Phantom C bodies

I started one over 40 years ago, but Life got in the way. It is still in the garage buried under a lot of crap.
It was a 1966 Town & Country wagon cut off into a pickup like an El Camino. Pretty much Gerald's Dream, without the fancy power plant. It needs major support underneath. I was going to drop it over a 4WD pickup Truck frame for strength, but I think it would look better at the stock height. The entire front end is clean with no rust or dents. The floor has a clean patch riveted in front of the driver seat, and now the entire floor is rust free. I have a console shifter from a '69 Charger and the original bucket seats. I also have the doors from a 2-door '66 Newport that I was going to try and incorporate into it. I moved the rear electric window up to where the C-posts used to be. I posted some 40 year old pictures on my profile page. It has been buried in the Garage ever since, clean and dry.
I also have a pretty much complete '66 Chrysler T&C that I kept for parts after I totaled it. I had replaced the front end, but never got it back on the road. The front end fenders and hood have no dents, just some surface rust and may be salvageable and possibly the tailgate and one or two of the doors. Most of the rest of the body is rusted beyond any kind of repair from sitting outside. The front sub-frame is still in excellent condition. I still have most of the black interior panels from both vehicles, and extra chrome trim from the Newport.
I am at the point now where I have to get rid of both cars. I would love to see someone complete the job, but it is probably way beyond what most of us are capable of doing. It is likely only good for parts now. If anyone is interested, give a holler.
 
IHMO......I would think (without seeing pictures) that between both cars someone could reconstruct a complete 66 T&C wagon. Your project is cool but for me I have 2 project cars already. You said 1 T&C was totaled. Front end crash? Maybe replacing the Stub frame will correct the damage?
 
That was already done. I had 2-1/2 cars and should have enough to complete the project. I just don't have the time, money, or skills necessary to do it right. I stripped the Newport 2-door and saved the front end and everything else that was compatible plus a lot that isn't. The original front end and sub-frame from the one outside were replaced with the front frame from the Newport. After I got it together, I found out the unibody frame was bent. The firewall is 1/4 to 1/2 inch out of alignment on the driver side. The cut off wagon inside the garage is near perfect except for the poor chop job. I have the two interior options, the folding third seat from the 9- passenger Wagon and the larger storage only deck panel from the other. I have a set of tinted and non-tinted windows. I also have the complete dashboard and switches, radios, heater - A/C unit, etc. from the Newport. I was going to make a wall hanger out of it for the garage with working radio and lights. I can't find the photos. When the weather gets warmer, I will try to take some new ones. I hope to retire this year and can't take them with me. I would hate to see them go to the junk yard.
 
Shouldn't be too hard to find somebody that has an interest in a parts lot like that. I would be checking it out if it was close to me, and I would seriously consider a 66 Newport pickup. I think that could be real sharp.
Get pics in the spring and post it all in the for sale section.
 
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These custom wagons are uniquely Australian and awesome. I think they were midsize and smaller. First one I ever seen of course was the red one in mad max.
I'd love to convert a 67-69 A body 4dr sedan into one of these.
I think being on the bottom of the world makes all of your blood run to your head. Leads to wild ideas.
The one you saw in Mad Max was a HJ Holden (GM) panel van as they were called here. They really hit the zeitgeist from about 1973 -1978 then it was all over. The Chrysler was built on the Valiant platform, but they were mainly utilities (utes) and the panel van was a 1 year only model. Chrysler being too late to the panel van craze. Rare then, rarer now and particularly in the Drifter package.
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I remember reading about this car (must the same one!) that the Hemi was actually dealer installed, not done at the factory.

Perhaps this is the thread you are thinking of.
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Here is a quote from the auction that was linked in the post:


Here is a "tribute" Hurst convertible that was pulled from a wricking yard and restored. It is well worth a watch, as is the other videos that Brian has posted, with some special appearances from Richard Ehrenberg. Brian is a lovely guy and a big Mopar fan.
 
