Reviving My Rare 1979 Chrysler 300 Project Car... New Brakes, Little Fixes, And More
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ต.ค. 2024
- Anyone who has spent any time on this channel knows that I have a lot of different project vehicles. Like, so many... I have never been one to focus on one thing for long, preferring instead to jump around from project to project, and spreading my care and attention between them. Sometimes I am able to balance that attention somewhat fairly, but in many cases, cars are left sitting around unloved.
Such has been the case with my 1979 Chrysler 300 for the last year. Among my earlier videos, the 300 revival was relatively popular, and I know there is a lot of love for this late B-body out there. But for various reasons, I haven't felt like working on it. Today, I am using some "spare" time and some fresh energy to touch some long abandoned projects, and up first is the 300.
The big ticket items? The brakes have never worked right on this car since I revived it, and the driver's window has been stuck part way down this whole time due to a bad power window motor. So that's where I'd like to start. With those issues solved, it might just be time for another episode of Dead Detail Garage. But before we can get to any of that... does this thing even run anymore? - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
Hey you have a headlight out
SIR! You can’t park here!
I friggin ADORE the ‘79 300 - one of my favorite 70s MOPARs. So underappreciated. I’d take one in a heartbeat…
Auto gods bless you for this revival 🤜🤛
My brother has a 79 300 I been begging him for years to sale it to me he said I can have it when he is dead.
I loved these cars when they were new and they look even better today!👍
The cordoba / 300 and chargers of that area are really unappreciated there really good cars and with a little custom work and wheels and tires they look really good unfortunately they get used lots for derby ass holes witch is a real shame. Nice seeing you giving it some love 🤘
I completely agree!
The 300 body striping made these probably the best example of the 75-79 B bodies, imo. Another interesting example is the 77ish Dodge Charger Daytona with bold 2 toning and swoopy tape stripes. The contours all work well together, they look like one guy drew them up.
All 4 brake lights work. That is amazing and very rare.
Wait, are there four?
@@DeadDodgeGarage Yes 4 bulbs. I can't tell you how many I have been behind where 1 or or more than 1 has not worked.
Been waiting for this one! Love the 300! When I was a kid in the late '70's. I bought a book (Automotive Quarterly) that covered the history of the 300 in full color. Then, The Detroit News had a weekly car review in the '70's, and that's were I learned about the '79 300. Liked it ever since. As an adult, I;'ve owned, and loved two 5.7 and gen hemi Chrysler 300s. Awesome ride Jaime!
I was 12 years old when they came out, I remember these cars!!
My numbered 300 was equipped with the 360 police interceptor with the 4bbl thermaquad.
Thank you Jamie, brings back memories of my 1975 Cordova.
Just so relaxing to sit back and watch. Door closes, car moves, great. Has some brakes and brakes now better. Window up and down good. All cleaned up. Thanks.
I like the late B and R body Mopars. Some solid K frame mounts are a nice upgrade.
A cordoba with all the simulated go fast/cool mopar two-sided tape excellence.
Glad to see the 300 getting some love. I was starting to think you weren’t getting to the brakes.
Yeah I finally decided to just do it. And it was easy and took like an hour and a half. Typical.
Wild how 300s have really changed over the years
Yes, more on the 79 three hundred in the near future please.
Highway cruiser gem
My friend had a Dodge Magnum, I thought it was pretty cool. I liked the cars of that era even the GM Monte Carlo’s and Ford Tbird etc - the onlygood thing about the metric system was that suddenly it was legal to drive 100+ and gas priced dropped to 12 cents
I really think this thing is a Chrysler Monte Carlo from most angles.
@DeadDodgeGarage Yes, but a much better ride and if took the Lean Burn crap off with the 360 "decent power.
I had a white one with the fine Corinthian red leather 🙂🙃😗
Man, that is such a sweet sled!
Lot of comments on this car, it seems people really like it. It’s awesome. Of all the “needy” cars you have, this is my favorite. It’s also attainable for your viewers (well at least a Cordoba is…)
People really love this thing. Haha. The first video I did getting it running did quite well for me at the time, so I’ve kind of always known that. Regret not doing more with it for so long.
