History did any of you older guys remember how cool ,57 Chevys were in the '60s?

Cant believe I'm as old as I am. Back in the late 60s and early 70s I had three 57s. Two 2dr hardtops and one 2dr post car. The post car was my favorite by far. Built a 301for it with a 4spd and 4:11 rear. That car would haul the mail. Cant tell you how many dreams I've had about going down my Dads house and opening the garage doors and there she sat covered with dust and waiting to be cleaned up.............oh well................
I guess if I had any indication the money they would bring I would have put them in storage. Like all the guys have said........they were just cars back then. Back then I paid $75.00 for one of the hardtops and $100.00 for the other. I paid $200.00 for the post car because I got two 283s and an extra 3:73 rear with it.
That's about all I can say about this subject. I'm goin to my room and cry now...

 

When the muscle cars and Mustangs came out, The tri-fives in my neck of the woods were just old outdated cars...

 

I guess a lot of guys who had a '71 Hemicuda could not imagine them going for the prices they sell for today.

 

I remember going with my Dad one day when I was probably 11 to 13 years old in his 57 two door Belaire. 283 with a powerglide. The bronze color. We went to what was called Household Finance at the time. Similar to the pay day lenders of today but not quite at there blood sucking level. He drove the car there and told me to stay in my seat. A guy came out and inspected the car and gave the old man a loan once he turned over the title. I am 65 years old and some things just stay with you. I remember the car had no front bumper and looked like a Hot Rod.

 

even if the average guy knew that the '57 & '55 - '56 were iconic cars & would rise to great values he was lucky if he could afford one back in the day. then to put one away for some future day to cash in near impossible to have happened. those that had/have money could invest in cars rather than just driving and enjoying them

 

Had a 57 2 dr. hardtop in 65 & 66. We put in a 348 w/ three Rochesters and a Muncie 4-speed. Ran strong up & down Wisc. Ave in Milwaukee and caused a little havoc on Villard Ave also. Sold it the day before I left for Viet- Nam for $550.00. I thought that was all the money back then. I couldn't wait to get home and buy a brand new Road Runner. Insurance forced me into the Chevy showroom and I got a new 69 Nova SS with a 350 and a 4-speed. Traded that for a 340 "Cuda in 71 or 72. Bottom line is My 57 was just a car back then, the Novas and Cudas and Road Runners were the cars everyone aspired to own. The fact is I still run into people from that area that remember my 57...... The other cars, not so much.

 

In 1967, I owned 30 '57 Chevys of various models. I could buy them for less than $100 most times, altho convertibles and Nomads were more money...I'd repair them and sell them for what I had in them-most times less than $500. I had a 3 year old '57 150 in high school...and until last year, I've never been without at least one '57 Chevy...

I wrote two books about my 150 Chevy and all the drag races I won with it..."Bangin' Gears & Bustin' Heads" and "Fast Cars, 4-speeds and Fist-fights"...look them up on Amazon if you want the real stories about them...

R-

 

Exactly....If you were making $50 to $75 a week you were considered middle class and had an opportunity to improve. I have know idea how my parents did it, they raised six of us and we are all doing pretty well.

 

I.too,had a 57,a Nomad,this was in 1960 and I liked my 40 Delux coupe better,,,sold the Nomad for $300.00...never looked back.

 

I have loved 57`s since I was a kid. Its weird that what I remember back in the day was the older kids buying heaps and putting them together with parts from other 57`s or any trifive for that matter. I still love them and like to make them shiney and perfect BUT I get more excited when I see a guys project running around with a different colored door, some primer spots etc. Takes me back to when I was most excited about them and dreaming of my own rough diamond .

 

LOL My white over tan '55 Victoria cost me 30 bucks sans engine and transmission. It had a tan Cal Custom and white rolls and pleats, the body was perfect and I had 30 bucks and a 312, 3speed, with all the trimmings from my wrecked '55 ranch wagon.

Where I lived fords were not worth a thing. I knew where there was a 312 powered '57 sedan delivery, running and driving for 350. It was straight as a string and the paint was good, as well as the tires.LOL

'57 Chevies were what the Sosch (cool) kids drove and I was a Hood. They ran in the 500-800 dollar range and you couldn't give me one. Anti Social Butterfly I guess. The other things they drove were brand new muscle cars, mostly Road Runners and GTXs. I would have taken one of those.

We cut up a '56 four door hardtop with a 2x4 283 and a 4 speed. made it into a dune rod, it was a 4 door after all.

'62-'64 Chevys were cheap if they didn't have a motor, I could usually find one for 30 or 40 bucks and usually had a 283 or a 327 laying around. The Sosch kids didn't like me but when they wanted to upgrade their car I was the man. I always ended up with the small block in the deal. That was a big part of my income when I was in high school. 30 dollar car, an evening throwing a free (almost) motor in it, and you could sell them for 150 all day long.

Funny looking back at it 30 dollars seems like it was my magic number, I could almost always come up with 30 bucks.

 

My second car was a 57 Chevy. Black with three in the tree until I put a Hurst shifter in it. Scrounged up an old 3 x 2 setup. Put in a "tube" grill that, looking back on it, was ugly as hell. Drove that car off to college in 64.
First car was a 31 Model A. Should'a kept both of them...

