New Project for 2017!! 1957 Fairlane 500 Sunliner

[espo]

Thanks David, I'm wanting to stay with something that you might run across going down the street, Rather than a "Show Car"  I'm a little young to really remember seeing a lot of these style cars on the road as daily drivers.I just turned 51. I thought about Hockey Stick chrome, but I don't think it would go with the Lake Pipes. I did grow up riding in a 58 Custom 300, my dad had for years. It would out run, his new 70 Torino Cobra LOL!! 

The way you build this is most likely based on what you remember growing up and the area you were living in. The styles can very dramatically from one part of the country from another. Many of my early formative years was in the western suburbs of Chicago. Ad on Continental kits where around but were not common. The East Coast area it seemed to be a little more common. At various times growing up I lived in both southern and northern California and Continental kits were very unusual to see. This would be in the '50's and '60's. In the early '60's I moved to southern California for the next 30 years. By then it was Drag Racing and Muscle Cars and I don't remember even seeing a Continental kit. You mentioned your fathers '58 300, I'll bet it was a 352 engine. My last '57 Ford was the exact same as the Revell kit. Mine was a 312 with 3-speed overdrive with a 4:11 rear end. In '64 and early '65 it would scare a base GTO from light to light unless it was a tri-power 4-speed car with gears, then it was up to the driver.  In late '65 I took delivery of a new Impala SS 396 4-speed Positraction car. The 396 would walk the Ford on the top end but the first half of a block it was the Ford. So enough about me  and stories of long ago. The style among what we called Low Riders back then in SoCal was to have small dummy spot lights. Again this is  what ever your going for. '57 Mercury Cruiser Skirts were very popular with a few at that time and they had a small chrome molding that ran along the top edge of the skirt. I think with all things it depended on what your personal taste was and how much money you had to spend. Some things never change.

[Fast Floyd 2]

Maybe a little late to the game, but didn't the AMT 58 Edsel have a nice continental kit that could be easier adapted to this ride? Or am I off on that...? ( My memory ain't long as it used to be)

Probably Rusty, but I don't have a Edsel kit on hand to look at. I can build it cheaper than I can buy a kit for. And where's the fun in swapping parts instead of  Scratch building it LOL!!

 

 

 

 

 

[Fast Floyd 2]

The way you build this is most likely based on what you remember growing up and the area you were living in. The styles can very dramatically from one part of the country from another. Many of my early formative years was in the western suburbs of Chicago. Ad on Continental kits where around but were not common. The East Coast area it seemed to be a little more common. At various times growing up I lived in both southern and northern California and Continental kits were very unusual to see. This would be in the '50's and '60's. In the early '60's I moved to southern California for the next 30 years. By then it was Drag Racing and Muscle Cars and I don't remember even seeing a Continental kit. You mentioned your fathers '58 300, I'll bet it was a 352 engine. My last '57 Ford was the exact same as the Revell kit. Mine was a 312 with 3-speed overdrive with a 4:11 rear end. In '64 and early '65 it would scare a base GTO from light to light unless it was a tri-power 4-speed car with gears, then it was up to the driver.  In late '65 I took delivery of a new Impala SS 396 4-speed Positraction car. The 396 would walk the Ford on the top end but the first half of a block it was the Ford. So enough about me  and stories of long ago. The style among what we called Low Riders back then in SoCal was to have small dummy spot lights. Again this is  what ever your going for. '57 Mercury Cruiser Skirts were very popular with a few at that time and they had a small chrome molding that ran along the top edge of the skirt. I think with all things it depended on what your personal taste was and how much money you had to spend. Some things never change.

I hear ya, I'm originally from East Central Florida, but have lived in East TN the last 30 years. Dad's ole 58 was originally a 332 Interceptor Special 3 on the tree with a overdrive on the dash Dad wore the 332 out, and bought a wrecked 69 Fairlane Cobra, which donated it's heart to the 58. along with 4 spd.   But yes I remember seeing a Conny kit on a few old cars but really pretty rare in the Tennessee area, I remember a few in Florida. I've always liked the look of them, so I guess that's just My fascination with the old Cruiser from back then. My dad was a Drag racing Guy so there was no room for the extra weight of stuff like A/C, Continental kits, or anything that didn't male it go Faster!!
 I'm slowing down in my older years and have this Love for the older Cruiser style. 

[Fast Floyd 2]

THIS WILL BE SO COOL-CAN'T WAIT TI SEE MORE.

Thanks Marty. I sure hope I can do it Justice