Question for the Experts. 1962 Chrysler 300H

I have an interesting inquiry. Does the transmission of a vehicle affect whether or not it is a "Numbers Matching" car? Here is the story behind my inquiry.

My Grandfather Purchased a 1962 Chrysler 300H brand new in 1962. It was white with a red interior. He had some engine troubles with it in the late 60's (probably as he didn't believe in changing the oil in any of his cars. SMH) He took the car to a machine shop and was going to have the engine repaired when he fell on hard times as the union was slow with work at the time and his health was deteriorating so he was unable to pay for the work done on his car, and they kept it for several years before getting a mechanics lean on the car and selling it. The car had been long gone and forgotten about until 2010 when I was playing around on the internet and I came across a classic car dealer in Canada selling a white 1962 Chrysler 300H. I obtained the vin number from the seller and found out that this was in fact my grandfathers car. The seller had it listed as a "Numbers Matching" car, but I found that a little peculiar considering that I have the original transmission in my garage where it has been since the 60's. After talking to my grandmother, I learned that the car had been having issues for quite some time and my grandfather thought it was the transmission and replaced it before realizing that the engine was the problem instead. I would love to get this original transmission back with the original car, but I would imagine the most recent seller would be hesitant to put me in contact with the new owner, because of the obvious misinformation regarding the car.

my point, and my question is : should I just forget about it and scrap the transmission? ( which I would hate to do) but it is taking up space in my garage. I didn't know if the transmission is considered when making a "numbers matching" car? Thanks for any help!

A car with all documented original parts (engine, trans, etc) will usually be worth more than one in the same condition that does not have all the original parts. "Original" means those parts that were installed at the factory, when the car was assembled. The term "numbers matching" is so misused in the hobby as to be meaningless, but technically, engines and transmissions received VIN derivative stamps at assembly that MATCHED the VIN of the car, hence the term. Obviously these matching VIN derivative make it easy to prove that the parts in question are the original ones. Different manufacturers started using VIN derivative stamps at different times. My specialty is Oldsmobiles, which got VIN derivatives starting with the 1968 model year, due to federal mandates. Prior to that engines and transmissions received a unit number stamp that did not match the VIN, though these cars came with a Protect-O-Plate that matched the unit numbers to the VIN. I don't know if or when Chrysler did something similar but I'm sure someone more experienced will chime in.

I routinely seen cars advertised as "numbers matching" that were built prior to the use of VIN derivatives, at which point I always ask the seller to show me the numbers that "match". Unfortunately many seem to think that numbers matching simply means that the car has the correct casting numbers. These parts may be correct for the year and model but without either a VIN derivative stamp or a Protect-O-Plate there is no way to prove that they are original to the car.

thanks Joe! I certainly appreciate your help! Now I guess it's just a matter of what I want to do with it. lol. my specialty isn't Chrysler. I am a Cadillac fanatic myself, so I am aware of the Protect-O-Plate as mine is safely located inside the back of my owners manual maintenece packet, where it was when the car was sold originally. Thank god, when I bought my Cadillac, the punch outs were still in the original keys and the owners manual information was in the car as well! lucky me!

As Joe says most people will say after they have done modifications that their car is correct, meaning the engine and all the cars accessories are correct for the year of car they have. AACA for example allows this to happen at their shows. As long as it was offered for the car it's OK even though the window sticker and the build sheet say different. A case in point was a 1961 Pontiac Catalina that was in Hemmings Classic Car Magazine, originally a basic bones two door hard top 389" 2bbl 267 hp engine, Roto three speed HydraMatic, Peg leg open diff. bench seat car. The owner had turned it into a 389" Tri Power 348 hp engine, four speed Super HydraMatic, Safety Track posi rear, bucket seat car. The problem for me is this car was proudly showing it's AACA's first place Senior badge. Technically the car could have a badge with all the modifications done with the exception of the four speed Super HydraMatic. Anybody who knows HydraMatic knows what a Roto and Super HydraMatic look like. Everyone who knows Pontiac's of that year had Roto HydraMatic in Catalina and Ventura models, and Super HydraMatic in Star Chief and Bonneville.

The owner of this Catalina really didn't like the way the car came from the factory so he re- created his own vision of how HE would have built it....and all you have to do is just carry it a bit further and you will be in hot- rodder, customizer land.

That being said I would think the owner would be very happy to have the original transmission for his car.

@helfen, You don't think the seller would hesitate to contact the current owner or put me in contact with the current owner? Like I said, I know he was selling it as a numbers matching car, and I don't know what kind of story he(she) potentially told the customer when they bought it. As a matter of fact, I still have the original title, since it was sold and I'm assuming re-titled under mechanics lean.

