miles show up on the odometer on that car? Given that the rust is pretty minimal for a car sitting out as long as that one has and given where it is located, I am thinking it is a fairly low mileage example since it also seems to have its original paint too. And which supplier did you get those heads from?

The shop had to go 060 over i was hoping for 030 but what can I do , the car has 49tmls on it i used the fully CNC ported 440 source heads and the shop had to take them apart and did some more work to it including get the right clearance for the pushrods it should have 11:1 compression the engine will have for sure a choppy idle not to much but every buddy will know something is going on there.
I’m not really trying hard to sell the car I offer it only here not somewhere else I would like to see that the car goes to a good home

 

[saforwardlook]

you don't have a GB7 blue 71 300 sunroof car Steve

I think you are recalling the blue 1971 Imperial sunroof two door that I had instead of a 300. I sold that car to a guy in Australia that just had to have it at the end of last year and I was convinced he would do a nice job with it. He already has the sun roof operating again and I helped him in getting all the NOS and replacement parts he needed to make it new again. He told me he would keep it original although he said he might change the vinyl top from black to another color possibly.

It was this one:

He is a very happy owner with it.

 

[3C's & a D?]

Hi Tobias, That is tempting, I can't though. I've been thinking of thinning down my own herd. No acting, just thinking. It's too bad after finding the original engine they might be separated. Do you know where it was originally sold? And did you ever manage to find the, or some seats?

 

[Tobias74]

Hi Tobias, That is tempting, I can't though. I've been thinking of thinning down my own herd. No acting, just thinking. It's too bad after finding the original engine they might be separated. Do you know where it was originally sold? And did you ever manage to find the, or some seats?

Yes I can get them if I need them not far from me for a fair price

 

[3C's & a D?]

Yes I can get them if I need them not far from me for a fair price

Might be worth getting them just to round them up? They're not getting any easier to find. And do you have any idea where it was originally sold? As stated, that looks like original paint and there's no holes in the trunk lid , so it shouldn't be a crosstown car, either way, it interests me. And thanks for the pictures of the engine on the stand! None of those things seems to be able to handle a Big Block Chrysler. I now see what I need to do.

 

[detmatt]

How about this? Keep your aluminum heads, find another 440 block to bore + .060 and transfer your new internals over to it. Win win.

 

[ImpJay]

I think you are recalling the blue 1971 Imperial sunroof two door that I had instead of a 300. I sold that car to a guy in Australia that just had to have it at the end of last year and I was convinced he would do a nice job with it. He already has the sun roof operating again and I helped him in getting all the NOS and replacement parts he needed to make it new again. He told me he would keep it original although he said he might change the vinyl top from black to another color possibly.

It was this one:

View attachment 277210 View attachment 277211 View attachment 277212 View attachment 277214

He is a very happy owner with it.

Hey Steve!

On the picture #1 there´s a 72 LeBaron behind the 71. Do you happen to have any photos of it?

 

[rags]

How about this? Keep your aluminum heads, find another 440 block to bore + .060 and transfer your new internals over to it. Win win.

not possible. no other 440's left in the world. had to use this one. marginal sacrifice for a rare car that could be made to operate with an available engine/powertrain. 383's can still be found, or possibly do an ls swap.

 

[Tobias74]

How about this? Keep your aluminum heads, find another 440 block to bore + .060 and transfer your new internals over to it. Win win.

Won’t be happening I spend already too much money on this engine block Matt , is not only the heads is all the other stuff around too , even if i would keep the heads it would lower the price from
$11500 to $9000 it won’t make a difference.
I had to make a decision last year in Fall if I restore my 68 RT or the 71 300
I went with the RT and i won’t use the 300 engine for my RT

 

[LocuMob]

I went with the RT and i won’t use the 300 engine for my RT

So what happens to the engine if the 300 is sold as a roller? Got something else to stuff it in?

 

[commando1]

I think buying an engine that went .060 over and has 11:1 compression is