If i could create one, which is impossible to pick only one but the first that came to mind would me a 1968 Chrysler wagon, 426 hemi cross with two 4's backed with a 4 speed and a dana 60 3.54 suregrip i would also take the same in any 74-78 wagon as well ‍♂️
 
Shouldn't be too hard to find somebody that has an interest in a parts lot like that. I would be checking it out if it was close to me, and I would seriously consider a 66 Newport pickup. I think that could be real sharp.
Get pics in the spring and post it all in the for sale section.
These are some of the pictures scanned from my photo album from 1981. The car has been buried in my garage since I got married in 1982 in this condition. Very little rust. The front end was painted and put back together. I will try to get it out of the garage before Summer to get current pictures.

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These are some of the pictures scanned from my photo album from 1981. The car has been buried in my garage since I got married in 1982 in this condition. Very little rust. The front end was painted and put back together. I will try to get it out of the garage before Summer to get current pictures.

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That is cool. One suggestion if you are thinking of disinterring it would be to extend the roof so that the former C pillar draws a straight line down to the centre of the rear wheel. That would fix the line even better than you have (which is very nice btw) and make a great extended cab.
 
These are some of the pictures scanned from my photo album from 1981. The car has been buried in my garage since I got married in 1982 in this condition. Very little rust. The front end was painted and put back together. I will try to get it out of the garage before Summer to get current pictures.

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Thats awesome, bust that thing out this year.
 
For a car I'd love to see - how about a 60S T&C wagon with the Buick Sportwagon glass-roof treatment?
And the ElCamino treatment is pretty cool too -- I'd love to have a Slab-Camino to haul stuff in.

IIRC, this black one also got converted to a TBI Chevy 350 and GM OD trans.
While that's a reliable powertrain, I think most would agree it's a car we no longer want (unless we get it cheap enough to 'correct' it).

I also always loved the look of Chrysler wagons, and apparently it was not difficult to swap front ends from Formals to the wagons.eView attachment 510437
 
Well - my 66 Monaco was ordered with a 426 Hemi due to the proposed then cancelled 66 Hemi M... and so was delivered with the 440 motor instead - so if we're talking phantom cars, this one was very nearly built.

So if I had my druthers (since my car has everything else except the hemi already, either assembly line installed or in the trunk in boxes according to the original owner, since some of the options weren't available on Dodges, only Chryslers but he ordered them anyway with the intent of installing them):

1966 Dodge Monaco (Canadian)
426 Hemi
4 speed
Disc Brakes
3:23 suregrip
AC
Power windows
Power Vent windows
Power locks
Power seats
Power Antenna
AM/FM search tuner
Reverb
Tilt Tele
Tach
Child safety power window lockout
Autopilot (all the system needs is a clutch pedal system release button - I've already worked it out)
Safety Sentinel

And then to top it off, I'd love to see a hideaway headlight grill on a 66 Monaco. It could be done, but it's going to take a lot of fabricating. I have all the parts to do it, just got to figure out how to weld pot metal to make the headlight doors... here is a photo shop someone did - and they also did a full frontal photo shop, but I can't find the image... 't'would look KILLER!!
66 Monaco hidden headlight photochop 1.jpg
 
I'd love to see a hideaway headlight grill on a 66 Monaco. It could be done, but it's going to take a lot of fabricating. I have all the parts to do it, just got to figure out how to weld pot metal to make the headlight doors... here is a photo shop someone did - and they also did a full frontal photo shop, but I can't find the image... 't'would look KILLER!!

i wonder if you could use the headlight doors from a 66 charger ? and blend them in - the grille looks pretty close............

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Other than the power consumption of the RV2 a/c compressor, to put one on a 426H or 440+6 would have required a special air cleaner base for either engine. I have seen one '70 Charger that started life as a 440 with the +6 intake set-up on it AND a very carefully clearanced air cleaner base to clear the a/c piping. In an era when ultra-HP engines and factory a/c did not mix.

Just an observation,
CBODY67
 
If you ever see a Hemi or 6-pak with A/C most assuredly the A/C was added after customer delivery....

This "argument" has been around for ages and with every " I know for a fact it happened"
has been so totally debunked it it is silly for anyone to even try to make the claim ...


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