I may be missing something here, but the one definitive way to verify authenticity of the car would be to have Gil Cunningham look up the car in the microfilm records. Until or unless that is done, it would remain in question as to whether it was factory produced or not. Of course the owner would need to request that research be done. From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John Lazenby french_fryguy@xxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300]
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2016 8:59 AM
To: pffkllc@xxxxxxx; spiers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx; chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] The OTHER 300-F 4-speed convertible . . . a can of worms, I... Normally I wouldn't get into something like this but here is what I can offer. IMO my friend Wayne Graefen of Kerrville, Texas has done more research on the 300 4 Speed cars than anyone. He also owned for years one of the four "documented" examples existing. I knew his car well as I was there in the beginning and watched the restoration. Over the years I've driven the car a few times, stored it for Wayne when he moved from SoCal to Texas and have been in the car at speeds well over 100 mph. Wayne and the late John Hertog pretty much agreed on facts regarding these cars and both say the Petty convertible is NOT a documented example. Don Petty does own a white coupe that I've seen and it is a documented car. The car that he claims to be a 4 speed convertible has nothing to support that to my knowledge. Over the years Wayne communicated with Don regarding this and if I recall there was no reply. There was one 4 speed convertible built and was found years ago by Bruce Cone and Bruce Hoover. That is the car that Tom Turner owned for years. It was sold to a Milt Robinson out of the Atlanta area who is/was a large collector. Milt has since sold the car and it was on the east coast the last I knew. The Flying Mile Gregg Zigler example which was purchase shortly after it made it's runs at Dayton was owned by Robert Macatee (sp) until his passing. That car sold to a new owner and has sold at least once again. Wayne sold his to a Texas Hotel Owner a couple of years ago and that car has since sold again and I believe is now in Wisconsin. Wayne was involved with the recent sale of this car again. So there you have it as I remember. For what it may be worth, I saw that car several years ago, along with John Hertog, when we were out at a Chrysler 300 Club, Inc. meet, and it appeared to be pretty much in parts - not refinished parts - just parts. If he did a total restoration on it, it must have been after we were there. I know at the time, John had sincere doubts as to the authenticity of the car as an F special. I know Val Jeffers just inquired about the Turner 300-F 4 speed convertible, but this is about the other one . . . I was in Phoenix a few years ago and met Don Petty, close cousin and longtime friend of Richard Petty, and well-known on the Forwardlook List as a dependable vendor of Mopar and other parts. He has been the owner of a wrecking yard, now a classic car wrecking yard, for many years. He has dozens of Mopars, including Letter Car convertibles and hardtops. Don Petty has a 4-speed 300-F convertible he has owned for many years. What is the background of his car? He makes some convincing claims about the authenticity of his car - the water-cooled exhaust manifolds, the carbs, the Pont-A-Mousson transmission, the special console bezel & shift lever, etc., items that would have taken quite a bit of effort to obtain, even in 1960. He said he bought the car without the block, but with all the bolt-on parts in the trunk and the transmission and bellhousing in place, and did a complete restoration years ago. He has no doubt whatsoever that his car is an authentic, factory-built 4-speed car. I've never seen or heard of this car being discussed anywhere, and Don told me that the re are Mopar people who doubt that his car is authentic.
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Posted by: "Bob Jasinski" <rpjasin@xxxxxxxxxxx>
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