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Hot Rods 57 Chevy hot rod in the early sixties...

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by adventurer, Jun 15, 2014.

  1. carlos
    Joined: May 2, 2005
    Posts: 1,387

    carlos
    Member
    from ohio

    mine today and building it way I did then late to early 70"s 327 -4 pseed muncie bench seat, painting white daily driver IMG_0009_37.jpg IMG_0010_36.jpg IMG_0009_37.jpg
     
  2. 40fordtudor
    Joined: Jan 3, 2010
    Posts: 2,503

    40fordtudor
    Member

    I put together my 57 BA hdtp in 1982. 283 bored .060, Saginaw 4 spd, 3.70 in the back with dual exhaust. The body was turquoise and white and left stock except for a slight droop on the front end. Wheels were polished torque thrusts. Had a Duntov cam and I saw right at 7 grand on the tach more than once. This was for my 40th birthday and I have no clue as to what "era" it celebrated---nor did it matter. Forgot: double hump heads and an intake and carb off a 275 hp 67 Chevelle.
     
  3. Gman,

    I've mentioned this in a couple other threads about a local sleeper. The fellow who sold Dad his '57 was also a buddy of his (they both worked at Kirsch Chevy outside of Philly, PA). Fred ordered himself a black '57 wagon with the 270hp 2x4, and also ordered a convertible for a customer with the powerpack engine. When the cars arrived, he had one of the shop guys switch the intakes (the 'vert customer wanted the 2x4 setup, because it "looked fast").

    No one figured out what Fred had done until he and his wife took a trip to Florida...

    He stopped for gas somewhere here in Georgia, and the (young) attendant asked if Fred wanted him to check the oil-

    "Sir, there's something wrong here- your engine isn't right"
    "Ummm, what do you mean, son?"
    Well, you have have the powerpack engine, but your pulleys are for the HiPo engine..."

    Fred was finally busted :D
     
  4. carlos likes this.
  5. Gman0046
    Joined: Jul 24, 2005
    Posts: 6,256

    Gman0046
    Member

    This thread is about sixties cars. I don't think your even close to capturing what a sixties car looked like. The front of the car is way too high, wrong color ( yellow was not a hot rod color in the sixties), wrong wheels and what's with the no bumper? Can you possibly tell us what removing the front bumper is supposed to mean. For some reason I just don't get it. Besides Rat Motors were not at all popular in the sixties. High revving SBC's were the engine of choice and as far as I'm concerned they still are.
    Either you were there "back in the day" or your just guessing.
     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2014
  6. I've noticed the front bumper removal wasn't just a Southern thing. HRP
     
  7. Lone Star Mopar
    Joined: Nov 2, 2005
    Posts: 3,811

    Lone Star Mopar
    Member

    I didn't realize the op was looking for a "street machine" style. That said id still keep the 327 and Cragars but I'd use blackwalls, a, little different stance, 2x4bbls.

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  8. All depends Danny-

    If you tried that in Philly, your car would be ticketed and/or impounded, and down here, it would all depend on the county. In Gwinnett, you would probably get the same response, but here in Winder (where there is NO inspection), no problem unless you brought too much attention to yourself :D
     
  9. In 1965 a friend and I built a 57 210 hardtop. 348 with tri-power 2GCs. Corvair bucket seats, Muncie 4-speed w/Hurst shifter, 4:11 gears. We painted it with 1964 Caddy firemist green laquer. Louvered hood, chrome slots in front and chrome reverse in back with 9 inch Cassler cheaters. I bought the car from him in 1966 when he went to Viet Nam and sold it a year later when I went. And yes, we took the front bumper off so we could set it up and tow it to Great Lakes Dragway where it ran E/S at 101 mph in the low 13s. The car was pretty well known around the north side of Milwaukee on Villard Ave and an occasional run down Wisc Ave on Saturday nite, that was 1965-66-67, that car was my all time favorite....... and that's not a guess, I was there.
     
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  10. Russt29
    Joined: Jan 11, 2012
    Posts: 47

    Russt29
    Member
    from Phoenix,Az

    My guess is also by removing the fully functioning highly chromed bumper to allow the attachment of a tow bar, it also removed substantial weight from the front end for weight transfer, just a guess on my part, but I do recall a lot of 57 chevies 57 fords with with no bumpers. And matching metal flake steering wheels and shift knobs, that was late sixties tho.


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  11. Commish
    Joined: Jan 9, 2010
    Posts: 379

    Commish
    Member
    from NW Ok

    You must have led a sheltered life, I ran a 57 Chevy with no front bumper, as did others. Also had a 58 Ranchero that came out of Ca., guess what color it was, bright yellow. And yes it was in the 60's, and I was there.
     
