Hurst Tribute: 1970 Chrysler 300 Convertible
While some may disagree, I believe that tribute cars have their place in the classic scene. They represent an affordable alternative for those whose budgets don’t stretch to the real deal. A well-executed tribute can often be difficult to distinguish from the genuine article, which has seen a few unwary people burn their fingers by not investigating their purchase thoroughly enough. The seller of this 1970 Chrysler 300 Convertible leaves no doubt that it is a tribute to one of the rarest cars in American history. It carries many of the characteristics of the car upon which it is based and is undoubtedly more affordable. It is listed here on Craigslist in Vancouver, Washington. You could drive away in this classic by handing the owner $28,500. I must say a big thank you to eagle-eyed Barn Finder MattR for spotting this beauty.
Automotive history is littered with collaborative efforts between Hurst and various manufacturers. Chrysler elected to follow that path with the 1970 300 Hurst Edition, although it proved more exclusive than initially intended. A lack of communication between the two companies meant neither undertook any marketing, making the 300 Hurst one of the greatest secrets of that model year. Eventually, 485 Hardtops found their way to new homes, which proved a miracle for a couple of reasons. The first was the lack of promotion, as mentioned, while the second was the price. The exclusivity and features of the Hurst came at a price that was more than 30% higher than a regular 300 Hardtop. It made the Hurst the most expensive model in Chrysler’s range, and the only way to spend more on a Mopar product was to start looking at something wearing the Imperial badge. The seller wished to create a tribute to the solitary Hurst Convertible, commencing the process with a laser-straight and rust-free 300 Convertible. They sourced a correct hood from a Hurst Hardtop that was destroyed in a rear-end collision and refinished the entire car in the distinctive shades of Spinnaker White and Satin Tan. The damage to the donor car left them unable to source the unique trunk lid and other rear body panels, so they compromised with a genuine 1970 “Go Wing.” They rounded out the exterior with a set of wheels of the right style and color. The overall presentation is difficult to fault, although genuine Mopar enthusiasts will have no trouble determining this car’s clone status. For purists, the changes are reversible if they prefer to return the vehicle to its factory specifications. The car remains rust-free, the paint shines beautifully, and the trim and glass are excellent.
Chrysler dipped heavily into the Imperial parts bin when creating the 300 Hurst Edition’s interior. It featured leather upholstery in Satin Tan to match the exterior highlights and came equipped with every option a buyer could want. It was the most luxurious interior on any car that wore the company’s badge to that point and helped account for the massive price gap between the Hurst and mere mortals. They followed a different path with the Convertible, with its interior trimmed in White. Our feature car demonstrates the most notable deviation, being upholstered in Black. Its overall presentation is acceptable, with the only significant fault being the deterioration of the driver’s seatcover. It hasn’t begun tearing, but I suspect it isn’t far from reaching that point. The buyer may elect to source replacements for both front covers, which will lighten their wallet by approximately $700. The remaining trim items and dash look nice, and the carpet has no problems. I can’t see any aftermarket additions, but the occupants receive air conditioning, power windows, cruise control, and an AM/FM radio.
One aspect of this 300 that required no changes to match the Hurst Edition is the drivetrain. Both feature a 440ci “TNT” V8 churning out 375hp. The power feeds to the rear wheels via a three-speed TorqueFlite transmission, with power assistance for the steering and front disc brakes, making light work of the driving experience. With a curb weight of 4,453lbs, the 300 Convertible is a relatively heavy beast. However, the monster motor allows it to storm the ¼ mile in 15.3 seconds before winding its way to 129mph. If any occupants are wearing a wig, they need to ensure it’s nailed down pretty tight! The seller recently performed a complete service and fitted new tires courtesy of the good folks at BF Goodrich. They say the motor starts right up and that the car drives exceptionally well. That means there will be nothing stopping the new owner from hitting the road immediately to maximize what remains of this summer’s warm weather.
The 1970 Chrysler 300 Convertible was already a rare car, with only 1,077 examples rolling off the line in that model year. The 300 Hurst Edition Hardtop was rarer, with only 485 built. The automotive unicorn is the Hurst Edition Convertible because only one saw the light of day. Its whereabouts is unknown, and its potential value would be difficult to estimate. However, with a pristine Hurst Hardtop capable of commanding $35,000, you could expect the value for the soft top to be considerably higher. This 300 Convertible offers a more affordable alternative, but is it a tribute you might consider parking in your garage?
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Comments
Any guy, say over 50, surely knows what’s missing here. Sorry ladies, that woman sold a lot of shifters,,,I thought the letter club allowed this as a 300H, anyone?
,https://selvedgeyard.com/2010/08/11/old-school-hurst-girls/
That’s a nice Hurst shifter lips hips and fingertips
Great write up Adam.
@Howard – you almost got me in trouble with my wife with that link. :)
Beyond what Adam mentioned, what else is missing from this tribute?
Matt: I’d say the most obvious is neglecting to add the Cragar wheels. Seller cheaped out on the golden lower area, too, leaving it white.
