Rare 1968 Chrysler 300 Convertible Hides in a Perfect Mix of Random Detroit Steel in Iowa

The good part about this unlikely bunch of Detroit’s finest is that they’re all in solid condition, complete, and shouldn’t require a bank heist to get any of them back on the road. Technically, some would qualify as barn finds (the lucky kind, when a car is still a car and doesn’t need unobtanium parts and busted knuckles and endless patience and whatnot).

Have a look at them in the video from the IowaClassicCars YouTube channel and see if there’s one that catches your eye. Most of the ‘collection’ (or pile-up, if you prefer this version of reality) comprises GM products, with a few Mopars thrown in for taste, a Rambler, and a Ford pickup truck.

The first car is a cool late-production second-generation Chevrolet Camaro (from the late seventies, maybe early 80s) with T-Tops, Berlinetta exterior trim, and Z28-style rear spoiler, front air dams, and wheels. Unfortunately, the vlogger literally didn’t shed light on the interior, so we can’t assess the condition of its originality. As for the powertrain, your guess is as good as anyone else’s. Depending on the model year, it could be anything from a 229-cubic-inch V6 (3.8 liters) to the staple 350 V8 (5.7 liters).

Can’t have an American car gathering without a Corvette, so the C4 sitting next to the Camaro is a natural presence. Dated 1984, this car doesn’t hide any riddles under its hood – it came with one engine only, the 205-hp (208 PS) 5.7-liter V8 with twin throttle bodies for the Cross-Fire Injection system.

That model year was one of the all-time best-sellers for the Corvette, with 51,547 units, partly due to a marketing gimmick. The C4 was introduced in the spring of ’83 as a 1984 model, and it was consequently sold as such - there’s no 1983 Corvette, making ‘84s first-year cars from the fourth generation.

GM’s show-off continues with a 65 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass Convertible that belonged to the dealer’s father for three decades. Again, no word on its engine, but the car came with a 330-cube (5.4-liter) motor, 315 hp (319 PS), and 360 lb-ft (488 Nm) from the factory (and hopefully still has it).

One cool Mopar in this assembly of classics is the 61 Chrysler Newport four-door sedan, the entry-level full-size model of the brand, with the 215-hp 361-cubic inch V8. 34,370 units were built for the model year – by far the bulk of the Newport production of 57,102 and over a third of the number of Chrysler automobiles (96,454).

It’s not all just old-timers in the Exira, Iowa collection: a low-mile ’96 Pontiac Firebird proudly sits next to the lineup of timeless icons. The LT engine in it (presumably the LT1) has seen very little action (between 7,000 and 10,000 miles / 11.250 km – 16.000 km) in its 28 years.

No respectable barn with cars in it would be worthy of its name if it didn’t accommodate at least one dry-aged Mopar, and this 1962 Plymouth Belvedere just about cuts it. 62 years old and still in one piece – minus the rockers – this North Dakota example could just as well serve as a donor or receive a transplant for a prospect restoration. Alternatively, it could also drive as is – with some minor touchups here and there.

The English oddball in this stack of Detroiters is a nice little MG convertible – and there’s virtually nothing else about it. The best part is yet to come –look at the GTX decals on the 1969 Plymouth Sport Satellite. The original car received some upgrades on the interior, but the critical factor – the V8 – is the 318 small-block (5.2-liter) living between the front fenders. It's not exactly a GTX tribute since the real thing came in two servings in 1968: either with a standard 440-4 V8 (7.2 liter Super Commando) or the 426 Street HEMI.

Corvettes are best served in pairs, and the C3 is just the thing to complement this mix-up (the exact year is unknown, but it is from the second part of the third generation’s production run between 1968 and 1982). The GM parade continues with another less traditional American design.

The Pontiac Fiero was a mid-engined economical automobile that lasted four years on the market (1984 - 1988). It was also the first mass-produced vehicle from Detroit to sport that architecture. (A Corvair argument doesn’t hold water here since the Chevy of the 60s had its flat-six engine mounted over the rear axle, not in front of it). Despite its two-door architecture, the Fiero was not a menace to the Corvette, given its high-mileage-oriented engines (a 2.5 inline-four and a 2.8 V6).

The 69 Firebird, another (vastly more famous) Pontiac machine from the good times, is the complete opposite of that concept. Frustratingly, the YouTuber doesn’t mention the spicy stuff. Still, the owner of this piston gathering can be reached for more information. The same goes for the Chevy Monte Carlo of the third generation (somewhere around 1977). However, the four-barrel detail gives it away: a 350-CID V8 (5.7-liter).

The cherry on top of this random-motor cake is the 1968 Chrysler 300 convertible – one of just 2,161 made for that year. The concealed headlight, unmistakable V-shaped hood, and the gills behind the front wheels tell what it is (and it’s definitely not a Dodge Polara). The car is in the middle of a restoration – either a work-in-progress or unfinished business.

Cast outside to the mercy of the elements sits a 1966 Rambler Classic 770 – the model’s final year – waiting for a rescuer (or at least a resting place inside a shelter). All these cars are for sale, and so are the square bodies - some Chevys and GMCs, a Ford F-100, and a Dodge Power Ram Diesel, but the tempting one is the GMC 3500 Sierra Classic 3+3. The one-ton pickup was an Arizona truck originally, hence the lack of rust.

It may not be a curated collection or a purpose-driven lot of classics, but those are some nice project/build premises in decent states. Whoever is tired of hunting parts for a beater can shift their focus to this unlikely pile-up of GMs (the Mopars are just along for the ride – except maybe the Chrylser 300).