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?
Note: a rerun of an older post.
Looks like it would be fun opening the trunk lid!
Needs a sleeper axle and a hot tub.
Would make a dandy camper with a nice size top over it.
Cool as heck.
I missed this in 2017, but I could see the older businessman’s coupe concept. I guess it became an evolutionary deadend for a reason. However, it would be interesting if the modder thought to try a two door fastback design? That might press a few buttons.
I think the roof line is a HIT, but it looks too modded with the all white appearance and the moon caps, so it’s a single not a HR. At least it wasn’t made into a low-rider. This one-off gets a B+ for execution (excellent body work overall) but a C for concept. And an A just for having the stones and time to pull this off. If this was in the clay studio they likely would throw a tarp over it and move to the next model for consideration.
Wouldn’t it have been easier to start with an El Camino, instead of a sedan?
Looks like one of those ladies(im being generous with that word) with an artificial ass. Its all kinds of wrong but at the same time you can always admire/appreciate the fine craftsmanship and the skill it took to get to the end result.
I’m a major sucker for customs that are sane enough to look like factory options. Even better, the motor looks normal, too. I’ll bet if you opened the trunk and added some netting to the sides and rear it would make a decent camper!
It certainly is not to my taste, it looks ungainly as hell. It would have looked better as a panel truck.
Many years ago(I think around 1963) a neighbor of one of my uncles had a 1958 four door Chevrolet-I don’t remember the model-He cut off the body behind the front doors, removed that part of the body, installed sheet metal to cover the opening and installed wood planking over the frame. A diy flatbed conversion. I should have taken a photograph of it.
A lot of work, but I find the finished result a bit weird, disproportionate. If he’d made it a ute, I could understand, but that oh-so-short roof coupled with the extra-long trunk just looks awkward to the point of wrongness. Maybe if the roofline was six to eight inches longer, with a window behind the B-pillar like some Aussie utes?
BTW, are you the guy who was building that Austin business coupe – how’s that going?
A teacher at my high school converted a 58 Chevy into a pickup. I think he started with a station wagon. This was in the early 70s.
1958 Impalaaaaaaaaaa.
Not enough cab is how it looks to me, the workmanship is fine but it looks cramped inside and 58 Chevs were a nice roomy car and a popular model after the poor selling 57, still lots of original NZ 58s about and even more used imports.