57 Chevys
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Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Frequently frozen MN
57 Chevys
Just curious to see if I'm the only person who thinks that 57 Chevys are basically ugly cars. Especially in Pastel Pink , which seemed to be the dominant color.
For some time now, these cars have been given the same status as Elvis as defining the 50's. I hated them when they came out, and I'm not fond of them to this day.
I thought that the 57 Ford was certainly a better looking car -- especially in red, black, or a combo of both. Also, both the 56 and 58 Chevs seemed nicer than the 57.
Anybody?
Thanks,
ford2go
For some time now, these cars have been given the same status as Elvis as defining the 50's. I hated them when they came out, and I'm not fond of them to this day.
I thought that the 57 Ford was certainly a better looking car -- especially in red, black, or a combo of both. Also, both the 56 and 58 Chevs seemed nicer than the 57.
Anybody?
Thanks,
ford2go
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I think the 55-56 ford crown vics were awesome looking cars and much more sprtier than a 57 chevy, the 57 ford fairlane was better looking as well, but I loved thise 55-56 crown vics or the fairlanes as well. The 58 ford started going down hill in looks. I was looking on ebay the other day and for kicks and gigles was checking out ranchero's. There was some sharp 57 ford ranchero's, they were one cool car. You could get them with the 312 thunderbird special. The first car I remember us having was a 2 tone aqua and white 57 ford with the 312. We sold it to my uncle in W,Va who wore the car out and used the engine in 2 diferent log trucks after that, a 54 F-600 and a 56 F-600. I'm not sure if they were called F-600's back then, but it gives you an idea of the size of truck I'm talking about. Just an awesome engine.
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From: Southern MD
Back in '55, I was working for a Chevrolet dealer.
I went up the road one fine day and bought a new '55 Ford Fairlane 2 door, black, with a blue cloth interior. I thought it was a better looking car than the '55 Chevy.
One day a company manager saw me park my new car down the street where all the employees parked. He said something to one of the bosses.
I got fired!
I went up the road one fine day and bought a new '55 Ford Fairlane 2 door, black, with a blue cloth interior. I thought it was a better looking car than the '55 Chevy.
One day a company manager saw me park my new car down the street where all the employees parked. He said something to one of the bosses.
I got fired!
Postmaster
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From: Marion, VA
I think the 57 is one of the prettiest cars of its time. The black fabric seats with the gold thread in them looked really good. My 2nd favorite was the 55 (both BelAir 2 door HTs or convertables). The 55, 56 and 57 Fords were good looking cars but the bodies weren't nearly as strong. The doors closed sloppy and wouldn't stay closed. There was also a little rust problem. The 55 & 57 Chevy didn't rust as badly but the 556 did (the quarters would rust away and over the headlights).
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Well, I drove a whacked '55 and a decent '57 for short distances. I couldn't believe what tanks they were. And how anyone could make them go fast.
I like all the 55, 56 & 57 chevs. Never really warmed up to the Fords, although I've seen some nice looking ones of late around here.
Where, imo, the Fords fell out of grace was the engines. The Y block could be a good runner, but had some oiling issues, etc. (not that sbc didn't have issues)
Then, about the time these were "hot rod" material, '64 or so, the Y block went away. This whilst accross the street you could have the 375 hp 327 bolt in where your 265 used to sit.....
Try putting a 390/406/427 into a car that came with a Y block....hhmmm...
But I don't know, what was the question?
I remember this guy down the street had five 6 chev with a built motor. He took it to the drags about a mile from our farm with his 4.56's and open headers...my brother and I would stand the yard and giggle and pee our pants that thing was soooo coool..... (Arlington Drag strip, Arlington WA, held AA/FD record at 7.22 / 221 for a few minutes in the late '60s before being closed)
I like all the 55, 56 & 57 chevs. Never really warmed up to the Fords, although I've seen some nice looking ones of late around here.
Where, imo, the Fords fell out of grace was the engines. The Y block could be a good runner, but had some oiling issues, etc. (not that sbc didn't have issues)
Then, about the time these were "hot rod" material, '64 or so, the Y block went away. This whilst accross the street you could have the 375 hp 327 bolt in where your 265 used to sit.....
Try putting a 390/406/427 into a car that came with a Y block....hhmmm...
But I don't know, what was the question?
