Can't understand the tri-five craze

I'm not trying to stir the pot, but I can't understand why there is so much enthusiasm and demand for '55-'57 chevy cars. I understand it was revolutionary and all that, but the fact that they bring so much money and are SOOOO very common at just about any show, cruise or swap meet.

I could understand if they were hard to find, but just the opposite. I can buy 5 or more off of my local craigslist at any given time. They are so common that I have grown to really dispise them. I like the chev's up until '55 and then again in the 60's but really don't understand the '55-'57 craze.

Again, I'm not trying to be insulting or stirring the pot, just trying to understand. I was not around in the 50's so maybe it has something to do with the time in people's lives when they came out.

Help me understand.

 

i happen to love the 57 myself. dont own one but was one of the first cars i fell in love with as a kid. i do agree that the tri5 chevs are extremely common but i am a chevy fan and still appreciate all of them. so much aftermarket stuff is out there for them that any shell can be turned into a show car with the right amount of money. not to into the whole building a complete car on shiney new aftermarket parts, but there seems to be a BIIIIIG following towards that. i agree, they are way to overrated but i do love them all...

 

If you dont like them, why do you care what money they bring

 

Supply and Demand.

Why do people want and pay big bucks for pre war Fords, millions made, poor fit and finish dirt cheap when a few years old.

Shit I might sell all my stuff and look for something no one wants.

 

An example of what i consider my dream tri-5 car.

 

I don't really care what money they bring. Like I said I'm just trying to understand why. I would personally gladly pay more for a '53-'54 belair than a trifive belair, but luckily for me the '53-'54 are damn cheap by comparison.

 

I've had my 56 for 30 years. Here's why I like tri-fives: easy to work on, stock parts are available and fairly cheap, after market stuff is out there to improve suspensions, etc. It takes a really "different" tri-five to make me look, a lot of them are too similar in execution and in that sense they get boring.

 

I dont understand it either, maybe its cause people saw them so much in movies like american graffiti, two lane blacktop and road house 66. Another theory of mine is when people think tri five they think gasser and gassers are whats cool right now....

 

I would say it's probably because they were the first to really be available with a performance V-8, and that made swapping in later/larger V-8's a breeze. I'm on my 10th 56 since I caught the bug, but I've also had 55's and 57's, cars and trucks. I'm glad you don't care for them, leaves us that more opportunities. I have a friend that deals in 55-57 Chevrolet cars AND parts, without them, he'd be living a very lean life. For the longest time, these cars were considered to be almost disposable, not any more; even hulks bring good money. Take a look at the vendors availalble, not to mention the reproduction companies. I can't think of another year/make that comes anywhere near the tri-five Chevrolets. Must be some reason for it all, and it's not because we're dumb. It's kind of like the Powerglide transmission, there was a time when no one wanted a Glide, now they're the trans of choice for most drag cars. You can even build a Powerglide without using any stock parts, that's how big the industry has grown. Same thing with the tri-five Chevrolet's, you can virtually buy/build one new using aftermarket/reproed parts. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

Yeah, thats the same kind of thing we keep hearing about Model A's and '32s...

And maybe thats it.

They both were the first to be sold with what became iconic engines...

 

they have always been desired.....if i have to explain it you will never understand

 

As stated before, supply and demand...and you're right, they seem to be everywhere, until you go looking for a good one.... so the supply is high, ( again, until you go looking for a GOOD one) the price is high, so therefore, the demand must also be extremely high. I know that everytime mine is out on the street, somebody wants to buy it.

BTW, I wasn't around in the 50's either, but I have wanted one since I was a little guy in the 70's / 80's....probably had something to do with my Dad's extensive Hotrod Magazine collection.

To each his own I guess, I really don't quite get the facination with 32 fords, I mean, yes, they're cool and all, but the prices, not worth anymore than a Model A to me I guess....and your favorites ??? while I've seen some cool ones, I wouldn't really ever consider buying one.

Look at it this way, instead of trying to figure out what's "wrong" with all the people who love tri-5's, just count you blessings that you like a car deemed less desireable by the general (car person) public.

