Lowrider 1970 300 convertible

[ayilar]

This 1970 Chrysler 300 ragtop was (AFAIK) last discussed in 2015, when member @BigCRig advertised it for sale. Interestingly, the CL ad from New Mexicomentioned it was a U-code car but only listed CM27U0Cxxxxxx as the VIN. Anyone know more? I found a Jan. 2015 thread on the Layitlow forum, where the seller (reportedly from Miramar, Florida at the time) posted a bunch of photos. Here they are for records.

@marko @boostedvan @67valiant 100 @Ripinator @polara71 @commando1

 

[Big_John]

That car was discussed here quite a bit. I know that I looked at it on the lowrider forum and wasn't impressed with the work.

 

[ayilar]

Originally seems to have been ER6 Red, M6XW white buckets interior with buddy seat, and V1W white top:

https://www.layitlow.com/threads/red-house-1970-chrysler-300.287776/

The tag is clearly stating CM27U0C1xxxxx but I can't see more here or here. If I had to guess, I would say CM27U0C15xxxx because I see a B on the build date (Nov. 1969) and I know another U-code built that month whose VIN also starts with CM27U0C15.

There is a V7W stripe, fancy radio, A/C, and power seats but manual windows. The engine was also correct, orange color and all -- at least before the transformation. Then the owner repainted the engine (and pretty much everything in the engine bay) red.

 

[ayilar]

And here is a video of the car "exercising":

 

[1970FuryConv]

What a shame to do that to such a rare car.

 

[ayilar]

What a shame to do that to such a rare car.

1 of about 120 U-code 1970 'verts. Rare indeed.

 

[CBODY67]

I suspect that "rare" did not enter into any discussion, just how "cool" it would look with hydraulics and such under it, plus the custom touches. Would have been a great car to restore!!

 

[polara71]

A lot of money dumped in junk right there. It'll never get undone.

 

[Isaiah Estrada]

I am a Lowrider guy to the bone, but the work on this isn’t quite my style. It’s definitely done in 90’s / early 2000’s style. This car would’ve looked a lot cooler if it was just lowered with a few mild touches. The main thing that makes this car look funny are the tiny tires.

Though people think making a C into lowriders is sacrilegious, they aren’t worth much and don’t have a huge following. It’s why I’m real excited to do the same to my New Yorker, albeit with more mild customizations and staying more true to a 70’s style lowrider.


the other big thing too is people use hydraulics that are too powerful for these cars. Check out the smooth aircraft hydraulic setups that they were adapting to lowered cars starting in the late 50s. Those sound awesome and are pretty gentle lifts. It’s the kind of juice I’d like for my car at least…

 

[ayilar]

Though people think making a C into lowriders is sacrilegious, they aren’t worth much and don’t have a huge following. It’s why I’m real excited to do the same to my New Yorker, albeit with more mild customizations and staying more true to a 70’s style lowrider.

A New Yorker is a different matter altogether, as many more were made. What I think folks are noting, is that this lowrider is one of not many 1970 'verts made, and the mods cannot be undone.

 

[Ripinator]

This 1970 Chrysler 300 ragtop was (AFAIK) last discussed in 2015, when member @BigCRig advertised it for sale. Interestingly, the CL ad from New Mexicomentioned it was a U-code car but only listed CM27U0Cxxxxxx as the VIN. Anyone know more? I found a Jan. 2015 thread on the Layitlow forum, where the seller (reportedly from Miramar, Florida at the time) posted a bunch of photos. Here they are for records.

@marko @boostedvan @67valiant 100 @Ripinator @polara71 @commando1

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I'm already sick today and about to throw up. This car just pushed me over the edge. . .

 

[polara71]

A New Yorker is a different matter altogether, as many more were made. What I think folks are noting, is that this lowrider is one of not many 1970 'verts made, and the mods cannot be undone.

They can be undone but the owner /seller will want to recoup his investment. A new owner would have to pay that cost and an awful lot to locate removed original parts and undo all that's been done and to correctness. Hell even just doing wheel wells in black is time consuming.

 

[Isaiah Estrada]

As ugly as the car might be, I can guarantee you someone out there is enjoying the heck out of that thing. I think maybe we could be glad at least for that reason!

 

[polara71]

As ugly as the car might be, I can guarantee you someone out there is enjoying the heck out of that thing. I think maybe we could be glad at least for that reason!

I couldn't care less . Seeing the photos frustrates me but it's none of my business really.

 

[Isaiah Estrada]

I guess it all depends literally where you are from too. I don’t see too many west coast members, namely ones who grew up in towns like I did. Where I’m from, lowered and modified cars have been a thing since the 1940s. The name Harry Westergard comes to mind. Stemming from Hot Rodding, many kids - Black, White, Mexican, Asian etc. here in Southern California were taking full size cars and turning them into mild and full customs. Sometimes, even when they were brand new off the lot.

Here’s a pic, from 1967 of famed historian and photographer Howard Gribble with his weeks old 67 Impala. By this time, he had it laid out with a hydraulic suspension and even some custom paint touches.

Sometimes a low car is like growing up like those kids who watched General Lee in Dukes of Hazard and wanted a charger just like it. Many times guys just want to fulfill a dream and take a really cool land yacht, lower it to the ground and enjoy it with family. Though not everyone understands it - it’s definitely nothing new.