Love the "rare but for some reason not desireable" 'Doba/ 300 content!
I totally know how you feel brother; all of my projects have been long and drawn out too and it can be exhausting! Sometimes a guy just needs one where everything goes easy and makes him feel accomplished 😁
Reminds me of a 78 Chrysler Lebanon 2dr I had. Was white on white. Axle shaft came out half way driving on the highway. Pushed it back in and it got me home. I was 17, learned how to put a new axle in.
If I had known Chrysler was making a 300 in 79 I would not have bought a 78 magnum, which I had absolutely loved. I wouldn't have let a friend drive and total my 300. Had the same seats and they were the most comfortable I've ever known. The 78 shift knob was a lot cooler too
My friend in high school back in 1984 had 1 of these that was perfectly mint. He was a little disappointed because the rest of us had mustangs and camaros but I used to enjoy riding around with him in his 300. It was a big cushy behemoth.
Cool as hell that it came with all the Police parts. We had an 82 Diplomat that was a former Police car. The huge alternator, trans and power steering cooler and heavy duty suspension was awesome. Mom quite often flooded the electronic fuel control 318 with a Thermoquad. We did bury the 120 mph speedometer., or 200 km/hr in Canadian.
My uncle owned a 74 Cordoba. Nice car. Never knew they made the 300 in the 70's. Thought it died in the 60's. Funny that crosshair grill they used bsck then is what Dodge uses now. 😊
Back for one year only, ‘79! The last year for the more basic 300 series (after the letter cars, the last year for which was ‘65) was ‘71. And it is interesting that they used the crosshair grille. Dodge actually used it on trucks in the late 60s.
I owned a 1976 Cordoba and it was a very comfortable car to drive. My buddies car blew up so I gave it to him. As Ricardo Mmtebalm use to say “I love what they’ve done to my car”….or something like that in the commercial.
I graduated HS in 1980, these cars were pretty much considered POS’s then as well as most offerings from 73 and up, there were waaay too many pre 72 cars available back then. I worked at a Buick/Pontiac Dealership upon graduation and the low build quality and lack of power back then was appalling.
Understandable. What’s interesting is comparing them to everything that came for the next decade or two… and I find that this car drives and corners much better than that Fox body I did a video on recently. I kinda crapped on that car, and a bunch of people said “duh, it’s 45 years old.” Yeahhh… that ain’t it.
@DeadDodgeGarage Always been like that. 60s Mustang feels like a tractor compared to an A body.
Jamie,
These old luxurious Chryslers can grow on you fast. I can see it now; Dead Chrysler Garage! I'm in! Let's not forget the 55 Imperial! I'd like to see a 64 New York next....
We’ll probably actually have a video on the Newport at my house soon. It’s only been almost two years…
@@DeadDodgeGarage Lol!!
I love that style of inner door handle..lol. idk why. Great car. Great video.
Great car! Thanks Jamie
Allan! Your fratzog changed colors! Outstanding. Haha.
Ahh Linner at Topside bar n grill in Steilacoom...sunshine..good food and beverages...AND...A neww DDG video. Spectacular...thanks Mr.J
There was a mid 70s Charger Daytona in my home town. Silver with the blacked out areas on the side. It was a really nice locking car.
A rare coming together of thermoquad, corinthian leather and malaise. No one else is doing this! Tks Jamie.
Great, I'm happy about the new video about the car.❤
A friend of mine drove one of these to high school. Hers was black with red interior and it was gorgeous. It never let her down.
Very cool malaise era Chrysler automobile, right before they jumped the shark into the K-car platform...
And remember: Entropy isn't what it used to be
That’s a great one 😅
I test drove a Police Package, Grand Fury, dual exhaust, limited slip, heavy suspension, FULLY loaded. It was a retired Minnesota State Patrol squad, if I recall it was either a 79 or 80? It may have been from the malaise era, but that 360 could haul the freight!
