A to B: Little “Angel on a Buick” FASTBACK, THAT IS... Hello, It must have been my early association with my dad’s Buick Sedanette Fastback that drew me to fastback sedans. From the time I could sit, stand, walk, I went everywhere with my dad. It was open the door, jump in and let’s go. I could not see out at all, so sometimes I would stand on the seat or floorboard hanging on for dear life. Of course, when the Buick was parked at home, I was crawling inside, taking a nap, playing long distance driver, and fiddling with every knob on the dash. It was my built in playground. The nap part was the best as no one knew where I was and it was very quiet inside of that big Buick. This early fastback car experience influenced me during the early days of drag racing. we all had people we admired and tried to emulate. Gene Adams was one of those racers. The plus factor was his fast, Oldsmobile Fastback ,record setting sedan. Drive on the street, pop the hubcaps and go racing on Saturdays at Lions Dragstrip. Gene Adams, a So Cal racer/builder extraordinaire, had a fast 50 Olds Fastback that was the National Record Holder in B/Gas back in 58-59. Jnaki 1/64 SCALE MODEL Gene Adams’ Oldsmobile Sedan So Cal Record Holder in B/Gas Coupes and Sedan Class 1958-59… "Engine builder, Gene Adams already was a drag racing legend from his exploits with his famed dark blue '50 Olds fastback that dominated the coupe and sedan classes from Saugus to Santa Ana." "The March ’58 issue of HRM featured Adams’ oblique B/Gas ’50 Olds fastback sedan. Adams was busy grinding up speed records at the Okey City Nationals (111.24 mph) and the Santa Ana drags (112.77 mph)." “I had a Ford coupe, too, but my Dad’s new ’50 Olds 88 fastback was superior in terms of acceleration. We raced it in Stock class at Saugus and Santa Ana. You gotta realize that ‘stock’ wasn’t stock. They ran the Stocker in the ’52-’53 season. Then Gene’s dad sold it to him, and Gene began hopping it up for the Gas Classes because just about anything was legal. They added more carburetors, a high-revving mechanical camshaft, and reworked the Olds cylinder heads to complement the increase in airflow.” “The highlight of the two-page spread was a GMC-supercharged 370-inch Olds motor. Gene had sunk the pockets in the polished combustion chambers with cut-down Chrysler exhaust valves (1-¾-inch to 11-1/16) and GMC 1-7/8-inch intake valves. Then he welded dividers into the Siamesed exhaust ports so the spent gases from the two middle combustion chambers were channeled separately, thus producing a mild tuning effect." He won major NHRA events (B/Gas Coupe at the ’57 NHRA Nationals in Oklahoma City) But, if it is a 49-50 Chevy Fastback Sedan that twiddles your memories, check out Bones Balogh's sedan. THEN IN OCT. 1960... This 671 SBC/Strombergs was similar to our 671 SBC set up for our 40 Willys C/Gas coupe that we built in June 1960.
Here´s a well-known, Finnish ´48 Olds large- "C"-body ´98 "Futuramic". Originally a salvage-yard rescue from the mid-seventies, this car was completely re-built in Finland during the late ´70s by some pretty talented and most perseverant people. At the time it was the only known example of it´s kind in the land, and parts availability was practically non-existent. Painted in dazzling large-flake metallic blue popular at the time, it went on to win an award in the 1979 Stockholm Hot Rod Show. It currently resides in Espoo Auto Museum in Espoo, Finland, whose logo can be seen on the door. This car is most handsome in person, and started my admiration of the large-body ´48-49 GM fastbacks decades ago. Photo credits unknown.
Yes, much better! Now there's the same flow in the lines in fenders and the roof. In the 1st photo the roof and trunk were just cut off a 1950 and welded an independent entity on a 1957 body. Stodgy has worked on the roof lines - re-shaped the roof and trunk to integrate them with the lines found on the base body and 1957 trim moldings.
My dad had the first '49 Olds 98 fastback in Saskatchewan. He was very proud of that car but when I was 12 or so I was telling him about the super cool Mustang fastbacks. He said that they would be terrible since you couldn't see out the back window. I would love to find a '49 to honour him. When I was looking for a '47-48 Buick convertible I found one but I had to buy the package of the convertible, sedan, and sedanette. (All for five grand.) I prefer the more gentle slope of the '49 rather than the '47 I have but I will keep it and start on it eventually. Maybe lower it a tad. My metal working skills will never be up to the level of chopping the car.
