Customs chopped black 57 chrysler custom?

Anybody out there know info of or have pic’s of the 57 Chrysler from the 60”s? Built by or for a guy named Inman I believe. I last saw the car at men and machines exhibit at the Oakland museum. I have also read some stuff about it. I guess its owned by some secretive celebrity. Iv always thought it was about the coolest custom on the planet.

 

That's one of my favorite cars. Built by Clif Inman in 63. Or maybe I should say he had it built in 63. I have an old mag article on the car, but no scanner, and no pics of it on my computer.

 

Damn..I need to set up my scanner. It's on the cover of "Southard and Thacker's Book - Custom cars of the 50's"
IMHO one of the sweetest looking restrained Kustoms ever built...still supprised no ones ever cloned it or doen anything that similar.

CHeers

Maiki

 

Oh found the Cover on AMAZON.com

Here yah go!

Cheers

MAIKI

 

I was just flipping through that book last night.

 

It's on the cover but there's not a single word about it in the book!!!???
That's a hell of a page to edit out I think....

 

I remember some magazine dude saying something about the secret owner... sooooooooooooo, who's the secret owner???

Bitchen car nonetheless!
Sam.

 

I think Darth Vader owns it.

 

That is one of my all time favorite customs, it is just so right! Geoff aka Whodaky

 

Pictures just don’t do it justice, its pure evil in person.
I don't think it's been out more than once in the last ten years. I bet someone on here knows who's got it.

 

Did I hear the back window came out of a Nash or AMC Ambassador?

When I first saw it when built I thought, "Damn, Chrysler CAN make a car that can be good looking after all!!?!

But I don't think you can do one thing more or less to it and have it work as well. Every part of it is essential to that look

 

Joe Wilhelm of San Jose built it.
RIP

 

That is nice-

restrained. . .

 

near as i can tell all my web searching i found it in FINLAND WTF???for sale it has to be it, twisted grille bars that is the dash and guages ,anyone???? 2.5 chop if not some one cloned it http://www.trianglemotor.com/fi/custom.htm

 

First time i saw a pic of it was on the cover of that book when i bought it.

It's been one of those car's that just sticks in your mind..at least it did in mine.
And i was PISSED that there was nothing in the book about it..or even any other pics..

subtle and clean..
And to be honest, i'm too suprised that there hasn't been any clones built of it..
Or if some were built, i'm suprised we havn't seen coverage of them.

Rat....

 

Wow and it only costs 59.000€ . . ?

 

That one in Finland looks close but I think it’s a different car. Inman car has different tail lights I think.
Fin land that’s perfect.

As I said before I saw it in the Oakland museum at the "Men and Machines of California’s Car Culture" exhibit. That was without a doubt one of the best days of my life. All the hero cars were there, many out for the first time in many years.
Spenser roadster
Iski roadster
So cal tank
THE 57 Chrysler
Champion speed shop dragster
Hirohata merc
Buddy Ohanesian merc
Cop shop coupe
California Kid
Graffiti coupe
beatnik bandit
And so many more, I got issue one of TRJ at that show.

 

I think Joe Wilhelm built it. I believe it had an early merc comet rear window. I'm not a big Mopar fan, but what a beautiful car.

 

That is Petri Hälväs car.It's not a clone of Inman's car,but it sure has influensed Petri.

 

Stumbled upon this very old thread this morning ... so excuse my tardiness in replying to @SamIyam ...

@SamIyam - that "magazine dude" was none other than Pat Ganahl (@pgan) ... who wrote an article subtitled "Clif Inman's famous chopped Chrysler Lives -- but we don't know where" in the December 1991 issue of Rod & Custom ... this article was entitled THE DARK SECRET.

Well ... I guess enough time has passed (well over 20 years) ... and I'm pretty sure it's already public knowledge ... so I suppose there would be no harm in revealing the so-called "secret owner" ...

In 1977, my father (Bruce Olson) and his friend Gary "Goodguy" Meadors (with the help of Fresno area Hot Rod builders Ronnie White & Pepper Snow) found the long lost "Clif Inman '57 Chrysler" built by famed customizer Joe Wilhelm in the early 60's.

The owner didn't want to sell this "milestone custom" to the "uninformed" ... but since pop's knew exactly what the car was and its historical significance (the Inman '57 had been his favorite custom since he first laid eyes on it in ‘63 or ‘64) ... he offered it to my father (for a hefty sum) ... but Dad had to decline (he was already building two '32 Fords & restoring a '57 Chrysler 300).

Not too long after the discovery, my dad learned that Salinas customizer Rod Powell (@RodP) had a "secret customer" that really wanted the Inman Chrysler for his collection.

This "secret customer" was film and record producer William E. McEuen.

At that time, McEuen was (stand-up comedian, star of SNL, & soon-to-be film star) Steve Martin's producer ... as well as the producer of other successful acts like "The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band" ... and later Paul "Pee Wee Herman" Ruebens ... in a nutshell, $$$$ wasn't an issue for Mr. McEuen ... and arrangements were made for my father to purchase the car and deliver it to Rod Powell's shop ... McEuen brought the cash to our house ... and the rest as they say is history!

Here's a somewhat current picture of the car from McEuen's Aspen Film Society website:



... I have several pics of it in my "The Inman '57 Chrysler Custom" album ... @RodP posted a couple of pics of it HERE ... and of course, @Rikster has some pics of it in his Fotki website ... just click HERE.

Now ... Shsssssss! ... don't tell anyone else

 

COOL....thanx for the follow up.-MIKE

Oh, and I won't say a word!!

 

Your secret is safe with me!

Yeah I dig it.. especially since I have a '57 Chrysler on wire wheels.

Ever notice that it has a '58 windshield and roof on a '57 body? Did the car suffer roof damage before the chop that made that necessary? Or did they just like the cleaner '58 roof header and finding one in the early '60s was easy?

 

Just noticed that @Rikster's Fotki website includes a scan of the March 1964 R&C article entitled "Long Lean Luxurious" ... with photos by Andy Southard Jr. ... if you zoom in enough, you can read the text ... some good tidbits of info on Clif's ride.

That scan has inspired me to scan the December 1991 R&C article entitled "THE DARK SECRET" ... I'll scan it tonight ... and post it here in this thread ... as well as in my "The Inman '57 Chrysler Custom" album.

 

Found some interesting info on the Clif Inman Chrysler in @TheFrenZ April 2005 post to @Rikster's March 2005 "Virtual top 100 Custom car show" thread:

 

Damn, I got a new favorite, that thing is gorgeous.....mercy.

 

As promised:

​

 

Wow!

 

Here's my in progress (since '96 I am ashamed to admit) '58 with '57 bits - shaved, nosed decked and inspired by.... yep!

It will have tube grille a la Inman/Wilhelm, dual quad 392. Wires are custom 7's and 8's. It has a '59 300E swivel bench seat and is now upholstered in 300C pattern in cream colored dead cows - 6 of 'em to do it.

 

@296 V8 ... Hope you don't mind that I "revived" your almost 4 year old thread.