One of my favorites from the channel! Definitely would like to see this one back on the road.
You know I love this car. Glad you fixed the window and seal. Sorry the heater valve didn't fit. Maybe there will be an appropriate one in Tom's stash you can trade him for. I'll keep my eyes peeled. Anyway nice to see the old girl up and about.
Oh for sure. I’ll figure that out eventually. But it’s getting way better!
Now that was funny at the end. Another great car of yesteryear
Dude I wish I lived closer to y’all I would have an absolute blast working on these older cars. They turn to dust here in Michigan 😢
I love the cousin to this car the Magnum with T-Tops
The leam burn system, the landfills are full of them.
Oh yeah. It’s long gone.
Lean burn system was a huge mistake for mopar
@@coyboybc GM had one too. It was horrible, but easily bypassed with a jumper wire. The 70's and 80's were a rough time for manufacturers with the EPA constantly tightening the noose.
lean burn sorta worked.. we have it here in aus.70,s. cm / cl vals..valiants not real popular.but the wogs bought them, they were smarter than ausies.. ive had 2. vh , cl. now have a dodge chall 73. 340 r/t..
I detailed a 79 'Doba back in the early 80s. Metallic green with a white vinyl top and green button tufted leather interior. Had a 360 in it but not sure if it had a 2bbl or 4bbl. It was gorgeous. Met its end on the Long Island Expressway when a truck lost its cargo of 55 gallon drums and this thing played bowling with them.
Ouch… that’s unfortunate.
@@DeadDodgeGarage just finished watching your video. Copper washers, eh? None were provided with my wonderful Dorman brake hoses for the front drum setup on my 66 Coronet. We are iron to iron with no leaks.
Of all the cars in your fleet...this one is probably the one that I think I would have the most fun using as a "real daily". It just had comfort and luxury flowing out of it (,imagine in minty shape)🫵👍
Agreed! It should be great for that.
Back in the day a guy at school had a mint Cordoba he replaced the perfectly running low mileage small block with a 440 6bbl 😁
I was in Kalamazoo, MI in about 2010 or so. Must have been a car show in town, and at a light, with a bunch of classics was a blue ‘79 300 with a 440. He had Cragers on it too. I can’t remember exactly how I knew he swapped the 360 for the 440, I think he had some callout or another. Wonder if it was the same fellow?
I had a Doba with the 400. The B block filled the engine bay pretty full. That RB must have REALLY squeezed in there.
I miss my 1979 Cordoba, the 360 LA blew a crankshaft after driving it for. a long time with worn bearings, never was able to find a used engine, it had under 80K miles. My 1979 Dodge Street Van with a 360 LA also blew the engine with 79K miles when the oil pump failed, couldn't find a used engine for that one either now there are a lot more ways to get one, The third brake light requirement started in 1986.
My local Chrysler dealer had 2 of them, I drooled over them every time I drove by.
Given the popularity of revival videos, I am amazed that no one has added a "nurse tank" with an electric pump and mounting hooks/bungee cord kit as part of their channel's merch.
That’s brilliant. Haha.
Upgrade to your product: high quality Velcro on the bottom and one side of the tank.
The door window hardware looks exactly like a 90s J body Lebaron (no surprise). I have a 92 convertible. That thing you pointed out is a felt... tube? ring? something like that. While I can't say for certain, I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be soaked in oil or grease to lubricate that vertical bar that the window slides on. I soaked mine in some 30w. Yours might just be hardened up.
That was my thinking. It was still somewhat squishy, just… also sticky. A bit of grease did the trick, but oil would’ve worked well.
When your car was new I was doing new car prep for a Mopar/Toyota dealer. I don't have to tell you the difference in build quality between the 2 manufacturers. You mentioned water leaks...Mopars leaked like sieves back then. Another good video, Jamie. You keep me laughing.
Really? Cause my 78 magnum had zero leaks
It sort of reminds me of a 77 monte Carlo with those stacked headlights. My neighbor had one....and it had cragars. Looked nice too
Yep… it’s the Chrysler Monte Carlo to me. Haha.
