Falling for a 1960 Chrysler with a quirky personality
Noel Hastalis inherited his love of unusual Chrysler vehicles from his father. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, the family rode in such unique rides as a 1955 Windsor, '63 Newport and '69 Imperial.
"I learned to drive on the Newport, which had a peculiar, square steering wheel," the Burr Ridge resident said.
As he got older, Hastalis exchanged modest motoring oddities for high-octane muscle. In college, he purchased a 1968 Chevy Nova that he souped-up for drag racing. Still, he couldn't shake the memories of those quirky family haulers.
In 2005, he located this 1960 Chrysler 300F in a Lincoln Park garage. It had been sitting for five years after spending decades in California, where it had been sold new in Walnut Creek.
"It was all there cosmetically but the engine needed a total rebuild," Hastalis said. That power plant was a major draw as the vehicle utilizes a unique and highly potent 413-cubic-inch "wedge" V-8 with cross-ram intake manifold and dual four-barrel carburetors. All told, it's capable of 375 horsepower and a mammoth 495 foot-pounds of torque.
After getting the 300F home, Hastalis reinstalled a factory camshaft. "The previous owner had installed an aftermarket camshaft, thinking it would bring better performance," he said. "It (the original) had been designed so well. The Chrysler cam made the car run better and stronger."
Other items that were addressed included new wheel and axle bearings along with the door panels, dash pad and exterior emblems. After a bit of rust on the trunk was taken care of, the vehicle was good as new.
Peculiar and exclusive touches abound on this Chrysler classic. Inside the cabin are swivel front bucket seats, a full-length console and an "AstraDome" instrument panel with nonglare "Electroluminescent" lighting. This Jetson-sounding feature causes the instrument dials and their pointers to provide their own source of light.
"There are no bulbs, just high voltage to light everything up. It glows an eerie, soft greenish-blue and is quite attractive," Hastalis said.
The space-age influences don't stop there. The majestic, finned styling of Chrysler designer Virgil Exner and "boomerang" taillights lead to the Flight Sweep trunk lid, which gives the illusion and grandeur of a spare tire housing.
"It's amazing every single time I fire it up," Hastalis said. "The exhaust is deep and throaty."
The enthusiast has had numerous times to hear it as over recent years, having driven thousands of miles. He's traveled to such places as Mystic, Connecticut; White Sands, New Mexico; Blacksburg, Virginia; St. Paul, Minnesota, and Branson, Missouri. Making all those trips particularly delightful is the 300F's heavy-duty suspension, which is significantly stiffer than other vehicles.
"The car tracks extremely flat, even on twisty mountain roads. When I follow behind other old classic cars, they're swaying side-to-side, but not me."
Hastalis isn't the only one who's completely won over by his driving dream. In recent years, two friends have separately made offers to buy his car. "I've always said no; So they both went out and bought themselves 300Fs."
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