Would you go cab forward in this 2002 Chrysler 300M for $7,800? – Jalopnik

The current Nice Price or No Dice 300M is the shortest of all Chrysler’s turn-of-the-century LH platform cars, which as such were designed to carve out a place in the European car scene. Let’s see if this cab-forward sedan is priced to succeed in the here and now.

I’m always confused by people wearing Kirkland brand clothing. Now don’t get me wrong. I love Costco as much as the next person, and would rue the day I had to give up my five-dollar chickens and $1.5 hot dogs. That said, I feel no compulsion to show off my stuff adorned with Kirkland branding. Now imagine that clothing (hoodies, slippers and the like) comes from a bygone era, is marketed as ‘vintage clothing’ and as such has a higher price. Now they would be both embarrassing and expensive.

Yesterday we faced a similar conundrum in the form of a 1980 Honda Civic 1500GL that had been stored in Rapunzel-style for twenty years and was now asking $13,000 to experience its old-school econobox charm. That prize turned out to be about as attractive a thought, both in the comments and in the mood, as me on the beach in a Kirkland brand G-string. The result was that the Honda suffered a significant “No Dice” loss of 83%.

Today Chrysler 300M special from 2002 is a good example of what some might call an innovative use of existing resources to create something new on a limited budget. Less generous types might call it a repeat of old news.

The 300M was one of Chrysler’s LH platform cars. It joined the Chrysler Concorde, LHS and Dodge Intrepid at the start of the platform’s first major refresh, replacing the Eagle Vision when that sub-brand went out of business. The Eagle, along with all its LH bandmates, could trace its origins and its somewhat unique-to-the-US longitudinal FWD underpinnings to the midsize Renault Premier sedan, which Chrysler acquired in the deal to acquire all American Motors and Jeep in the late 1980s. All LH cars featured a Chrysler styling cue called Cab-forward, a design that shortened the distance between the firewall and the front axle, giving the impression of a more spacious cabin. In practice, that turned out to be a pretty good picture.

All American editions, like this black-on-black model, received Chrysler’s 3.5-liter SOHC 24-valve V6. Accompanying this is a standard 42LE four-speed automatic on top of the chain-driven differential. This arrangement was chosen for ease of exhaust routing and the prospect of a tailshaft, which would allow four-wheel drive, although this was never realized on the platform.

According to the ad, this 300M has 170,000 miles on the odometer and “thousands” have been spent on maintenance and repairs over the last few years. This includes replacing the brake discs, timing belt and water pump, and a complete renewal of the cooling system. It is now said to be “working great” as a result of all this attention.

Aesthetically, this Chrysler is good, but not great. The seller seems honest in his assessment of the car’s condition, pointing out a large dent in the right front fender, some paint chips on the side mirrors and the torn leather on the driver’s seat. Apart from these flaws (which are quite minor) the car appears to be in good condition. The alloy wheels only show minor curb damage and the headlights are minimally clouded.

Yes, the cabin is awash in hard plastic (remember, Chrysler has long been pinching as many pennies as possible), but there’s an analog clock mounted at the top center of the dash, so it’s easy to pretend this car is a Porsche with the Chrono package if that’s your habit.

Regardless, despite its minor shortcomings, this edition is an interesting opportunity to sample Chrysler’s cabin-forward design language and longitudinal FWD drivetrain, both unique features of the LH cars. To do this, the seller of this car charges $7,800 for the transfer of the clean title. What is your opinion about the car and that price? Does that seem fair given the ad’s description and images? Or is this a cabin car that needs a retrograde price?

You decide!

Nice prize or no dice:

Kansas City, Missouri Craigslistor go here when the ad disappears.

Help me with a nice prize or no dice. Contact me at robemslie@gmail.com and send a fixed price tip. Don’t forget to include your comment handle.