supercharged 300C history?

["christopher beilby" <thelastbestgenius@xxxx>]

A few years back I purchased the supercharged '57 300 C Coupe that is 
apparently known by the club as the "Flying Mile Car". It was apparently a 
special order from the factory by Bacchus Chrysler on behalf of two brothers 
to be entered in something like the 'Man o Street' category of the '57 
Daytone Beach time trials. (this was a category for non factory entries)

The car was built dec 28 '56, red, manual steering, auto trans, delete most 
other options, the only seeming non usual extra being factory seat belts, 
which end with galv cables bolted to the floor.

What I was told was car ran on the Beach, locked the motor just under 150 
mph going into the flying mile on the second run due to the dealer and 
owners not having time in the only few weeks after delivery to solve the 
blower leaning out the carbs on long power runs before Daytona just weeks 
later in early '57.

Briggs Cunningham was apparently at the meet, and after talks, then took the 
motor, and apparently set the motor up on a dyno he had (something he had to 
do with his Chrysler motor Cunningham sports racer attempts at Le Mans?), 
and the car was then campaigned at the drags, never losing a race.
The brothers kept the car afterwards, probably finally using it on the 
street, most likely running it then without the blower belt, breathing 
normally.

All the numbers still match, car has old tacho, boost guages, twin elec 
pumps where battery was, battery in trunk as per original, shows about 
55,000 miles, came with multiple hand written notes, re such as correct jet 
sizes to put back with blower belt refitted, plus McCulloch typed out 
instructions re fitting 300C with blower kit, etc.. The car has had a quick 
paint job and rust spot bodge up, wrong new headlining, but seat leather 
still original but very dry, it responding to leather treatments so it can 
be left original.

I have other cars, so until now the car has only been driven by me every few 
months. With belt on, it needs the box that Cuningham made to fully 
surround/enclose the carbs, plus the bigger jets, as otherwise it runs lean, 
needs the manual choke just to make t run on 8. I spent some time cleaning 
the bendix pump filters, setting the carbs, etc, and it really hauls hard 
even without the blower belt on, and seems like maybe has a medium ratio 
diff, not the original/normal 3.2 whatever ratio.

I am now ready to get serious about getting ther car back to it's Cunningham 
set up form, see how the car would have gone over Daytona flying mile had it 
not been starving for fuel.
Does anyone over there have any more early days detail/photos, leads to 
anyone who may know more?? I emailed Cunningham a couple of years ago, but 
never got a response. Maybe even a lead to who worked for him back then, 
they would be sure to remember the car - red '57 300Cs back early in "57 
were pretty rare, not to mention having it's new supercharged hemi motor set 
up on his dyno ??!!

Aussie christopher

_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail is now available on Australian mobile phones. Go to 
http://ninemsn.com.au/mobilecentral/signup.asp