IHSS Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 So this cars been going to the cruise nights in my area for a few years and I've talked to the owner a number of times.It seems that when I have my camera its not at the cruise night and when it shows up I don't have my camera. The cruise gods smiled on me tonight and I finally got some pics. First the story. Car was completed and put on the road in 1958. The current owner bought the car in 1963 and drove it regularly for 17 years. Then family and kids started taking presidence so the car was parked in a garage and stored properly. In 2009 the owner took it out made a few upgrades (alternater, radial tires and a rack and pinion) but otherwise untouched and drives it regularly since. So with out further adue here is a real hot rod. And here is the owner next to it that bought the car in 1963. The little old lady from Middleboro Thanks for for looking Jeff
Jantrix Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 Ah man, a groovy car, and I'm sure the radials help the handling, but they don't do anyhting for the car visually.
IHSS Posted July 18, 2013 Author Posted July 18, 2013 She was saying after putting them on she liked the wide whites alot better and that when she where's them out shes going to but the wide white radials on,but how much she drives it she'll probably have the ww by the end of the season. She uses it almost daily as long as its not going to rain she's drivin it.
highway Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 I have to say, while the style of the car doesn't appeal to me, being untouched all those years do make it a nice representation of how things were done in the past,
Rob Hall Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 Not my type of car, but that green Mustang 2+2 beside it looks sweet.
ChrisBcritter Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 (edited) Oh wow. Not too many girls had their own hot rods back then - the trad rodders on the H.A.M.B. would go nuts over it! Thanks for the closeups of the engine - I need to do some linkage and fuel lines on a set of triple carbs and that helps a lot. Edited July 18, 2013 by ChrisBcritter
Gluhead Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 That's a rad little hot rod. The radials look really bad, but what a great car. Fully pleated interior, cycle fenders, nailhead...and a great stance. Love it. Even with a few boogers like the radials and those gawky turn signals on the front, I love it. I'd drive the bejessus out of that and feel 10 feet tall the whole time. Someone would be dodging those floor mats as I tossed them out while I peeled out of the parking lot.
mk11 Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 (edited) Beautiful nailhead and finned Buick drums to boot... Ah man, a groovy car, and I'm sure the radials help the handling, but they don't do anyhting for the car visually. The body sure doesn't do much for me either. Looks like it might be an early 'glass tub. Overall nice time capsule though. Looking at that chopped up deuce rad shell reminds me of dad talking about A's and B's still being plentiful enough you could buy one for a couple of parts and scrap the rest of the hulk. Of course, they're kicking themselves now... mike Edited July 18, 2013 by mk11
peekay Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 My pick for post of the week - thanks for sharing. (And thank goodness there aren't yet laws about what tyres you're allowed on your hot rod).
Dragline Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 Is that Star Drive-in off 140? I used to bring my Vega there in the 80's Bob
IHSS Posted July 18, 2013 Author Posted July 18, 2013 Yup that's Star. It's under new ownership now and has much better food now.
John Goschke Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 What a cool car! That was high style in '58 when it was finished. Does sort of look like a very early fiberglass body: any confirmation on that?
IHSS Posted July 18, 2013 Author Posted July 18, 2013 I was wondering if anyone would pick it out. Kudo's to Mike and John. Yes that is one of the original fiberglass bodies. The original builders had to make there own substructure to support it because of how thin and flimsy it is.
Bernard Kron Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 (edited) True period funk from start to finish. The kind of car that will probably never make it into TRJ - an accurate representation of a one owner (well actually 2 but just barely, given it's 55 years old...) daily driver. From the classic East Coast 50's channel job, fenders, paint, and striping, to the sporty car luggage rack, stereo speakers and rubber floor mats, just looking at the pictures shows all kinds of "fingerprints" of the various eras where it has been used. Sure the radials are wrong, wrong, wrong, but ya gotta love it! And a female owner who couldn't have been much out of her teens when she bought it in '63... Fascinating! Thanx for posting! P.S. - The stuff about the fiberglas body is very interesting. I'd love to know more... P.SS. - The full dress Tri-power Nailhead is beyond cool, too. What a car this must have been in '58! Edited July 18, 2013 by Bernard Kron
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 P.S. - The stuff about the fiberglas body is very interesting. I'd love to know more... ...Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure (99.97283319%) I have an ad in an old '50s issue of one of the rod rags for this exact body, in fiberglass. The way the rear corners are squared off and the molded bases for the round lights (which I believe the manufacturer noted could also be opened and used for exhausts) is what triggered the remembry. The body did come with the doors and decklid molded in solid, but the ad said they could "easily be made functional"...
Harry P. Posted July 18, 2013 Posted July 18, 2013 Not my type of car, but that green Mustang 2+2 beside it looks sweet. Well, at least you like the hot rod's steering wheel... right?
Ognib Posted July 19, 2013 Posted July 19, 2013 (edited) I guess I'm not much of a traditionalist. I never have figured out what's the rub with radial tires. Granted, they don't look like bias plys. Maby it's the engineer in me...radials are a definate superior design for performance & handeling & that's what engineering is all about...better design, better function...form follows function. Yet, here I am, using a flathead engine in my project, which is an 80 yr old design...maby I'm conflicted in some way... Edited July 19, 2013 by Ognib
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 19, 2013 Posted July 19, 2013 Yet, here I am, using a flathead engine in my project, which is an 80 yr old design...maby I'm conflicted in some way... Nah. Being fascinated with old engines is just as much a part of the engineering bug as knowing what's cutting-edge. All perfectly normal.
Ognib Posted July 19, 2013 Posted July 19, 2013 That's how I've always felt as well, Bill. Nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks that way.
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