Jamie I bought a 76 Cordoba brand new off the showroom floor. It was red with a white vinyl top and white leather interior. It came with a 400 four barrel and all the options you could get. I had it for nine years before Michigan winter road salt took it from me. It still was the best car I ever had and I miss it still to this day. BTW the opera lights were very cool.
I also had a 1978 magnum 360x2bbl was a fun car
I forget if it was this video, but one I watched recently got me curious when you said that matched belts are no longer available. So I reached out to Dayco and Gates. The following is the response I got from Dayco, and the one from Gates was pretty much the same. So for anyone who is interested in why matched belts are a thing of the past, here's the reason:
"Thank you for reaching out to Dayco Incorporated.
The matched set ideal is a thing of the past and no longer offered. #1 reason belts are now manufactured in batches of 500 to 600 units at a time versus the old ways of 25 to 50. The # 2 is the hi performance rubber compound has also eliminated the elongations that could have happened when a belt is stored on a hanger for too long."
Very interesting. Yes it was this video.
It's got a cop motor, cop suspention and it runs good on regular gas. The Enthropy 300 Blues mobile! 🤣👍
I think I did a big chunk of that bit in a previous video. Haha.
i had one of those back in the late 80s...it was a fun car. the e58 engine.bought at a used car lot for 1500 dollars it was mint with 65,000 miles on it. i ended up trading it for a 68 charger.
You traded one of these for a Charger?! Omg.
@@DeadDodgeGarage i sure did, this was 1989 so people were not totally charger crazy yet...but i was lol
At the beginning of every video when you say……Hi, I’m Jaime. I like to yell back…….Hi Jaime! like we’re in an AA meeting together or something 🤣
I just knew someone was out there doing that 😅
I had one of those and took it to the No Name Nationals 2 years ago and it would run 72 mph in the 8th I thought it was pretty fast for that big old boat. I did have the old lean burn system removed
I was a kid in the ‘80s so when you showed that shifter, all I saw was mid ‘80s Dodge Omni. Not to insult your 300, but they had that same round, flat top knob with a metallic button. As for the paint, probably a victim of a Maaco two hour special.😂 People forget (with good reason) that pulling in for a quick paint job was a thing 40 years ago.
I would find it entertaining to know there was direct DNA from these to the Omni. That could well be. Just interesting that the whole car didn’t get it. There is still a lot of original paint left.
@@DeadDodgeGarageWouldn’t surprise me at all. The big three love finding ways use up surplus parts. The Omni GLH and GLHS definitely dig in to Mopar’s performance heritage.
Awesome. Thanks for the video.
It's a beauty!!! It looks like my old 79 Cordova! I had mine 1988-96. I t was my grandparents car. I bought it off the estate after my grandmother died. May 88- car is 9 years old & just turned over to 22,000 miles. the car was kept outdoors in northern Wisconsin. The paint was faded from my grandmother taking it to a car wash that had brushes that touched the body . Had a 318 2bbl lean burn. With a car full of people (3) and trunk full of luggage I'd get about 22-23 MPG on the Texas highways driving 75-80mph with the A/C on. ( I lived in Houston in the 80's)
Wow. Impressive! I don’t think I’ll get over 20 with the 360, but I’ll be interested to see if it’s at least decent at cruise.
@@DeadDodgeGarage It was an amazing cruiser - I bet with the "300" extra parts that your ride quality will be even better. You should enjoy using it for your "work car". I don't know if it helped, but I used a synthetic blend oil- Valvoline & installed platinum spark plugs, which were supposed to be good for ...was it 50 or 100,000 miles? Anyway, platinum plugs were new to me back then - 1988.
I had four one was a e-56 360x2bbl car very very rare and two e-58 4bbl cars and a 318 x 2bbl
THIS IS SPARTA!! Oh wait, wrong 300... The Monte Carlo of Chrysler cars. I do like the changing color shift indicator, the red white and blue color scheme, the console auto and the three spoke steering wheel. I bet thats a mighty fine cruiser when you are able to get it out for a proper test drive.
