Art & Inspiration Whats the draw of 50s cars that......

I went through the front end on my '59 Ford, replaced everything. Whacked 1 coil out of the front springs and added a big sway bar up front. It drives very well for an old car. The alignment made a big difference.

 

Well said, Ben...
Except the part that your Crosley isn't cool. The formula for a fast hot rod... I mean, really fast... scary fast... has always been small car big engine. Such as your Crosley. And that's cool.

My Chrysler, now... it's got a bit of a weight handicap LOL. 4200 lbs curb weight. I'll put her on a bit of a weight loss program, but it'll never be a rompin stompin shagnasty. But 300 and maybe 400 HP or more in a big car still makes for a fun ride. And a comfortable one at that.

But as I leave the drive-in with my girl cuddled up next to me, you'll be the guy who blasts by us with your front tires half a foot off the ground.

Sent from my VS835 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I now have 1950 Ford Coupe & a 1954 Ford wagon sharing the garage with my old beater '32 sedan, first time ever having more fifty's cars than anything else.

There is no denying that the wagon is not more roomy and comfortable on long trips. HRP

 

In the 70s when the gas wars made these tanks unaffordable for the oldies to run ,us teenagers would pick em up for usually 600 dollars .We thrashed them and when they died we parted them out to finance the next model .57 chev 600 ,60Dodge 600 ,52 Pilot 800 ,. stuff like that .

 

Never thought I would get so many responses to the post. Glad no one was offended- we all have our preferences.

 

.....See what you started.

 

If gas economy is an issue get a 302. I have had both, the 302 was good for 20+ MPG, the 351 was good for 15 with a real sharp tuneup. Both in vehicles of similar size and weight. The 302 will move your Edsel nicely.

 

I have a 302 and a 5 speed transmission in the wagon on the interstate on my way to Memphis,Tenn. I saw a honest 23 miles to the gallon on he other had my '50 Ford Coupe has a 351 Cleveland and a c-4 transmission and if I take it easy I might get 12 miles to the gallon, if I don't it's more like 9-10 to the gallon. HRP

 

Oh, my heart palpitates for your '56 Vicky! Mine was a '56 convert, white on white...Much modification to the Yblock 292, T86 O.D. trans. Fast.
Owned 3 other '56 Ford hardtops, (one a crown Vic, '54 Cad engine/hydro!)
Following the '56's, I found a 'virgin' white '54 Ford coupe. $15, broken crankshaft. Drove it 2 miles home, replaced the engine with a .125" over 312, (336") 600 Holley, Isky E-2. FAAAST... I wagered for a 427 side oiler in Sacramento, an employee of mine (line mech at Town & Country Lincoln/Mercury) helped me plant it. '54 3 speed tranny was 'nervous'...
Real 'sleeper'. Raised up w/station wagon springs, Laher rear spring boosters, Traction Masters. Body color widened wheels (Buick outer rims/Ford centers) Looked 'stock', but 'husky'. No pipes hanging, just 2 chrome tips under the bumper.
Four more after that, all Coupes.
#1 son bought me the present one, paint is terrible, some dents, but am assembling a fresh 406 with heavy duty top loader 3 speed, Jeep tower with big stick...

That's the 'draw' for '50s cars...and my lovely '55 F100...

 

Remember too that they are really easy to customize, put a Bull nose on the hood, dual pipes, shave the trunk lid and put a teaneau cover over the back seat and "Bam!" You're happening. JW

 

I may have said the Crosley bit sort tongue in cheek. LOL

And you will have the chick magnet and comfort part in your pocket. There aint nuthin comfortable at all about a car that you literally have to screw yourself into. Hopefully the fun factor will way outweigh the discomfort (pain?) of driving it.

 

Hey E,

The majority of 50s cars were family automobiles. They were everyday workplace cars, the weekend road trip cars, and loaned out to teenagers for Friday night or Saturday night cruising. There was a doomed slogan that rang out at the drive-in parking lots…”Hey, driving mommy’s car again?” It was only to the teenage boys. The girls were usually driving mommy’s car. So they were off limits to anything but praise and complimentary stares.

