Hot Rods Low to No Optioned Cars

I once owned a '59 Chevy Brookwood 2 door station wagon 6 cylinder, stick, rubber mat, radio delete, basically what I refer to as "a heater & keys" however it did have a factory chrome tissue dispenser, go figure!

 

Wish you had that wagon now, I’d buy it off you!

 

My '62 Belair was originally a 6cyl, 3 on the tree car that I bought back in '01. It came from the factory with only two options, factory radio and dual rear antennas one of which if a dummy! The rarest thing about this car as that it came from the most northern part of NY state and spent it's winters indoors. It is still sporting it's 2nd coat of Laurel green that it got back in the late 70's over pristine sheet metal.

 

Me to, just 1 of many that I wished I'd kept!

 

My 57 Pontiac came with a radio and I believe the heater was standard at the time. Had lo compression 347, 2 barrel, 3 speed stick, dog dish caps on 14 inch wheels. Nothing else. There was a little shop across the street from where I worked and it had a light green 65 GTO parked outside. Guy was trying to sell it for his son in the military...wanted $250 for it. It was a stripper with no options, 389 single 4 barrel and a 3 speed floor shift. I passed because it didn't have a 4 speed. [slapping self on head]

 

I think one could call my 37 Chevy p/u a no option vehicle since it came from the factory as a cab and chassis and did not have a inside rear view mirror or sunvisor and definately no heater,one of the lowest optioned cars I seen was a 55 Ford 4 door with a six and 3 speed,no radio or clock and had the basic heater which looks like a dealer add on.

 

One of my first cars,was a used $75 Henry J,4cly,rubber floor mats,no glovebox.no trunk. I fixed that stuff by adding a Olds Rocket 88 and full customed the rest. Was in Car Craft mag. 1963 Jan.

 

I think they call 'em "strips". My truck was originally purchased for a county conservation commission. In those days government spending was more carefully monitored than today. No radio, no emergency flashers. 3 on the tree. Does have the DeLuxe fresh air heater.

 

My 36 Plymouth business coupe I bought many years ago from the original owner has NO options. It was sold new in Iowa with no heater. One wiper, one taillight, no oil filter, no ash tray and, of course, black. Nothing else. Hans would always park it in the barn in the winter.

 

I have a 62 Belair two door the only options are a power glide and two tone paint. Black with a white top, I have the original invoice and If I remember right the two tone option was 19.00 dollars. I also have a 65 Belair wagon that was a six cylinder three on the tree no power anything it has a twelve bolt rear end in it, I'm not sure if the twelve bolt was standard on a wagon or not.

 

This is my 1950 Ford business coupe. Original black car, ( Earl Sheib re-paint ) No rear seat. Fixed quarter windows. No windshield or rear window trim and painted center windshield divider. Clock, heater, radio and cigarette lighter delete. One interior light, one sun visor. Horn button only, no horn ring. Rubber mats, no arm rest, cardboard door panels. (had) Flathead 6, 3 speed.

 

As @36roadster says above, most non-US cars of our era weren't long on options. My Morris Minor has no heater, no defrost, no screen washer, exterior door lock on the driver's door only, no brake booster, no temperature gauge, single-speed wipers. A heater was optional (in the UK at least.) PO fitted the seat belts on mine.

Even my 1994 DD was originally a price-leader model with no tach, no intermittent wipers, no hatch wiper, no heated rear window, no door armrests. It's since grown a tach, an extra half-litre of displacement, and a fifth gear.

 

Wow.

 

Got this 53 Mainline several years ago. A totally basic tudor: base engine, manual tranny, no overdrive, no radio. Even no passenger visor or armrest! (Added those with new interior!). As stripped down as one could get from FoMoCo in 1953.

 

My 54 Chevy 150 Sedan in front of the previous owners place. No sun visor on the passengers side and the glove box is painted metal instead of the chrome trim the 210's and Bel Air's had.

 

I really like those 150 57's.

