1979 Chrysler 300 - Cop Motor, Cop Suspension, Cop Shocks

As the world's foremost expert and appreciator of all things 1975-1977 Chrysler Cordoba, well, somebody has to be, I've never been a fan of the reboot Chrysler did to "my car" for 1978. In my humblest of opines, all of what made those cars distinctive and decidedly "un-Chevrolet Monte Carlo" went flying out the proverbial opera window leaving a car that looked dense, heavy, ungainly, portly and unsophisticated looking. Oddly enough, I forgive most if not all of the sins of the class-of-1978 Cordoba with these 1979-only, "300's" that are based on those updated Cordoba's.  

These cars purportedly emulated the famed Chrysler 300's of the 1950's and 1960's although, unlike Dodge's 2008-to the present Challenger, that unabashedly resembles the iconic 1970-1974 originals, save for the crosshair grill, these things look nothing like any 300 before them. Or, seeing how many iterations of Chrysler 300's there have been in the last twenty-five-years or so, nothing like any of them either. 

Upwards of 4,000 or so "300's" were produced for 1979 and for their $2,040 tariff over a regular Cordoba, "300" buyers got the "E58", 360-cubic inch "4V", 195-horsepower "Cop Motor" V-8 which was the most powerful passenger car engine Chrysler offered that year. To make the most of the thrust, a 3.2, "performance" rear-axle-ratio was part of the package and to handle everything with a modicum of aplomb, they added a heavy-duty suspension with "firm-feel" power steering. The whole set up essentially what Dodge offered police departments with on their Monaco, four-door sedans. Incidentally, the fun stuff was also available on Cordoba's. That along with a laundry list of exterior and interior baubles and bits that made a 1979 Cordoba a "300". 

That included a unique "300" grille, front fender louvers, body-colored bumper guard cushions and bumper rub strips, body-colored dual remote mirrors, red\blue pinstriping, Spinnaker white paint, red, "Corinthian" leather seats, console with shifter, an "engine-turned" dash applique, a more comprehensive gauge package and a gaggle of "300" badging so no one would ever confuse a "300" with a Cordoba. 

All the doo-dads worked together, again, my two-cents, quite well to create a "super-Cordoba", if you will. What can I say? The tape and decals stoke my inner twelve-year-old and I could care less if there was "more car" than ones that didn't have the schmaltzy, ersatz add-on's. Don't get me wrong, though, I most heartedly appreciate any beefing up of the car. Although, it would have been nice if Chrysler started with at least the suspension they offered on the 300 and firmed things up from there. 

Seeing that performance cars were all but verboten in the late 1970's, the 1979 Chrysler 300 was a head scratcher - the answer to a question it seemed no one was asking. Best I can guess, someone at Chrysler was a fan of the 300's of yore and whipped one up based on the out-going Cordoba. That it cost Chrysler probably next to nothing to gussy up a Cordoba and make it a "300", and anything made above and beyond the sticker price for a Cordoba money in the bank, suits upstairs must have been like, "sure, go ahead". They had bigger fish to fry anyway in the early days of Iacocca administration. You know, like not going under. 

I swear I've seen this car at car shows near where I live just west of Cleveland, Ohio. How many of these could there be still out there anyway? If it is that car, these pictures make it appear better than it is - the one I've seen is pretty rough. And the $6,500 price of admission is pretty steep for a car that needs quite a bit of work. Mechanically, the parts are a dime a dozen but the various trim pieces, especially the grille, if you can find them, will be very expensive. 

Closer you could get it to $4,000 I think it well bought. I can't find it, now, could it have been sold? Arse for every seat, as we say. 

Legend has it Chrysler had plans to continue building a "300" based on their downsized, R-body, 1980 Cordoba, but they changed direction and labeled what was to be the 300 the Cordoba LS.