A 1958 Dodge Royal Lancer battles back from project car to show winner

United States car sales slumped in 1958 due to a nationwide recession, but, on the heels of a successful 1957, Dodge rolled out an updated lineup. The division’s 1958 cars were longer, lower, wider, more colorful, and sported an abundance of chrome. Plus, Dodge’s model offerings consisted of the entry-level Coronet, the Royal, the Custom Royal, and a new, top-of-the-line Regal Lancer. Dodge described them as the “Swept-Wing” 1958s in all of its marketing brochures.

Phil Shaw, from Auburn, Nebraska, is a 64-year-old retired UPS driver and Mopar enthusiast of the first order. Phil was looking for a retirement project that spanned the 1957-’59 Dodges when he came across a 1958 Dodge for sale online. The owner was from Norway, the ad was confusing to read, and a gallery of low-quality photos made it difficult to determine the car’s overall condition.

“The owner told me he had purchased the car online, from a seller in Bradenton, Florida, and then had it shipped to a shop in Rosenberg, Texas, to begin the restoration,” Phil says. “But after some work had been done he halted the restoration. He found out a short time later that he was terminally ill with cancer and decided not to see the job through.”

At that point, the car had also been completely disassembled and media blasted, and the shop had performed some sheetmetal repair on the floorpans and trunk floor. Reluctantly, Phil decided to bid on the ’58, not sure exactly what to expect since he had not seen the car in person. He won the auction and purchased the car in January of 2011. No other potential buyers bid against him, which sent up another red flag.

“I picked the car up a few days later. All the window glass had been discarded, and all the parts were in boxes and not well identified,” Phil says. “I examined the bare body and saw that a lot of rust repair was needed around the back window, but the rest of the body seemed to be solid and in good shape.”

An RCA record player was a rare option not found on many cars of this era. The 45-rpm player held 13 records and played them upside down, so that the weight of the record kept the needle from skipping.

Options and accessories on this ’58 Dodge Royal Lancer included the 325-cubic-inch V-8 with dual exhausts, a three-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission, a 2.92:1 rear axle ratio with a limited-slip differential, power brakes, power steering, pushbutton radio with twin antennas, dual mirrors, tinted safety glass, air-foam seat, windshield washer, backup lamps, deluxe wheel covers, and white sidewall four-ply tires. A very rare RCA 45-rpm record player completed the list of extras.

Phil jumped into the project almost immediately, believing he could get it finished in two years or less. “Boy was I ever wrong,” he says. “Reproduction parts for the 1950s-era Mopars don’t exist, and finding quality parts cars was extremely difficult at best. Even weather seal kits weren’t available.”

Still, Phil wasn’t going to let a little parts search keep him from his goal. “After a lot of digging, I found a good ’57 parts car among 16 other autos in a fence row, located not too far from home,” he says. “The farmer wouldn’t sell just the ’57—no, I had to buy all of them to get the one car I needed! Luckily, I had a good friend who owned a junkyard who took the rest.”

Once Phil had located that parts car, the restoration process gathered some steam as he was able to track down the other parts he needed. “I even found an OEM wiring harness up in Canada, and that was a great score,” he says.

Satisfied with the parts supply he’d amassed, Phil turned his attention to the engine. The previous owner said that the 325 had been rebuilt by the Texas shop, but that was not the case. Later examination revealed that the block was cracked, so a search for a replacement was next on the agenda.

The 325-cu.in. V-8 made 285 horsepower with two-barrel carburetion and supplied ample power. The Delco-style alternator is a retrofit, as is the compressor for the upcoming A/C system.

Engine choices for 1958 ranged from the base-level 138-hp, 230-cu.in. L-head inline-six to the top-of-the line 361-cu.in. V-8 rated at 305/320/333 hp (base/D-500/fuel-injected Super D-500). Our feature car’s midline 325 V-8—with a bore and stroke of 3.69 x 3.80 inches—was rated at 252 hp.

Once Phil had located a replacement block, it was bored .040 over. The crankshaft and rotating assembly was balanced and installed, then the engine was capped off with a set of 1957 Hemi heads equipped with adjustable pushrods and oversized stainless valves (the 325 block can accommodate either style of heads). Since no replacement camshafts were available, the original was sent to Isky Racing Cams for a regrind. Thad Harms of Mr. Automotive in Falls City, Nebraska, did the complete engine rebuild, and Phil estimated that the 325 was good for about 285 hp at 4,800 rpm.

Unfortunately, however, the first startup of the engine destroyed the heads. A quick teardown revealed that the valve seats installed by the machine shop had been bored too deep. “It took me another year to find a replacement set of heads, this time in Oklahoma,” Phil says. “Then I had to get the engine back together, put it in the car, and get it running right.” The original three-speed TorqueFlite had been rebuilt previously by the shop in Texas, and the stock 2.92:1, limited-slip-equipped rear axle was also reinstalled, rounding out the drivetrain.

Once Phil had a good-running roller, the car was turned over to Randy Striggow of Striggow’s Southside Body Shop in

Auburn, Nebraska. Randy finished the remaining sheetmetal repair around the back window, sprayed on several applications of high-build primer, and block sanded the body with 80-, 120-, and 180-grit sandpaper until it was arrow straight. Next, the car was sprayed with a urethane primer, allowed to cure, and blocked with 180 grit, then wet sanded to 600. After applying an epoxy primer sealer, the car was sprayed in a match

for its original two-tone yellow-and-black colors with multiple coats of Axalta ChromaBase and #7779 clearcoat. After a sufficient cure, the clear was wet sanded using progressive grits from 500 to 2,500, then machine compounded for a show-quality finish.

With the paint and bodywork completed, the car was returned to Phil for reassembly. He started by installing all the glass, window seals, window crank mechanisms, and exterior trim and bumpers. “The most difficult part was finding a good windshield, window seals, and trim mounting clips,” he says. “I tried several different varieties of clips before I found some that actually worked.”

The cockpit is well appointed in black vinyl and cloth and features Chrysler’s three-speed pushbutton TorqueFlight transmission console at the driver’s left. Chrysler didn’t have a locking transmission, so these cars were parked in neutral with the parking brake set. The instrument cluster has gauges set in a polished aluminum face with an embossed dot pattern that is duplicated elsewhere. A centrally located clock was optional at extra cost.

Other tasks included rebuilding the front and rear suspension, installing a new gas tank, and running new fuel and brake lines. “I also upgraded to front disc brakes from a 1966 Mustang, so I could retain the stock wheels and tire size,” Phil says. “I even installed self-adjusting rear drum brakes.”

Rolling stock included reproduction 8.25 x 14 wide whitewall radials mounted on factory steel wheels with reproduction 1959 styled hubcaps sourced from Speedway Motors in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Moving to the interior, Phil was lucky as the front and rear seats had already been reupholstered by the shop in Texas. All the other components—including the carpet, headliner, and interior door panels—were in boxes, and he wasted no time getting them installed.

The restoration (and “Royal Treatment,” as Phil calls it) was finally completed in September 2016, but that was a bit premature as Phil learned shortly after. “On my first outing that fall, I noticed that the rear main seal had started leaking, along with the transmission and the rear end. I spent all winter fixing the leaks, but had everything right by spring.”

Phil has already put about 4,000 miles on his Dodge since the restoration, driving it at least once a week during the summer months. “I’ve taken it to five car shows already, earning five first-place and two best-in-show honors,” he says. “Finally, after 5½ years, I can begin to enjoy the car and reap my rewards. It was sure nice to have the support of my wife Diane during this long ordeal.”