My Internet connection is useless, and I lucky if I able to attach and send this, but see how I go.
So apologies for copying and pasting and leaving it up to whomever if you wish to use some of my 300C entry stuff I send now - 1957 was a real milestone year for both Chrysler and new 300, so I apologise for it's length.
- 1957 saw Chrysler get serious about providing a real driver's performance and safe handling car with their new 300. The hemi was enlarged from former 354 cubic inches, to it's final size/form - now 392 cubic inches. The taller block required changing the porting into the heads, and unique to this year's 392s, the crankshaft was hardened/nitrided. Twin four barrel WCFB carburetors were standard, and only the 300C 392 motors came with adjustable rocker gear and special 'dimpled' rocker covers to allow this.
- Other new unique performance features of the 300C were wider rims that carried semi race quality 9.50 - 14 tires, down in diameter from former 300B's 15 inch rims. Also in 1957 Chrysler pioneered a front suspension that angled the upper and lower control arms, which eliminated dive under braking, and lift under acceleration - this beating GM and most of rest of world by years. And the front suspension was also a new torsion bar design.
- Manual steering was listed as an option, but after a few early production cars, manual steering after that was only available on the few special option 390hp cars, which had larger 4 bolt flange exhaust manifolds and larger exhaust system, and most 390hp cars were 3 speed manual.
- Production appears to have begun very late in 1956 - possibly over the reduced production Christmas break, and some/many early 300Cs were fitted with only 120 mph speedos, and had no meshes in the air ducts that were seen underneath the headlights, some of which on early cars were only dual, not the more common quads.
- And 1957 saw the first convertible 300 - which utilised a massive cross braced frame, that limited exhaust pipe diameter, but seemingly had little effect on performance.
- Chrysler attended the annual Daytona Beach Flying Mile Speed Trials early 1957, but shocking loose sand conditions and mechanical problems with a special prepared Fuel Injection car, saw rather disappointing results, but the car still won it's classes. In the final days of Daytona, the usual annual wind/tide conditions finally came in, but too late for the 300Cs. Nearly every major manufacturer was caught out by 1957's conditions, with expected top speeds there down by around 10-20% for near every Brand. So Chrysler ran 300C on it's test track back home, and achieved the expected higher speeds, and as part of this, they found the 'eyebrow' over the windscreen cost about 10mph, so the decision was made that it be removed, and the later 300Ds got the 'bubble' windscreen that flowed into the roof, with no raised chrome protrusion of the 300C.
- But whatever Chrysler's hopes for 300s in competition were dashed mid 1957 by governing bodies enacting new Rules effectively banning dual carb 300Cs from most mainstream competition, by moves such as NHRA putting them into Altered Dragster Class.
- (But oddly, another same time rule change by NHRA, was to make Chrysler's hemi legendary - 'nitro' fuel in dragsters was also banned by NHRA in 1957, to try to slow the cars. And near overnight, the until then quite largely ignored hemi was then tried with supercharging, and as they say, the rest is now history - the Chrysler design hemi 57 yrs later still is the one to beat!!?)
apologies for dot points that appeared when I selected italics - do not know how that happened
Christopher in Australia
To: awrdoc@xxxxxxx; BARJAM300@xxxxxxx CC: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx From: awrdoc@xxxxxxxxx Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2014 13:25:19 -0500 Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] Reply Diamond Jubilee 300 Circus-History
Hi,
First changes:
300-E- Leather sentences now reads:
The big news for the 300 E was the introduction of the new "Golden Lion" V8 that replaced the tried and true Hemi.
Inside the car, swivel front seats were standard, finished in "Living Breathable Leather" upholstery that was perforated with fine holes and embossed in a basket weave pattern.
300-D- Re FI now reads.
The carbureted engine received the 3-speed automatic and two 300-Ds are known to have had manual transmissions, while fuel injected cars all received a 3-speed automatic transmissions.
