UGLY CAR?: Anyone Kustomize A 1963 CHRYSLER 300? Photoshop project!!!

eh, what do I know. I'm a 17 year old kid that wrenches on euro cars and hasnt touched American iron in his life. Smoothie hubcaps on a 300 = no no?

 

Maybe keeping the tan and just adding a dark brown, Supremes and gravity. Maybe even chrome steelies with spiders?

 

I like the tan color. How about the tan with a purple color scheme? The tan is on the grey side of tan. I think it would look cool.......or maybe not

 

damn! I like that!

 

like this maybe?

 

The more I look at it, the more I think I would leave it looking stock as possible, maybe a nice set of rims radirs, halibrands or something like that and some good performance radials (start the anti-radial flamefest here). the darker paint on the bottom in a couple of photoshops here looks great as well.

I would do some suspension work - a little lower, sway bars, bigger torsion bars, good shocks, disc brakes, just generally tighten it up. I would freshen up the motor (a 383 I suspect) with a bigger cam, 452 heads (hardened valve seats, bigger chamber to lower the compression to acceptable levels for **** gas) and a good dual plane intake. I would see if a set of b-body headers would fit, if not hog out the manifolds as well. A nice 2 1/2 system with an x-pipe and quiet mufflers as well.

I would put a little looser converter in there (1800-2200 stall) and remove the ac***ulator spring from the 727 (maybe look at governor weights as well).

Then I would drive the **** out of it and surprise the hell out of some tuners.

Nice car BTW

 

Looks good, 1- shot slinger. I like everything, but I'm not sure about the skirts...

 

There is a lot going on with just the shape of this car. Paint should be simple and not be overdone with cob webs ,scallops and the like. Bumpers should be shaved and smoothed and replated. Something needs to be done with the front wheel opening and bumper relationship. The bumper end is to far away from the opening. It almost calls out to have the wheel and the opening moved forward . Maybe a slight lowering of the ceiling . 1 1/2 or 2 inches ???? The bumper ends need to be reworked into the fender and quarter so they are consistent in the way the relate to the panels. Keep the tail lites but move them into the body a couple of inches and loose the small piece of chrome trim on the quarter next to the lamp. Remove the handles and trim except for around the gl***.

 

I like the extended front bumper idea. It would be fairly easy and a nice subtle change.

 

Hmmm... I like these too. I have a few ideas I´ll try out tomorrow.

 

That's not an ugly car. Like a Rivi, just slick it out.

 

Gold Flake...........and Buick wires

 

what would you do to this?

 

They made like 24000 Chrysler 300's in 1963 in various body styles, it's the 300-J that they only made 400 of, and the J would probably be best restored, but a plain 300? Go nuts.

I have a '65 300-L, and personally I think it's a much prettier car, with it's notched roofline and covered headlights. The 63-64s are neat cars but not my favorites.

 

Maybe a little extra muscle.

 

That thing is cool!

 

Sell it to me!

 

KIRK! ...

This car isn't a '63 Chrysler 300 J (1 of 400 built) ... It's actually a '63 Chrysler 300 Non-Letter 2-door Hardtop (1 of 9,423 built) ... However, it's VIN (8233-107859) suggests that it is a (limited production) "Sport Series" model.

Ironically, earlier tonight I was talking with a guy about "Specialty Sales" (the dealer selling this car) ... and he was telling me about how they have quite a reputation of "mis-representing" cars.

Although this one is a very nice low mileage car (only 6,720 miles on the odometer), I think the $15K asking price is a bit high.

Here's a few pics of the car's (very clean) interior:







... and it's engine compartment:



Click HERE for more info on the car.

 

Better ?..

 

My take on this "ugly" old Chrysler.




Riviera? We don´t need no steenkin´ Riviera!

The trick with the rear wheel arch - lowering it and extending it back to meet the lenthened rear bumper - takes about ten tons of visual weight off the back end of the car. Helps a lot IMHO. Wide whites and wires may be a bit of an anachronism by `63, but I kind of like them.
Paint is up to you, but here´s a suggestion. I had to get rid of the beige!

 

I really like this car and i would buy it in heartbeat if i could.
James D photochop is ***s, the rearend treatment is simple yet jenius.
Heres a very nice one from the mild custom thread or similar ***le from here.

 

I think customizing a car is trying to find it's visual weak-spots, and change most of them, so the overal result is a better looking car.
JamesD you did some good stuff on the car. I wonder how you would 'do' the front of the car.

 

I had one about 10 years ago, before the digital age, so I'll see if I can scan some pics.

The mods I performed were de-badging and shaving all the trim except the headlight rings, the rain gutters and the tails. It was painted brandywine, and I ran charcoal grey painted Mopar "Police" wheels with the vented dog dish caps. The "Big" body mod I did was I recessed the factory cross grill back to the point where it was about 1/4" from the radiator. IIRC the lip on the stock grill was about 1 1/2 -2" and mine was about 4. With the chrome frame gone, and the gunsite way back in the grill opening, it had a much more agressive look op front. I also notched the rear bumper for some 4" exhaust tips that I cut out to mimick the detail on the tail lights. I also removed the reverse lights from the bumper. and mounted a set of then very new trucklight 4" round LED trailer lights begind the stock tail light lenses. Dropped it about 2" all around, up front if you cut off the shock absorber upper mounting tube and extend it ~ 3" you can run Mopar A body front shocks which are much easier to find as the stockers are very short.

 

The 63-4 Chryslers were cool as 4 doors because they used the exact same roofline and trim as the 2 doors. It would actually be very easy to convert a 4 door into a 2 door if you were inclined.

 

Personally I thing the B ? pillar looks out of place on the 63-4 Chrysler wagons, I'd try to square it off like the sedans, possibly using a 4 door hardtop rear door gl***. Then I'd lose the trim and tail lights for sure.

 

15k! You can have mine for 8k! and it is a wagon, which is way cooler!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2828867...7622111680468/

Socal garaged it's entire life...you know you want it...

 

Richard D, that so brings up images of the Jade Idol and the orange/pearl colored car from around the same time.
I like what you did with the wheel arches.

 

I like what James D did with it, subtle yet masterful. Really cleans up the look of the car.

 

I have some suggestions for you as an owner of a 68 300 convertible, re. lowering and molding of body seams. My 300 headed down the shave and customize road when the chrome shop I engaged busted up much of my hazy but excellent trim pieces. So I shaved the handles and a lot of the trim using the usual plug & weld method. To excentuate the long lines of the car I wanted to mold the potmetal fender extensions to the car. On the rear I used kitty hair or fibergl*** reinforced bondo. On the front I used J B weld. The J B weld has held up much better over the years. The bondo will shadow the seam despite having a perfectly smooth and blocked finish prior to painting.
For lowering the front and adding Lebaron disc brakes I bought Fatman 2" drop spindles. These are made for Cudas and Chargers but will work with a little modification. On the big C body the stock spindle is 1" taller and I had to modify the drop spindle bolt pattern for the steering arms. It's about 1/4" wider pattern. I have had them about 5 years and its nice to have good travel and a lowered stance. You will have to get a disk brake master cylinder, but the good thing is the MC bolt pattern is the same for later years. I don't even have any additional proportioning valves or anything. It stops much better, but not like a late model
I have also adapted one of the "square steering wheels" from a New Yorker to my car (tech on this some day) and I love the funky 60's vibe. After seeing James photo shop of your car I am definitely going to go the flat pearl I have been ruminating over. Good luck!

 

my father-in-law had one of those with a 383 in it as i remember. it hauled ***, even with all that weight.