I remember this guy down the street had five 6 chev with a built motor. He took it to the drags about a mile from our farm with his 4.56's and open headers...my brother and I would stand the yard and giggle and pee our pants that thing was soooo coool..... (Arlington Drag strip, Arlington WA, held AA/FD record at 7.22 / 221 for a few minutes in the late '60s before being closed)
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From: Alma Arkansas
Of the "tri fives" I prefer the 55 especially in nomad configuration IMO one of the best styled autos EVER. But the often forgotten 58 Impala is very nice as well.
One of the first automobiles I can remember dad having as a child was a 1959 el-camino
One of the first automobiles I can remember dad having as a child was a 1959 el-camino
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The 312 Y block was a good perforformer with tri-power and duals. There was one than use to run at the strip, a 57 ford 312, 3 duces, duals and a 4-speed. They pulled the front bumper off and had wide slicks on the rear, the car looked mean. It ran in the low 13ls which was good for what it was and the times. It left an impreesion on what a strip car should look like to me. They called that class gasers. The 57 ford and a 40 ****** coupe were my 2 favorite strip cars when I was a kid. The ****** ran a ford 427 big block, it was a gaser too. Old dragway 42 in West Salem Ohio was a blast when I was a kid.
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From: Las Vegas
Originally Posted by 85e150six4mtod
Well, I drove a whacked '55 and a decent '57 for short distances. I couldn't believe what tanks they were. And how anyone could make them go fast.
They may have felt like tanks but they were actually fairly light cars by today's standard......3200# is about what a Corvette now weighs. Quite a bit lighter than a Mustang.
http://www.superchevy.com/features/t...n_numbers.html
Originally Posted by 85e150six4mtod
Where, imo, the Fords fell out of grace was the engines. The Y block could be a good runner, but had some oiling issues, etc. (not that sbc didn't have issues)
I'll agree with that statement 100%.........only took Ford 7 years to respond to the SBC.
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From: Marion, VA
Originally Posted by Krochus
Of the "tri fives" I prefer the 55 especially in nomad configuration IMO one of the best styled autos EVER. But the often forgotten 58 Impala is very nice as well.
The 58 Chevy needs to be forgotten. Actually, everything made (except the Corvette) in 1958 and 1959 needs to be forgotten.
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ISTR Ford outsold Chevy that year, the stories I've heard seem to indicate that nobody thought tri-fives were anything special until they hit the bottom of the used-car price curve in the '60s and the hot rod crowd discovered how much fun they could have putting higher HP engines in a relatively light car 
Most of the 'icon' status seems to have happened since '64 or so.....
Most of the 'icon' status seems to have happened since '64 or so.....
Posting Guru
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From: America
my buddy's got a 4 door 56 chevy with a 210-6, 3 on the tree and straight pipes (flat black with flames)...he used to drive it in high school but it was like 50hp pig. i think they are pretty cool cars for a gm but id rather have a 57 ford.
Post Fiend
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From: Running Springs CA
Pink? That was not even a stock color in '57. A few '55's were "Coral", which could be considered pink. I see a lot of the 57-58 Chevy's in turquoise. I have a '57 and it was originally a kind of metallic lavender called "Dusk Pearl", but that was a rare color.
Mechanically, the 283 "small block" was lighter and put out more hp per cubic inch (stock) than Ford or Dodge V-8's of the day, combined with a lighter weight car, they were quicker. Again, Im talking stock back then. Also, the big three all had 3speed manuals or 2speed automatics optional, so transmissions were similar, except for the '57 Turboglide, a rare option like a scaled-down Buck Dynaflow (aka "Dynaflush"). Mechanical fuel injection was also an option.
Since I was a kid, I lusted for a Chevy of those years, especially the '56 Nomad. Dont know what it was, but Ford's did nothing for me. '57 Mopar's were the best styled cars of the era, but so poorly made, that very few survived.
The 58-61 Chevys were not that good looking and those were recession years, so sales were down. Remember that the Edsel and DeSoto were killed off at that time.
Mechanically, the 283 "small block" was lighter and put out more hp per cubic inch (stock) than Ford or Dodge V-8's of the day, combined with a lighter weight car, they were quicker. Again, Im talking stock back then. Also, the big three all had 3speed manuals or 2speed automatics optional, so transmissions were similar, except for the '57 Turboglide, a rare option like a scaled-down Buck Dynaflow (aka "Dynaflush"). Mechanical fuel injection was also an option.
Since I was a kid, I lusted for a Chevy of those years, especially the '56 Nomad. Dont know what it was, but Ford's did nothing for me. '57 Mopar's were the best styled cars of the era, but so poorly made, that very few survived.
The 58-61 Chevys were not that good looking and those were recession years, so sales were down. Remember that the Edsel and DeSoto were killed off at that time.
