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Strange and somewhat attractive 1960 mopar
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1958300
Posted 2019-02-19 3:42 PM (#578399)
Subject: Strange and somewhat attractive 1960 mopar



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I just saw a picture on facebook of a car with a 1957 Chrysler front end and rear end, but the middle of the car was a 1960 or 61 2 door hardtop with the skyview large rear window. The rear fins were modified and looked a little bit like the original 1957 Chrysler 300 show car.

So I have a question. Will front sheet metal from a 1957 Chrysler fit a 1960 Dodge or Plymouth?
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57burb
Posted 2019-02-19 4:01 PM (#578400 - in reply to #578399)
Subject: RE: Strange and somewhat attractive 1960 mopar



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"fit" ??

No.

But if you have the imagination, the skills - and the parts - then you can do anything you want. Here is a thread about putting '58 Plymouth nose on a '60 Fury convertible. It was a lot of work, but it can be done.

http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=45565&...
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Powerflite
Posted 2019-02-19 5:09 PM (#578401 - in reply to #578399)
Subject: RE: Strange and somewhat attractive 1960 mopar



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Yeah, it's definitely not an easy bolt on, but the width of a '57 Chrysler is stated as 78.8" and the '60 Dodge as 78", so they are close enough that it shouldn't be too difficult to get it to work. The wheelbase is a little harder as the '57 Chrysler is much longer, and part of that length is on the back part of the front fenders. For that reason, I suspect that this car probably started out life as a Matador or Polara instead of a Dart, with a little extra space there to make it easier. But he would likely need to modify the front frame to adapt the front bumper, so maybe he grafted on the entire front clip from the '57 to make it work?



(57-60 Custom.jpg)



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Attachments 57-60 Custom.jpg (82KB - 151 downloads)
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Powerflite
Posted 2019-02-19 5:39 PM (#578402 - in reply to #578399)
Subject: Re: Strange and somewhat attractive 1960 mopar



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There was also another guy, daytonajim, on this forum who was doing the same thing, but doing it in the opposite direction.

http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=50403&...

This one is a '59 Dodge front end on a '58 Chrysler

http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=15457&...

And here is a thread discussing various front end swaps.

http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=52356&...
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Doctor DeSoto
Posted 2019-02-20 9:06 PM (#578430 - in reply to #578402)
Subject: Re: Strange and somewhat attractive 1960 mopar



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Putting a 59 Dodge nose on anything but a 58 Chevy is like pouring a glass of
fine bourbon and adding cat turds for ice cubes. WTF ?


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57burb
Posted 2019-02-21 10:55 AM (#578456 - in reply to #578430)
Subject: Re: Strange and somewhat attractive 1960 mopar



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They jacked it up like a monster truck. Look at those shackles! I'm pretty sure they did that so that the wheels could turn underneath those fenders designed for a 4" longer wheelbase. I think the fins and quarters are supposed to emulate the '57-58 Plymouth, with the abrupt kickup for the fin, and the crease along the quarter. It's all capped off with a single piece of trim just dangling in mid-panel - and a bitchin set of flames.

As always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I'm not seeing anything "somewhat attractive" here. Someone had a plan, but the execution was questionable and the result is botched.
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Powerflite
Posted 2019-02-21 1:41 PM (#578469 - in reply to #578399)
Subject: Re: Strange and somewhat attractive 1960 mopar



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I think you're looking at it with the wrong eye, Danny. A closer look reveals that the car has a truck straight axle under it. That gasser look was all the rage in the '60's - '70's. So given that he didn't care much about the old front suspension, the front frame could be anything. An older friend of mine in high school had a '57 Belair that he jacked up with a straight axle under and a strong small block in it. It was a really cool car and I enjoyed riding in it immensely. To some degree, I prefer the extra-high look to the extra-low look. Just depends on what your mindset was raised on. This car looks like he tried to make a '57 Chevy type of dip in the fin at the beginning of it. It sort-of worked, but doesn't look nearly as good as if he had made it more like the original Chrysler version. But I don't really mind the extra body line under the fin. It's different, but looks OK. But you are right, that he should have come up with something better for the trim, and he is missing one scallop on the right side, and the entire thing on the left.
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57burb
Posted 2019-02-22 10:04 AM (#578505 - in reply to #578469)
Subject: Re: Strange and somewhat attractive 1960 mopar



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There are some cars that pull off that look, and some that don't.



(58_plymouth_gasser.jpg)



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Attachments 58_plymouth_gasser.jpg (102KB - 143 downloads)
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Powerflite
Posted 2019-02-22 2:55 PM (#578519 - in reply to #578505)
Subject: Re: Strange and somewhat attractive 1960 mopar



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That one doesn't...at least not for me. I wish I had pictures of some of the street cars that were running around back then. Most people who make these cars now, choose to do a more cartoony drag race only version, but street cars back in the day, were less modified and much more practical than that. They had front bumpers, often modified. They had even height front to back, and the front end height was not as high as most are now. This car picture was the closest I could find on the internet of what I remember.



(782abb18944d678e592cfc8ac86fbf3e.jpg)



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Attachments 782abb18944d678e592cfc8ac86fbf3e.jpg (148KB - 139 downloads)
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