1957 Plymouth Gasser

I have a chance to pickup a 1957 plymouth two door post in descent shape . These cars are just a four door body without the rear doors cut out , different roof than the two door hard top .
I'm not to sure what way to build it , love the muscle car look , but I think the way to go is to build it into a gasser .
I been trying to find a few pictures of one done , but its not as easy as I thought . Found a 59 done on Google , but not much more . I'm not into the altered look , I dont want to move the rear axle ahead . I'm also not into cutting up the rear quarters , but I do want the wide tire look .
I'm thinking of lifting the rearend enough to put the rear tires out under the quarters and levelling the front to match the back .

Is what I'm thinking about , good or bad . Tell me what you think and if you have any pictures , please post them for me to look at

I found this cartoon of a 57 from the GTA video game . Same car and a lot like I'd like to build .

 

Yep, cartoon.

 

It /could/ work or be very ugly. Easier to fall to the ugly side. The more you think like an old racer, the better. Don't raise the nose too much, you will catch too much air and the car will look like a Donk.

How much rust does it have? How much trim would you remove? What color paint? All keys to success.

Run a big wedge motor or hemi, of course.






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Maybe a better plan for the car.

 

They did two of those 1960 cars , one of them is a two door post . It just dont cut it for me , the two door hardtop looks so much better.

I dont like the nose up in the air , with the back down . level or the nose down a little .

As for trim and color , I'm still open on that . I know it can turn ugly real fast , thats why i'm asking here . Lots of talent on this site .

Not to sure what to put in for a motor , I've got a 354 Hemi , several 383's , 5 440's , including 3 440-6 motors . I've also got a 671 GMC Blower just sitting around , dana 60 and 6 4 speeds .

 

This close enough? It was recently on ebay, and I had to save this pic of it.

 

Sounds like what you thinking is a street freak with the jacked up rear. not gasser.

 

Here we go.

 

That one on ebay is a really nice looking car , but I'm not to sure of that look with a 2 door post . The roof line just makes it look something blew up inside it .

Street Freak hey , never heard of it before . I'd like to see pictures of one wearing 57 metal . Thanks

 

MAN!, ive been wanting to do a 57 chysler 300/57desoto adventurer or a 57 fury just like this one. just awesome looks, definitely get attention in that!
I want to see you do this moparmuscle1, You got my backing...

 

I Love that 57 , the motor in that one came out of a funny car and was tuned down for the street . I trying to get a hard top or even a parts one to use with the 2 door post , no such luck .
The 2 door post wouldnt look anything like that when it was done , I can make the rear side window one piece to help out , but sadly the roof doesnt look right .

 

Pick up some Hot Rod mags from the early 60's...they seemed to be regulars on the drag strip: jacked up fronts with white walls on plain steelies.

 

If you don't like the jacked up frontend, you won't be building a "GASSER". Time to check out past posts here on HAMB to get your marbles in a row!!

 

I like the Red 57 , lots . But I'm looking at building a gasser , straight axle and jacked up front end . I just dont want the rearend dragging on the ground , I want that jacked up to .

 

IIRC, Chrysler made a few '57 post cars with 392 hemi's, but NASCAR wouldn't bite. I've always wanted to clone one of those. (Most people can't tell a 354 from a 392 just by looking at them.)

 

This one had a 6 cyl , I never knew any 57 post cars came with a 392 . Thats interesting , do you have any links or articles on this .

 

Something simple like my avatar and you're done. Yes, I know it's a wagon... Just please don't fuck another one of these poor cars up, there's plenty of abortions already out there. You're idea for the rear tires in my mind looks quite bad, leave them in the fenders or radius them.

Also, if it being a 2 door sedan doesn't float your boat now, it never will and your heart won't be in it and it'll be another dissasembled project never to see the road again.

 

here ya go....

 

A lot of guys say '60s gassers were front high, but all the major players, SWC, Big John and K.S. Pittman and the Jack Merkel cars sat level, with the whole car jacked up. Most nose high pics were launch shots.

 

Just because you dont like it , doesnt mean its not right . I lot of people hate wagons , even with the big push the wagons have been getting in the last few years . Its , each to his own . I like the 55-6-7 Chevy done like it , but Im a Dodge man . Its like what was said earlier by builtfercomfort , it can go ugly easy enough . Thats why Im asking , do you know just how many cars are done like this and have a large following . Lots of clubs out there for just this type of car . I know you cant please everybody and you shouldnt try . I'm just trying to build a car that will please me , and thats it . I just dont know if thats the way to go with this car , pictures like Edsel put on are what Im talking about . That gives me something to look at , to think about . I like the black one , but I still need to see one with the tires stuck out under the quarters . Maybe I'll look and laugh my head off , maybe I might fall in love . We all need to keep an open mind , maybe next year you might change your mind and we will see a old wagon gasser running down the track .

 

Like this ,minus two doors.

 

I really dont want to cut my quarter panels , I'm looking at keeping the body stock or stock looking . Looks like he got the name Nightmare from racing when the flies were out , no windshield . Also Looks like he's sitting in the back seat , that might help , I'm 6'8" .

 

This was built and driven by EJ Potter ( the Michigan Madman).
"1957 Plymouth stuffed full of an Allison airplane engine that ran nearly 150 mph in a period of time before Funny Cars existed. He refined that idea after the Allison backfired through its supercharger and the car essentially became an oven. Potter suffered burns on his hands and arms while trying to get the car to a halt. His solution to the fire problem was to buy a brand new Dodge Dart station wagon, put another Allison (hooked to a tug boat clutch and a 1-ton truck rearend) in that and enclose the entire engine in a steel coffin to prevent the fire from escaping and burning him again."

 

And they called him the Michigan Madman because ..... Wow I guess he was a Pioneer for the funny cars , that had to take balls

 

Sharp eyes will note that the real Hot Rod Special was a 2-door sedan, not a hardtop. I've always wondered why they spent so much money on a "re-creation" that started with the wrong car.

 

you have to have the MOPAR gene to even imagine that thing as a gasser----go for it--it will look odd because it will be odd

 

Here's a pencil sketch I'm working on, will eventually become a make believe model kit box cover art (after digital inking and coloring). Since its a traditional style gasser, the rear quarter is cutout, but mimics the front fender wheel opening.

 

Thats something that I've been thinking about also , thats why I said stock body or stock looking . Thanks , nice job