Believe it or not, Fiat-Chrysler still builds the 300 sedan, a stately four-door presumably in production to satisfy a niche market of grandparents in Florida and one that has proven itself entirely unable to capture any of the magic of the original 300 models of the 1960s and early-70s. The 300 for the new millennium can be had with a Hemi V8, though, which makes those so equipped something approaching a sleeper. But the classic cars that made up the 300 series, spanning a wide range of "letter" and "non-letter" variants, could also fit the bill as large, boatlike vehicles—and they all came with beefy V8 engines under the hood. In today's world of custom classics and popular restomods, though, that V8 simply won't do in a 300 the size of this 1962 example spotted at Holley MoParty 2020, which has received a wild Viper V10 swap in place of its original mill.
1962 Chrysler 300 Embraces Its Patina Looks
From a distance, the patina that covers the entire exterior of this 300 might make it seem like a rundown hunk of junk. Up closer, the sagging suspension clearly results from an airbag system, hunkering down the entire body over a set of big wheels in low-profile tires.
Gen 2 Viper 8.0-Liter V10 Engine
While the video features plenty of shots showing the car in a dizzying series of lightning-quick cuts overlaid with extremely aggressive music, there’s absolutely zero information provided about its builder or owner. Yep, that's a Viper V10 under the hood. Nope, that's not how you spell "Chrysler" in the YouTube title card. Come on, guys.
For more details, we had to do some extra digging, and found some specs listed on the website that belongs to the shop behind the build, Classic Car Studio Speed Shop. Powering this classic is a high-performance Gen 2 Viper 8.0-liter V10 engine, which is about the last thing one should expect looking at a build like this with just the exterior to go off of.
Interior Upgrades
Judging from its headlights, this 300 has probably received a ton of blood, sweat, and tears to transform it into the lowrider it is today. The interior has received Procar By Scat Enterprises lowback seats and some diamond-stitched leather, as well as an aftermarket shifter. Is that a six-speed stick shift or an automatic? While the video doesn’t give it away, the shop behind it confirms it's a T56 six-speed manual. Perhaps there’ll be a future video that gives us more information about this Viper powered hot rod.
Sources: youtube.com and moparty.com