I do love the odd stuff. A mint, numbers-matching ’69 Camaro? Nice enough, but there are dozens at any given show. On the other hand, something unusual or wacky at a show will always get my immediate attention. At first glance, especially from the front, this 1958 Chevrolet looked mundane enough…but this one has something a little extra.
Extra trunk length, that is. From the rear, it almost looks like an optical illusion. Actually, this started out as a 1958 Biscayne four-door sedan. The owner didn’t know a whole lot of its history when he bought it, but thanks to the internet he’s nailed down some of its build history.
Its two rear doors were welded shut, the passenger compartment shortened by 32″, and the rear window section reused wisely. The extra 32″ was added to the trunk to produce a sort-of-more-modern, extended-trunk version of the “businessman’s special” coupes of the 1940s.
While the result may not be to everyone’s taste, the workmanship is fantastic. So what do you say: a hit or a miss?
Hit, it is very unique!
It looks like someone put a “trunk” on a classic El Camino. You could carry enough luggage to criss cross the entire North American continent.
I was just thinking that it looks like it could have been some kind of styling exercise for Holden, as a deluxe ute of some kind.
It’s got more trunk space than a ‘Vette. Win.
LOVE IT!!
Hit!!
The execution is a hit. The concept is a miss. Should have just made an elky.
Btw, they even had something they called a business coupe in 1957 IIRC. It actually was just a two door with post and didn’t look much like a coupe to me. An edition of that hit Nascar like a ton of bricks.
Well crafted, but a miss. My vote might have been otherwise with a more straightforward El Camino treatment. The open bed might have worked. But the overly long trunk/deck just does not work for me. I feel the same way about the late 1940s Mopar business coupes. The proportions are just wrong.
Great, I get to be that first to say it. I’ll bet that car’s got a lot of junk in the trunk!
Cool find. Quite obviously, Chevrolet was still researching the market created by the new for 1957 Ford Ranchero. Rather than go with an identical copy, they went with this enclosed trunk version for 1958 (with less than stellar results). Of course, by the next year, they resigned themselves to just going with the El Camino.
At least the 1958 ‘Business Coupe’ makes for a good ‘yo mama’ joke: “Yo mama’s butt is bigger than that car’s!”.
What’s up with everybody welding ’58 Chevy doors shut?
You beat me to it. Maybe they don’t stay in alignment well?
That 3-door ’58 stuck in my mind because its CC Clue drove me absolutely crazy.
HIT, a ute is tooo easy.
Gives a whole new meaning to “Junk in the Trunk”
La Bamba, esse.
Not to exceed 25 mph except 50 mph allowed on freeways.
A well-constructed MISS.
The proportions are all wrong. AND…a tall occupant is going to be banging his head on that fastcab roofline.
I’m reminded of talented kids who’ll spend months and mucho dinero kit-bashing a two-door GM bloatmobile side-treatment into one of their bloated wagon base chasses…ending up with the land-barge shooting-brake as a new class of car.
They’ve done it well and with imagination…but, why, God? WHY?
The workmanship is certainly flawless, although the concept is iffy…did the creator of this vehicle have that much stuff he needed an oversize trunk? This brings to mind another modified ’58 Chevy…back in the ’60′s an individual who lived across the street from one of my uncles had a four door ’58 Chevy (I don’t remember the model), he cut off the
body behind the front doors, installed sheet metal and a window to the back of the body and mounted wooden planks on the frame-sort of a DIY pickup. Unfortunately I don’t have any photographs of it. It was certainly unique.
It’s a hit. But your first photo differs from the succeeding ones in that the regular chromed wheels are replaced with baby moons over chrome reverses, a combo I have always liked. Different car show, I assume where the wheels were swapped?
Different license plates, too.
I suspect the photos are from an archive; and the changes reflect new owners’ tastes.
Different shows. I’ve seen it twice now. In Alberta they only issue rear plates. Often people have a period one on the front like this one.
it has to be a mega-hit. It’s something I would do!