The 1950s were mostly notable for an overabundance of chrome and a bit of taste lost to the ideals of the jet age, but some beautiful designs did come out of the work. Chrysler’s “Forward Look” cars, the tri-five Chevrolets, and the like have become timeless pieces of art, and the 1955 Chrysler C-300 is no exception. In an era where more was better, the C-300 was almost restrained, but it’s legend as a homologation special race car can’t be denied. The 331ci FirePower Hemi was good for an easy 300 horsepower and other than the lack of air conditioning, they were as comfy as anybody ever really needed.
Except for whoever built this particular car. We aren’t knocking the choices, but it takes guts to take a car like a Chrysler C-300 and go to work modifying it. On the outside, it’s as clean as can be. On the inside…well, here’s the listing:
“Same owner for over 50 years! The previous owner of this 300 tried to blend the new with the old while maintaining the original look. Because he was very involved in the local racing scene, speed was very important to him. Back in the 1980s, he decided to make this Chrysler really perform by replacing the motor, transmission, and rear end.
The 331 CID stock engine was replaced with a 392 CID block bored to 468 CID. Other engine modifications include:
5/8-inch Stroker by Henry Valsko
Roller camshaft
Smith Brothers adjustable push rods
Forged steel rods
Hot aluminum cylinder heads and valve covers
Sanderson 500 hp headers
Wyatt Intake manifold for two four-barrel Edelbrock 600 cfm carburetors
Forged aluminum pistons
MSD ignition
The transmission is a Mopar A518 automatic overdrive.
The rear end is Ford 9-inch 4:11 with Detroit locker.
The drivability of this car is fantastic. Very smooth and fast with a well-balanced horsepower to rear end ratio. It shifts properly, responds with authority, and is very very fast. It holds great oil pressure and does not have any heating problems. This car has been completely serviced and is ready to go.
It appears that this car has been well-maintained and not submitted to Wisconsin winters. The underside of the car appears to be rust free and very solid. There is slight bubbling of the paint ahead of the rear wheel well. See pictures. The original leather interior looks like it has been redyed, but it is intact and very presentable. An aftermarket racing tachometer was installed on the steering column. The radio and the heater are not operational.
This car was professionally repainted in 1980. The paint shows great patina but is also showing its age — nicks, scratches, and spider webbing. Please see pictures. All the chrome, stainless, and glass are very presentable. It appears the wire wheels are factory correct with the chrysler insignia inside the hubcap, but the wheels and hubcap show some deterioration and pitting. A trailer hitch receiver was installed and hidden behind the rear license plate. The previous owner also liked to race boats, and this car was used to take his boat to the races in style.”
How far up is that freaking Powerball jackpot, again? It surely wouldn’t be a drop in the bucket to purchase this beauty! At press time, it was sitting just above $29,000.
eBay Link: 1955 Chrysler C-300
All that extra horsepower and still on the stock brakes and suspension?
No wonder it hasn’t been used in winter!
This is a pretty death trap in disguise and only a person bent on automotive suicide would consider buying it. Is it just me or does it look like a two-door Volvo Amazon coupe?
Still, if anyone is considering making a bid for this they should put aside roughly the same amount for a brake and suspension upgrade as it is one sweet car and deserves to be driven!
Upgrade the brakes and suspension put a blower on it and go out and have some real fun blowing Camaros and Mustangs into last year.
A neighbor had a 55 300 way back in the 1970s that he put a 426 Hemi in. He wasn’t afraid of taking on anything that wasn’t supercharged.
I’d like to gt one and put a Hellcat engine in it. But I doubt it it’ll happen real soon.
Stunning car. there was a red on featured in HRM a while back that really turned me on to this body style. I love it. I would not mess with it….If it were mine it would not be a DD…A nice cruiser to and from the shows, cruises and the occasional day trip. The Tach is a bit out of place and would be replaced with something that ties into the style of the car a bit….but otherwise….I’d give a left or right walnut for it….