I hear it on here all the time; but in the 80s, I had a friend who referenced his friend's "Shoe box Nova" all the time. Please explain the ins and outs of the term. Feel like a jek being in hotrodding for so long and not knowing the meaning. Was it a factory term, racing term, stripped down and gutted term? Oh, and happppppppppy holidays to everyone on the Hamb!!!
Hard to say who first referred to the '49-'51 Fords as Shoeboxes, but it was because of the totally new styling with slab-sided looks, a complete change from the '46-48. I've also heard of box Novas referred to as shoeboxes, as well as tri-five Chevies, though not as often. In the hot-rodding world I have to believe when someone mentions a shoebox, most would think of the Fords.
I'm sure when they were first released the '49 Fords were quite the sight to see going down the road. All new for the most part (still with flatheads ), Ford really played up the complete makeover in their advertising campaigns. Styling was all new but much of the engineering was still a carry-over.
A point of interest, the '49 design was not intended for production. The car that became the '49 Merc was slated to be the post-war Ford, but it was too expensive. The "shoebox" was a design study, and was rushed into production before it was really ready. That's why there are no hood or trunk springs, and why the trunk rides on outside hinges. All cost savings for the post-war market.
To the contrary, the first time I heard the term it was in reference to a two door "T" Ford. Before the 49-51 Fords were called that.
I first heard the term "shoebox" referring to 49-51 fords in the little pages of Rod & Custom, back in the early 60's. Might of been in a Karl Kohler story, but at my age ,who the hell knows.
I had a "shoebox Nova" back in high school, a 66 Chevy II, and it really looked like a shoebox, I mean square man, square!...Brian
Whether this is right or wrong it's also when and where I heard it known as the 49-51 Ford body styles. There were several colorful automotive writers who often came up with their own ways to describe cars and parts. Maybe the same guy who started the Deuce name, the Flat Head, Gow Job, Hot Rod, and others. Also when mom bought my shoes the came in a shoebox from the shoe store .
Ooooooh, gotta disagree there lothiandon1940 - completely new suspension system front and rear amounts to a heap of new engineering to go with the jet-age styling. One of the reasons why rodding is only considered as going to '48. The most significant step forward for Ford since the T, and a real watershed year for automobiles in general. Yeah, this has nothing to do with why they call them Shoeboxes, just providing my $0.02 worth. Cheers.
Have NEVER heard that before. I asked a couple of Really old (over 80) cats I know and they have never heard that either. I wonder if it was a regional thing or what? They did tell me that they were calling 49 Fords a Shoebox pretty much from the day they came out!
.....Good point. I should have been more specific. The flathead sixes and eights were a carryover though there may have been a little more h.p. Were the 6cyl. cars rated @ 90hp and the V-8s @ 100 in '49?
last thread claimed wikipedia said it was a term meant for tri five chevys......common sense agrees "BOXEY" looking cars regardless of make started with 49 fords
the 49 mercury was originally to be the ford, when it was shown to the ford-mercury dealers they were to say the least disgusted that they and the lincoln guys were getting stuck trying to sell for at least another year a rehashed pre-war model. thankfully ford listened to the L-M guys and cranked out what we revere today as the shoe-box. not bad for a rush job.
My friends and I referred to the '49-'51 Fords as "shoeboxes" in 1956. (That was in San Jose, California.) Most cars up through '48 were "Fatties", which referred to the fat fenders and generally bulbous styling of most cars. Although I have heard of Tri-5 Chevies referred to as shoeboxes, I don't buy it. The only cars that should be referred to as shoeboxes are '49-'51 Fords.