 

Since a few OT's have snuck in, here's one that always stuck in my mind. A friend's uncle bought a new '69 SS 396 Chevelle 300 Deluxe (2dr post). Bench, rubber mat, 375/4sp. Shit-knuckle brown, black vinyl interior. I could have bought the car, early 90s, used up but all there, still running with a 307. (But I knew where the original BB was). Cheap. Passed like a dumb ass....

 

That's a cool color. Or shade or whatever. Are old school colors reproducible with modern paint? Sure doesn't seem like it.

 

I really like the stripped down models. Easier to build and less crap to go haywire!

 

Glad to see a Ford Mainline posted, in many cases turn signals were optional and dealers would install the clamp on units.

 

I'm with you belair!
Did you see this 150 from one of my other posts?
Not mine but it showed up one day many years ago in front of my house.
It's not the utility sedan due to the roll down rear side glass but I bet it was about as stripped as they come.

 

Saw a nice turquoise one in Floydada last week. Might be Don Hardy's. I like em two toned A LOT.

 

My 54 Pontiac is a base model.. it does have signals, a radio, clock and heater but otherwise its stripped down. 239 flathead six 3 speed manual.

 

1957 Sedan Utility, old Oregon State Patrol car, no nothing but a factory front sway bar & heater at time of delivery..............................

 

My dad ordered a brand new 59 Biscayne 4door . Heater , 348 3 speed on the column and posi.

 

20171118_071402-jpg by Mike posted Aug 30, 2018 at 11:55 AM

20161212_153338-jpg by Mike posted Aug 29, 2018 at 1:36 PM

1959 Chevy Brookwood 2 door wagon, 235 6cyl, bolt action 3 speed, radio and basic heater.

1957 Chevy 150 Busuness Coupe, no back seat, fixed rear quarter windows, radio, no heater. Original drivetrain was 235 6cyl, bolt action 3 speed, current drivetrain is somewhat updated.

1957 Chevy Sedan Delivery, radio, heater. Original drivetrain was 235 6cyl, bolt action 3 speed, current drivetrain somewhat updated.

 

My '54 Ford coupe is a Mainline, V8 stick, radio and clock delete, in that nice engine-turned dash panel. Has back seat. I've collected Customline chrome, 'cuz with the plain sides, it looks like a WW1 tank.
With its wide, reversed steel wheels (Buick outer rims) oversize black tires and '60 Ford poverty caps, it looks like the 'sleeper' it is.
Fresh 406, close ratio 3 speed toploader (Jeep tower & stick) and 9-inch butt w/4.11s it's the perfect 'town car'.
I used to SEE this car in Aptos, Ca. (Santa Cruz county) An elderly man drove it daily, although it was in my neighborhood I never could locate it! (1974; I was looking for this model...a '54 Coupe! Had a plethora of them before)
Fast forward 20 years: Visiting my son, San Jose, one rainy day. He sees this '54 Ford in the classifieds. "Let's go look!"
I declined, no $$$ for another car...he insisted. We went to the foothills, up the winding new street, modern house, and in the yard on a car trailer? That elusive Aptos '54 Ford Coupe!
Son Rich ('rich son') bought it on the spot. ("It's almost Fathers' Day"...)
We got his trailer, loaded it, and drove it here (120 miles) and put it in the barn.
Rich swears it was worth it...I got it running and it was the FIRST column shift car he ever drove!
Thank you, Sonny.

 

I have a 1964 Dodge 330 station wagon , automatic and p/s are only options

 

I sold this '62 nova droptop last summer. It was the biggest stripper since Stormy Daniels. Reverse light delete, seat belt delete, it did have an am radio and a heater. Unlike Stormy though the top went down manually.

 

My 64 has no radio, heater, armrests or hubcaps, only one wiper and sunvisor. No sound deadening or firewall mat and no carpets or trunk mat. Darn poverty pack with only front seat belts and none in the rear. I can't even afford high beam only headlamps or tyres with tread