Projects 1957 Fiesta Wagon or 1958 Caballero??

Well, I bought the Olds last night, this is the car I bought. I will needs a good parts car is someone know of a 4dr Hartop! I will be selling my 58 Buick Estate Wagon Post model 49.

 

Darn. I was going to tell you to go for the Buick but then let me know where the Olds is.
Good choice. Seems like I saw that Olds somewhere before, from NM you say?

 

Way to go. I have a 57 Caballero but would rather have a 57 Fiesta

 

It was in Austin Texas, at least that's where I saw the ad a week ago . Looks to be a good starter


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Yep, it was drug out of a wrecking yard in Roswell New Mexico by the PO. But, he had it on Craigslist 45 minutes from my house!!

 

Congratulations ! You made the right choice!

 

Great choice, matter of fact. I remember my neighbor's '57 Olds 88 J-2 stick...First car I ever rode in that would go 55 in Low GEAR! Sorry for shouting, but then? It was something to shout about!
Damned Olds was long-legged as a frog...Leap outa the hole, pull you into the seat...Torque City!!! Then go thru the gears, 100 was right there...then more...as he had lifted his foot off the pedal, still accelerating!
Took a moment to decel...Vacuum secondary linkage, scary...Hot Rod Mag ran an article on replacing it with progressive linkage. He bought the "Pro Link" kit from my pal Chic Cannon, ('Noise by Cannon' Speed Shop, Santa Clara)
I helped (actually DID the job) Recall marking the butterflies when replacing throttle shafts with the longer ones for "Pro-Link". He was impressed.

 

Congrats ! Enjoy ! Good Iuck ! Keep us posted on progress, From the Pic, looks like a great start. IMO when it's done you will have a rare, valuable, Kool ride, met a gentleman that had one w/ the J2 setup, nicely restored and it was for sale, at that time big $$$, I was in the process of retiring, moving, not sure if I wanted to have that much cash in another hobby car, one of many woulda/shoulda/coulda moments in retrospect.

 

Well, I do plan to do 95% of the work myself. But some of it won't be HAMB friendly, like the powertrain. I have a 650hp LSX that will be under the hood. The body and interior will remain completely stock, lowered stance. Not sure about billet or steel wheels with white walls yet, but they will be larger diameter to clear the big brakes.

 

Why do you need a parts car when everything is there?

 

I think it would be cheaper than sourcing the parts individually. The bumpers and dash are rough, passenger fender and some of the window frames in the doors are MIA. The interior is really really bad, it sat for years in the dessert sun with no front windows. There is only minor rust in the bottoms of the front floors thankfully, but a complete car that could also be used to see how all of it is supposed to go back together could be useful.

 

I would be happy to have ether one in my garage,both wagons have their own attributes,the Fiesta has a simpler look whereas the Caballero is more upscale with all the stainless & chrome. HRP

 

Good luck with it.


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Roswell wrecking yard. yep, knew I've seen it before. Just passed thru Roswell this morning on my way to Texas, was thinking about that yard.

 

So the car was originally Pink with a White roof. Would y'all be comfortable enough in your manliness to repaint it Pink or would something else be better? I love orange, but not sure it would look right on this car.

 

A darker or 'dirtier' orange would fit a 50s vibe. I'd avoid anything too loud like Hugger Orange or Calypso Coral. Spray it over a black base too. A dirty white as well, it'll pop the vintage orange more and still give it a proper vibe. Wimbledon White always works. No shame in my game, plenty fine with my gender (hear that college kids?) but I wouldn't go pink. You'll be stuck with it for life. One of the 53 Fiesta conv combinations was white/orange. Always liked it. Congrats, good choice, way kool car.

 

Calypso Coral is one of my all time favorite car colors!!! I have a couple of '70 Mach 1s that hue. But I get what you are saying about it not being classy enough for this ride.

 

styleliner, maybe classy isn't the thing. I guess I too made an assumption about intent and desire here. Sorry for that. I tend to think of things as "correct" 1st due to my daily gig (restoration). The Ford is my favorite too, loved it since day 1 on the 65s. Full custom? wide open and paint it anything, a "right" color on a car with period styling changes, different ballgame.

 

A little history regarding the colour pink. Children's clothes up to the last bit of the 18th century were white; easier to bleach clean. Around that time it was "decided" that girls would be wearing blue as it was thought to be a softer colour and boys were wearing pink as it was a stronger colour. After WW II things were reversed. No way could the clothes be handed down in either situation to a child of the opposite sex as was the norm when both sexes wore white. Way to go marketers!!! In short colour is merely reflected light waves. So as to being assured of your sexuality how delicate must one be to be threatened by light waves? Paint it Tropical Rose ('55 Ford) and Wimbeldon White and you will turn heads with that wagon. Really hits the late "50's colour vibe right in the eyes!

 

The Fiesta could have been ordered with the 371 high compression V-8 , 3x2 Rochesters and a 4 speed Hydromatic!

 

Great car!! My folks had one new with all options-J2,ac,etc and a pull out radio as I recall-light blue and white. That car was fast for the time. I got stopped in Nevada in 60 pulling a boat to Lake Mead going 85 mph! My dad was snoozing-no ticket but quite a lecture. It was mainly my mom's car and they kept it til 63 then a High School teacher bought it-was around town for many years.

 

Pink, you bet, no problem. My parents had a pink and white 58 Pontiac when we were kids, cool looking in the early 60's and I think it would be cool today.

Cliff Ramsdell

 

I know of a 57 Olds post wagon parts car here in Missouri. It's rough but pretty complete. There are several other 57 Olds cars for parts in the same yard as well. I took inventory because I was also considering a Fiesta wagon project. PM me for info.

 

The Olds is just a better looking car, and that's across all platforms of it.

 

since we are spending your money and not ours I'd say buy the other one too. as for pink... I knew a guy who had a pink 1958 Impala and a pink 1960 Buick. one or both were painted by Art Himsl (?) so you can imagine how nice they were. I used to tell him if they were mine the first thing I'd do is go get them painted black. then drive the hell out of them and get rock chips in the paint. that comment always lead to an interesting discussion.

 

Definitely the olds.!

 

I'll always have a preference for that 1957 Olds metallic gold mist, paired with the red spear insert. Perhaps because on a cool fall evening in '64 I had my very first 'experience' in the front seat of a gold 394 powered '57 Olds HT. She was a hot one alright.

 

Man, that Buick is UGLY, FEO

 

Good choice! share some pictures when you get a chance.

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