Howard: No denying Linda’s “charms”, but my personal favorite was Miss Firebird, Edwina “Winkie” Louise. The “front porch” was a spot you could spend days, presented much more glamorously, IMHO.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=%2FetJEKwU&id=BE386336570910048E0F30BA7E1B181705F86A8A&thid=OIP._etJEKwUJAL8bcjOusEjsQAAAA&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.gettyimages.com%2Fphotos%2Fdarlington-southern-500-race-winner-richard-petty-celebrates-his-picture-id163091778%3Fs%3D612x612&cdnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FR.fdeb4910ac142402fc6dc8cebac123b1%3Frik%3Dimr4BRcYG366MA%26pid%3DImgRaw%26r%3D0&exph=612&expw=418&q=edwina+winkie+louise&simid=608025042950316286&form=IRPRST&ck=EA3842D6AF9D2D1EC3E023A383C1EEBC&selectedindex=17&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0&vt=0&sim=11
@ scottymac, the lower body is white which looks correct when you see other “real” 300H Chryslers and the wheels as well are correct. This cars only shortcomings , at least to me is that funky looking Mustang deck lid spoiler
Git ’em HoA! :)
As Ive said before my Dad had a stripper 4 door ’70. The front seat was like a separate room. It rode like a couch on ball bearings; every turn the old man made to the left sent me sliding towards him in the front seat.
It was stolen in the city and to my eternal dismay at the time recovered. never did understand why someone would steal one of these barges.
This is pretty but pointless. But the top goes down. So points there.
Howard, thanks for that great link!!
moosie, the original convertible had a gold lower and Cragar’s. Cragar was a sponsor of the show car.
Here’s a photo.
I was wrong, I apologize to ya scottymac.
One of the biggest regrets of my life: I used to be a truck driver in the Canadian Rockies, and back in the early 90s I spotted one of these big beautiful fuselage Chrysler convertibles under a tarp in the driveway of a house in a small town in BC. I actually parked my 18-wheeler right in front of the house and rang the doorbell. Lady comes to the door, and I inquired about the car. She seemed overjoyed that someone actually wanted to take that ancient boat off her hands!
Unfortunately, I was saving for college at the time and could not justify buying a Chrysler (as big as a whale) at the time, so I never bought it.
I’d like to see the condition of the top and I wish it had the lighter interior. Otherwise what a ride.
That is nice and straight. Some of the fiberglass on these can be iffy from what I’ve read, but this with that interior is great. I’d be afraid to park it anywhere.
Being close to 60, 6′ 3 ” tall , and about 340, I have owned about 30 cars, my days of driving anything smaller than a Gran Marquis are over by necessity. It’s all about comfort and being able to get myself into a car without getting a cramp or pulling a hamstring. I’ve owned Mustang’s, Corvette’s, and Camaro’s, and there is no way that I could contort my body into those vehicles. If I had the money to get this car, I would buy this today. When we were young and foolish( and thinner ), how good you looked was what mattered. Today, it’s about what car you can get in and out of. I am not crazy about the rear spoiler, I think it detracts from the lines of the the car. To drive this , stretched out, shades on and wind in my graying hair would be wonderful.
I agree needs bucket seats and Hurst shifter otherwise it’s just a nice 300 with a hurst style paint job and goofy wing on back
I’ve been watching the fuselage C-body convertibles for a few years now. I’m still looking for one. This 300 looks very nice (the rear spoiler’s gotta go). As long as it’s as rust-free as it looks, it’s probably be a good buy. Other than a console, it’s pretty much got it all. Everyone seems to think full size cars are worth more than they actually are. I think the market reflects that this is probably a $20k car.
You will probably never see another at a show or at a Sunday coffee meet. What a beauty!
Sigh. Living in southern Washington seeing yet another Oregon plate on a car for sale in Vancouver saddens me to no end.
LICENSE THE CAR IN THE STATE YOU LIVE!
Also, I have never in 10 years seen this car at any of the show ñ shines and what’s with that filthy engine bay, gross and for almost $30k puhlease. Stop trying to retire off every flip.
I wanna own a fake car! Really? Just think if people stopped paying stupid money for clones, we would have a great again hobby!
I love these road barges I had 2 of them, a 69 coupe and a 70 ragtop and they just ate up highway miles with ease… gasoline too 😂
Thank you, Howard. Well done.
I would probably try to buy this if I had the room but there’s something not accurate about the car. Which doesn’t matter. I would remove the wing, which is absurd, and make the Interior Tan. I live in a seasonal high temp area so black interiors don’t do well here.
I believe that could be a 71-73 Mach-1 wing. I would remove it.
Nice attempt, but a hood, wrong spoiler, and paint don’t add up to a tribute car. It needs a lot more, first thing would be an actual Hurst floor shifter.
If it had that, the lighter interior, a closer looking wing, and the Cragar’s, it would be worth the asking price.
Here’s a great video of the original car with the owner giving lots of details:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mMXCMatcZk
Still never understood why Hurst would put their name on a car with a column shift automatic??
The owner in the video I posted explains that they couldn’t get them in on time, so they let them go as is. Of course, in the show car convertible, they HAD to install a Hurst shifter.
The Mercury Cyclone in the back of the picture reminds of a guy that owned a little store on Taylor’s ferry Rd in Portland or. Think he bought it new. Went to a garage sale off of Bull Mountain Rd in Tigard/ King City area. There it was was in the garage. ALWAYS looking like day one! He passed away a while back. Since this just across the river, I wonder if it’s the same car.