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  12. Raunchy
    Joined: Apr 16, 2007
    Posts: 379

    Raunchy
    Member

    What was popular in the Texas Panhandle late 60's early 70. The color really didn't matter. If you changed it most cars were painted in a drive way or a gas station at night. We were more after a look with lift and stance and different wheels and tires. Lots of nose high cars but not with tube axles. Some guys reversed the spindles or used spring spacers and station wagon springs. My car was a 57 2 door post. 327 12.5 to 1 pistons that ran on ethyl. Double hump heads,30 30 Duntov solid cam. Headers that didn't fit but we massaged them to. Single 4 on a cast iron Chevy manifold. Glass packs and bell tip chrome pipes under the rear axle. Attempted to tint the windows with that spray can tint Gawd what a mess. We would spend hours painting the letters on the tires with little bottles of white tire lettering paint or a wax type crayon. No bumpers. A different grill if you could afford it,what ever kind of wheels you could get or swap for , I had Chrome reverse.I liked big tall tires. Lots of stuff bought from J C Pennies ,Whites or Western Auto. Closest speed shop was Amarillo. Buckets if you could get some and space em up. Some guys ran a scoop off of a Ford dump truck and a few guys put the thunderbolt tear drop scoop. 3 speeds till you got tired of changing them then try to spring for a 4 speed some times with the factory shifter or a Hurst if you had the bucks.Sun tach with that damn box or if you could get the vette distributor, a mechanical tach. 3 guage panel under the dash. Lots of parts from junk yards then. Had to have something hanging on the mirror, I had a girl in a baby doll nighty sittin cross legged. White wheel wells sometimes with lights. Bumper jacks that really sucked.Used old Ford rear axle housings for jack stands Did most work on stuff in the driveway or if we were lucky in our buddies Dad's Gulf station at night. Try to find a Pontiac or Olds diff cause the chevy's blew spider gears. Stickers and decals were big then too. Even if it was just STP. If you were really cool a chrome glove box lid. Some guys hung dingle balls around the back window. We put colored lights under the dash too. Had to change generators alot cause we would sling the lead out of the armature. Am radio with a reverb box.
     
  13. s55mercury66
    Joined: Jul 6, 2009
    Posts: 4,335

    s55mercury66
    Member
    from SW Wyoming

    In the mid '60's there was a black Bel Air hardtop that parked at the end of the block our elementary school was on. No front bumper, Cragar S/S wheels, and it was beautiful. 1966 or '67. In 1983, I found out a friend had bought it ten years earlier. It had a transverse spring axle from a Ford, 392/Torqueflite with dual quads and a little floor mounted console for the push buttons, fiberglass one piece tilt front, Pontiac rear, ladder bars, and a swivel bench seat from a Chrysler. He left it on the ground floor of his grandpa's barn when he moved to Michigan, came home a few years later when I saw it, and it had rusted really bad. I started drawing '55-'57 Chevys based on that car as a kid, and damn near cried when I saw how it ended up.
     
  14. Muttley
    Joined: Nov 30, 2003
    Posts: 18,500

    Muttley
    Member



    Project X was about as yellow as you can get.

     
    Ratmotor likes this.
  15. wicarnut
    Joined: Oct 29, 2009
    Posts: 9,055

    wicarnut
    Member

    Oldschool66, I remember that 57, a much nicer version and faster than mine. Gman0046 In Milwaukee Wi. Removing front bumper was common on 50's street machines and raising front end was popular also, I Think we were going for racer/gasser look, also there were some yellow cars. Ratmotor, your car is spot on for our area 60's time frame.When I Think back, alot of stuff we did really did not make much sence, but sure had a Ton Of fun doing it, agree that American Graffiti was reasonabely real, tons of cruising and street racing in our area, great time to be a car nut for sure. And I Was there. John
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2014
    Ratmotor likes this.
  16. I agree. Many '55-57 Chevies and Fords in my area back in the mid to late '60s ran no front bumper also. And we raised the front end as high as we could get them and it was never high enough!
    I was definitely there, and although I might have forgotten what I had for supper last night, I recall that era in vivid detail!
     
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  17. Thanks guys! Yes I had the early Project X in mind. As for "too high" its station wagon coils that put it where it is. Sure a 327 was cool but if you could get your hands on a 396 or 427 you were king. As for Cragars being wrong? Blasphemy!
     
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  18. carlos
    Joined: May 2, 2005
    Posts: 1,387

    carlos
    Member
    from ohio

    Hey Gman where are you from?Around here bumpers and hub caps was the first things to come off,49 51 fords 57 fords,early and late 50's chevys all were popular to remove the bumpers front that is.I have been ticketted for it in a 65 olds.we have always had to run a front license plate so we would hang the front plate with chains and let it swing so when you went over the speed bumps a BigBoys mainliner on friday nite your plate would swing LOL.I like em both ways but prefer em off.To me tri 5 chevys were ment to be run without.Hell I have even run a 62 impala with no front bumper
     

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  19. King Karl
    Joined: Sep 27, 2007
    Posts: 383

    King Karl
    Member
    from N.C.

