Where does the term "tri-fives" come from?

I see the term "tri-fives" thrown around a lot on the HAMB for mid-50s Chevys and lately on a cool picture thread on Ford gassers (the other "tri-fives"). Where does that term come from and what does it stand for? I love drawing them but I have never heard the term before the HAMB.

Why "tri"?

 

it comes from the three main years 1955, 56, and 57 chevys which was after and before bug changes in suspension and design.

 

Fifties body style that shared same platform for 3 years.

 

Thanks for that. Now I know.

 

Tri five for me was and will always be 55,56,57 Chevy pickups. The 58 and 59 left out becouse the 4 headlight was less wanted. I even have a book from way back on how to build the Tri-5 and it is talking only pick-ups.

55-57 Chevys are shoebox.

I had never heard the the term Shoebox refer to a Ford till I heard it here.

 

Shoebox was always 49-51 Ford around here, the Tri-Five is as Blk210 said.

Doc.

PS Bomonster, your scratch board work is just incredible, man I love it!!

 

I have only heard the term shoebox used in regards to Fords 1949-51, but everyone has heard variations.

 

The Johnny come latelys seem to call other some what square body cars from the 50's shoeboxes but the real shoeboxes are the 49/51 Fords. Calling anything different a "shoebox" is the same as calling anything other than a 1932 Ford a Deuce.

I thought everyone knew what Tri-5's were though especially a guy who does awesome drawings of one.

 

HAHAHHAA...thats funny because I told my dad about a shoebox Ford and he said no son shoebox is a Chevy...Im 33....mabe its a generation term??? lol

 

1961 R & C
Hard to read, but first word,,third line...shoebox.

 

After just having another one of those pesky birthdays a couple of weeks ago, you've made me feel SO much better! HA!

 

Thanks Doc and Mr48Chevy for the compliments on the work. If I were to reveal what I didn't know about what I draw I could easily fill about 20 pages on the HAMB with dumb questions. I usually wait until someone else asks first. Apparently everyone else already knew but me.

Bo

 

Hell I didn't know what a Kellison was till I saw this thread. None of us are too old to learn, however a few of us may be too old to remember. BTW I dig your scratchboard work.

 

Man Bomonster... sorry to change the subject.... but you got that scratchboard down brutha!

 

Maybe your dad was thinking shoebox Nova !!!

 

Yes you are correct. but it was body changes, not bug changes. When I was a kid in '57 Shoe box was a term used only for fords. In Canada the tri year chevies were mostly 6 cylinder cars, refered to as granny cars.Often real hard to sell,mostly standards with sticky linkage.Once guys figured out Cadillacs and Olds engines went in easy and made the old chevies fly. They became popular.the bodys were horrible.

 

At 66, and having heard he term shoebox applied only to fords from 49 to 52. I know in this part of the world shoebox was never used to describe ahevy. The early canadian chevie was a 50 dollar car that no one wanted as those old blueflame 6 's were bad news over about 55 mph. Bad front ends, 6 v0lts, doors flew open and just so much easier to buy a shoebox ford that was 10 times the car with a flathead v8.

 

I thought it referred to the three years (hence the tri) of the 55 through 57 body style of chevs (hence the five).

 

X2 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
and Shoebox is 49-51 Ford. END OF STORY, cause thats the way it is (but I'm only 66)
Rod

 

There's a guy running around here in a '30 or '31 Model A coupe with "Little Deuce Coupe" lettered on the back.

Idiot!

 

There's a lot of folks out there that see a '36 Plymouth 4 door sedan and proclaim..."Wow that's a neat Deuce Roadster"

 

I had a 49 in 1958 and a 51 in 1960---we called them "shoeboxes" then

 

Carpenter's Pro Mod 55 Chev was the 1st time I read the term shoebox for a tri-5 in print. It seemed to stick since then. That was maybe in the early 80s? If ya think aout it it's fitting for both. Don't forget the "bathtubs".

 

When I was a teenager we called early '60s Chevs "shirtboxes" (62,63,64)

Remember when you bought shirts in boxes?

Ah.....never mind

 

It bugs me to see guys refer to the "other tri-fives", meaning Fords. A '57 Ford was a completely different animal that a '56. Mopars too. Chev was the only one that hung on to an outmoded design for another year while everyone else went to the long low look. Now they are classics. Go figure.
I had a '57 Pontiac that we put a 318 Dodge engine in. That cured me of any need for a SBC. Went like stink until the wheels fell off!

 

A shoebox has always been a 49-51 Ford to me, but I have to admit that I didn't know what a Henway was until I got to the HAMB...or a Janet for that matter.


BTW, nice artwork there!

 

For me the significance of the tri-5's started when the first SBC was installed and ended with the addition of 2 more headlights. LOL

The 55, 56, and 57's just seemed to have an added flair that hadn't been seen previously.

The 58's were cool too...some think just as cool as the previous 3 years but there was something about them that set them appart from the tri-5's.

 

when i was growing up in the 70's 55 56 57 chevys were shoebox ,i never herd a ford being a shoebox till the 90's, thing change

 

I was always told that tri (as in three) and 5 (as in '55, '56, '57 Chev) meant that "3 outta 5" cars at a show would be those years of Chev cars.

 

I once knew this cat who had a shoebox with a Y, replaced the Y with a MEL, the MEL blew up, and he got a AB with a 4 1/4 Merc. Then traded the shoebox for a Tri-5. The Tri-5 had a GMC with a Wayne, yanked that for a mouse with a huffer, pulled that an put in a rat with draw-throughs. Ended up trading the Tri-5, for a Olds with a J2, added that in trade with a bag full of finns and ended up with a Duece.