"Forgotten"? They are fondly remembered by lots of folks. There just weren't as many as the more boxy models is all. Good idea to have a thread featuring them.
Hello, Impressive as it was, fastback sedans just seem to be moving, especially at the drags. Here is another photo by Doyle Hatfield of Bones Balogh's 49 Chevy Fastback at the drags. Jnaki JUNE 1960 "In 1955, when Lion's drag strip opened, Bones took his '38 Chevy down there. He couldn't keep up with the guys until he got hold of a 283 Chevrolet V-8 and put in into a '49 Chevy. This was when he was hanging out with Ed Iskendarian and they became life-long friends. Bones went to work for Isky working on motors, grinding cams and dreaming up ways to make more power. Bones was at Isky from 1960-66 and anything Bones wanted to do when it came to drag racing was fine with Ed. In fact, Ed would help him out. They had over 250 wins at Lion's drag strip with that '49 Chevy and after putting a big 671 blower on it - it ran 113 mph and was unbeatable!" a final series of photos: before the 671 supercharger...
Forgotten... not for me! I think about mine every day since I bought and working on it for 4 years now! Flipping steering from right to the left... Using a olds dash. I also have all the chevy-parts, but the old work better for custom gauges etc. Car is lowered, has a V8 (350/TH350) now, All bodywork will be done soon, everything will be sandblasted and coated. To shop the top on these "Aerosedan" isn´t necessary I think! Hope to get it done soon... can´t wait to make my first ride! Greetings from Berlin/Germany Oliver
my 47 is up and running, still got loads to do, hopefully put on air this year still love the shape and flow, I am still looking for the little stainless curved spear that sits over and above the splash guard on the front of the rear fenders,the only piece I am missing brilliant site its got it all ,rods , kustoms ,old , new ,, fabulous fifties, swingin sixties thanks all Paul UK
Yep a little too modern for this board but it is pretty rad. I am into oddball and have never actually owned a true full on custom (unless you consider my hot rodded '46 coupe from days of yore to be a custom) so maybe after the oddball dragster is done I'll start looking for a custom. I have never seen one of these done anyway but race and maybe it doesn't fit as its more of a slope back than a fast back but with a little imagination one of these would make a neat little micro custom.
No pics, but about an hour ago I saw a 47 Cadillac fastback on a roll back. I was afraid it might be headed to the scrap dealer. I called the tow company and he said he took it to a local shop that does restorations. It was just bought at an estate sale. I'll try to get pics when I go check it out.
Don't forget the oddball Volvos that were clearly designed as copycats of these lovely American fastbacks. The Volvo PV444 and 544 lasted from 1947 until 1966! To my eye, they looked a little odd from the factory, but, like the American fastbacks,the custom lovers among us made them much better. Factory: Customs:
Ok, I've been patient, didn't get demanding, thought someone woulda said "Yeah, it's this one..." and post more pics. I'll clarify; A few years back there was some show coverage and a Chev fastback like this was in it. What captured me was the chop. It was as if the top and deck were lowered into the car and appropriately shortened as well to maintain the proportions. I thought it was a brilliant approach. For all I know this isn't even the car, and I searched to no avail. Maybe it got lost in one of the boards Roto-Rooter sessions, maybe this pic hosting change wiped it out, but I'm hoping someone else was as taken by the work as much as I and saved it. I thought I did, but that might have been 2-3 'puters ago. BTW, I'm not demanding anything, I'm being optimistic...
This one is identified as Brad Masterson's and does grace the pages of Kustomrama...he is a Hamber and he built this car working with the late Bill Hines. I was just reading the story and what you are describing is what was done to this car @theHIGHLANDER and your correct it's a nice custom and I would like to have one just like it... https://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Brad_Masterson's_1951_Chevrolet Pic posted by Hamber @Lucky444 https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...old-style-kustoms.540032/page-37#post-7765745
In addition to the post #115 above... Heres a post by Hamber @The G00SE that shows a dvd on chopping a 54 Chevy top retaining original front and rear glass https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/untraditional-chop.948510/#post-1067259595
The fastback/ torpedo/ sedanette is a very beautiful body style. But, in my mind you have to go a long way to beat the '48 & '49 Cad sedanette, then comes the '41 and '49 Buick. After that it is a real toss up for third as I see it.
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