 

My Grandfather bought one brand new.It was that copper color with a creme top.A real looker.He hated it because he felt it was "too light in the ass end".He sold it to my uncle upon his release from the army in 1959 and bought a Ford Fairlane.My Uncle ran the wheels off that 57 and i always felt cool when he would take me for a ride.The coolness of that 57 paled in comparison though to my dads 56 ford hardtop with 312 thunderbird special,three speed on the floor and the crowning glory,a decal on the wing window that proudly boasted " I drag at Islip Speedway every friday and Saturday night".
As i got older i didn't think the 57's were much to get excited about,preferring "old "cars (prewar Fords).In the late 60's and early 70's the factory muscle cars were the big thing,at least on long island where i lived.Most of my crowd couldn't afford them though and had to settle for early 60's Impala's which could be bought in real nice shape with 283's for around $150.00.We would usually spray them in primer and add a set of baby moons for the true hot rod experience.Gosh, i'm OLD!

 

Owned some '56 - '57's back in the 60's
More doors were very affordable, $200 or less needing some attention.
My white '57 was Rochester fuel injected.
Sold it for a whopping $800 when I moved onto Corvettes.

Yup, many regrets for ever selling but you cant keep them all.

 

The more door hard tops sure had good rooflines. I don't recall ever seeing a five five more door hardtop but the five six and five seven had it in spades. That is still one of my list of cars to build a '56 or '57 Chevy 4 door hard top converted to a two door. car

 

I had the most fun with this, legal and otherwise.

 

My first ride in a fast car was in a 57.
It was 1965. I was 12 yrs old.
My brother owned a silver one that he raced every weekend. I remember mom knew he was racing when she seen the hubcaps off of it.
It was fast by yesterday's standards. I fell in love with it and the torque it produced.
We knew even then those were the iconic cars of the 50s.

 

I remember in '77, the cool guys thought they were too heavy. "Heck, you'll need 500hp, to get that tank down the strip." That was the thinking, but like a lot of things, main stream media seemed to bring the value up. Movies like "Return to Macon County" and magazine articles about "Project X", increased interest. Just like AG did for Hot Rods.

 

There has been atleast one '55 four door ht made from a '56 donor. '56 was the first year for the 4dr HT in the chevy line.



I remember seeing a red '57 4-door ht (sport sedan) converted to a 2dr, still keeping the sport sedan roof on *bay, 6-8 years ago.

Gotta56forme/Scott

 

The Image is Xd out but I'll see if I can trick it into giving up its addy. LOL

I guess if I was smart I would just google the 55 more door hardtop.

I know I like the roofline of the '56 and the '57 looks a little sleeker yet of course that could be an illusion caused my the fins. It seems like it wouldn't be so hard if you could find the pieces you needed, a pair of 2 door doors and a more door hard top. I guess the 2 door trim spears. I know that is overly simplified but most of us have done some pretty off the wall stuff so it shouldn't be that difficult. Right?

Found it, properties gave up the addy. the '55 looks a little bulbous to me, maybe its the angle. Thanks for the link.

 

Actually, they were just another old Chevy used car back then. Never even thought about owning one, ...still don't want one.

Sent from my SM-N910V using H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

The first photo is tweaked a bit, giving it a fun house mirror effect. Here is the 2nd photo (different car, I think)...



I looked for a photo of the red '57 2dr with the sport sedan roof - couldn't find one.

 

Oh that's not so bad.

 

I've seen other photos of that stock appearing car, and I'm to understand that the guy who built it did a no expense spared effort to make it appear as if Chevrolet had built & delivered it. It is very well done.

 

'55's were the hot car for the street. The '57's were what we cut up for the dirt track.

 

The only way to do it.

Hotrods can be rough but when you are building a phantom you want it to be right.

 

I seen to remember prior to the muscle car taking over a 62 impala htp especially if it had a 300 Hp 327 was a desirable car. By 1965 the mustang was it. A 289 mustang if it could get traction would smoke a 283 tri five. Then by 68 the Camaro was the car to have if you was a chevy guy. And a firebird with a 400 & 4 speed was really a handful. I owned lots of mustangs ,Camaros & firebirds in the late 60,s and until reciently. I sold my 69 firebird a couple of years ago. however it seems every week I turn down offers to buy my 55 and 56 chevys.

 

Its funny the '64.5 and '65 Mustang was not an especially expensive car. More then I would have had but not especially expensive. By the '80s they were going real high. Way more then the original purchase price. Some cars just seem to have that little niche of time that they are really valuable.

 

When the 57 was new my cousin's boyfriend had a powder blue 2 door hardtop. I don't know what performance goodies it had but the engine compartment was beautiful. I don't recall what engine was in it. It was equipped with a straight line floor shifter and instructions to me were not to touch. Yeah right! I think it was lowered with full length lakes pipes.
I do know that Playboy magazines were stored under the seat.

 

The jealousy i have for you guys is unreal. I was born in 98 so i never got to see any of this stuff happen and never will. It makes me think about buying a g body or box gm though for sure to stash away...


What'cha got in there, kid?