No matter how terrible the PT Cruiser turned out to be, it was still able to capture some of the design features from the last century very correctly, and therefore, from the very first moment of its appearance, this particular model attracts many fans of classic cars, both famous and not so famous. And they all agree that something needs to be changed in PT, which is why the Internet is full of dozens of photos of various custom Cruisers. Unfortunately, the PT Cruiser came out so specific that it is very difficult to change something about it without completely ruining everything. Most of the custom projects are controversial, and only a few really make the Cruiser indisputably better. Nevertheless, all these attempts to save the interesting idea of Chrysler engineers are at least interesting, and therefore it is worth paying attention to at least some of the most interesting and successful of them.
For example, you can start with one project that includes a major redesign of a car with a chop top and an extremely comprehensive radiator grille. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to say for sure if the project was ever completed, as the last photos were taken years ago and looked like this:
Nevertheless, the author was clearly moving in the right direction. However, it is not necessary to change the PT Cruiser so radically. Sometimes, proper painting and wheels already give the car the most correct appearance, and even without almost changing the body of the car, you can get very good results.:
When looking at the next car, it may seem like one of these projects with minimal changes, but in fact, Pat Maxwell from Texas spent four months carefully bringing to mind almost every line of the car. Neat and small modifications really fixed the PT Cruiser’s body, and somehow even the roof looks good, although it’s hard to figure out what exactly Pat changed in it. A well-matched bumper and radiator grille from the PTeazer workshop, a ragtop, canonical paints from the House Of Kolor, an interior in bright Torch Red, all this on the air suspension and Colorado Customs wheels are all signs of a proper hot rod, with the exception, unfortunately, of a powerful engine under the hood.
But most PT Cruiser connoisseurs do not try to bring to mind the ideas of Chrysler designers, but focus on those nuances of the car that are imbued with the Art Deco style of the last century. While carefully preserving retro elements, customizers try their best to whitewash modern features and replace them with something of their own, as close as possible to the appearance of cars of the past century. The output result can be very different.
Another amazingly good way to try to change the PT Cruiser for the better is to radically change its body type. It probably works well because the roof of the car is the worst part. Even the factory-made Cruiser convertible already looks many times better than the original four-door hardtop. If you agree with me, then here is, for example, a PT Cruiser in the form of a small pickup truck.:
And if you liked the Cruiser pickup truck, then here’s an even more interesting option for you: a PT Cruiser with a coupe body with three windows.:
Moreover, we also have a five-window coupe option here. Just think, if such a variety came to us directly from the factory, eh?
But, perhaps, the peak in terms of changing the body type was reached by the PTeazer workshop. One of their projects comes complete with a whole set of roofs and trunk lids, thanks to which the same PT Cruiser combines a roadster, a phaeton, a pickup truck, and a coupe. And his mother-in-law’s place is located in the trunk – when was the last time you heard about cars with such a feature? And don’t forget to appreciate the cool pin-up on the custom steering wheel.:
The Spanish Hurtan boutique came up from a radically different angle. Do you remember the time when there was such a thing as a coachbuilder? When the factory, in fact, built only the frame and the engine, and the body was created to order in a completely different place? This was due to the fact that the frame and body of older cars were not a single whole. Of course, in the case of PT Cruiser, the situation is not exactly the same, and it is impossible to fully attribute this project to classic coachbuilding, but nevertheless, with all its appearance and the fact that all the work is done manually by a small team of ten people, the final result refers precisely to that very European approach. This is a radically different method, very different from the hot rodding school, but nevertheless it should be mentioned, as the end result is impressive.:
By the way, the idea of Hurtan is very fresh – articles about them were published only a year ago. While the truly legendary names turned their attention to the PT Cruiser almost before its release. For example, Boyd Coddington himself got his hands on one of the first Cruisers and built an old-school panel van out of it, which appeared on many posters and posters at the time. Despite the fact that Boyd did not change the engine, he nevertheless installed a classic Whipple supercharger on it, simultaneously raising the number of horsepower under the hood to two hundred and forty. “This is a very special PT Cruiser,” Coddington said. “I wanted to get a taste of the hot rod, but not change the whole essence of the car too much.” The last time this handsome man surfaced at an auction in Las Vegas was in 2011, so we have some very good quality photos.:
Boyd Coddington is not the only legend interested in PT Cruiser. Brian Setzer appreciated the idea and decided to make himself a custom version that he could take with him on a tour scheduled in connection with the release of the new album. Together with DaimlerChrysler’s Pacifica Advanced Product Design Center, Brian designed a machine that is a kind of physical embodiment of the sounds of the Vavoom! record. Like Coddington’s Cruiser, this car has become a panel van with two doors. It is also striking that this is one of the few custom Cruisers that has retained the original bumpers. However, the front side of the car below the bumper has been slightly modified. New taillights, a Borla exhaust system, and muscle car-style wheels were also installed. Like the Pat Maxwell version, this PT Cruiser has been carefully and slightly fixed here and there, and the output is a completely different car. Unfortunately, this car disappeared from sight pretty quickly, and therefore I could not find more than one photo of the interior, which, judging by the description, was something special: leather inserts in the seats in the form of flames, the seats were edged with a neon cable that lights up when the doors and luggage compartment are opened. maple wood with chrome stripes. The Vavoom Cruiser also included a guitar amplifier directly connected to the car’s audio system, so if desired, the Setzer could arrange a small concert in any parking lot. “Building this is like winning a Grammy,” Brian noted.
