Hemi Powered: 1933 Dodge 5-Window Coupe

The owner of this 1933 Dodge 5-Window Coupe refers to it as a restomod, but this is a seriously tough old-school hot rod for my money. It presents beautifully, but its appearance doesn’t offer many clues about what sort of a beast this Coupe really is. The Hemi under the hood should endow it with performance that is more than a match for its good looks. All good things must come to an end, so the owner has decided that the time is right to part with this unique vehicle. His loss could be your gain because he listed it here on eBay with No Reserve. That’s right, the highest bidder takes home the chocolates! The Dodge is located in Norman, Oklahoma, and the bidding has now reached $17,200. When you see what is on offer, the No Reserve aspect of this auction will make this Coupe look mighty tempting.

I’m not sure if the owner created this classic, but I can’t help but be impressed by the result. Those panels are all made from genuine Dodge steel. There are no reproduction panels and none of your fancy fiberglass. They have taken an old-school approach to creating a vehicle that recaptures many of the attributes of a classic hot rod. Once all of the panels had been massaged to a point where they were arrow-straight, they applied this stunning shade of Yellow to the entire car. It makes a bold statement, and it presents superbly. It is hard to spot any flaws in either the panels or the paint, and the shine across the car is consistent and dazzling. They then added some custom pin-striping in contrasting Red with just a hint of Blue, along with a set of classic blue-dot tail-lights. Bright trim is limited to little more than handles for the doors and trunk, along with a subtle custom rear bumper. The builder equipped the Dodge with tinted glass that appears flawless, while the finishing touch is steel wheels finished in the same shade of Red as the pin-striping. However, the size of the rear wheels provides some hint that things are a long way above average under the hood.

I’m pretty sure that most of you were expecting to find a V8 under the hood, but I’d also be willing to wager that not many of you thought that it would be a 472ci Hemi. That’s a beast of a motor, and you would need those enormous rear wheels and tires if you wanted to effectively feed all of the Hemi’s power to the pavement. The owner says that the figure is over 500hp on pump gas, and this finds its way through a Turbo 350 transmission to a narrowed 3.55 12-bolt Posi rear end. The good gear doesn’t stop there because the builder also added power steering, front disc brakes, and a custom aluminum radiator that cost a lazy $1,200. Is it fast? Just a bit! The owner says that it takes a brave person to floor the loud pedal but that it is a seriously fun car to drive. The buyer won’t need to spend a dime on this classic’s drivetrain because it is ready to be driven and enjoyed.

I’ve been looking for some aspect of this Dodge that lets the side down, and to be honest, I can’t find anything. The Coupe might be a beast, but the buyer will be wrestling that beast from a pretty comfortable cockpit. All of the upholstered surfaces are covered in soft and supple Tan leather. This leather extends to the door trims, the lidded console, and the region behind the seats. The light Tan carpet is in excellent condition, while the stunning solid Maple dash features a collection of vintage-look VDO gauges. If all of that isn’t enough for you, the door hardware is billet aluminum, while the leather-wrapped wheel has a tilt mechanism. If the tune being sung by that enormous Hemi isn’t enough to keep you entertained, there is a CD player to keep you amused on longer journeys. If the going gets hot, this Coupe has you covered by the inclusion of air conditioning.

As tastes have changed, it would have been possible that old-school hot rods would have followed the dodo into extinction. However, not only have many of those original cars survived but there are still people who are willing to create new examples. More importantly, there are enthusiasts out there who long to own one, and if you are one of those people, this car deserves a closer look. The builder has packed a lot into what is essentially a pretty small car, and the strong bidding action to this point suggests that there are plenty of people who like what they see. Are you among them? If you are, would you be willing to throw your hat into the ring by submitting a bid. If you do, I could hardly blame you.