Some classics exude an air of elegance that is almost timeless. Others are far less subtle and are guaranteed to draw crowds and comments wherever they go. This 1956 Dodge Coronet fits neatly into the second category, and it will undoubtedly divide opinions. Some readers will applaud the seller’s ingenuity when creating this unique vehicle, while others will be horrified. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder BCB42 for spotting a custom build worthy of a close look. Located in Cleveland, Texas, you will find the Dodge listed here on Facebook Marketplace. Handing the seller $10,500 would allow you to drive away in this distinctive creation.
Dodge released its Third Generation Coronet range for the 1955 model year, with cars remaining on sale until the end of 1956. This Shorty started life as a four-door Sedan which has had forty inches shaved from its center. I must give the seller credit because by grafting one-half of the front doors with one-half of the rears, the panel gaps are exceptionally good. Of course, cars like this require careful examination to ensure that the engineering principles are sound. The worst time to discover they aren’t is in the middle of an accident because having the whole thing fold like an aluminum can is never good. The panels are straight, and the paint combination of Jewel Black and Sapphire White is classy. The trim and glass look good, while the narrow whitewalls are an excellent finishing touch.
This Dodge’s custom touches extend below the surface, with its original engine and transmission making way for a 250ci Chevrolet six and a three-speed Turbo 400 automatic. The seller installed an aluminum fuel tank, and its capacity of thirty-two gallons should allow around 650 miles between trips to the pump. The seller doesn’t categorically state that this Coronet is roadworthy, but the blurry embedded video in their listing suggests that it is. My only concern is that there is a lot of second-rate rattlecan work on the engine. I always worry that such an approach on a visible component might be symptomatic of corner-cutting elsewhere. Once again, only an in-person inspection will reveal the truth.
One aspect of this build where the buyer can make their mark is on its interior. It is serviceable but has a slightly worn and unfinished look. Refreshing the paint and performing a retrim would make an enormous difference. The beauty of this car is that the new owner doesn’t need to feel compelled to follow the faithful approach. Cloth or leather might be irresistible, while bucket seats for improved comfort might be worth considering. The limiting factors in this case will be imagination and budget.
I honestly don’t know how to assess this 1956 Dodge Coronet, although describing it as unique is probably a good start. The beauty of the custom scene is that it allows for creativity, and if the engineering on this build is sound, you couldn’t recreate it for the seller’s price. That raises the question of whether you would want to make the effort, rather than simply spending the money on a project where the hard work is complete. So, Restomod or Monster? What do you think?
Interesting rig Adam. The more I look at it the more I like it. It does need a gumball machine on the roof though.
Maybe if the doors were black, it would reduce some of the discontinuity in the appearance (IMO). GLWTS!! :-)
Sort of a ’50s police car color scheme.
Before I realized what it was, at first glance I thought it was a cop car. I checked out the Facebook ad and it is GONE. I’m in Philadelphia, so this would be a perfect car for parking in South Philly! I do like it but wonder about the headroom for me at an old shrunken 6′, with that sloped roof. My other thought was it would have been nice to see the original engine, a flat 6 or V-8, not sure what the Coronet came with in 56. But the Chevy 250 should be reliable enough. What is the wheelbase now, shorter than an old Jeep? Another thing. While checking for the withdrawn FB ad, I viewed a 1947 Dodge Power Wagon nearby for sale, rough with no engine or trans, but jacked up real good for not much money. Its where they had the Philly Folk Festival, hippies.
I just hope whoever did this didn’t destroy a perfectly good car to do it! It will stand out in a crowd alright… everyone will be pointing and laughing, just like they do with Cybertrucks. Hope the owner doesn’t humiliate his poor kids by making then ride in it.
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
THIS will save Stellantis.
Respectfully a disaster.
Gas Monkey still in business?
Not only are “they” still in business, one could argue doing better than ever. Check out their youtube channel.
A Restomod is defined as a car that looks stock from the outside, but has modern upgrades. Most cars labeled as restomods don’t quite fit that definition 100%. This one, not at all.
As with other shortened cars I’ve seen the proportions don’t work. Totally bucks the trend of longer, lower, sleeker.
This is what you would call a ‘novelty car.’
Bring in the Clowns
Hey dude watch me use my new plasma cutter.
Yep…it slices and dices anything creating a cars and coffee vehicle guaranteed to get a look by others and judged .
I guess its okay when it’s your car to be creative .
Howard?
Nah,,too goofy even for me.
He came to mind as soon as I saw it. It’s the clown car he talks about.
CT Dave
I love it. Put a big block in it, and away you go.
Spin machine!
the “EGRESS SPECIAL”??
No. Really, really, really dumb looking. Like the “coupe” style Mini Cooper. He would have been better off hacking the roof off and making it into a convertible.
Oh no he didn’t! ’59 Caddy taillights!
I have no words
I agree, Angel, the stock taillights would be better
where’s the clown costume
@dogwater
Don’t mean clown costumes (plural)?
You should be about to fit at least 22 clowns in there.
Humm, I used to be an active Shriner. When are the 20 clowns coming out?
Thankfully the listing is gone.
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and I like it. It’s definitely noticeable! I agree with one of the commenters that the doors should be black. And I especially like the fact they put a Chevy six in it, you can drive it daily and get decent fuel mileage and useable power. I’m not sure it’s worth the asking price, but if a deal could be struck then do the interior to your own liking.
Evidently the T400 tranny was the only one he had!. Talk about overkill!!!
Am I just caffeinated or does this car bring up some strange thoughts? It reminds me of Gilbert Sheldon’s Freak Brothers comic when Freewheelin Franklin had a short-looking 59 Chevy that that was driverless and operated by Franklin with a remote-control joystick. It was able to screech around corners at high speed to avoid the cops. A Mickey Mouse doll was the driver. Who else has seen that comic? I noticed that this car looks to have the 59 Cadillac taillight lenses.
I think that somebody actually did some decent work here even though at looks a little out of proportion. I’m guessing that this was a four door to start with based on the door to quarter panel fitment.
This would be perfect if Dorf went into law enforcement.
This is cool as stink! Wish I had room for one more toy in the garage and collection. Talk about turning heads and starting conversations at cars and coffee events – this will overtake cars costing 100 times more!
Why?
My reaction is the roof line is UGLY
cut off the roof and build a convertible top.
then you have passable lines.
BUT
my hat is off to the welder who created this thing. Major effort to build doors, never mind all the rest.
the only time i remember doors being built was in England making Rolls Royce convertiblles out of four door sedans.
Sort of reminds me of the amphicars in proportions – short center with equal size front and rear sections. With a little imagination you could imagine what this car as a convertible might look like by thinking about an amphicar with the front and rear of this one.
I can’t say whether I love or hate it unless I knew if it was done recently (ugh) or in the ’70s when shortys were a whole trend which would make it an interesting survivor.
Took me a moment to realize just why the side view is so awkward. Car designers use a lot of visual tricks to avoid the sagging effect that a long enough straight line develops when looked at straight on, chopping the length from this car caused all of those to make it look like it was put back together high in the center.
Big WTF!!!!
Glad ya’ll enjoyed it … sorta…