It's not every day you come across a 1963 Chrysler 300 of any stripe, let alone a 300J with a manual transmission. This example is one of a kind, a vehicle of significance. While today we know the Chrysler 300 as a recently-cancelled full-size sedan, from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s they were two-door 'personal luxury cars.' Personal luxury cars were effectively large-body American grand tourers, with less emphasis on performance and more emphasis on comfort. While this type of vehicle basically no longer exists on its own, with the closest modern anolog being the new two-door Dodge Charger, they were once big business. The Chrysler 300 "letter series" cars were highly competitive in the segment, setting standards for style and comfort. One Of One Classic Chrysler Rocket Restorations Beyond that, they were some of the most powerful vehicles on sale in the world, depending on the particular letter series car you're looking at. This 63' 300J was powered by a 6.8L V8, producing a monstrous 390 horsepower. That is in SAE gross hp increments, not including things like running the alternator or power steering pump. But even if converted to modern SAE net horsepower, it would likely be competitive with a 5.7L LS V8 from forty years later. Just as impressive is the 485 lb-ft of torque the 300J's massive V8 belted out. With tire technology where it was in the early '60s, we wouldn't be surprised if you could spin the tires on this thing at highway speed. Unlike Any Other, Far From Restored Rocket Restorations The engine bay's interesting intake runners are from a different 300, likely a change made many years ago to keep the car on the road for cheaper than the 'correct' part. But that's nowhere near the worst of the show-stopping problems this particular 300J has. To start, large chunks of the floorpan are gone, along with much of the interior. What's left of the interior is actually quite beautifully designed, especially with the aircraft-like gauge arrangement. But cool colors and design aside, this is not a project for anyone but seasoned professionals with years of experience and deep pockets, along with serious fabrication ability. It appears this car lucked out and found just that. Hopefully that luck holds, and that big V8 can roar once again.