I just got this for $75 plus a $25 tip for all the help loading the effer, then pulling the engine and putting it in the back of the 4Banger. Check out the character I ran into on the way through Sacramento. Check out the weird workmobile. He said it's rare and called it a Hatch or somethin like that. What kind of stuff you reckon they made those wild slide-out drawers for?
The multi blue, paint falling off the vehicle with the long sliding drawers is a Powell. Circa 1954-1956 or so. Far as I knew they only made pickups, but this does look like a factory station wagon. Basic history on these is, a company knocked out the bodies and bolted them to early-50's Plymouth frames with all the running gear. Sold em as new vehicles with rebuilt engines, drive trains etc. The idea with the long sliding drawers was that fishing poles and other long things could be carried within. Saw my first one in Ventura, California 1954 or so. Can't remember the store where it sat all day, it was on Thompson Blvd between Catalina and San Clemente. Probably the dime store that fronted Thompson Blvd. between the dry cleaner near Catalina and the Drug Store with soda fountain and lots of comic books on San Clemente. Stores I remember were, in order east to west - Gas station (Mobil I think) dry cleaner, dime store, and Drug Store with apartments on the second story. Big dirt parking lot out back where apartment dwellers and employees of the various buildings parked. Anyway, they were never very common and their draw was the lower price than the pickups of the big three. Other strike against it was that it was a passenger car shrouded in pickup sheet metal. The blue paint that's peeling is about the color they were painted. May have been a tan and white one as well. As a pickup, fairly rare even new, a wagon could be quite rare I'm guessing, but even now they wouldn't be worth a whole lot except to a Powell collector.
Whatever it is, it's a goofy sumbitch! Oddly enough, I sort of like it. God only knows why. That Ranchero is very cool, but needs some lovin'. What are the plans?
It is a Powell Sport wagon, jay Leno has a nicer one. http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/your_garage/cars/6879.shtml
There's a Powell in a retirement community in San Jose. The owner still drives it and it's in great shape! The guy still drives it and the long slide out drawers were for fishing poles.
The Powells were built on '41 Plymouth running gear. They only made about 1000 of them. Here's a shot of a wagon, like the one above, being built at the factory in Compton Ca. There's one here in the local mountains in so cal that I've been trying off and on for years to buy. So ugly they're kinda cool.
I'm glad to see I didn't overpay for my $300 ranchero. We have set the V-8 in. There is no way a v-8 and headers will fit with that squirelly front suspension. With the short wheel-base I'm reluctant to use a straight axel in the front. I am looking for a different front clip to add. " sgtlethargic" We have replaced the rearend so if you need one let me know.
Kurt, Looks like you got a good start for the HA/GR tow vehicle. When do we start the build ? 41 Dave
Hey, that green Powell wagon isn't Jay Leno's; it's mine! I don't know how the picture got on his website but it's happy residing here in Northeast Ohio.
I made some progress. The Ranchero is on four feet again, temporarily. I made some UHMW polyethylene bushings and aluminum "washers" for the rear suspension, installed the leaf springs and a 5-lug 8" rear end (temporarily). Next I need to figure out what to do about the upper shock mounts that are rusted out a bit. I'll post a picture of that soon.
As someone who was a kid in the late '70s, I have to say that '57 Chero really does it for me as it sits. Sorry, had to come clean....................
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