The 1979 Chrysler 300 was factory rated at 195 Horsepower, however the National Hot Rod Association rated the same car at or around 256 Horsepower. Chrysler downplayed the actual power these cars produced, probably to appease the insurance companies. When I drive mine, I don't actually see the Mustang boys looking too afraid since they have similar power in lighter cars. My 1979 Chrysler 300 still goes like the proverbial bat out of hades, so I love it...
Ah yes, horse power. If you're going to talk HP then you need to compare apples to apples. I'm sure that many of you don't know that 1972 HP ratings went from net to gross, the means from crank to wheel. So there was a great drop because there is a lot of power lost in the driveline. But the other key factor is in Mopars little game of 'advertised' HP. If you do some research you'll find out that the numbers Chrysler was putting out starting in the 60's were not necessarily the real deal. They did like to understate the numbers for various reasons.
The most famous example of this is the famed Hemi, 425 horse net is really an insult. That number was pulled out of the blue by Mopar engineers so the government wouldn't bar them from selling the 426 Hemi. The engine dyno that they were testing on in 63 was capable to 600HP, the Hemi maxed it out! The other telltale is that from 64 through 71 (8 years) there was no improvements made to gain more power, the HP ratings never changed from the original 'advertised' 425.
OK since I own a 79 300 I just have to add a few comments, first one would be, isn't the 79 mustang built on a pinto chassis? baaaahahahaha. even the dash and floor shift are pinto part numbers. looks like most of them have a 4cyl pinto motor. nothing, but rust buckets, the emergency brakes are applied by simply dropping your feet threw the holes in the floors which come factory with the car, the holes also double as the airconditioner since the lil 2300 motors rubberband won't turn a compresser. if any one wants to pick on a car I think I chose the best example of the mustang they ever made, add a spoiler a hood scoop and a few stripes and they call it a cobra.
Tho I have upped the horsepower of my 300 to about 325 I would never be foolish enough to race my 4500 lb car agenst a compact car like a mustang. A mustage is no longer eyecandy because there are so many of them and any geek can purchase one from a buy here pay here lot. If anyone wants to compare the 79 300 to other model year 300s then I would say it most reasembles the 61-62 300. One question I would love answerd is did they ever make a 79 300 with vin numbers SS22K, I am under the impression that they all were vin SS22L. theres one on ebay now that the owner claims is original, but the vin is SS22K, it doesn't have a tachometer, it dosnt have the leather buckle strapped seats and it has a single exhaust, I told the seller it must be a converted cordoba, but he is very firm it isn't. auction number 200128213661, note he is using a picture out of a old magazine and that's a joke, he emailed me actual pictures and even tho its in very nice condition, I'm sure it's a cordoba 300 look a like. THEBUM.
The 1979 through 1993 Mustangs were built on the FOX body frame of the Ford Fairmont.
The 300 currently on eBay right now is the real deal. However, it is a Canadian car with a 300 appearance package, which was available in Canada only. Essentially, it looks like a 300, but has regular Cordoba parts underneath. It's a 2 barrel, no tachometer, no leather, single exhaust, and no handling package. You could order a Cordoba with this package and do it up as you wish. You could add on power seats (you couldn't get this on a proper 300) and do up the car with any available Cordoba suspension pieces that were offered. I wonder how many were made?
My 79 300 actually has a driver's side power seat, the reason being that it was made for the Canadian market and did not need the same exhaust system the United States cars used. Otherwise, it is the same car as the one sold Stateside, the hot 360 backed by a 727, the beefy rear-end and suspension, and the full option package. Like a lot of Mopars, just about anything could and did happen during production...
I'm buying a 300, what should I put in it that could increase the power without leaving me with no lunch money.
"I'm buying a 300, what should I put in it that could increase the power without leaving me with no lunch money."
You can try the standard stuff: aluminum intake, Holley 600 (don't over-carburetor -- everybody always wants to put a 750 double pumper on their engine and they flood the crap out of it -- a street engine doesn't need that much gas) or 650 cfm 4-barrel (or perhaps the Edelbrock 4-barrel), take off the smog stuff, install headers, install the Mopar Performance/Direct Connection distributor/electronic ignition control module kit. After that, you can look for a pair of 1972 360 heads with larger valves, such as they used on the '72 340, with no smog ports.
Although these are big cars, I once built a 360 like the one described for a '75 Charger Daytona, and it was a pretty mean car.
Mustangs are more common then fat chicks at the old country buffet. There were just over 5000 300's made in '79 and maybe 3 outta 4 of those left today. I see that many mustangs on my drive to work. Guarantee that putting the amount of money anybody pays for a new v8 mustang into my 360 motor I would be beating stock porsches. This car is amazing.
My uncle had one of these and recently died, leaving my aunt with several things to get rid of including this car. It's a 39,000 mile 2 owner example in N. Indiana. She's looking to sell. If you want the real deal contact me. albudracr@yahoo.com.