 

Saw a bone-stock restored '57 BelAir outsell a bone-stock restored '57 Vette, on a Mecum rerun. That's a head scratcher right there.

My dad always comments on how ugly he thought they looked, and how much he disliked them, when they first came out. "I guess I missed the boat on that one" Admittedly he's warmed-up to them, in recent years. "It only took 50 years" He sheapishly admits.

 

Read this:

http://www.searchautoparts.com/searchautoparts/cashing-tri-5-chevrolet-phenomenon

 

That's another thought I had...The initial introduction of the flathead ford V8, and the SBC, while not the end all be all of hotrod engines, certainly the two most popular powerplants in hotrodding ever. Of course, most of the HAMB hates the SBC too....

 

Well said. Maybe the dude should find a different hobby like Crochet.

 

I had 3, I will have another.can't explain it.they get in your blood

 

[QUOTE="T'RANTULA";8141603]I dont understand it either, maybe its cause people saw them so much in movies like american graffiti, two lane blacktop and road house 66. Another theory of mine is when people think tri five they think gasser and gassers are whats cool right now....[/QUOTE]

Wrong,you don't have a clue to what you are saying. You are shooting in the dark. They were popular from Day 1. So popular in 50s and 60s, if your parents didn't own one, your Uncle did, or your cousin, or your brother, or yourself. In short, you either had one or knew someone who had one. They were so popular that Chevrolet tried to recapture that popularity when it came out with the Chevelle in 64. Same wheel base and size. Same body styles.

 

They have both mass and niche appeal (does that make sense?). 'That song' put the 57 in the minds of just about everyone and they've passed into common culture. Even over here in the UK tell someone you've got a Chevy Bel Air and they will go "Oh a 57 Chevy?" and they weren't even available over here at the time (well, not in any significant numbers anyway)! I like them but they're a bit like the WWII Jeep (Willys or Ford versions)... they are nowhere near as rare as the guy in the street thinks they are and with the enormous spares backup availble their numbers aren't diminishing and some folk are rebuilding them up from an oil spot on the floor! And like a WWII Jeep I'd have one, but I just don't want to pay waaay over the odds when there are so many other types to choose from.

 

What dont you understand about this?

 

You..either..do!.........Or..you..don't!!........Sorry..No..fix!

 

Growing up in the late 60s / early 70s, they were everywhere in every form. Stock, street gassers, oval track racers, primered high school cars, etc. I remember them well, and I wanted one from an early age. They are easy and cheap to fix, and drive train swaps are crazy simple. They dominated various drag classes for years, and were the drag car of choice if you could not afford or didn't want a Musclecar. Also, my first house had a very small garage. A Buick or Olds was simply too long. The Chevy fit with a couple of inches to spare.

 

Not my favorite but I wouldn't complain for a nice '57 4-door hardtop.

They're popular because they used to be common and cheap and easy to hop up, so most folks have fond memories of them. So now that they're adults and have play money they want a nice one again. Not that hard to understand.

 

Ever take a nice long look at all the chrome on a '57 Belair????...
WOW!!!.. There's your answer!....

 

I understand unfortunately, I just don't like 'em all that much. The thing that I truly don't understand is, I saw a kid with a Mazda T-shirt the other day. Do people honestly like Mazda's? I mean seriously? Like Mazda? That I just cant understand or believe.
Or anchovies, What the F@#k is with them things, honestly? Anchovies? Yuk! Although I like Olives, nice big black Kalamata olives (That almost sounds wrong!), but I don't like chocolate either? Go figure!

Doc.

 

My dad said to me the same thing, well not exactly those words, this was in 1976... These cars have always been popular between the dirt racers and drag racers.

 

Not really sure why they're so very popular compared to other years but a friend of mine has a 100 percent stock beautiful black 1950 Chevy and I like it just as much as a 56 or 57.

 

There just cool cars, when I had hair, i could open the wing window on my 55 sedan and dry my hair on the way to work......