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Location: DFW, TX | Jim sent me several other pictures of interesting Forward Look cars (see the "Fuel Injection" thread for an EFI '58 Plymouth).
"This car should draw some controversy. A 58 Belvedere four door convertible that is in Australia. Not a "cheap, cut the roof off the car" conversion.....
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Expert
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Location: DFW, TX | "Another Australian car - this one was assembled by Chrysler in Adelaide and is completely 100% original. Note the Chrysler badge on the rear fender above the Belvedere script."
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Expert
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Location: DFW, TX | And finally-
"These are photos of a "regional" offering - the Plymouth Iowan for 1957. Anyone have any further information on these cars?"
Thanks for sharing Jim! Anyone else have pics of odd or rare FL cars?
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | If anyone were to ask me about that car, I'd say IDAHO, do you?
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Posts: 2721
Location: Minneapolis | (Eyes rolling) Dont let Neil have any more beers! LOL!
That four door droptop was featured in a thread here towards the end of last year, not much more to say about that.
There was some discussion on the Iowan a few years ago, I am sure you could do a search on it. I think it was in 2004 or 05. |
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Posts: 1480
Location: Australia | the 4-door hardtop 'chrysler' script looks like its from a chrysler royal, maybe someone added it later? also do you'se know much about the dodge texan? i think it was a special '57/ '58 model, im not certain.... adriana |
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Expert
Posts: 2721
Location: Minneapolis | You Dodge guys know better than me; wasnt it 1956-1959 for the Texans? |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | yeah, I wuzgonna check 4-sure, on the 59's, but I'm fairly certain that there was a 1959 Texan model produced.
IDAHO, offishur, maybe juhst a couple, tonite...(too funny!)
Edited by d500neil 2009-02-12 7:08 PM
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Location: Minneapolis | LOL! |
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+
Location: .Norfolk..Mafia.. ,England UK | forwardlookparts - 2009-02-12 9:25 PM
(Eyes rolling) Dont let Neil have any more beers! LOL!
That four door droptop was featured in a thread here towards the end of last year, not much more to say about that.
There was some discussion on the Iowan a few years ago, I am sure you could do a search on it. I think it was in 2004 or 05.
That four door droptop was featured in a thread here towards the end of last year, not much more to say about that.
http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=23504&...
There was some discussion on the Iowan a few years ago, I am sure you could do a search on it. I think it was in 2004 or 05.[/
http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=2430&s...
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Posts: 3967
Location: DFW, TX | Neil, there's something wrong with you!
Texans were available in '56-58, I'm not sure I've ever seen or heard of a '59. But it wouldn't surprise me, as it was just a normal Dodge with a goofy "Texan" emblem stuck to the sides and on the dash. Maybe a couple of other pieces of trim. They weren't documented and they are just considered a sales gimmick. Probably have better resale down here.
There were several different logos, I'm not even sure these are all of them. The last one is the most common, I've seen it on several '56-57 Dodges.
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Location: Parts Unknown |
Look at those AC scoops at the C pillar on that 56 !!!
Is the spotlight correct ?
The wheels are the wider DeSoto - Chrysler design with the spokes laced inward of the bead, not the Dodge - Plymouth design where the spokes are laced way out by the edge.
Beautiful car ! |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | Nothing odd about this, right? Just mom and the kid and the 300D wagon back when it was new.
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Veteran
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Location: Walhalla, ND | The Chrysler script on the Australian Belvedere was factory installed in Adelaide. That car is 100% original. |
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Posts: 1918
Location: Hell's Outhouse - a.k.a. Buckeye, Arizona | Whoa!!!!!!!!!!
Wayne, you can't leave us hanging, guy - what's the story on that 300-D wagon?
Man, that's the most spellbinding FL I've seen yet!!!!! |
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| StillOutThere - 2009-02-12 10:22 PM
Nothing odd about this, right? Just mom and the kid and the 300D wagon back when it was new.
Now that wagon rules!!! |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | Sure I can leave you hanging. Hang loose FL ! |
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Posts: 1918
Location: Hell's Outhouse - a.k.a. Buckeye, Arizona | Ah - photoshopped, 'eh? |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | This was a real car. NOT photo shopped. You sharp-eyed guys will note that unlike every '57-59 Mopar wagon you have ever seen this one does not have the extruded aluminum window frames on the doors. But then you would expect something better on a 300 wagon, wouldn't you? The picture was taken in Pennsylvania if that helps anyone. For all I know the owner still has the car. It attended one of the early 300 Club meets up in that area. |
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Location: NY & VT | My '57 Sport Sub didn't have extruded aluminum frames on the doors, neither did 57-59 Dodges I've seen. |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | Well, the 300's WERE considered just to be glorified station wagons, anyway.
