"Special" Editions

[cantflip]

Crummy old MB platform, indifferent sub-contractor build quality and electronics were the icing on an ugly cake.

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*the chocolate lab depicts the SRT version with spoiler.

Love the pictorial help... To be fair the SLK was an entry level MB product and with the Vario Roof was kind of neat. The 2000-2001 3.2L 6speed manuals were fun to drive, and I would consider owning one at the right price/condition...

The price drop when it became the Crossfire did little to compensate for the ugliness the loss of the moving roof left behind. The electronics weren't so bad, but I saw those from the MB dealer side... not whatever made it to Chrysler. I don't imagine they gave a crap about what went into those cars once the deformed chicken foot came off the grille. The soft top models made me want to puke.

BTW, at least they never put the wonderful 4 cylinder into that shitbox. The supercharger was more BS than it was worth, but somewhere a team of engineers pat themselves on the back for figuring out how to make it double as a smog pump.

 

[Carmine]

I personally (a team I was on) have a "stain" on my record .. all the data (focus groups dug it, execs dug it, employees dug it, etc) looked "right" but the car flopped. $200M+ wasted

I can't talk about THAT one,

Does this one rhyme with Czar? ;)

 

[Carmine]

That stupid retro T bird was also a flop but the PT cruiser..... A Hugh hit ...go figure

I could tell a few stories about the PT, including seeing it in clay where one side was a PT and the other was a Chevy HHR before there ever was a Chevy HHR!

But it succeeded because it made people like myself, who hate small cars, actually consider one! The driving position was excellent and foretold the whole compact SUV revolution we're seeing now. It was as useful as a Swiss army knife on Gilligan's Island. The shame was that Daimler people treated it like another vehicle to remove $100 in unit cost rather than nuture it. Then one day they got drunk and created a convertible version that looked like a picnic basket.

But it really started dying when it was morphed into a Chrysler, instead of the revitalization of the Plymouth brand it was supposed to be.

 

[polara71]

But it succeeded because it made people like myself, who hate small cars, actually consider one!

I dont believe thats why it succeeded . Many people who already had small cars prior had bought one.

 

[Carmine]

I dont believe thats why it succeeded . Many people who already had small cars prior had bought one.

Well OK, that wasn't all of it... but if it made me, a guy who daily drives a Monaco in December; like a small car, it had to be pretty damn special.

 

[polara71]

I hated them with a passion. Well, not the car, the people who drove them. The whole PT phenomenon drove me insane

 

[amazinblue82]

Couple of Polaras here.

source: Dodge Polara - Wikipedia

There was also a stripped-down Polara Special available as either a 4-door sedan or station wagon. 1970 was the last year that the Polara would be available in a convertible body style (with a scant 842 produced, making it extremely rare today), and Dodge would never again offer a full-sized convertible.

Also exceptionally rare for 1970 was the "medallion" rear bumper. This bumper featured in all of the sales literature was discontinued after late August or early September 1969 production and replaced with a plain bumper lacking the center Fratzog​

And found out today (yeah, half a century old and just learned that), what a "Fratzog" is (I left the hyperlink in the text above). Thought it was just a cool member name, like "Zymurgy", but BOTH are REAL things.

1970 Polara vert. Last Dodge convertible ever made and only 842 copies no less (member's car here?)? That line up with what we know?

source: 1970 Dodge Polara Convertible - C-Body Supreme - Mopar Muscle Magazine

The 1970 Polara Special

So anybody know about this Fratzog "Medallion" thing with the rear bumper on '70 Polaras? Own one?

Anybody seen/have a 1970 Polara vert WITH a Fratzog on rear bumper? Now that would be truly rare yes?

This one of the medallion verts (or just a bumper reflection) and is that one of you?

 

[polara71]

Interesting, the research of about 6 guys on the Polara/ Monaco Yahoo board made Wikipedia. Mostly Fred ( Fratzog ) and I scouring the net and shows on why some bumpers had it while most did not. It wasn't a plant thing since the 70 polara/ Monaco was built in multiple places. We then looked at build dates. Which seems to be where the change over was..
The car in the picture belongs to a member here with only a few posts. Built by a talent in New York.

 

[amazinblue82]

Cool .. you cats were on it, so Wiki got it from true experts .. sometimes the internet gets things right. Thanks!

UPDATE: I just stumbled across a thread where you talked about the '70 Polara Verts

Rarest C- Body?

there's some other cars in here mentioned .. but relatively few pictures. hmm.

 

[polara71]

Off the top of my head I don't think the car in the picture is an original Fratzog bumper car. Her SPD is in September

 

[amazinblue82]

1965 Sport Fury Pace Car.

source: Car of the Week: 1965 Plymouth Sport Fury Indy Pace Car - Old Cars Weekly

The Sport Fury was one of 1,900 Pace Cars built by Plymouth as replicas of the official Indy Pace car that year. The 35 “official” pace cars were equipped with a 426 “wedge” power plant, while the replicas all got the 383 Golden Commando V-8. T

They were equipped with power steering and power convertible tops. Vinyl-covered bucket seats were found on either side of a center console that had a tachometer and automatic transmission floor shifter. Bumper guards were found on the front and rear, and fender skirts were included in the package.

