RE: [Chrysler300] Lefty's Earliest Owners List

[Hardy Graham Jr <hpgraham@xxxx>]

Regarding original owners I almost count (well sort of). My Grandfather,
Hardy M. Graham, bought the car brand new in May of 1955. He bought the car
in Union City, TN and has been an avid Mopar man since about 1940. My
Grandmother got a brand new Imperial every couple of years until the
discontinued them. The last Mopar she bought was a Front Drive New Yorker.
She didn't like front drive so she bought a 7 Series BMW. Granddad used his
cars on the farm and to travel around for business so he wanted performance.
My Dad tells a story of getting the C300 to 150 on the speedometer on a long
descending straightaway in west Tennessee one time. My Grandfather tells a
story about being Mayor and routinely getting the Police department to
verify the accuracy of his speedometer at 100 mph. He also said that he
replaced the tires when they were only half worn out. Not sure how true,
but he also says that he had them put a different cam in the car when it was
new to make even more power and changed the rear end for more speed. Like
me he has always been a horsepower junkie. He tells a great story about
working out on the farm late one day when one of his workers got injured
badly on a piece of farm equipment. He said he put the man in the car and
set out for a hospital running as fast as he could go. Most roads in rural
West Tennessee were dirt and in not very good condition. He was coming up
on a bridge crossing a stream and just kept his foot on the floor. He tells
of hitting the beginning of the bridge and launching the car in the air.
When it came down it hit so hard that it bottomed out and pulled the exhaust
system off at the manifolds. It was dark by then and blue flames shot out
from under the car he said. With a tire squealing unmuffled Hemi C300 I
have no doubt that the hospital knew he was approaching. After the car got
around 50,000 miles on it he bought another car and used the C300 to haul
corn on the farm. He would actually drive it down the rows of corn and
have people throw ears that the Combine missed into the trunk of the car.
In 1969 the drivers outside door handle broke so he parked it in his carport
and just left it there. All through my childhood when I would visit I would
climb over this beast of a car sitting in their carport. Even at an early
age I was amazed and fascinated by this car. In 1992 I convinced my Father
and Uncle to pay to have the car restored. My Grandfather passed title to
the both of them and they jointly restored the car. There was extensive
rust from sitting in the carport for 23 years. The restoration cost over
$50,000.00 but didn't matter because it was Granddaddy car. When the
restoration was complete and the car delivered back to Union City my
Grandfather was the first to drive it. My uncle was with him as he pushed
the car to 100 mph. He said that as he was looking at him to tell him to
slow down, he looked 40 years younger. Granddaddy's last Mopar was a 1987
Conquest TSi which I bought from him last year. It has 21,000 miles and
cost me the hefty sum of $700.00. The last new car he bought was in 1994
when he bought a Corvette ZR-1 at the age of 82. Grandmothers front drive
New Yorker was way to slow he said. Granddaddy is 90 years old now and the
family won't let him drive anymore. At the last club meet in Nashville I
brought his car and had it judged in the Concours event. I don't remember
the points it got off had but I was happy, especially since it took first in
class (I am not sure if anyone else was in the class). Anyway, I gave the
plaque to my Grandfather and it made him very happy. Although I am no the
original owner my name is on the original title. Sorry for the long story.
I am beginning to sound like my Grandfather.

Hardy P. Graham, Jr.