Phil Cercone's radical '32 Dodge Coupe rewrites the book on street rodding.

Shop co-owner Steve Wilson explained to us what led him to create such a radical hot rod for longtime client Phil Cercone of Walpole. Wilson actually found the Dodge lurking in the basement of a dilapidated house waiting to be torn down. Strangely enough, the coupe had seen plenty of hot rod duties on the streets of nearby Orange in the early '60s. This just so happened to coincide with Phil having recently seen the latest Mad Max movie, Fury Road. Making one of his regular visits, he saw the hulk and made an immediate connection to it. A ghoulish aura flowed across the weathered sheetmetal body, taunting him to make a decision to save it from its current state and give it a chance once again, this time with a twist. That twist would lead Steve down a path of fusing a vintage body with that of a mad scientist's vision of creating a Pre-Runner—styled hot rod capable of hardcore off-roading. As Phil tells it, "I approached Steve with a rudimentary drawing of what I wanted to build and his crazy, yet genius mind brought it all to life." Let's build something that's so wild and bizarre with an insane amount of capabilities that nobody will ever believe it's real and run it on the street.

Wilson designed the radical concept with just the right amount of attitude starting with a set of stock outer 'rails. These were incorporated from the firewall back then shaved and boxed for added strength using plate steel. For added clearance the rear 'rails were kicked 10 inches, bobbed 10 inches, and tied to a custom rear crossmember which also functions as a spare tire basket in true off-road form. There is also an upper rear crossmember acting as a radiator support, and a rock-solid center crossmember fabricated from rectangular steel, clocked flat to the ground and secured in place. Forward of the firewall Wilson fabricated custom 'rails from 2x6-inch rectangular steel and gradually tapered them to look stock in appearance while also kicking them 8 inches and bobbing them 9 inches. It's all tied together by a custom front crossmember fabbed from rectangular steel that also incorporates a D-style shackle recovery point. Wilson then added even more creativity bending up a custom stinger. This both acts as a support for the front upper shock mounts from Ruff Stuff Fabrication, and the headlights. A custom mount for the Smittybilt X20-10K winch acts as a perfect anchor for the unit. Other custom accents include one-off side rock rails with dimple-die plate steps and a 6-point rollcage and roof rack.

The navigation set-up includes a PSC Motorsports double-ended hydraulic ram cylinder with 2.5-inch bore and 8-inch stroke, deftly matched to a Charlynn Eaton load reacting steering orbital valve. Fluid moves through a PSC Motorsports P-series pump with remote can chilled by a Derale Electra-Cool cooler. To tame the beast, a Corvette dual master with a double 8-inch booster linked to a Speedway Motors universal frame-mount pedal assembly pushes fluid through stainless lines to GM -ton truck vented discs with 2-piston calipers. The rears were anchored thanks to a RuffStuff disc brake conversion kit and the system also features a Summit Racing vacuum pump, residual valves, and an adjustable proportioning valve from Speedway Motors.

Wanna get through all the muck and still make a statement? Then you'll need a set of KMC wheels to get it done. Up front, 16x9 KMC XD300 Pulley model wheels wear Nitto Trail Grappler LT285/75R16 rubber combined with rear 18x9 KMC XD129 Holeshot wheels topped with Nitto Trail Grappler LT 37/12.50R18 rubber.

To pack a punch between the 'rails, Wilson contacted Blueprint Engines for one of their 383ci GM long-block V8s packed with a speed shop full of go-fast goods generating 430 hp from 10:1 compression. A seasoned 4-bolt main block was filled with a new cast steel crank linked to Chevy heavy-beam rods capped with forged pistons. The mill gets a heavy thump from a hydraulic roller cam with added gusto from a pair of Blue Print Muscle Series aluminum cylinder heads. Up top Wilson added a Weiand Hi-Ram tunnel ram intake with FiTech's Go EFI 2x4 dual-quad system complete with 8 high-flow injectors, built-in pressure regulator, and internal MAP sensor. A rear-mounted Champion Cooling Systems dual-pass aluminum radiator was matched to twin 16-inch cooling fans along with a custom aluminum radiator shroud to keep it cool. It all sparks to life through an MSD Pro-Billet ready-to-run distributor with spent gasses dumping through a set of Speedway Motors fenderwell headers with insert collectors from Car Chemistry. Power moves rearward through a TCI Automotive TH350 StreetFighter packed with their Breakaway 2,500-rpm stall converter linked to a custom driveshaft from Mitchell Drivetrain.

It was finally time to prepare the body, starting with a well-balanced 3 3/8-inch chop, a 2-inch channel, and shaved door handles and cowl lights. The rear valance was then removed and the rear quarter panels were boxed for strength. Custom floor panels and firewall were made to be removable for ease of service; a transmission tunnel was fabricated from 1/8-inch steel to add protection from the driveshaft. For color, Phil wanted something that would suit the advent of the apocalypse and be durable enough to survive it, so Wilson elected to coat the body in Monstaliner. Once everything was prepped, the coating of Pyroclastic gray was accented by the chassis' SEM satin black.

Inside, its all business with the stock dash reworked with a custom flat panel to house a Dakota Digital VHX-1100 gauge cluster with four programmable digital message centers. Additional data is monitored through a FiTech digital touch screen to keep track of both fuel injection and ignition; an sPOD Universal 8-circuit programmable power control center with touch screen handles all lights and accessories. To complete the electrics, an American Autowire Severe Duty Universal Kit features a fully sealed 22-circuit fuse box.

Steering moves through a custom column topped with a lightweight 14-inch wheel from Longacre Racing Products while shifts pull from a Hurst Quarter Stick unit. For comfort, a pair of Smittybilt XRC Suspension seats are covered in black, and matched to Corbeau 3-point, 2-inch double-release harnesses.

Any way you look at the coupe, it oozes attitude. Yet it's one thing to have the look, and an entirely different matter to back it up. We were treated to an exhibition of its capabilities by Wilson, and rest assured, it's as evil as it looks. This war hammer can take on everything from off-roading to driving to the local cruise night, and we dig it!

See all 103 photos

See all 103 photos Aggressive and full of attitude, the Dodge is ready to take on any challengers. Imagine pulling up next to this at a red light while it's belching fire and brimstone!

See all 103 photos To bring plenty of zoom to the party, a 383ci Chevy small-block from Blueprint Engines cranks out 430 hp on the dyno. Cool bits include Muscle Series aluminum heads, Weiand tunnel ram, FiTech's Go EFI 2x4 dual quad system, and MSD ignition.

See all 103 photos Ready to take on anything it comes up against, the frontend is a perfectly balanced combination featuring a custom blend of parts ready for abuse.

See all 103 photos The interior is ready for some serious off-roading starting with gauges from Dakota Digital, a steering wheel from Longacre Racing Products, a shifter from Hurst, and a pair of Smittybilt XRC Suspension seats.