Berr’s work would result in a car-inspired truck like the competition, but he took the most bizarre way to get there.
To create the Sweptside, Berr obtained a 1957 Dodge two-door wagon and had the quarter panels and rear bumper sawed off.
Then he cut out the sides of the box of a long-wheelbase 1957 D100, welded the quarters and the bumper from the wagon onto what was left of the truck’s bed.
Reportedly, SEG also had to modify the truck’s tailgate to work with the truck’s new be-finned bed. The team also added some trim to give it a little bit of an extra pop. Additional chrome was added to the cab to ensure the bed looked like it belonged on the back of the truck
I remember seeing a couple of these back when I was a kid. When this was new, at least in New England, pickup trucks really weren't the style statement they have become. They were work vehicles for the most part, and this one looked pretty silly in context. Of course some people wanted a car-like pickup but Ford and Chevy did it better. A Ranchero or the like was the kind of thing you'd drive around with an occasional bale of hay for your horse. This one never looked integrated, and in addition, the box sides became really ugly when they rusted, which they did badly.
ReplyDeleteLooks nice, but having lots of delicate features on the back of a truck seems counterproductive.
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