Re: [Chrysler300] 300F Special article

Great article by Wayne, with all the tech specs! You can see a couple photos of Wayne's black G coupe, purchased by Joe Jordan in Wisconsin a few short years ago, on our 300 Club photos site of our Elkhart Lake, WI, Meet - shows the 150 mph speedo. Hands-down, Joe's F won Best of Show at that Club Meet.

I had spoken with Joe during 2018, and he looked forward to bringing this great F coupe to the 8/26/18 Geneva, IL Concours for which I pulled together a remarkable showing of 21 Letter Cars as a featured marque. I last spoke with Joe a couple weeks prior to that Concours. He was very disappointed to tell me that he was unable to bring his F to the Concours. Late in 2017, while thrashing through the gears on the backroads of Wisconsin, Joe broke a gear tooth in the tail shaft of his P-a-M trans. He had, by mid-2018, unsuccessfully reached out to 3 or 4 different shops to repair this gear. He said that Wayne sent him a complete replacement P-a-M 4-speed trans, and that this replacement trans did not fit his F. He concluded that he would likely have to custom machine a new gear for his application. I don't know how the P-a-M trans Wayne sent differed, but it did. Wayne mentions "Second-Series Pont-a-Moussin" trans in his article. I don't know if the replacement trans Wayne sent to Joe was a Second Series.

This discussion has also touched on the Gregg Ziegler-raced F coupe, that had been owned for years by Bob McAtee. Larry Tarantolo, who lived near Bob in central Illinois, purchased it from the McAtee family. Plus-or-minus 10 years ago, I was fortunate to show my F coupe at an annual Father's Day Greater IL Region CCCA show at the local upscale Oak Brook Mall, and Larry showed this iconic Gregg Ziegler F coupe next to my car. I had taken many photos of that all original museum piece F, with its odometer reading less than 15,000 miles - my photos all lost to my trashed hard drive. Larry had one of the original Blue Streak tires in the trunk, the racing shoulder harness Gregg Ziegler used, and other racing memorabilia. Gregg's autograph graced the rams and the glove box. Shortly after that Father's Day show, Larry, drove it to a Club gathering at Michael Burke's, and then started marketing it through the auction circuit.

"Only comment I’d add is that the Cone- Turner – whoever now F Convertible and the Drumm car were both built POST Daytona. 7 total Gran Turismos at Daytona."

John Lazenby

On Thursday, March 7, 2019, 7:12:05 AM PST, my65cuda my65cuda@xxxxxxx [Chrysler300] < Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Is the convertible version in a collection in MD? I remember talking with someone who owned the car and had restored it. I was speaking with him about another car, but the name escapes me currently.

On Mar 7, 2019, at 9:25 AM, Val Jeffers edward1108@xxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300] < Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I purchased my G from Bob McAtee in 1985 and his Black 4 Speed F was sitting right beside mine. Bob was very proud of his car and mentioned all its history. I was very privileged to see it and he along with his wife were very nice to meet and deal with. Just wanted to say.

Thanks,

Val Jeffers

On ‎Wednesday‎, ‎March‎ ‎6‎, ‎2019‎ ‎09‎:‎41‎:‎35‎ ‎PM‎ ‎EST, John Lazenby french_fryguy@xxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300] < Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Bob and all,

I read this article with great interest. After the read I made the call to my longtime friend and IMO foremost authority of the 300F 4 speed cars, Wayne Graefen.. Here is what I can offer based on Wayne's and my knowledge regarding these cars.

There were 9 built by Chrysler with the intention of going to Daytona. One of the 9 was a convertible that was ordered by a wealthy person for his personal use and never in the Daytona program. The cars that are documented to exist today are: a white convertible and 3 coupes. Two of those coupes were Daytona examples, one previously owned by Bob McAtee (sp), originally owned by Gregg Ziegler who Bob purchased it from after GZ made the record setting runs.

Don Petty does in fact owns a white coupe that was also in the Daytona program. I've seen that car over the past 30+years on two occasions.

The third car was originally ordered by Andy Drumm on Nevada and is the only 4 speed car ever equipped with A/C. This was the Graefen car and I have extensive documentation of this example as I stored the car for Wayne when he moved from California to Texas several years ago. I've also been behind the wheel more that once in that car. My final ride in Graefen's car was in Texas some years ago and we ran out of road before we got into 4th gear. That car is currently owned by club member Joe Jordan who lives in Wisconsin.

Now to the Hemmings article, that car started life as a 300F convertible with a Torqueflite and a 375hp engine. Don created this car from extra parts he had. I believe the club has the VIN of this example and I do too thanks to Wayne along with some photos. One sign displayed with the Petty convertible some years ago state it is 1 of 2 which was ever equipped with this trans and I guess that is true. What is not mentioned is that it is a "creation" and this was not a factory build. Here is just one comment Wayne sent me regarding the Petty car:

"Notice, it does NOT have the high volume air cleaners and they

are NOT red. Also, the hood braces are still in that car."

Bottom line is don't believe everything you read in publications,

John Lazenby

On Wednesday, March 6, 2019, 4:35:05 PM PST, 'Bob Jasinski' rpjasin@xxxxxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300] < Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On another list I am on (for early A bodies), the subject of the 300F with the French 4-speed came up. Here is a shared link from that list:

https://www.hemmings.com/magazine/mus/2017/06/Headless-Horsepower---1960-Chrysler-300F/3750912.html

Notice the photograph of the 200 MPH speedometer.. Does anyone know if the export speedo for kilometers, looks the same? I’m thinking it is, and they recalibrated it for MPH instead of KPH, but would like to hear from anyone in the know. This was the first I heard of the 200 MPH speedo in the F Specials, notice it doesn’t state MPH or KPH.

Bob Jasinski

Danville, CA

Re: [Chrysler300] 300F Special article

300 F Special , 400 hp , 4-speed.