    Here is a couple pics that I grabbed off of the internet.
    I wasn't around at the time but this is what comes to mind for me when I think of a 60's 57 Chevy. Although I believe most around here would have run front bumpers. 1266400_10200437090680885_662921208_o.jpg i289450.jpg
     
    carlos likes this.
  20. sparky01
    Joined: Aug 24, 2008
    Posts: 15

    sparky01
    Member
    from wisco

    in 68 i bought a 57 2dr post for 250 bucks. 283 bored out solid cam 3 speed on the floor. couldn't afford a 4 speed 3 speeds went for 25 bucks and 4 speed at 125 at the junk yard. single 4 barrel yellow and white paint cheater slicks on regular rims no money for the chrome reverse rims. ran pretty good until i spun a rod bearing 3 months after i bought it. to many missed shifts with the old 3 speeds. but it was fun.
     
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  21. Gman0046
    Joined: Jul 24, 2005
    Posts: 6,256

    Gman0046
    Member

    Ratmotor, in the early sixties, how could any one get their hands on a 396 or 427 as they didn't come out until 1965 and 1966 respectively? Cragar S/S wheels didn't come out until 1964. BTW my 56 BelAir 2 door post car runs 15" Cragar S/S wheels.
    I'm not posting on here to argue with anybody. I'm just stating how things were where I lived when I was a teenager in the early sixties which is the subject of the OP anyway.
    BTW I was a teenager on Long Island, NY in the early sixties. Cruised to the Connecting Hwy, Big Bow Wow, street raced on Cross Bay Blvd, Jones Beach Causeway, Sunrise Hwy and all over L.I.. We raced at the Westhampton Drag Strip on the weekends.
    Why on earth would I argue with someone from Canada or California about the way it was there in the early sixties? I have no idea what it was like as I was never there in the early sixties. If anyone will carefully read my posts carefully instead of arguing you'll see everything I posted was about where I was from. Not California or Canada.
     
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2014
  22. I didn't say EARLY sixties. I said sixties. Consensus is my car is okay and with that vote I am a happy camper. since the big block came out in the sixties as well as the 409 and 348 I stand by what I said about a 396 or 427 being king over small blocks. The 4 speed is the only choice as for drivetrain.
     
  23. Gman0046
    Joined: Jul 24, 2005
    Posts: 6,256

    Gman0046
    Member

    Ratmotor again your facts are wrong. The 348 came out in October 1957 not the sixties as you incorrectly posted. You are also wrong by posting a 396 is "king" over a high revving SBC. Have you ever heard of a 383 SBC? It will run circles around a 396 Boat Anchor. Maybe you can tell us what makes a 396 the "king". I like to see what makes you "stand behind" that post. I'm sure many others would like to see it as well. You've out done yourself with the 396 BS. Only your 15 second Youtube video can top it.
     
  24. Not trying to be rude, but the op specifically asked for early 60's info. Drives me nuts when folks try to take over a thread (with info that has nothing to do with the theme of the thread) to prove their point...
     
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  25. carlos
    Joined: May 2, 2005
    Posts: 1,387

    carlos
    Member
    from ohio

    come on kids play nice, here is one i pulled the pic off -bay sweets 57 Ive seen in along time. have to dissagree on the 396 1957.jpg
     
    s55mercury66 likes this.
  26. 55 Ford Gasser
    Joined: Jul 7, 2011
    Posts: 698

    55 Ford Gasser
    Member

    I too have a 57 chevy with the "bumper delete" option. About 4 years ago, one of my fellow club members asked me why I took off my front bumper. I told him I had done some research and found out that the front bumper was an option on tri-five chevies. And after checking the build sheet for my 57, I found out it came without the bumper. I told him it must have gone straight into race duty as a gasser. We were at a car show and a couple of hours later he came back and asked "Are you pulling my leg?" My 57 has the whole gasser package option: towing package (bracket on front), auxiliary fuel tank (moon tank behind grille), traction pkg., 4 speed shifter in the floor, and of course special rear tires. I was there in the 50's/60's, but not driving until 68. So I'm no expert, but most everyone I know that was there tells me the front bumper was first thing to go.
    My 2 cents, not worth a whole lot but it's mine.
     
    carlos likes this.
  27. I meant using the 348 or the 409 in the sixties in a 57. I know when they came out.I'd say the guy spouting off that he seems to know it all is the hijacker in this thread. The other bumperless posters have proved you wrong.
     

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