image source: roadsidepictures
Ok, cue the X-Frame jokes and put-downs. But this extended 348-powered 1960 Chevrolet wagon isn’t exactly dragging its belly on the pavement, nor has it turned into a pretzel. But then, it wouldn’t surprise me if there were some auxiliary side-frame members under there, like the ’59 Olds used in conjunction with the X frame. Now if I had seen this on the street, I’d have followed it and gotten a shot of the underside. This was shot in Nampa, Idaho; cue the large Mormon family jokes.
It looks like an ex-airport limousine, like they the ones from many years ago. I can remember going to the Youngstown airport as a kid in the 60’s and 70’s and seeing the 10 door Checkers they used there.
If a regular 4 door wagon is good, then a 8 door wagon is… GREAT!
Excuse the idle speculation but I would have to guess the cheapest, easiest thing to do in a stretch like that would be cut the body and the frame and make the structural stretch with steel frame-rails along the side essentially eliminating the X-frame. Otherwise I would think the required calculations and engineering would be to costly.
Something tells me she may have a modified frame. Or a power plant with zero torque.
These were built by Stageway Coach, Fort Smith Arkansas.
For years I used to pass by a 56 chevy that looked just like that just south of Dallas . Can’t remember why I thought it was an airport Limo. Maybe it still had the signs. As a 56 it couldn’t have had more than a 265 small block so expect this hauls better.
Isn’t there a poster here who has the screen name “longrooffan”? If so, he/she should be notified ASAP. I like this fine ride. Especially the color. And someone thinks enough of it to even drive it. Good stuff.
He’s a regular contributor over at the Hooniverse.
You’re right, he’d flip for this.
Comment on the original Flickr stream: “The perfect car for Octomom!” 😀
Only if it comes with an Extended warranty 🙂
When you think about it, it’s kind of interesting that GM never tried to make these in house. Didn’t necessarily have to be a high volume production car for them to make them…witness the Cadi limousines. Could’ve been a lucrative niche for them I’m guessing.
Not the image they wanted for Chevrolet.
Something like that, would be put in the higher-up brands. In fact, something like that, they wouldn’t really be interested in. School-bus territory….you want that?…call Checker.
Now that thing is awesome! I don’t have a partner or kids, so the extra space wouldn’t be used, but I so want that waggggggggon now!
Beats the 6 door 1971 Falcon wagon I saw a photo of the other day
I suspect I’m utterly alone in this, but for some reason (from the windscreen forward) that looks eerily like a quad-headlight Austin Maxi to me…
Haha! You’re not alone…
I have seen numerous pictures of C-body Mopars stretched into airport limos similar to this Chevy. Those Mopars were originally unibody. If they can stretch one of those, then anything is possible. I was under one of my cars the other day wondering about the best way to add some subframe connectors. I would be really interested to see how the limos were made.
I think a lot of them were done by Stageway. They also got the contract to do “factory” stretch Imperials for Chrysler starting in 1967 when the Imperial went unibody. (Prior to that, body-on-frame Imperial limos were made for Chrysler by Ghia.)
About 20 years ago, I remember seeing at least one stretched 57-58 Chrysler Stageway limo. It was painted red and sitting outside of an auto parts store in some small county seat town in central Indiana. I wish I had taken a picture of it.
I’d love to see the underside of that fine machine. There’s a guy not far from where I work who has one of the amazing Toronados sitting in his yard.
I saw a Toronado like that in 1972 on the way to Las Vegas – probably ferrying workers from the test site at Mercury back to Vegas – it had a full load of sleeping riders.
Talk about having the ability to haul 4’x8′ sheets of plywood, AND be able to fully close the tailgate… 🙂
In CT you used to see stretched Checker and Chrysler airport limos. I forget the company name, but they used to ferry passengers to LaGuardia and Kennedy airports. I think they use 15-passenger vans now.