Well, the most skillful people use the good old, proven method. With a retro twist, so to speak. Namely: take a huge engine and stuff it into an unfortunate PT Cruiser.
The record holder in this case, apparently, is the Chrysler company itself: if the Internet is not lying, then it was the company that built as many as two PT Cruisers with a V10 engine from Viper. As well as the Viper transmission, the Viper suspension, and in general it was more of a Viper than a PT Cruiser, and therefore this business did not go into production. Who needs a second Viper? The cars were sold on eBay, and Chrysler went to install turbochargers and invent convertibles.
Car fans rarely get to the V10, but the V8 and V6 are always at hand. Dozens of PT Cruisers have acquired the most powerful small (because 6.5 liters is not enough) blocks and rear-wheel drive and are now conquering the drag strips. Sometimes there is absolutely no information on such cars, because their owners are more interested in speed and straight roads about a quarter of a mile long than in appearance and public attention.Nevertheless, one of these Cruisers has acquired a certain number of photos and even several videos. There are still few details, but it is reliably known that at first it had a Chevy 400 engine, but then its owner was able to fit a real classic Hemi under the hood of the car. The car itself has not changed much, but there is one detail that makes it very easy to understand that this is exactly the same Cruiser: the inscription TAZ has always been emblazoned on its front bumper.
Perhaps someone will ask: why? Why the PT Cruiser, why are there so many of them? The answer is quite simple: whether you like it or not, it is the only more or less modern car that not only really resembles those very cars of the last century, but also mass-produced. You don’t have to look for rusty skeletons in landfills or pay millions for a perfectly preserved unit from half a century ago, you don’t have to look for old original spare parts to get your iron horse back on its feet and you don’t have to worry too much about dents and other road situations. For a reasonable price, you got a PT Cruiser in your hands, which, although it was weak under the hood, still outwardly embodied the spirit of a bygone time. The workshops that appeared for such an occasion, specializing exclusively in this model, allowed you to get, if not the very car of your dreams, then certainly something very close to it. And, as practice has shown, they could even install a more powerful unit – any whim for the client’s money. Therefore, it is not particularly surprising that the number of custom Cruisers exceeds all standards.
Sources: https://www.motor1.com/news/174027/hurtan-retro-pt-cruiser-conversions / (July 18th, 2017)
https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/2002-CHRYSLER-PT-CRUISER-CUSTOM-4-DOOR-HARDTOP-64138
https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/2001-CHRYSLER-PT-CRUISER-CUSTOM-STATION-WAGON-112690
http://www.pteazer.com/oldsite/roadstergallery.html
http://www.ptcruiserlinks.com/forum/tech-performance-forum/49595-v8-pt-cruiser.html (August 2, 2013)
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/chrysler-pt-cruiser-packing-viper-v10-for-sale-on-ebay-36263.html (June 7, 2011)
https://www.thecarconnection.com/tips-article/1001601_cruiser-wows-sema (November 6, 2000)
http://www.autointell.com/news-2000/November-2000/November-07-00-p7.htm (November 7th, 2000)
