What do you do after you have done the Street Rod scene, and have had two “WILD” Award winning customs? Answer: you build an even “wilder” custom. That is exactly what Elwood Dapp of Dapp’s Auto Body in Paradise PA has done.
Wanting his next ride to be a little more out of the ordinary led him to the radical design of the 60’s era Chryslers.
Choosing a ’62 Chrysler Newport with its angled quad headlight design, Dapp did a little re-designing of his own starting with the handmade stainless tubular grille insert utilizing a 2000 era Chrysler emblem.
Other modifications include: Lucas style headlights, shaved hood and trunk, door handles and side moldings, quarter panel body lines peaked and extended front and back, gas door filled, antenna frenched and tear dropped, rear bumper, recessed with license plate frenched ,frenched ’62 Buick taillights, porthole exhaust through ’53 Packard parking light housings, faux three piece rear window with matching body peaks on the roof and trunk.
Chassis modifications include: Lowered five inches and 14” radials on chrome smoothies
Driveline: 361 four BBL 727 transmission and posi rear
Interior: Red and orange roll and pleated, including dash, package shelf and trunk by Roger Hoover of Auto Interiors Plus, Holtwood, PA.
Topping it all off is a candy flamed orange pearl base with blends of red and tangerine candies throughout and smothered with three gallons of high solids clear. This rolling work of art was completed in just six short months by Dapp and his employee Jerry Jones.
Dad did make a few changes to the Chrysler Custom as time went on such as the wheels became wire wheels with a pointed center and some of the chrome was changed as well as the engine, going up to a Big Block 440 Mopar! I look at the Chrysler as a piece of artwork. It is very unique and I have grown to appreciate it just as you appreciate fine art!
Dad had the Chrysler up for sale and had entered it into the Atlantic City Auction. He had intended to sell the Chrysler so he could start the next project that sat out in the shop parking lot. He had a Buick Riviera Boat tail that he had plans to customize. He also had a ’60 Cadillac that he wanted to restore. Unfortunately, five days before the Atlantic City Auction, Dad passed away in his home of a heart attack. I was at his home with him when he passed and asked him to come back to us. Sadly, he was gone.
When my husband Bob, my sister Cher, my grandfather and my aunt Vicki went to the funeral home to make the arrangements, we were looking at the caskets and I said to Bob and Cher about the metallic on the caskets were not that great and our choices were limited in color. As we were standing there looking at them, Bob said, “We can paint it!” Bob had asked the funeral director if it was possible to get a casket and bring it to the shop so we could paint it to match the car. The funeral director looked a bit shocked at the request and when he realized we were serious, he said let me check on it. He came back to us in few minutes and said that he could make it happen!