“Stop kicking people into the pit of death!”
I had a 73 Monte Carlo. This is so similar to my car. Including the red interior. Mine wasn't leather though.
@@Winterforged This car reminds me of a mid to late 70's Monte Carlo so much. The stacked headlights, the body lines, the tail lights even.
I had that same engine in an 80 Aspen which was originally an Ohio Turnpike patrol car. She'll move.
21:58 It works..unless road salt completely dissolves the clip and a good pothole bounces the caliper free, so it can swing around on the brake line like a nunchuck and take out your tire. THAT's a lot of fun.
Oh, it *sounds* fun!
@@DeadDodgeGarage yeah, it's right up there with having the rear spring shackle punch through the rusty trunk floor. Did I mention that I REALLY hate road salt?
oh.. AM 8 track, I remember those. Well, you could always get an adapter and have FM stereo thru the 8 track... as well as cassette, or reel to reel if you're really that "period", or hardwired to an Ipod or to a Bluetooth, or throw in an 8 track ... 8 track, the worlds most adaptive media player.
Kids nowadays have no idea about an 8 track
I bought one of those cars for 900 dollars , I enjoyed for what it was,people have to consider Chrysler was on the verge of bankruptcy,
My cousin had a 1976ish Cordova. It had the 400 in it and he pulled all the lean burn stuff off and did some performance mods to it. Pretty quick car for that malaise era cars.
Sleeperdude uses a sprayer with bleach water to get rid of the mildew staining, it works great you should try it
I have one of these too Jamie. 8500 yes 8500 original miles. Definitely a reference model. Neve rained on. Watch out for that Lean Burn system . they like to blow up exhaust systems. Somebody painted #3 off the assembly line with fingernail polish under the hood.
Wow! The lean burn is long gone on this unit, thankfully.
I am soooo proud of you guys!!!
Not ONE mention of "fine Corinthian leather."
Oh......oops......😁
😅
It's a Cordoba in a funny hat.
In the rare but not desirable category, I have a close relative of your 300, a 1979 Dodge St. Regis which I've had almost 30 years. It has 280,000 miles and needs a rust free K-frame and a bit of rear frame rail repair. I'm the third owner, the second owner was my dad. He was the one who rebuilt the 318 around 113k because sadly it needed it. He also sorted out all its problems at the time he got it and it ended up being one of the most reliable cars we've ever had. My '68 Fury VIP fast top is also one of the most reliable Mopars I've ever had which is more than I can say for the front wheel drive Mopars I've had over the years.
My wife had a dodge monaco broughm 1977 when we married loved that car 😂
For a Malaise era Mopar, it's pretty cool. I really like the 78-79 Magnum, and the 300 is pretty much the same car minus the sleek-ish front end. And the E58 360 is a pretty good package. This should be a nice cruiser.
also you can reuse copper washers. They harden when you clamp them down and you can soften them back up with a torch. Never have to pay a dime to big washer ever again.
Absolutely. Done it. Hell, I’ve done it without even heating them up. Haha.
Glad I'm not the ONLY one😊.
Somehow I've convinced myself if I just flip them, they're good for a second time around.
ah the late 70s - I was lured to the dark side in 1978. not sure if you have ever seen one but I bought a new 1978 ford LTD 2 with the sports appearance package (white stripes) and magnum 500 looking wheels (about 6400 made). I thought it was cool looking back in the day but after 4 years chronic electronic issues pushed me back to Chrysler/dodge.
We drove a Monaco with this body, I think it was. It had a 318 with electronic ignition. May have been a Cordoba...
My father bought one of these new 9-12-1979 in California
I bought a 1977 Cordoba. Quite a long time ago, for 300 bucks. It had the 400 engine lean-burn POS distributor and and it was a gas sucking pig. Transmission started slipping so I slipped it off to somebody else for free.