 

[polara71]

I guess it all depends literally where you are from too. I don’t see too many west coast members, namely ones who grew up in towns like I did. Where I’m from, lowered and modified cars have been a thing since the 1940s. The name Harry Westergard comes to mind. Stemming from Hot Rodding, many kids - Black, White, Mexican, Asian etc. here in Southern California were taking full size cars and turning them into mild and full customs. Sometimes, even when they were brand new off the lot.

Here’s a pic, from 1967 of famed historian and photographer Howard Gribble with his weeks old 67 Impala. By this time, he had it laid out with a hydraulic suspension and even some custom paint touches.

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Sometimes a low car is like growing up like those kids who watched General Lee in Dukes of Hazard and wanted a charger just like it. Many times guys just want to fulfill a dream and take a really cool land yacht, lower it to the ground and enjoy it with family. Though not everyone understands it - it’s definitely nothing new.

Low riding GM stuff was big in the 70s. Impala and Caprices were the cars of choice.

 

[ayilar]

We are all good -- now did anyone catch the VIN or the fender tag for this 300 ragtop, back in 2015 or before/after that time?

 

[CBODY67]

Coil spring cars, no matter the maker, are easier to do than a Chrysler product, seems to me. Air bags and hydraulics have a nicer home there, usually.

The ONE thing that GMs and Fords have is a shorter body length past the wheel locations. Less prone to drag the tail pipe(s) or hit "high center" with a full load and already sagged rear springs. That's why I put air shocks on the back of my '70 Monaco Brougham, plus JR78-15 tires rather than HR78-15 tires. Get the rear ride height where it is supposed to be and no dragging.

The other thing is the Chevys and Galaxies were on a 119" wheelbase rather than 124". AND they are full-frame cars rather than otherwise.

Where one drives can make a difference in how low a vehicle can be and not drag. After the muffler shop got through putting new mufflers on my '77 Camaro, I soon discovered what it can be like to drive something lower to the ground as the mufflers dragged on even a mild driveway approach. With only about 5" ground clearance. When our C-bodies are closer to 6" ground clearance. I finally found some better-sized OEM mufflers for that car with no further issues. No fun having to make extra corrections going over driveway humps so no noisy scraping sounds happened. Most modern cars just barely clear the peak of the approaches, by observation. It's a bit scary how close those bottom-sides are to "contact".

From those experiences and almost getting caught in a potential accident situation due to some young guys in a foreign car "riding on the bump stops" dang near stopping to creep over a railroad track, on a 45mph posted speed limit busy roadway one night, the cars might look neat lowered and driving, BUT those driving need to also be aware of their surroundings and traffic.

Something in TX that might not be in SoCal is the height of and NUMBER of HD2500 pickup trucks, not to mention the ones which have been lifted. Any low vehicle can get lost in those vehicles' sight lines easily. Not good. Even a late model 300 is not tall enough, sometimes. On the other hand, a low-rider is no different from driving a '70s MG-B, both are basically the same height. One came that way and the other one didn't. Not a good feeling being on a 70mph freeway surrounded by HD2500 pickup trucks, where you can't see anything, just react to what others suddenly do. I didn't like that in my '77 Camaro.

Whenever the guy found that 300 convertible, it was on the way to the crusher, sooner than later. He saved it, just not in the way we might have preferred. BTAIM

Personally, when I see a lowered car, I give them a wide berth as I know that at some time, they very well might need to slow down to 5mph to traverse a roadway area where normal 30mph traffic does not. No sense in me getting into a possible situation of avoiding a collision (me to the slower car, or a faster vehicle behind me that's not paying attention). To me, that's just good policy. A day getting spoiled, much less bent sheet metal, for whatever reason, is not good.

Sorry for the length. Just my experiences and observations.
CBODY67

 

[ayilar]

Sorry for the length.

You kidding? I love reading your long posts, they always have tons of information and wisdom. Cheers, and keep them coming!

 

[SuperDave]

Love it or hate it, SOMEBODY saved this from the crusher/fields of broken, shattered dreams (junkyard). That in and of itself is something to be proud of. Our C Body land yachts rarely get much attention or respect by the larger automotive community. For someone to languish this much detail & work SHOULD earn your respect, regardless of how you may or may not approve of the final product.

When I acquired my 73 Newport, the previous owner had begun mods to "Donk" it, as it sported maxed out torsion bar adjustments and high rise leaf spring shackles out back, before they gave up and abandoned it. I was the last & only person who saw it still had potential to save it from the crusher. It had already earned the name "the Turd" on account of it's doggy doo color and the fact most everything was broken or didn't work right. A real piece of $#!+. I gave it a muscle car make over, and today I get props, smiles & thumbs up almost every time I take it out. And I'm still not done with it yet, future plans include new upholstery, rebuilding the AC/heater, power windows, close ratio steering, new leaf springs & T-bars, CalTrac traction bars, TTI long tube headers, aluminum heads, a stroker kit & Holley Sniper EFI. And then maybe fresh paint. But for now, the original lead based metallic brown still buffs out nice and sparkles with some love applied. It is still called "the Turd" but only because of the color & the crappy gas mileage it gets. But yet it still gets loved. Not everyone approves of the direction I went with it, but it's not their car, it's mine.

So someone made a low rider out of one. Cool. Not what I would have done, but it's a lot more than what most anyone else would have done with it. It's different, special and unique. And best of all, it isn't a GM or a Ford product that has already been done to death to the point that it fades into the background in a sea of other like type of cars of that genre. I would not feel ashamed to park my car next to this one. "Dare To Be Different". Wave your freak flag without shame.