From my perspective, "numbers matching" usually applies only to the engine. BUT . . . as I understand it, Chrysler didn't stamp any part of the VIN on their blocks back then. In the later 1960s (1968, I believe, as Joe noted), they did start stamping some of them on a section of the block just above the oil pan on the passenger side of the block. Otherwise, a collector would look at the date code cast in the block, plus the relationship to that and the car's suspected build date sequence (from the last part of the VIN). There ARE some stampings on Chrysler B/RB blocks, but these relate to particular internal components with various symbols and such. Key thing is that it's the correct family (low block "B" or high block "RB") for the application. The "pad" where these stampings are located is different on the B (350,361,383,400) engine from where it is on the RB (383 2bbl one year, 413, 426 wedge and HEMI, 440) engine.

I know that Chrysler had their "Certi-Card" when the 5/50 warranty came out in 1963. Like the GM Protect-O-Plate, the owner's name and information was placed onto the plate, via Dymo LabelMaker tape. It was usually stored in a holster on the core support, protected (and somewhat hidden) by the battery. I'm not sure what they used for warranty work prior to that, though.

I concur that "numbers matching" is grossly overused by sellers, usually to justify a higher sale price AND more desireability for the ultimate owner. I also suspect that many of the "less vintage" sellers have little knowledge of when that term is operative, too.

One good thing about Chrysler products is that they put the stamped "Data Plate" on the lh fender of the vehicle, in easy sight with the hood raised. The major options are there, as is the VIN and other information. In the case of some specialty models (AAR 'Cuda and T/A Challenger), the related extra plate is "gold" in helping document the vehicle. Yet some "high option" cars had Data Plates which consisted of TWO plates with option codes on them . . . these care might also have had two-page window stickers, too. I'm not sure when they started putting the Data Plates there, but I suspect it was in the early 1960s.

A "Mechanic's Lien" allows the shop to legally gain title to the car, superceeding prior titles, and sell the vehicle "for charges" (or whatever). I'm not sure if there's some notation on the "new" title to this effect, though, but that could vary from state to state.

I believe the 1968 mandates, from what I remember seeing on television back then, were related to tracking stolen vehicles and their related components. Seems like the VIN was stamped in about 13 different locations throughout the vehicle, including drivetrain components . . . many hidden from normal view, but "there".

The 300-H Chryslers were neat cars! Too bad your father had to let it go!

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

@NTX5467, Thanks for the information. Like I said before, I don't know that much about Chrysler. I'm a Cadillac fan myself, but I always heard my grandfather talking about the swiveling exit seats. He must have thought that was the greatest. The only good thing about him losing the 300H was that it enabled him to buy the 1975 Lincoln Continental Coupe with dealer add on Mark IV package. He was a strange man but I loved him to death, now I get to work on restoring that one to it's former glory.

I've always wondered about all the matching numbers cars out there. Besides the fact that I live across the street from a large modern auto shop and the parts yard trucks pull up weekly with there delivery of junk yard engines.

A percentage of cars came from the factory with non matching numbers. If something failed on the assembly line it got pulled off and a new part put in it's place right there. (I'm pretty sure they didn't take the time to restamp any of those replacement parts) Knowing the quality of work that was going on and lack of care by some workers I find it nearly impossible to believe all the matching numbers cars out thre.

Especially look at all the numbers matching Muscle cars. They were built to be fast and most of the new owners felt it there obligation to prove it. Leading to missed shifts, Blown engines, etc.

Don't scrap that trans, and here is why. If it is indeed a 1962 TF, it will have a aluminum case, cable shift for push-button range selection AND the parking brake drum assy on output shaft, or provision for it if missing. This is a one year only transmission, and hard to find if you need it or want it. I say 'want' because this one year transmission has no internal parking pawl meaning you set to neutral, stop engine and set this drum parking brake with foot pedal to hold car in parked position. It was and is a terrible system with drivers of these cars later customarily carrying chocks on the chance the car would park on a incline. I rebuilt one two years ago, and in doing so found I had to go through this park brake, cables and pedal assy as part of the job. Terrible!, and terrible to use as a driver. These Chryslers had a park detent in 1961, and again in 1963! CW

@helfen, You don't think the seller would hesitate to contact the current owner or put me in contact with the current owner? Like I said, I know he was selling it as a numbers matching car, and I don't know what kind of story he(she) potentially told the customer when they bought it. As a matter of fact, I still have the original title, since it was sold and I'm assuming re-titled under mechanics lean.

I believe there are internal parts within the 300H transmission that are not common to other torque flite transmissions. As coldwar says don't scrap it. I had an H coupe in a different lifetime.