What would it look like ? Chrome OEM's, or Cragars, or Torq Thrusts ??? Paint ? Lowered ? Raised ? Or stock height ?? My father in law built a 55 hardtop that eventually ended up in my uncle's hands 3 states away, and years before I met my wife......I was flabergasted to see a picture of my uncle's car hanging on his wall when I met him. I've always wanted that car, but can't get the current owner to turn loose of it.....I've called twice a year for seven years since my wife's father passed away.......Well, I finally got one of my own now, and while I'm not looking to build a clone or anything, I still see that car when I think about what to do to mine. It wore Cragar's, RWL tires, tufted black vinyl interior....basically a 70's theme. Basically, I'd like to see some good picture's of tri 5 chevy's as they were modified in 1965-68 or so..... as you can see, the car really needs a makeover...... Thanks
In 1965, the Crager 5-spoke was starting to replace the Chrome reverse wheels of the late `50s, and early `60s.
Typically, I'm not a cragar fan.....Maybe it's memories of a 17 year old in love with his Uncle's car that make me like them on ONLY that car...
I was sooooooooo poor back then...My 55 had chrome reverse wheels with stock center caps...original 235/3 speed O.D. with 4.11s. The light brown and white paint job had black primer spots on it when I bought it. I considered it a beater then but looking back it was a very solid, complete daily driver. It was dead-nuts reliable too.
I think these rims are oversize for 1965 but the overall look is not bad. Lots of gasser stance cars of course in the mid '60's transitional era.
I remember the neighbors 55 it was UP in the nose with cragars on the front and maybe stock high in the rear with chromies.......amd serious motor and LOUD pipes...........OH and a Muntz 4 track with chrome round speakers in the front doors,and the right side seat cover was a blonde with huge hair and boobs
Just seen this on another thread,.... I cleaned this one up for a pal,..... 30 year old Lacquer and all. And this is it after he put on the new wheels & tires,.. ( I liked the old ones better)
Now here's a look only a mother could love, looks like a four wheel drive mud truck. A real street freak. A very ugly look. CRUISER [/I]
The "mag" wheel really started to get popular in '67. They were available earlier but you rarely saw them. The chrome Cragar SS was more costly than the more common ones with painted spokes and polished outer rim, so you only saw the SS's on the higher end builds. All that aside, the black spokes were my favorite, as the chromed jobs make the car look like it is more show than go.
Most us us that were still in school, and nothing more than a part-time job, would run stock rims with no hubcaps.
I was pretty young back then but from what I remember, I'd consider Cragar S/S wheels with redlines (RWL tires didn't arrive big on the street until about '69 or '70), slight nose down rake, floor shift with a bench seat, chrome exhaust tips straight out under the rear bumper, maybe a tube grille. Under the hood, a SBC with finned Corvette valve covers and a chrome air cleaner like a louvered one off a mid-sixties GTO. Here's a couple pics of a model of a '57 that I built, trying to capture the flavor of the mid-60s. Sorry about the quality of the pics, but I think you get the idea.
Nothing looks better on a Tri-5 than chrome reverse with baby moons. I'm sure I'm biased by having one like that in the mid 60's but they just look right. '59 / '61 either way and 62 newer with mags. It's just the way I grew up I suppose.
Not a 55 but this is what a 57 would like in my area in 1965. It was built to look like a " Hight school kids custom" being built with no money for paint yet !!! I guess I'm that "Kid" at 65 years of age now !!!!! LOL Tom (Tired old man)
...here's my 55 from the mid 60's, this was a very typical car for the times. I reversed the rims myself, and raised the whole car to look somewhat like a car that mite run at the strip. This one had faded browm/cream paint, a 235 six cyl. with a stick overdrive trans. It was a very fun car; wouldn't mind havin it back but I spose it's long gone now.
Here's one of the '57's I owned in 1966...pretty much state-of-the-art around Denver at that time: 327", 4-speed, chromes, tach on the dash, raised up, white letter tires ... R-
This really isn't a question one can answer in one particular way. IMO rusty1's is very, very typical of 55's in the mid 60's. If you had a little extra money you might buy a set of chrome wheels. In certain parts of the country, you could find the low riders but they didn't look like the car Mike51 posted. I recall a few cars being low riders simply because of the fact the suspension was shot. Moriarity's car is a perfect example of what you might see on the show circuit. On a rare occasion, on the street but not often. Really, with a car like that, it's still the same. IMO there isn't a "correct" way to make a mid 60's street car. There are incorrect ways. I personally love the Street Freaks but they came later. Abombs car is pretty typical for what I would see as a new driver in the mid/late 70's.
...got this 56 hardtop rite after the 55 tudor, very typical also, bored out 283, 4 barrel, 3 speed on the floor, black interior, bucket seats, chrome reverse, dual pipes with glasspacks, another great car to drive. Believe this or not, I bought this car as is for $350 !! ...those were the days!
oldpaint just duplicated the picture in my head ..... Harms Way, I liked the old wheels alot more on your friends car too...... Mark, I love your blue 55, I saw it in Salina. It's a little more custom than I'm aiming for, and it's stunning in person..... Meatball, I love the street freak ( that red car is way past gasser ) look too, but I don't think I want one myself......
I've got to recover financially a little bit, but If I get rid of my sidepipes, and change my wheels, I'm there.........
I NEVER saw a racecar that was even close to being this tall.In fact there were rules against it. Like was said earlier, it's a 70's/80's street freak look. A lot of them in the mid sixties sat like this, rocker panel slightly lower than spindle. That would be somewhere around 10" off the ground. Larry T