You mentioned early Oldsmobile coupes and sedans. Those were plentiful as hot rods at the drags, but as the years progressed (or not) the Oldsmobile factory started to get big and wide, catering to the family sedan instead of a hot rod from the factory. So, the Oldsmobile sedans and station wagons were mommy and daddy’s cars.

One of our friend’s dad owned the local Oldsmobile dealership. She obviously drove her own Oldsmobile, but that was the only one in the cruising scene. The popular cars were Chevrolet and Ford. The others were scarce.
50’s street class racers

Jnaki
1959 pits : class staging lanes

Although the big 55-57 Buicks were big family sedans, there were some fanatics that made them go fast at the drags in So Cal. The Oldsmobiles, not so much. The Pontiacs were very low key, until the popularity of Mickey Thompson’s heroics.

Behind the staging gates near the start line:

Case in point: out of 15 cars in our teenage high school group. They were all different 50s Chevy makes, except for: 1 old Pontiac, 1 new Pontiac, 2 old Fords: 1 sedan, 1 coupe, and my one 40 Ford Sedan Delivery. But, with the "newish" mid 60s cars showing up, the stakes were changed. But, the Chevy/Ford sedans still ruled the street for quite some time. The 409/427s were hard to beat.

In the late 60s, we were interested in getting another 50’s hot rod and went to look at a 1950 two door Ford Coupe. It was black, had light grey upholstery, with a built up Flathead and a LaSalle floor shifter. The guy had several 50s cars and wanted to get rid of one. After looking at it, he refused the offer we made. On the way out of the over-stuffed garage in central OC, my wife said, it did not have A/C. Ha!

So, a couple of blocks in that same neighborhood, we also stopped by a small speed shop and saw the pristine 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery just sitting there waiting for us to buy it. My wife saw that it had a Chevy motor, auto trans, and of course, A/C. It was love at first sight. No more 1950s cars for us, now it was back to the 40s.

The sedan delivery took some time afterwards to get everything straight and running/driving well. With small stuff here and there, we made it look as good as it ran. It was similar in looks to my original 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery from high school, but with upholstery, a 327 and more power, PLUS, my wife’s favorite…A/C.

 

Easily summed: Personal Preference & Budget....what "turns your crank", and what you can afford. I am not concerned with anyone's opinion of my 54' four door, six cylinder, tree shifter, with 30-40 yr old paint and loud turquoise wheels, But I absolutely dig it.
I stopped at the parts store recently to grab some rainX and I'm in the parking lot putting a coat on the windshield. A man, probably early 60's is walking by shaking his head in displeasure with a look on his face as if he'd just smelled a fart. I looked up, smiled, and gave the southern standard nod. He says "I hate 4 doors and those wheels don't match the car". I half laughed and said "good thing I didn't build for you, Sir" and he walked into the store. When he came back out, still apparently smelling a lingering ass cloud, I watched him get into his late 80s, clapped out Dodge Caravan. When he slowly rolled by still disgusted with my car, I had to exclaim "Bitchin' ride, Man!" and flashed the ol' thumbs up. He wasn't amused. I guess I should be more open minded about his love for the Caravan, but I'm guessing that was more budget driven than personal preference.
-James

 

There all different and not like the automobiles of today, they all look alike, Personally I can't tell the difference in a Toyota and a Chevrolet. HRP

 

What’s not to like? I really think Olds nailed it in 49-50 with their Rocket 88!

 

I "got some" in a car for 1st time in the front seat of 72 Buick Estate wagon. Yeah, the big one with the clamshell tailgate. In all those years since I can't say I gotta have one so maybe it isn't always personal milestones. Then again I was exposed to and drove a 34 Packard when I was 15. Now I make the majority of my living servicing and restoring those. They're my specialty as many here have seen a time or 10. The draw? Couldn't tell ya, I just took to em.

 

The plastics not broke.

 

Chrome and tail fins.