This may well have been the Pilot car for the 57's.
BTW, that 56 Texan is the mighty D500, and the 57 Texans used a slightly different nameplate, IIRC.
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Location: DFW, TX | Actually Wayne, I've never seen any '57-59 Mopar wagon WITH the aluminum frames!
Very cool car! I have no doubt the photo is original, it would be nearly impossible to accurately portray the focus, graininess, and the shadows in that picture. Great car! I'd like to hear more. |
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Posts: 1918
Location: Hell's Outhouse - a.k.a. Buckeye, Arizona | So would I, but it seems Wayne's determined to be tight-lipped about it.
Apologies, Wayne - the photoshop crack was a poor attempt of getting some background from you on this unheard of wagon. |
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Location: Parts Unknown |
Wayne's staying quiet, but I'll tell you the story ...
When corndogs were outlawed in Arkansas after the war, bootleggers hauling in cornmeal covered contraband used fleets of these seemingly ordinary wagons to outrun authorities and bring fresh batter dipped dogs to a deprived populace.
Honest ! |
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Location: Minneapolis | Why the big secret? Because its bogus?
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Location: Skaneateles,NY(summer)/Port St.Lucie,FL(winter) | It would be the simplest thing in the world to put the front clip from a 300 onto a Chrysler wagon. Use to be not that uncommon to do back then. Look at the Canadian GM cars of that era... |
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Expert
Posts: 2679
| 57burb - 2009-02-12 7:18 PM
Neil, there's something wrong with you!
Texans were available in '56-58, I'm not sure I've ever seen or heard of a '59. But it wouldn't surprise me, as it was just a normal Dodge with a goofy "Texan" emblem stuck to the sides and on the dash. Maybe a couple of other pieces of trim. They weren't documented and they are just considered a sales gimmick. Probably have better resale down here.
There were several different logos, I'm not even sure these are all of them. The last one is the most common, I've seen it on several '56-57 Dodges.
This is a beautiful car!!! With the Texan emblems or not, just a pure classic!! I would love to have a 55-56 Dodge/Chrysler! |
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Expert
Posts: 1357
Location: Iowa USA | would odd looking forward look cars also include the Chrsler Royal series from Australia?
The AP1 (1957-59) had 1956 Plymouth rear fins
the AP2 (1959-61)had 1957 Dodge era fins with one on top of the other 56 Plymouth fin
and the AP3 (1961-63) had 1959 Desoto era fins
and they all still used the same 1954 era Plymouth Dodge body cabs while the front ends had 1956 Plymouth hints in it.
Of course my 1956 UTEs are Forward look era but they were 1954 era american bodies still being produced as new cars until 1957
They were all 4 doors except for the UTEs
Edited by roadkillontheweb 2009-02-14 8:54 AM
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Location: Hell's Outhouse - a.k.a. Buckeye, Arizona | 345 DeSoto - 2009-02-14 5:55 AM
It would be the simplest thing in the world to put the front clip from a 300 onto a Chrysler wagon. Use to be not that uncommon to do back then. Look at the Canadian GM cars of that era...
Along with 300 wheelcovers & side spears?
Seems like a lot of trouble to dress up the family grocery getter after dragging it off the showroom floor - besides, the garage looks like it's made strictly for STORING cars as opposed to MAKING 'em.
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Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+
Posts: 13055
Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | Could that 300-D wagon have been an executive special? Something made especially for a top-manager/salesman? The woman shows some class and the family seems to own 2 wagons, not to mention the nice forest house? |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | The story goes the '58 300 wagon was put together by a guy named Bobby Ewing in Pennsylvania from a DeSoto wagon that his neighbor had that had an accident and a 300D parts car. At this late date I'm vague on when this actually took place but I think it was in the '60s. I really thought somebody here would have known Bobby. He also still owns, as far as I know, a '57 300C that was radically customized in northern California in the style of some drawings that Ghia never used and the car has been for sale off and on for at least the last 25 years and he had several hemi engines and other parts. Everything he has is generally considered to be outrageously priced though, just as in the case of a certain NOS parts vendor, we know in desperation someone will be a buyer. So thats the story of the wagon. I couldn't resist having some fun with it. I don't get pictures like that very often! |
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Expert
Posts: 1918
Location: Hell's Outhouse - a.k.a. Buckeye, Arizona | Can't say as I blame you for wanting to get some mileage out of that pic - the proverbial "one-of-none".
