'50s cars?

[Impalarod]

Re: '50s cars?

Agree.. most 50's cars can be very cool cars. And lots can be found cheap. This made me perk up on Craigslist last night.

http://macon.craigslist.org/car/603154908.html

[Brad54]

Re: '50s cars?

I dig '52-'64 (give or take).
I don't like muscle cars nearly as well--not as much individuality, style...I don't much care for having to check the side marker location or what steering wheel it has to see what year a car is.
And like DF said, muscle cars are a lot more expensive (dusters and low-end '60s/'70s cars not withstanding)

That doesn't mean there isn't a healthy list of muscle cars I'd love to own--Duster, '69 Charger, Buick GS, AMX, '70-'72 Monte Carlo...But put a '70 Judge and a '57 300 in front of me, and I'll take the 300 every time.

Squirrel is right about working on them--the '54 Buick in my garage; front suspension is workable (though still antque--king pins), but the rear is a torque tube set-up. To change the clutch, you need to pull the engine or rear end. Swap to anything but a factory trans requires changing the whole rear suspension. And I could almost buy another vehicle for the cost of rebuilding the torsion bar front suspension under my '62 Suburban.

But the goods outweigh the bads in my opinion.
-Brad

[yellomalibu]

Re: '50s cars?

For some reason, I never really got into the 50's cars. Mid 60's cars have always appealed more to me than most other eras.
Trucks, however, I like the 50's and older.

[sedandelivery55]

Re: '50s cars?

When I bought my '55, I was looking for a '66-'67 GTO. There just wasn't one out there that tripped my trigger. Then I came across the '55 and had to have it. That's not to say I wouldn't trade for a GTO or something similar if the opportunity came up. ;D

[Not A Duster]

Re: '50s cars?

I dunno - around here, it seems the 50's cars (popular ones like shoebox chevvys or forward - look mopars anyways) command similar prices to musclecars.

As far as being "into" muscle era cars is concerned, well in my case the Demon is just outside the "accepted" era and I would lovvve to own a 57/58 fury.

Matter of fact, the most desireable chevvys for me are either a 55 two door hardtop or another 55-57 stepside truck.

[JOES66FURY]

Re: '50s cars?

When I was looking for a car I was looking for anything, It just had to have a certain look, it had to speak to me (fit my personality if you will)...I looked at a few mid 50's Olds and Pontiacs, as well as a few MOPARS of the same vintage and even a few 50's pick up's. I didnt not go this route becasue they were all "too much work" for me to handle in my driveway. Hind sight being 20/20......I looked at a driveable 53 Chevy truck and a driveable 2 door 55 Olds 88 and a 4 door 59 chevy (would have been bad ass on 20's & bags)...I should have purchased on of them becasue they were far more buildable than the Fury due to the availibility/cost of parts and how solid they were over all. I just couldnt see me doing all this in the driveway...I wish I would have known then what I know now or I would be rolling in a 50's car.

[fahrenschnell]

Re: '50s cars?

I think 2 of the most attractive cars are from the fifty's and they can both hotrodded with great success. The 55 Chevy and 50 Ford Coupe. I have been looking for a solid version (at a decent price) for quite a while.

[Matt Cramer]

Re: '50s cars?

I'd consider building one... biggest problem is that the '60s cars had a lot of chassis improvements, often accept junkyard suspension / brake upgrades without machine work, etc. I can get almost anything for my Dart from road race shocks to built rear axles to bolt-in tubular subframes with coil-overs. It's harder to find suspension parts for, say, a '55 DeSoto.

So if I hopped up one, it would probably have the whole suspension swapped in from something else to make it easier to deal with...

[Freiburger]

Re: '50s cars?

They used to call that hot rodding.

[terry russell]

Re: '50s cars?

any 54/58-60 gm,57 ford any pre 60 mopar, would be great.
My grandfather had a 57 4 door fury they sold in 1980 im still pissed about that.318 poly head push button trans. at the time I had 3,383s 2 4 speeds.
I knew it would make a bad sleeper.
terry

[Agent-OO6.]

Re: '50s cars?

I've got a pair of 50's heaps. One Black 1950 Oldsmobile 4-door,and a two-tone(Black & White..)1957 De-Soto 'Shopper' 9-pasenger Station-Wagon(w/392 power...). Both are 'origional'(the Olds was given 'an expensive cosmetic re-furb in the early 80's...where it won many 1'st places in local shows...,while the De-Soto is TOTALY origional/un-restored. The De-Soto is in deep storage,although it does run(non-smoker..),while the Oldsmobile's 331 V8 developed a knock under the previous owner(simple lack of maintance : :...). The Car came witha 2'nd 331 and 'an Automatic. I paid $5000 for a Car that looks like it's worth $50-grand,so,ya won't here me complaining ;D :D. ~OO6.

[OldUsedParts]

Re: '50s cars?

The 50's (along with some '49's) were the original Cruiser's - - I just wish I had Jim's engine in my Cruiser.

[WagonKiller]

Re: '50s cars?

It's my belief late 50's cars still have a 'lawn-chair-carmeeting' feel to them for most people.

I totally agree with that...which is why you just have to HOT ROD them and BEAT on them!

Oh no YOU stay AWAY from MY car! It's had enough beating!(and it's still in pretty good shape too!)All it's gettin from now on is TLC!

[L98camino]

Re: '50s cars?

I like the challenge of making the suspension and drive train work. People have benn doing it for decades, so there is ton of information out there.

I picked the g-body for a daily car because of the interchangability and junk yard/aftermarket availability for parts.

My next build will be a '48-'54 Buick torpedo back or Chevy fleetline/belair. Nailhead or I6, vintage speed parts, lot's of torque and cool dripping off every inch of it. 8)

[HoosierGTA]

Re: '50s cars?

I've finally gotten focoused enough to just stick with 3rd gen f-bodys . That way while hording parts or if needing to borrow something from one to get the other going in an emergency like ,parts store closed, I can .Third gens a great because they can do it all .Milage,handling , drag ,top end, with reasonadle flair ,but I do like the 50' .54 pontiac would be my choise .Dad had a 54 chevy when I was born and the pontiac looks simular only better IMO .