Retractable hardtop Fords

And the Caddy -

 

X10

 

I'm a fan of 50's cars. Stock, custom or race car. I could be wrong but I think my 57 Pontiac with a 59 389 and B&M Hydrostick is both traditional and a hot rod.

 

One of my favorite things to do with an old boat of a car is shoot for the I screwed with my mom's car look.
I actually never had the I see you're driving your mommy's car thing. I got the boot when I was 14 and was on my own from then on. My mom actually did have a pretty hot Chevelle once. I loaned her Roadmaster and took it to the 3/10s we had marked out behind the school. We pulled the hub caps (dog dish) and painted power wedges on the rears. She was mad as hell about it.

She had a '66 Special more door one time with a V6 auto in it. She borrowed my merc for a weekend, gawd knows why, amd took a trip to the coast. One of my biddies had a big inch nailhead that we managed to stuff in it while she was gone. When she came home we told her that we put dual exhaust on her car. She lit it up and back it out then nailed it on the street out front of her house. Roasted the tires for about a block came back and said, "Well that was fun now next weekend change it back."

 

Hello,

With some of the designs transformed into the 1950s, the factories kept putting out cool looking cars and trucks. It took some doing by the local hot rod community to make them even “cooler.” Fancy wheels and tires sometimes give the ordinary looking sedans a taste of what it would look like blasting down that empty stretch of dragstrip, desert, or salt flats. The endless horizon seems like it would never end.

Almost every hot rod/custom guys/girls have tried the different versions of flipper hubcaps, the small dome hubcaps and full size ones on their cars. The racers, in the few cool sedans, felt their cars looked better without any flipper movement turned to the Moon Discs. The original ones had screws to keep them in place. There were later models that would snap into the rims without using screws. Those did not go over very well, but gave the hot rod group/individual choices.

Jnaki

The 50’s sedans and trucks all had their own styles and changes to make them individually different. The look and styles of todays “group” cars is too similar to notice any differences other than a hood/trunk emblem.

But, add in something like Moon Discs to a stylish 50’s car and it makes all the difference in the world.

Whether it is a full custom car, a shop/tow truck or everyday daily drivers, the 50s style were always enhanced with the nice Moon Discs. It just finished the look with style and grace.

 

"I like big butts and I can not lie,

You otha bruthas can't deny,

When a..."

Shit, nevermind. I got 'redirected' for a min. Carry on...

 

The draw? The colors, the chrome, the curves,the engines. Man their just plan ass cool.

 

They also have the size, comfort, and available options such as power steering and a/c the earlier cars
have to be modified to have. As some of us age and our youthful abuse of ourselves caught up with us this can become very appealing.

 

Couldn't imagine why anyone would want to drive one of those off brands. Completely uncool. Only a loser would be seen in one.

 

Hello,

The fun of watching an early 50’s Ford cruise down the local streets is a surprise in itself. But, to think back to those times when it was a daily occurrence was fun and a spark in the memory banks. Probably, at the late 50s, early 60s cruising time, we thought nothing of seeing any hot rod, truck or mild custom car cruising around. But, all of these years later, it brightens anyone’s day to be associated with that scene. Then and from a distance, now.

We had seen this 50’s Ford hardtop cruising around and parked in various spots of this South Orange County coast line. The line from the popular song “…I get around…” comes to mind.

Jnaki

So, one day we were going down to the beach to check out the surf for some pandemic blues revival. Once we saw the ocean, the cool waves and the bright sun, things began to look a little on the “up” side. More people were understanding what they have to do to keep the numbers down.

While finagling a spot in the city traffic, my wife sees this old Ford making a run toward the beach, too. So, she says there is an old car up ahead. The 50s Ford was blocked from my view, but I got out the digital camera for some photos. Just running the movie film portion of the digital camera paid off, as the 50’s Ford pops out of a line of cars to make his move toward the beach.
50s ford hardtop cruising around

 

Whether you had them or wanted them, for me “dual quads” made an engine compartment of a 50’s car. Under the hood or with no hood it meant business. Even if was a swap of an early 60’s engine into your 50’s car of any brand. I still look for them today and it’s why I have them on my 56.