Intro and Need Advice on a 1964 Chrysler 300

[DanielDD]

Hey Guys - 1st post here. I really don't know how I got here..
I was cruising CL and by chance I found a 1964 Chrysler 300 for sale in NC. I am in North Alabama. When I looked at the ad I really liked what I saw, but I think the vehicle is priced too high, especially since it doesn't have AC. I would like to get your thoughts on this vehicle, and whether its worth the asking price.

Up until this point I have always worked on Asian and European cars. The last true American car we had was a 1969 Camaro, which was over 30 years ago and I sold it for $4K. In hindsight, I should have never sold it, but that is now water under the bridge.

I'm reminded by my very first car.. It was a 1965 Plymouth Fury. It had a 318 with a 3 speed on the column, 2 door car. I bought it for I think 200 dollars. I HATED that car! I was 16 and when I bought it, it would run out of gas when it hit 1/4 tank and so I found myself stranded several times. And then the starter quit, so I always had to wait for my friends after school to help me push it to get it started. The one saving grace it had was I learned how to teardown and build my 1st engine. After building the engine, I sold it for 300 dollars and swore I would never buy another Chrysler product again. So, now some almost 50 years later, I am again looking at Chrysler cars...

But I digress....

I'm getting ready to retire soon and I was looking for a unique car that I didn't have to restore, so this is why the 300 caught my eye. Please have a look and give me your honest opinion about the car. FYI, I have emailed the owner to get additional information on the car such as documentation, # of owners, etc.

Here is the link: 1964 Chrysler 300 - Truck trade?

 

[Newport 66]

That's not a bad price IMHO for a non letter car. It's in good shape and is driver quality. No rust is a huge bonus and probably is driving the asking price. Needs minor work that shouldn't break the bank.
You're ahead of the game not having to do a lot of expensive work to the 300. If you're in it for yourself and not looking to sell it for a profit, I think it's fair. My 2 cents worth.

 

[DanielDD]

Thanks for the information. What do you mean by a "non letter car"?

 

[69monaco]

You could get a normal 300 or the Letter edition , in this case the 1964 300K , the last 300 lettercar was in 1965 , the 300L.
Google and you will find the differents...

 

[Davea Lux]

This car appears well preserved and rust free. At 100k you should be expecting to need some mechanical work if you plan to drive the car often and put miles on it. Interior appears to need a good cleaning as it looks like there is some mold on the seats. Timing chain will be due for replacement now. A car this old with only 100k miles on has spent a lot of time sitting. You will probably need a complete brake inspection prior to driving it any amount. Also at 100k ball joints, tie rod ends, control arm bushings and strut rod bushings are often in need of replacement. Take a good look underneath, check for rust holes in the exhaust and for signs of oil leaks. Fuel tanks are often corroded on cars this age. Tires are often old and deteriorated.
The 300 series were nice cars. This car is a non-letter 300 so the price is considerably less than one of the letter series. No air should not be a deal breaker as very few cars from 1964 were so equipped. Rust free is a good selling point, but I think this car is probably over priced. Nice 300's on the west coast usually sell for $7500 to $8500. I would put the value at around The $8500 if I were thinking about buying this auto. In the end buy or not buy the car based on what it is worth to you.

In answer to your other question, Chrysler built two series of 300 cars. There was a letter series which were more performance oriented and low production. The alphabetic letter for these cars went up on letter each year. The letter for 1964 was "K" and it was displayed on badges on the rear roof pillar and trunk lid. The non letter cars were standard production and did not have any letter badges.

Dave

 

[Rapidtrans777]

Thanks for the information. What do you mean by a "non letter car"?

Welcome. Google Chrysler 300 letter series. You'll enjoy the reading. That's a strong price on the car you're looking at. Cash talks loudly.

 

[DanielDD]

Good info, thanks Dave. I have the same concerns you mentioned as well. I am trying to get the seller to fill in all of the maintenance questions I have about the engine and suspension. I also asked about the tires as anything older than 10 years, no matter what the shape are a definite concern. I had forgotten about the timing chain. Yes, that is a good question to get asked. Also, I agree the price of the car is high and I would be more interested if it was within the range you specified.

 

[Newport 66]

Keep in mind sometimes cars are like real estate....location, location, location. This car is fairly close to you. If you bought the same car from the west coast or a ways away from you and have to have it shipped, that adds to your initial investment. Closer also affords you the opportunity to see it first hand. Looking at pictures and talking to a seller guarantees you nothing. Sometimes paying more up front reduces the surprises from buying remotely.

 

[Newport 66]

That car has been on the market for a while, first hand look see and cash could probably get the deal done for less than the asking price. Good Luck!!

