Most of the time, if you want to see Mopars at a car show, you have to go to an event that includes musclecars, then head for the corner where the Challengers, 'Cudas, Chargers, and Road Runners are huddled in Sub-Lime, Go Mango, Tor-Red, Lemon Twist, and Plum Crazy glory. If it's a hot rod and custom show, scout out the one guy with the slammed suede '57 Chrysler with iron cross graphics-he's around somewhere. Otherwise, you're out of luck.
Maybe it was the appeal of driving something genuinely different that motivated Bob Grumet to build a custom that was not a GM or Ford product, and a Mopar that wasn't a musclecar.
Bob told us that when he decided on a custom car project, he had four requirements for the buildup. It had to be a Mopar, because Chryslers have always been his favorite. It had to be a '50, because that was the year he was born. It had to have a 440 Six Pack under the hood, because that's his favorite motor. And it had to be a convertible, because, in addition to being a Mopar guy, he's a ragtop guy.
As his search began, it was actually the engine-a '69 440 built by Smeding Performance in Sacramento, California-that turned up first. The engine was complete and ready to run when he bought it. Finding a '50 Plymouth to drop that engine into ended up taking another six months of searching stacks of auto sales publications and Web sites. Bob's goal was to find a low-buck basket case, since he intended to make a lot of modifications. What he found instead was a nicer-than-desired car that had already been taken a long way toward restoration. Bob negotiated with the stubborn owner for 12 months, while continuing to look for a cheaper, less-complete '50 Plymouth convertible. Unable to find any other car that met his requirements, he struck a suitable deal, and relocated the resto ragtop from Washington to Northern California.
By the time the project was done, four years had passed and virtually every corner of the car had been modified. The exterior changes were kept subtle, but anyone who has seen a factory '50 can appreciate them. Bonedaddy Customs and Michael Robinson went over the body, shaving much of the trim, frenching the headlights and taillights, and pulling the bumpers into the body. Every inch of sheetmetal was perfected before Steve Koontz from Bonedaddy put the Seal Grey paint to the body panels.
Bob wanted to contrast the mild outer appearance with a completely up-to-date interior. Finding the right look for the dash took numerous trips to the auto mall, and hundreds of photographs. The final result is a combination of numerous contemporary influences, including a little Toyota, a little Chrysler, and a whole lot of custom.
Fabricating the computer controls from modern gauges, air conditioning, heat, and other functions to a pre-computer vehicle and engine was one of the most difficult parts of the project, Bob says. Making the heat and air system work with the vents required custom electronic chips. Converting the tach to work with a V-8 was another time-consuming challenge.
At the end of the project, all challenges were met and all requirements were fulfilled. Now there is only one thing left to add to make Bob's made-to-order Mopar perfect: miles. That part of the project will take years, but it should be easy.