And, of course, there were the flashy decals for the doors that signaled the Sport Fury convertibles as the 1965 pace cars of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”​

Metro Detroit area man made this replica, as a tribute to the Pace car, but also to one he bought as a young man, sold, then got another one and did a Pacecar thing with it. Cool story.

update: one for sale just posted here. a bit rough but looks like the real deal. no title tho.

For Sale - 65 fury indy pace car

 

[amazinblue82]

Here's another thread 3 years on. ran for three weeks/70 posts and never was resurrected.

Rarest C- Body?

so, not trying debate "whats rarer" as that doesnt get us anywhere. All the build combinations, even a "commonplace" car could be "rare" "1 of 1's" from a strict numbers standpoint (e.g., a blue car with a cigarette lighter but a dome light from previous model year, w/o powersteering, and vent windows. etc).

BUT, let's see if we can find some these "wow, would ya look at that" kinda cars that were genuinely "few in number" and "special" (exotic powertrains/components, desirable options, etc. ) in some way .. jus like some of you described them below

And then try to confirm/refute their existence WITH pics/documents. I hardly know any of these cars but I will be burnin up the internet looking for them -- along with my fusie/formal Newport A38 cop rigs

So ALL these cars below cant be "Bigfoots" can they? Some must be around still today (those not in museums), OR you own/owned one and can share it or a story/pics with us?

V-code Furys and anything '70 300 Hurst we have done a good job on .. too many threads to post here and they stand out pretty good on their ow. We can leave those two out BUT nothing stopping you from posting those here if you want

I just read the thread and picked stuff out but no pics/docs ever turned up before the thread went cold. I am sure some of you will recognize your own comments .

1. 1965 Dodge Monaco 426W 4-speed with documentation from Chrysler Historical. Still has matching drive train. As far as I know, this is the only one known to exist. Nobody has shown ANY kind of proof of another one that once existed or still currently does. 426W Automatics

2. 65 300L Convertible

3. 67' CE23L Chrysler Newports were made with a 440 HP engine, and I was told there was no record of one in the Chrysler registry. I did drive a 68' new Yorker 440HP four speed with Dana rear end.

4. I'm going to toss a FACTORY '66 Fury I 2 dr. post, 440 4-speed in the pig pile.

5. a 6 cyl 70 polara convertible built.

6. prototype 1966 300 "M" with a 426 Hemi 4 speed

7. I owned a 66 Polara 500 convertible 4 speed. I bought from original owner. he bought new at Gerdon's Chrysler in Corydon, Ind. it had 383 LOW performance 383 4 bbl with SIngle exhaust!. had console/tach, ps pb. got crushed at Wrights salvage in Louisville, ky. i've 66 converts and 66 4 speeds, but never the combo! not one! have searched hard. i have a 65 300 L 4 speed. I lost contact on a 65 300 L convert 4 speed on 1978. There were 105 L 4 speeds, 12 convert 4 speeds. 85 300 K 4 speeds and 4 convert 4 speeds exist. never seen another 65 monaco 4 speed.

8. My vote for rare is 67 300 Convert 4 speed. saw one for sale in MCG @ 10 years ago​

 

[amazinblue82]

source: 1965 Chrysler 300L 4-Speed

This 1965 Chrysler 300L is said to be one of only 98 ever built with a 4-speed manual transmission, a number which dwindles to only 9 when its optional A/C is factored in. The car runs a solid lifter 413 ci V8 with dealer fitted dual quads, and power is put down through a rare 3.23:1 limited slip rear end. The car looks quite clean in photos but its 35 year old respray is showing some age and will need to be redone soon. We’re big fans of Mopar C-body coupes, and this one is among the most appealing we’ve seen in some time. Olympia, Washington for $48k/trade​

1965 300L 4-speed, 3.:23 SureGrip 1 of 98 they say here, 1 of 9 with A/C. For sale 3 years ago at $48 big. One of ours here on FCBO?

 

[amazinblue82]

1965 300L Convertible. 4-speed, 45K mile for sale a few years back.

another one -- dunno anything about it.

 

[amazinblue82]

1966 "300M" Crusader.

Ok, so where's the real thing in a model shop/spy photo OR is this drawing (IF its "real" or somebody's idea who's unaffiliated with Chrysler .. cannot find its origin) as far as it went?

Whatever the case, this one obviously looks like a B-Body 66-67 Charger. Is this the legendary, rumored, 1966 300M? you guys were talking about?

 

[amazinblue82]

I cannot find a SINGLE 1967 300 Convertible Four Speed, not even the one on My Classic Garage (I think thats what MCG means?) 13 years ago. Like Bigfoot, its eluding me. Anyone ... throw it on if you find it or any others.

 

[polara71]

MCG usually means Mopar Collectors Guide in our inner Mopar circles

 

[amazinblue82]

MCG usually means Mopar Collectors Guide in our inner Mopar circles

guess i've been orbiting the outer reaches of Mopar world .. no sunlight reaches me out there

 

[polara71]

Yeah, Im not sure why you wouldn't know that. You've been around the block plenty of times. Perhaps it simply never clicked

 

[300rag]

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1965 300L Convertible. 4-speed, 45K mile for sale a few years back.

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another one -- dunno anything about it.
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That car was purchased by the owner of a dealership in Red Deer, Alberta in Jan of 2013. He bought it to keep his 300L hardtop company in the garage, amongst many others in his fleet. I do not know if he still has it.