Custom Car – September 2019

Sunshinestate
Ittookafewyears,butinMarch 2011
a 1937 Plymouthpoppedupforsalein
Florida.NotaDodge,admittedly,butstilla
Chryslerproduct,andascloseasLukehad
foundinyearsofsearching.
Asitgoes,thePlymouthversionsare
evenrarerthantheDodgesaspriorto
1935 Plymouthdidn’thaveaseparate
trucklineatall,onlyafewcar-based
commercialmodels.The 1937 PT 50 Express,
asthepick-upwasofficiallycalled,wasthe
firstgenuinePlymouthcommercial.The
cccooommmpppaaannnyyymmmaaadddeee 111000 , 777000999 ooofffttthhheeemmmttthhhaaatttyyyeeeaaarrr,
andsurvivingexamplesarefewandfar

betweeeentoday.AsLukewouldcometo

findoutwhenlookingforparts.

Itwasalrightthough,hedidn’tneed

anyashhhe’dboughtadone,finishedtruck.

Orsohethought.“Theguywastotally

genuineee,andsoproudofthetruck.Ireally

don’tthhhinkheknewhowbaditwasunder

thepainnnt.”

Horrorstory

Fortunaaately,Lukeknowsagoodpainter,

andagggoodchassisman,sonotlongafter

itarriveeedintheUKLarryWardrippedit

aaapppaaarrrttttttoooopppaaaiiinnntttiiitttaaannndddttthhheeeccchhhaaassssssiiissswwweeennnttttttooo

Gary’sgaragetobebackhalved,asper

thatdrunkenconversatiooon.“That’swhen

someofthehorrorsappeeeared,”remembers

Luke,remarkablyjoviallyyy.“TheMustang

IIIFSwas 1 ½inchesoutooofwhacksothe

wheelbasewasdifferentsidetoside,the

rearspringhangerswereeeheldinwitha

coupleoftackwelds,theeegearlinkagehad

cabletiesinitandthefuuueltank–andit

wasamassivefueltank–––washeldinbya

coupleofself-tappers.

“AndI’ddrivenaroundddinitforafew

monthslikethat.Theoddthingwasit

drovelovely,evenwithaaallthatgoingon.”

AAArrrooouuunnndddttthhhaaattttttiiimmmeee,LLLaaarrrrrrrydecidedto

takeastepbackfromtheeepaintinggame,

AUGUST 2019 CUSTOMCAR 45

Engineisagoodoldironheaded 350 smallblock

Earlyplansforablower Chevy.

wereputonholdastherest

oftheprojectspiralledoutofcontrol(Luke’sw

notours)sohe’scontented ords,

himselfwithdetailingthe

CalCustomrockercoversandaddinganEdelbr

Endurashinemanifold ock

and650cfmcarb.