Your secondary business / Dead Detail Garage!
Apparently 😅
I heard somewhere the red ones were Canadian only edition and not 300s?
I’ve been a Mopar muscle fanatic and collector since my teens, but a few years ago got the idea of getting a Córdoba or Magnum as an unusual Mopar that’s also a good highway car, and not too expensive.
I ended up finally finding a Magnum GT with T tops. I’ve had a great time with it, it’s a keeper!
The collector I bought it from has 40+ cool cars, and a year or so after he sold me mine, he sent me pictures of another Magnum GT he just bought. After cleaning it up, he sent me more pictures and said it’s his least valuable but favorite car now!
That buzzer is irritating though….
That’s awesome. Yes, the red ones were only available in Canada - but they certainly were the same 300 package. I don’t remember what the production figures were, but I know they were low.
@@DeadDodgeGarage another thing, even though the 79 300s are low production they seem to have a high survival rate. I’ve seen a lot of them over the years. There’s a couple in my area around Chicago, and 2-3 show up every year at Moparty.
There’s a guy on For B bodies only running a registery for them if you weren’t already aware.
Magnums on the other hand don’t seem to have survived in large numbers especially GTs. I go to tons of car events and only recall seeing a couple GTs in person, one of which is the one I bought.
Late Bs are fun, but other than mechanical stuff parts are unobtainium with no aftermarket support.
Mortske just did a Charger Daytona from this platform, which my neighbor had new. I'm old enough to remember these new, but I had forgotten they existed, to be honest( this car probably sealed me watching your channel when you initially featured it). I see more of the performance versions of this platform on YT, than in real life. Ah, nostalgia....easy enough to put a stout motor in these, at this point.
My plan is to warm over the stock 360, for science!
Loving this
I owned this same car, but....with t top. It also has a police car engine 360.I traded it about 10 years ago. It is somewhere in Peace River. Ab.
"Fully restored" Fargin Eh! Next! Preachin' to the choir re: gravity bleeding.. when time allows. Appreciate your fun-duh-mental processes!
I enjoy your videos so much that I hit the like button 2x on each one! 😂
That’s… interesting 😅
Good content and thanks...
🔧🔧👍
thank you for the laughs
My brother has a 1978 Dodge Magnum XE 360 with 103,000 miles and purchased it brand new triple black car
Dang this got rust in spots but was a great car at 22 mpg!
We only have about 15 mopars like DDG
I had a 76 Cordoba with a 318 i miss it. How much do you want for that and where are you located, I'm in Tampa, Florida
I’m just about as far from you as possible while still remaining in the contiguous US - and I’m not looking to sell it any time soon. I’ve got a lot more planned for it.
@@WilliamB-v4p The Classic! As seen in almost every movie Sam Raimi has ever directed.
I had a1976 Cordoba with a 360 and velour interior, drove it until the rear rotted out and the leaf springs went into the trunk.
@@DeadDodgeGarageFuture plans include letting it set for "X" amount of time. 😂
10:28 Western Washington
Even in the worst of times, Mopar rolled out cool vehicles.
An old friend had that car in NY he bought off his father sometime in the 80's! Also a 360 but don't know about all that "Cop Package" stuff unless it's standard. It was really cool but he traded it for a nice 70's Caddy, or maybe the other way around? IDR anymore ...
Yep, standard. They all came with the heavy duty suspension components, heavy duty axle, and E58 high performance 360 4 barrel.
You need a t shirt that says “my revival projects sit so long after reviving them I have to revive them again”
I was thinking “Homegrown Revivals”
@@DeadDodgeGaragethat’s definitely…shorter
Love that car!
My mom and dad went to look at a 2000 300M and found the one they wanted. My mom sat in the drivers seat while my dad made the purchase so no one else could buy it in the meantime lol.
I have to laugh about the AARP sticker on the opera window. 😂
I really enjoy that too 😅
@@DeadDodgeGarage can't help but wonder if it's factory. 🤣
The car is worth saving or restoring to driver quality or even flipping!