You know these cars look really great with a low wing spoiler something like the ones they used to put on the Mustang Mach 1 and the Cougar Eliminator around 1970. I've seen pics of a couple done up like that on-line. It has to be low to look good but it is a nice addition, especially if your trunk lid is no gem to begin with...
Actually, in 1972, HP ratings went from gross to net ratings.
I currently have two 79 300's, one is very rusty from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and it is for parts. The other came out of St. Louis, and it is a factory moon roof car in pretty decent shape. I have two others, and sold them to very satisfied owners who were going to restore them and show them. These are rare cars, and you never see one on the road, maybe at a Mopar Show. Now, as to power, they only had a 360 cu.in. engine, with 4 barrel and duals, and they were smogged down. Some people think the only 300 is a big block mopar. In 1979, the most powerful engine in the Chrysler line-up was the 360 High Performance engine. It was used in the police cars and the Little Red Express pickup. 1978 was the last year for the 440, and it had a rating (horsepower) of about the same as this little 360. All the engines went down to 8 to 1 compression by that time, plus the smog equipment. The white-only color, the smallish G-60 tires, the mag wheels with some trim on them, and the pinstripe and some fake 'gills' on the side, and the white trim on the bumpers distinguished it from ersatz Cordobas, but, it had that classic cross-hatch grille assembly. The 78/79 cars got the dumb quad stacked headlights, and that did not help matters. The 75 to 77 models had a classic look from the front, and I sure wish they would have held over some parts for this special car.
The engine was what they called the 'premium' model, and it did have a few goodies, but the real news was the 727 tranny with a high-shift govenor and some stout pieces. The suspension was pure 'cop car' pieces, all the way around, as was the 'firm feel' power steering. So, yes, it was special in a lot of ways. My car will get a 440, it will get the 3;21 one-legger 9 1/4 changed out for a 3:90 sure-grip, three inch exhaust, nice-rumpy cam, tti headers, Performer Air Gap and a 750 or a dual quad setup just for nostalgia's sake. THEN, I think I'll have a 300. These cars are coming up on 30 years old, and you get asked all the time what the car is, as most people have never seen one, or have completely forgotten them. There are lots of collecitble cars out there, to be sure, but few are as rare and have been largely overlooked. I stopped thinking about top speed fantasies a long time ago, so the 3:90 rear gear should make it really launch and burn the Hell out of tires. For top speed bench racing, I also own a 1967 XK-E and most folks HAVE heard of them.
In Saint Louie there is a Chrysler 300 with the stock engine 360 4 barrel engine, but worked over, along with the tranny and rear. About 2 years ago it was driven 1 hour to the track, tires changed, tuned and ran a 10.01 second quarter consistently. It won the open class then was driven home. The owners track car was down and he choose to run his special worked 300. It was the talk of the town at the time.
Machinists say the 1979 heads are amongst the best to work over, when larger valves replace the stock they can be ported out very nicely. Dropping the stall in the converter is a must. Replacing the carb. with a new old stock off the little red express truck keeps it stock enough, but adds a nice surprise, when combined with the direct connection replacement distributor package & cam, lifters/springs.
Letting go on the lean burn system rates high. Headers help, but with the stock 3.23 ish? posie rear hurts your launch off the line and low end. Unless you cam it up and tweak away with some other goodies.
Weight wise, lose the donut tire, driving with a 1/3 tank of gas also reduces weight. Mustangs need a full tank to help them from braking loose, as well as heavier bigger rear tires.
My 1971 Mustang is suppose to weigh around 3000; in my dreams, it actually weighs more like 3400. With the Detroit locker 3.91 rear, it still needs huge back tires to grab off the line. The smaller front tires help to offset, but unless it is quarter mile, I prefer my 300.
Also sounds too simple, but taking the belt off the AC except for summer helps. As does a flex fan, and electric water pump if you do not mind a little extra noise. Carter makes a HP mechanical fuel pump that helped the new combo and did not cost much.
Dual snorkel and cold ram air from the outside helps the real usable HP up at little cost.
Had a 1969 TNT 300 back in the day, spent a fortune, but it passed most everything except a gas station. It weighed around 3950 stock, the fiberglass hood and trunk I got off a 1969 300 helped the weight some. As did losing all the AC equipment. Too bad 1979 did not have a fiber glass hood and trunk package. Oh well.
My 1979 Chrysler 300 featured in the Jan 98 edition of Mopar Collectors Guide (Expect the Unexpected) was a 60 over 440, aluminum heads, large Ultra Dyne cam, a worked over 727, with a 3500 stall convertor, and 410s in a 8 3/4 and a 6 pak. It ran a best of 11.88 at 119 mph. This was 4200 lb car with a 680 hp motor.