So I got together with one of my buds that usually goes to Bonneville with me. We have been talking about coming up with a ride that would comfortably(ish) carry six of us to Speed Week every year. Something all of us would build together. We used to drive my Astro van, which was perfect, but we want something Bonneville cool (new term lol). Then I asked here on the board how much room in a 58 Ford wagon. I have one that's torn down to nothing. Sounds like 6 would fit, but might be a touch crowded. I also have a 69 Chev panel that I could put extra seats in, but it might get claustrophobic with no rear windows. And along the same lines, I have a line on a 72 three seat burb that would do the trick, but I would prefer an older ride. I was checking Craigslist tonight and saw a 41 Plymouth four door sedan. Ive never looked inside one of those big sedans. Can anyone tell me how much room is one of those things? Or if anyone has a suggestion for some big ol sedan that would be semi cool to put together for the express purpose of driving 6 guys 1700 miles round trip to Bonneville and back home, Id love to hear your suggestions. Mark
this has basically the same int of all 40 plymouth dodge sedans. lots of back seat leg room but the seats are tight width wise for three across. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Plym...2302807?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item45fcb28ad7
sounds like you need to find the 9 passenger version of the '58 Edsel Bermuda wagon. and I guess moon discs would make it Bonneville cool?
Buy a 58 Caddy Hearse. Buff the black til it gets shiny again. Run through the motor with Seafoam. Fix the brakes. Add well padded jumpseats, and tack weld arm rests with ample room to move. Shoddily rig a 50's vintage black and white TV (Or a new TV hidden inside the frame of an old one) to a hidden DVD player and watch every season of The Munsters on the way there drinking Coke from bottles and throwing down boxes of donuts. Oh, and glue a Frankenstein bobblehead doll to the dash.
Add the back of the panel to the burb. Stretch the chassis to eliminate the wheelwells in the burb. You need the room to carry stuff.
Personally I'd go with the 72 Burb and put late model seats in it. Not quite Hamb material but simple and easy to build and dead nuts reliable. Drop it a bit and put a push board on the front and you can be another wannabe trying to look the part and you won't even have to paint a number on the side.
See Picture http://www.picturearchive.co.za/index.php/cms/contentview/action/view/frmContentId/42020/image/0/name/1958%20Cadillac%20SS%20Hearse/
Or this would be pretty cool http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Surv...4084829?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2eb751c45d
So those 40's sedans look big from the outside but its mostly leg room. Hearse is out, I dont think any of the guys would go for one of those. I have to agree on needing three rows. I wonder if 58 Ford wagons had a version that came with three rows? That way all I would have to do is source a third seat...rear facing I guess? We are going to put together a pick up box trailer with a canopy to carry our stuff.
Actually I did want to be a "wanna be" with the panel some day. I dont have the mechanical skills to build a race car so I thought it would be fun to be able to use it as a push truck at the flats some day. That Desoto is very cool. I bet it goes for large dollars. Thanks for the ideas so far. (And the Bonneville cool remark was kind of tongue in cheek)
There was a Dodge version of the Desoto limo (I think they were rated as 8 or 9 passenger cars) around this area a couple years ago the guy was trying to get a couple grand out of. Complete running car only needing an update. You could always mount your ford wagon on the burb chassis and extend the roof and add another set of doors. That would haul all of you and all your stuff and would be pretty cool as well. Gene
van all the way! cut some "port holes" in the panel, or find a nice windowed early.. this is my 65 short wheel base g10, i'd drive it anywhere.
Other than an old Suburban, I like the airport maxi-taxi, stretched limo idea, gone a little Beverly Hillybilly for RV-ing. Roof platform with ez-up? Or... a modified, vintage "short" bus of some sort? A vintage tourist bus, ala National Park Service? An old short RV? Gary PS How about a 3 seat, stretched T tub and a "spectator friendly" trailer?
Ive had a few really cool ideas via PM. Too bad shipping is so expensive. I did talk to a local guy that think he knows where two 3 seat 58 wagons are. He is going to check it out this weekend. I talked to another guy that has a line on an econoline. Its the one with all the windows and is a little bit longer (room for three seats). Just have to wait and see how this stuff pans out, and keep checking craigslist.
Cool ideas! I am looking into haulers for the Lakester. Reality says rent a Box Van, so does the pocketbook!
I did talk to a local guy that think he knows where two 3 seat 58 wagons are. Buy the 58 wagons and you and your buds build an old style 8 door airport limo ala Armbruster/Stageway. Use an RV couch for the very rear seat; you'll be able to fold it down into a bed. A driver coming out from behind the wheel can stretch out and take a snooze.
The Jalopy Journal
