So this isn’t exactly your traditional kustom ranchero… Word is it’s on a vintage army spec chassis with flat head 4 cylinder, speed would not be its friend. Not sure if it is still round
What do you think of this idea? Buy a 57 Starliner that nobody wants to restore. Build a shortened top, remove the back seat and trunk stuff, and convert it to a “Ranchero style” custom. Has this been done before?
Yep done before. I think I also saw done with an 59 EL Camino too The headroom is wonky if you shorten the top forward too much.
Head room would be fine if you brought the B pillar forward to the door. With the 2 pc. top, it wouldn't be that tough to do. Remove all the top lowering mechanism very carefully for re-sale. Then the piece removed may prove useful to fill the gap that moving the roof forward would create in front of the "box". The trunk lid would act as reverse opening a tonneau cover and those rear 1/4 panels would look a mile long... very slick!
I had a friend in the air force from alifornia tell me he once saw a 1957 Mercury Ranchero. Maybe it was made from a station wagon? Would make a neat looking Ranshero.