 

[DanielDD]

Keep in mind sometimes cars are like real estate....location, location, location. This car is fairly close to you. If you bought the same car from the west coast or a ways away from you and have to have it shipped, that adds to your initial investment. Closer also affords you the opportunity to see it first hand. Looking at pictures and talking to a seller guarantees you nothing. Sometimes paying more up front reduces the surprises from buying remotely.

Agreed. Not yet ready to make a trip just yet. I haven't heard back from the seller, so I need some initial information before I go deeper into that rabbit hole..

 

[Xenon]

It is a very nice looking car....
But....
I am not seeing a 12 grand car here.....
Giving the lack of options and where there may be no outside rust showing
I have to wonder about that giving the left wheel housing has visible rust
and the trunk pan has been repainted....
There are others for close to the same money offering more for the money...
Chrysler For Sale | Cars On Line.com | Classic Cars For Sale is a start...

1964 Chrysler 300K Letter Car

For Sale - Michigan '64 300 non letter for $5.5 k

 

[DanielDD]

It is a very nice looking car....
But....
I am not seeing a 12 grand car here.....
Giving the lack of options and where there may be no outside rust showing
I have to wonder about that giving the left wheel housing has visible rust
and the trunk pan has been repainted....
There are others for close to the same money offering more for the money...
Chrysler For Sale | Cars On Line.com | Classic Cars For Sale is a start...

1964 Chrysler 300K Letter Car

For Sale - Michigan '64 300 non letter for $5.5 k

Thanks for the links. I'll check them out..

 

[68 4spd Fury]

Welcome and good luck. It's a nice looking car, appears to be clean and has some nice options, (tilt wheel, console, vacuum gage). Trunk seems a little too good, I can't remember any that didn't have at least some surface rust under that rubber mat. Price is at the high end IMO but not outrageous. If this isn't everything your looking for, (like having A/C), you may want to keep looking. Plenty of fish in the sea as they say.

 

[DanielDD]

Welcome and good luck. It's a nice looking car, appears to be clean and has some nice options, (tilt wheel, console, vacuum gage). Trunk seems a little too good, I can't remember any that didn't have at least some surface rust under that rubber mat. Price is at the high end IMO but not outrageous. If this isn't everything your looking for, (like having A/C), you may want to keep looking. Plenty of fish in the sea as they say.

Thanks for the feedback. I looked more closely at the trunk and it actually looks like it has been painted over the original as it appears there may have been some surface rust before they painted it. I did get a reply from the owner of the car this morning. He is not the original owner (which I can understand), but the 3rd owner it seems, and he has owned it for the past 3 years. I had inquired about any supporting documentation detailing maintenance done to the drivetrain and suspension, but the owner did not address this which makes me suspect there are no records. An earlier poster brought up the issue that the timing chain will require R&R at the current mileage, so it appears at first blush the current owner has owned the car for the past 3 years and done nothing to it other than store and drive it. When I asked about how old the tires were the response was that he bought it with the current tires on it so there is no telling how old the tires are. It would be easy to get the date code to reveal their age. He did leave me his name and phone number if I choose to pursue it further. I do think it is overpriced given these deficiencies I have noted.

 

[GJS]

Welcome. It's a really nice looking car but I'd have to go over it pretty sharply if I was spending that type of coin. I'm not saying that it's not worth it, just that that spray job in the trunk would leave me very suspicious.

Either way, should you check it out, let us know how it went! It's a really pretty ride.

 

[DanielDD]

I found that it has been for sale for awhile as one poster previously commented. Found it here back in August of this year...
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2018/08/01/hemmings-find-of-the-day-1964-chrysler-300/

 

[DanielDD]

Well, heard back from the owner. No documentation on any kind of maintenance. I'm done here. A car priced in this range, I would expect to see documented work, or at least a detailed explanation of work done over the years, but that is simply not available. If the vehicle was priced more reasonably, I might bite.. but not on this one..

 

[Newport 66]

Check FB. There was a nice clean '64 300 there. It was white with a red interior. Asking price was $9000.00

 

[drpreposterous]

I don't know whether it was a 300 specifically or just the '64 that caught your eye, but there is a nice New Yorker of that vintage going for $7.9k with a rebuilt 413 and claimed no rust. Owner is a nice older fella named George..

I've often thought the '63-64s were under-appreciated. Love the dashes in them.

1964 Chrysler New Yorker

 

[DanielDD]

I don't know whether it was a 300 specifically or just the '64 that caught your eye, but there is a nice New Yorker of that vintage going for $7.9k with a rebuilt 413 and claimed no rust. Owner is a nice older fella named George..

I've often thought the '63-64s were under-appreciated. Love the dashes in them.

1964 Chrysler New Yorker

Thanks for the heads up. I picked up another project vehicle for the winter and its not anything to do with the Chrysler brand. I'll be back at some later time to revisit...Merry Christmas!