57 Chrysler 2 door 392 Hemi what to do with it?

That car rules!!!

Get in touch with Carl Brunson. He's "over the hump" and is a KILLER body guy, if you don't feel like doing the body work yourself. He's "kroozn1", here on the HAMB. If nothing else, he's a HAMBer and in your town and a really great guy!

 

This is a stock 300C - belongs to John Lazenby (on the right in the blue shirt) whom I have known for quite a while. Yours restored would not look much different from the rear. This thing is just pure cl*** and you are very lucky to have such an icon of fifties American Space Deco. Don't mess it up - these cars need little. Chrysler wires with wide whitewalls look killer. Now, anybody want to buy my red one cheap???

 

I want to say the Clif Inmann car was built in '63-64.

It is a '57 Chrysler with '58 tail lights and a '58 windshield header / gl*** installed. My memory says the front portion of the roof was lifted from a '58 Dodge and the rear gl*** came from a '60 Mercury Comet.

 

Sled....

 

Paint if flat black with red wheels and white walls , the call it a R....

... Oops ... sorry wrong website !!!

 

Thats a damn fine automobile....restore it

 

so there is no data plate - ie "fender tag" like late 60's mopars had?....my 55-56-57 mopars data plates can be found either by the right side cowl by the winsheild where antena's are usually found and some times down on the splash apron down behind the front bumper and in front of the radiator...just saying.....or send the serial #....should be on the ***le to the Chrysler registery....know about those 50's code books......

 

While that may have been low I meant it in reference to a styling FAD that's taken over the hobby last ten years or so overly large wheels on a mild custom you see them every were there UGLY/Stupid looking to boot!

As far as Chip and his Father I mean no disrespect
Chip himself Is a very creative guy, I have never met or seen his fathers work cant say any thing about him. But Chip I have seen some of his work. Not bad for a guy who has an unlimited budget and 40+ guys standing around waiting for him to bark orders on what to do next.

If left to his own ALL alone could he build the same stuff probably he is talented but hes still more of an artist than a metal man or a mechanic in my opinion. BUT hes got all the money to do it his own way any way so who cares!

And by the way I need no one to tell me how to fix my car I was hoping maybe some one would pop up with a bit of old sheet metal there still pieces out there. As far as making my own patches well Im not going to say I cant do it I am sure I can do it but I would still rather find original metal for my car.

There s also a lot of opinions here on what to do with the old girl there's also been plenty of offers to buy here too, There always is when shes brought up, but when called on offers they always fall short why is that?
Even when I get this one done and I will finish it Its still not going to bring a dollar amount that justifies a full restoration because my name is not Chip Foose

 

Chip did not start out like that with people working for him - he worked his way up there and his dad Sam is an old school hands on guy, which is where Chip learned his trade. You may not like the style of what he does but there is no denying the absolute perfection of his work and that of his employees and there is no need to bash the guy. Maybe it's time to get back on topic and discuss to what you are going to do with this wonderful car....

 

A little fact, All these big Chryslers had a "moisture" problem caused by the rear FINS directing water to the quarter windows,with no good drains, they rusted the outer skin of the rocker quickly. Chrysler offered a stainless trim pac to hid the problem. I bet the floors on this car are perfect. This body style is better looking than the one I pulled the hemi out of this year

 

X2

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doright
I don’t know what you expect here
You really do sound like your over your head and going to totally screw up that 57 …. But I guess that’s your right.
Good luck

 

Sell it and buy something you really want! Why spend time and money when at best you might recover what you spent.

 

Oh Dude come on give a guy a break
That wasn't right

here s a link to my last restoration
http://s157.photobucket.com/albums/t44/Marvinator/41 ford/

My current project
http://s157.photobucket.com/albums/t44/Marvinator/Plymouth/

Hope they meet with your approval

 

Perfection of his work?
I watched the guy on national TV take a brand new hood that wouldn't close on a car because they used too tall of an intake manifold and Carb and bend the hell out of it with a 2x4 to get it too close. and then gave it too the customer!

Oh and getting back on topic is a fantastic idea!

 

You are so right!
But I havnt decided to sell it yet either

Thought about maybe trading for 71 72 TA with 455 & 4sp or 73 74 455SD 4sp . Also thought about 41 Willys, 61 Chrysler, or an old Max wedge car.
70 Challenger or 70Cuda

 

Doright, you're getting quite confusing. In post #103 you say


"And by the way I need no one to tell me how to fix my car"

and yet the ***le of the thread is "57 Chrysler 2 door 392 Hemi what to do with it?"

and you say in your first post

"So come on lets here what you would do with it! how would you build it and what way would you say its more valuable?"

You ask for input and then tell us you don't need our input. Do you want honest input from others or are you just looking for people to agree with the direction in which you've already decided to take the car?

 

Perhaps posting the whole thing here has been a mistake.
Or maybe its with the way I worded things or maybe its just me.

