Herb McCandless found the then white 413-cid Cross-Ram car in Denton, North Carolina. At first sight, the car took him back to a time in his childhood. While as a kid working as a gopher for his uncle’s business, he recalls taking off with his Uncles Mopar to “run errands.” The situation had always landed him in the hot seat with his Uncle but only ever resulted in friendly banter and an infatuation for the car. From that point forward, Mr. 4-Speed had always sworn that he would have one of his own one day and finding that Mopar in a southern barn was simply fate.
For some, keeping a classic car is best done in its original form but Herb didn’t want something that fit in. He wanted something different and since this car was white, as were 80-percent of the old 300s, his plan started with stripping the car down, finishing it in a shiny red paint, and rebuilding its original running gear. With the project coming to a close and having the engine and transmission ready to go back in the car, Herb found a deal on a 5.7-liter HEMI crate engine. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with it but the deal was too good to pass up.
So, he rented a Buick hatchback from the airport to pick up the engine only to find out it wouldn’t fit. In true gearhead fashion, he removed enough interior trim from the rental car to fit the engine in the trunk. Of course, he put the Buick back together before returning it and the airport car rental was none the wiser.
On a whim, he put the Gen III HEMI on a lift just to see if it would fit in the classic engine bay. As it turns out Herb didn’t have to cut a single thing and he ended up with his one of a kind Gen III HEMI powered 1961 Chrysler 300 in Red. He didn’t stop there either. This car is equipped with every new age option from air conditioning to cruise control and even Satellite radio.
Elizabeth is hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