You know if any other 300 guys have seen this and what their opinions on it might be? I mean, seeing as how a lot of 'em wouldn't think twice about chopping up a good New Yorker for parts, I'm curious as hell to see what they think about someone cannibalizing a 300-D for a wagon build. |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | The 300 Intl listserver is an email group for members only something like the FL email but posts no pictures and the club's web pages are inactive in comparison to the FL site (I mean there is info there but no forums). So there are old timers in the club that remember the car at the meet decades ago. This is not the only "300 wagon" that was ever body shop or garage built. It is certainly an easy enough proposition to bolt on the front clip and remove the side trim of whatever base Chrysler or DeSoto. The DeSoto triple tail lamps would have been a problem and no one seems to remember or have a pic of the rear of this particular car as to what was done. I have seen both a '57 and '58 NYer wagons in So Calif in the '80s with 300 front clips. I can't recall if either had 300 or NYer side trim. I've heard there were a couple of "300 wagons" for Vegas casinos probably for airport transports. And Carl Kiekhaefer is said to have converted one or two for his use also. And I'm certain there were others around the country. Back in the day there just wasn't anything "holy" about doing swaps like this. And what happened to these wagons when they wore out? I'd suggest that salvage yards saved the clips and most of them got back onto 300s that had front end accidents! And I won't mention (or will I?) that there just may be a clone or two 300 convertibles somewhere on the planet. And I'm sure y'all have some other thoughts as well..... |
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Expert
Posts: 2721
Location: Minneapolis | Dont get me wrong, Lee, I love those little UTEs. But the B-pillar treatment and the headlamp/grille designs were just not with Ex's FL philosophy. Of course, they were utilitarian vehicles and didnt need to win any styling contest. Still, it would have been nice..... |
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Expert
Posts: 1918
Location: Hell's Outhouse - a.k.a. Buckeye, Arizona | Oh, I hear ya, Wayne - that's why I was careful to say "most" and not "all".
300 clones? I wouldn't doubt it. Shoot, just this past summer there was an ebay auction posted here with someone offering up the front clip, wheel covers, trim, engine, dash, interior/exterior emblems, door panels etc. from a 300-C or 300-D - everything piecemeal needed to do such a cloning job if they so desired.
Personally? The only cloning I'll ever be doing is in the options department (the Coronado's ultimately getting a full '56 [12V] power window treatment to complete the "full power" ensemble, being that PS, PB and the 4-way power seat are already present). Otherwise, outside of 12V, modern A/C, modern sound system, front discs and a dual master, she'll be bone stock and fully retain her 1 of 487 status. |
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Veteran
Posts: 249
Location: Spencerport, New York | The 57 New Yorker wagon in the background has the aluminum window frames as did the DeSoto top line wagons, all the rest had conventional window frames. Probably a real car but orgin? Maybe a Chrysler Regional sales managers' special order or a Dealer with a rear ended 300 and a Windsor wagon with a damaged front clip? Who knows, but it is pretty cool! Dick W. |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | W., do you recall if anything was done to 'convert' the engine (v/covers-carbs, etc) to 300 appearance?
Was the interior, too, left as a DeSoto? |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | Neil, I have never seen this car in person so I don't know what the interior was like or the engine compartment. I got actively into 300s in the late 80s. Oh yeah guys, I forgot the Dodge and Plym wagons had steel door frames and the DeS and Chrys wagons had the extruded alum. frames. |
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Expert
Posts: 3967
Location: DFW, TX | Hmmmm.
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Location: Connecticut | StillOutThere - 2009-02-14 9:26 AM The story goes the '58 300 wagon was put together by a guy named Bobby Ewing in Pennsylvania from a DeSoto wagon that his neighbor had that had an accident and a 300D parts car. At this late date I'm vague on when this actually took place but I think it was in the '60s. I really thought somebody here would have known Bobby. I talked to Bobby Ewing at Chryslers@Carlisle awhile back. Not sure if he's still a vendor at the show. There's someone that sells on ebay named Izzy Dizzy that may be him. |
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