Every one has there opinions and I asked for others opinions and I got them some are good and some stink just like certain parts of the human anatomy, But I asked and I got em! I dont have to like every ones opinion nor do they have to like mine, But we should respect each other in the process shouldn't we?

If I have come across like 36 grit sandpaper Im terribly sorry just being myself.

 

Ok, I understand now. One thing about the HAMB, people can be very frank and sometimes brutal. It goes with the territory. And yes, some opinons are good and some not, and only you can decide what works for you. I hope you get lots of enjoyment out of the car. And I asked already, but was that car in Tulsa, OK? The plates look like Tulsa county plates.

 

ProStreet?

G***er?

I think he needs to change his name to Dowrong.

 

Hi Mr Cox
Yes the car was in Tulsa area, my father lived there with it.
He bought the car in California and moved to Tulsa with American airlines in 85 I believe that's about when the car was last registered as well.
That was shortly after the cars first restoration.

 

Bro, the cool thing about that car is the car itself. It doesn't have to "be" anything, or be "done" in any style. Dead stock that is an outrageous ride! Geez, it's like the Batmobile 10 years before anyone knew there was going to be a Batmobile.

Since you're a little conflicted, do a limited restoration on it. Fix it up as much as you can within financial reason. Drive it a lot, and there will rarely be anything near as cool within 50 miles.

It's got a 392 hemi in it for goodness sake.

It really is that simple.

 

I dont get your Post or what kind of point your trying to make but you spelled my last name wrong.

Why would you look that bit of info up and post it for all to see?

 

Thanks John

 

Some of the FNGs need to find a new bandwagon to jump on, this g***er stuff is getting out of hand.

 

Dennis Doright Barnett -

I apologize for the typo in your last name.

I posted those links simply to illustrate that (3+ years ago) you had asked the same questions about building your '57 NYer as a G***er on the ForwardLook.net forum ... and to point out that the FWDLKers gave you the exact same advice (i.e., build it as a Mild Custom or Restore it ... but absolutely don't build it as a G***er or a Pro Street car) and provided you with a bunch of very good information to ***ist you in "restoring" the car.

It appears to me that (with a few exceptions) you have chosen to disregard all of the good advice and information that HAMBers (& FWDLKers) have provided you ... and instead seem to focus only on the "negativity" (perceived or real) in our posts.

With that stated, I have deleted my previous 8 posts (which included pics, videos, information, contacts, & links) from this thread ... and will just tell you what (I think) you really want to hear:

In 1957, Chrysler produced four of their HEMI-powered models in limited numbers:

1) 300 C 2-door Hardtop Coupe - 1,768 or 1,918 (depending on source)
2) New Yorker Town & Country Wagon - 1,391
3) New Yorker 2-door Convertible - 1,049
4) 300 C 2-door Convertible - 484

Because of their rarity, a 100 point restoration of any one of these "Limited Production" 1957 (392ci FirePower HEMI) Chryslers is going to fetch big $$$$ at auction.

By comparison, your 1957 Chrysler New Yorker (392ci FirePower HEMI) 2-door Hardtop Coupe is 1 of 8,863 produced and not considered to be "as rare" ... IMHO, you'd be very hard pressed to recoup all the money its going to take to do a "proper restoration" (e.g., rust repair, metalwork, bodywork, paint, chrome, stainless trim, gl***, weatherstripping, interior, running gear, etc., etc.) of the car.

So much to the chagrin of us HAMBers & FWDLKers (who would like to see you build it as a mild custom or to restore it to the level of a "very presentable driver", I say just go ahead and proceed with your "original idea" ... Cut those rear fenderwells, tub it, put a straight axle under it, bolt-on some HEMI performance parts, gut the interior, install a rollcage, and run it at "The Strip @ Las Vegas Motor Speedway" ... Your "16-second G***er" will be the talk of all the MOPAR guys with long sideburns & mullets!

 

I think this thread should be allowed to die. Doright seems to blow with the wind seeking to please the court of public approval, whichever way the wind blows. Some very good and honest advice has been posted here and yet all we seem to get from Doright is defiance and a combative stance. I often wonder why people come on here and seek opinions only to ***** and whine when they don't like them. Restoring the car and changing nothing is the cheapest and possibly best option. Selling it to someone who will build the car the way it deserves, if restoration is not in the budget, is the other preferred option. Hacking it up into some mutant freak not only rids it of all its value, but also disrespects this beautiful and relatively rare piece of car history, iconic design and art - or am I wrong?

 

Naw, you and HEMI32 are spot on.

.

 

Doright apparently has been trying to figure out for some years now what to do with this car. I am sure lots here have had the same dilema. I know that I have. With that said, Please don't cut up that rare car into a g***er or pro street! There have been some here that have offered to buy it and do it right, then even offer to bring it back for you to drive. Either do it justice by a resto, custom job or sell it and buy something else to make your g***er. PS, keep the Hemi for your g***er if you really want a g***er. ENOUGH SAID!!!

 

And if you pull the 392, put a 440 in it.