At first glance of this '62 wagon it seems as if it's just a well-done, yet stock four-door hauler. But don't let the cover of the book fool you. Because as we all know it's what's inside that really counts.
As you dig further and further into this smooth machine you begin to notice the attention to detail, one-off parts, and custom touch to practically every area. There's not a panel, or section of the car that hasn't been reworked, massaged or finessed. Car builder Derrick Samson, who also happens to be a ripe 'ol age of 19, has left no stone unturned in the construction of this show stunner.
Derrick started off with a nice cruiser, and simply perfected it. The project began life on a rotisserie where the complete underside of the body was smoothed. Derrick even went as far as smoothing out every weld or hole on the frame. Basically the underside of the wagon is just as clean cut as the exterior. As for the bodywork, beside the obvious lack of door handles, trim, etc., Derrick even custom made the body line on the tailgate to match the bodyline running down the side of the '62. Hours of grinding, sanding, and more sanding, have gone into reworking the warped body.
As for the engine compartment and interior, Samson Designs sparred no expense either. The engine compartment is completely handmade. The air cleaner is a one-off, the valve covers have the '62 body trim grafted to them, the master cylinder has the center cap of a '56 Chevy grafted to it and the inner fender panels and cowl are handmade, as well. The same attention to detail and customizing applies to the interior, which is built around four buckets seats from a Pontiac Sunfire. From there, Samson designed a flowing interior and console to compliment the buckets. To be sure that the lines kept a consistent flow the rear door handles on the inside were removed as well. In their place is a custom wire contraption that opens the rear doors. Donnie Closser covered what was not painted inside in Cinnamon leather. The entire car was set off with a custom mix of DuPont Sunset Orange paint. In the rear quarters a ghost image reading "Samsonator" (that's the name of the car) will appear when the sunlight is just right.
The car rolls on a set of 18 and 20-inch Torque Thrust II's. Isolating the chassis from the ground is an Air Ride Technologies Cool Ride system. Samson even designed a set of custom brake calipers that have "Samson" encrypted on them. Beginning to understand the concept of "Don't judge a book by its cover?" There are more subtle details and long hours of labor in this car than you'd ever imagine after a first glance. So from now on, keep your eyes peeled. You never know exactly what's going to pop up, especially from Derrick Samson.
Tech Specs
Owner
Derrick Samson
Vehicle
'62 Chevrolet Wagon
Engine
Chevrolet 355, 10:1 flat-top pistons, PBM camshaft, Power Plus intake manifold, Holley 650 carburetor, Dynomax headers, Flowmaster mufflers
Transmission
Chevrolet TH350
Suspension
(F) 2-inch drop spindles, Air Ride Technologies Cool Ride airbags
(R) OEM with Air Ride Technologies Cool Ride airbags
Wheels
(F) American Racing Torque Thrust II with hollow-point
(R) American Racing Torque Thrust II with hollow-point center caps 18x7 inches
Tires
Falken
Exterior
DuPont custom mix Sunset Orange painted by Derrick Samson
Interior
Sunfire buckets, custom dash, door panels, center console by Samson Designs, covered in Cinnamon leather by Donnie Closser, Sedalia, MO