Re: {Chrysler 300} Gary Goers update, please

I'll second that motion. If there isn't already some sort of 'lifetime achievement/appreciation award' or 'Hall of Fame' for dedication to 300 preservation given to Gary Goers, there should be. I joined both clubs in the early 80's, before I ever found my first 300, and it seemed like Gary was already a legend as practically THE only source for many unique and reproduced parts. I think I still have a VHS recording of Gary showing how he did a dashpad restoration/replacement on a 300 from back in the day. I could not have accomplished my restorations of a 55 and a 57 in the 90's and early 2000's without many items from his catalogs. The G coupe I used to own and my current G convertible have also benefited from pieces he developed/created that were unobtainable from anywhere else on the planet. At this point in time, I wonder if there are actually more letter cars that contain at least some Gary Goers pieces than not. Talk about having a profound impact on a segment of the automotive hobby.

On Tue, Jul 4, 2023 at 9:07 PM Ray Melton <rfmelton@xxxxxxx> wrote:

Hello All -

Speaking of Gary Goers again, can anyone please give us an update on his health situation? We watched helplessly for many years as he was relentlessly tortured with excruciating pain and progressive amputations (as well as repeated betrayal by some of his suppliers) that finally forced him to relinquish his singularly pivotal role in the restoration and enjoyment of our mutual hobby. Please convey to him the lasting appreciation of the thousands of people who have benefited from his exquisite and focused upholstery workmanship, as well as his vision and perseverance to identify, procure or produce so many minuscule parts for our letter cars that enabled us to recreate and restore them to their former glory. My father (also named Ray Melton) and I sincerely recognized at the time (1972 - 2018) how important he was to our two-generation labor of love to restore "Big Red", our 1957 300C convertible - for example, in 1973, long before the internet, my Dad communicated by snail mail with a young Gary, who invited Dad to drive from Albuquerque to Southern California, where Gary put Dad up in his home for three days while Gary cut out, sewed and installed a complete leather front/rear seat set (with correct carpets) that still looks and smells great today after only a minor re-freshening in 2013! Dad saved that $985 invoice, which I showed to Gary at the 2014 Club meet in Alamogordo, New Mexico - Gary just laughed as he remembered the occasion, saying, "Yeah, that was pretty good money back then!" Forty years later, after my Dad had passed, I again relied on Gary to provide the parts that allowed me to continue Dad's vision of restoring "Big Red" - it didn't matter that many prices had more than quadrupled since then: where else could I possibly go for these parts (and Gary actually kept the prices quite reasonable over those forty years) - he certainly wasn't getting rich and I was lucky to have them available!

We can't bring those times back, but we sure want to remember them as long as possible and remind Gary of his importance in bringing lasting satisfaction to so many Chrysler 300 aficionados.

I don't know what size shoes Gary wore (when he had feet), but they sure will be nearly impossible to fill.

Ray Melton

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On 7/4/2023 6:49 PM, 'Matt Allyn' via Chrysler 300 Club International wrote:

I just located the Goers Catalog….Number 10, that is.
I am noting some part numbers out of that catalog so I can then call Quirey for an order.

But I could not find the following (if anyone knows?):

- Steering Column Seal - Is it 418 OR is it 449? Do they need my core?

- The pair of drain flaps that live on the firewall, under the heater box…the sort of oval shaped rubber flaps….are they part 41?

- Transmission Shifter Cable Firewall Grommet - I cannot find that part number; unless it is the same as the Speedometer Cable Firewall Grommet #111?

- Transmission Shifter Button Felt - The felt that lives behind the chrome bezel; was that an item Goers offered?

Thanks

Matt Allyn

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