Available for the first time for Chrysler Corporation cars, was electronic fuel injection, which added another 10 horses to the base motor. This system proved unreliable however, and most of the 35 cars that Chrysler Corporation built across all its models that were produced with it were recalled and fitted with carburetors. Performance was still world class, demonstrated when a 300 D was driven to a new Class E record of 156.387 at the Bonneville Salt Flats, and at Daytona, one was driven to an et of 16 seconds with a 94mph trap speed. But production was down, and the Hemi would disappear. The carbureted engine received the 3-speed automatic, while fuel injected cars received a 3-speed manual transmission. Unfortunately, electronic fuel injection wasn't a great idea in an era when vacuum tubes still ruled the electronics world, and most of the 21 or so 300-D cars equipped with the Bendix system were recalled and retrofitted with dual four-barrel carburetors.
Andy Mikonis quotes an article by G. Moon in 1988 that says there were 21 fuel injected Ds.
Please advise if this gets it right?
Tony Rinaldi
From: Anthony Rinaldi < awrdoc@xxxxxxx> Date: Sat, Mar 8, 14 at Sat, Mar 8 - 11:28 AM To: Anthony Rinaldi < awrdoc@xxxxxxxxx> Subject: Fwd: [Chrysler300] Reply Diamond Jubilee 300 Circus-History
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
I'm including Tony. The numbers are good because the 35 refers to all the Chrysler-Dodge-DeSoto lines. The 16 is the 300 line. Gil wrote some articles on this and its somewhere in our archives. So ask Gil for definitive answers. He's the man.
G
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2014 11:17 AM
Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] Reply Diamond Jubilee 300 Circus-History
Gloria,
You are Correct. I just skipped over that when I read it. In the first sentence where it says 35 were built (the correct "accepted" number), it says "most" were recalled. How the qty of 16 got in the last sentence is beyond me. I pointed that out to Tony.
Jim B
In a message dated 2014/03/08 11:01:50 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, agmoon@xxxxxxxxx writes:
About the 300D,
The carbureted engine received the 3-speed automatic, while fuel injected cars received a 3-speed manual transmission. Unfortunately, electronic fuel injection wasnâ.˙t a great idea in an era when vacuum tubes still ruled the electronics world, and the 16 or so cars equipped with the Bendix system were recalled and retrofitted with carburetors.
The statement that the fuelie cars all received 3-speed manual transmissions is incorrect. Only 2 manual transmissioned Ds are known to me and neither is fuel injected. All the fuel injected cars I've seen have the Torqueflite 3-speed automatic.
Not all the 300Ds were retrofitted with carbs. We know of one that was not. So while they may have been notified of a recall, not all the owners may have complied. (A lot like today's cars.)
We have an out-of-date folded brochure with a brief explanation of the club and the cars. Dave Schwandt was the last to update it and it needs it again. We should have them for handouts using Dave's neat holder.
Gloria Moon
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2014 9:42 AM
Subject: [Chrysler300] Diamond Jubilee 300 Circus-History
Hi To All,
The effort that members contributed to the short histories for the Diamond Jubilee Big Top Tent car placards is in the process of being used to update the 300 Club Intâ.˙l website by Bob Merritt.
The table of facts and the descriptive text is undergoing one last review by the perspective letter year consultants.
Noel Hastalis has agreed to comple te a detailed spec sheet that will be used as a poster.
That leaves the full history of the Chrysler 300 from inception through todayâ.˙s offering. This info will be printed on a 4 ft. tall poster.
Please help us by reviewing the text.
Please download it, review it and edit away with any changes you feel will accurately portray the history of the 300 Marque.
Suggested changes can be e-mailed. OR the document is set up to tract changes (deletions wil l be strike thrus and additions will show up on the side.)
Make your suggested changes and add your initials to the document's name and e-mail it.
The description of the current offerings is weak. Not sure if there will be a model change by 2015?
Looking forward to your assistance & input.
Tony Rinaldi,
Mark Souders,
Tony Bevacqua
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