Register now to get rid of these ads!

Motion Pictures The 1953 Corvette... A factory Hot Rod

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Jive-Bomber, Nov 29, 2022.

  1. Jive-Bomber
    Joined: Aug 21, 2001
    Posts: 3,828

    Jive-Bomber
    MODERATOR

    Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post:

    The 1953 Corvette... A factory Hot Rod

    [​IMG]

    Continue reading the Original Blog Post
     
  2. HEATHEN
    Joined: Nov 22, 2005
    Posts: 8,741

    HEATHEN
    Member
    from SIDNEY, NY

    Everyone always carries on about the fact that they all came with Powerglides (I agree that it should have been a no brainer to cobble together a floor shifter for the passenger car three speed and use that), but if you read the road tests of the day, the magazines were still impressed with its performance; even Ford lover Tom McCahill liked it.
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2022
  3. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 33,549

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    those 53-5 corvettes are beautiful elegant cars..... no wonder everyone fell in love with them
     
    MOTOV8N, scotty t, Spooky and 5 others like this.
  4. hansboomer
    Joined: Nov 15, 2008
    Posts: 104

    hansboomer
    Member
    from new york

    Live axle Corvettes are the most hot rod production cars ever. Lightweight roadster body, obsolete chassis and the best motor you can find. What's more hot rod than that?
     
    70L34, Spooky, 302GMC and 3 others like this.
  5. AmishMike
    Joined: Mar 27, 2014
    Posts: 1,138

    AmishMike
    Member

    Beautiful front ends, tail light sticking out are just plain ugly.
     
  6. jaracer
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 2,671

    jaracer
    Member

    Built in St Louis, MO when full production started. I got to take a tour of the plant in the early 70's. That's before GM moved production to Bowling Green, KY.
     
  7. hansboomer
    Joined: Nov 15, 2008
    Posts: 104

    hansboomer
    Member
    from new york

  8. Fordors
    Joined: Sep 22, 2016
    Posts: 5,746

    Fordors
    Member

    It wasn’t exactly a back yard custom project, it would be highly unlikely that Harley Earl would use 4 year old, off the shelf taillights on a new project.
     
    Moriarity and Rolleiflex like this.
  9. Jack Rice
    Joined: Dec 2, 2020
    Posts: 280

    Jack Rice
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    It must've really been something in 1953 to see one of those beauties cruise by. I'm a Ford guy and I really like them except at 6'3" I'd never fit in one.
     
  10. hansboomer
    Joined: Nov 15, 2008
    Posts: 104

    hansboomer
    Member
    from new york

    The guy who designed the 49 Buick taillights could have come up with something better than the 53 Corvette lights. Maybe 1953 was when Harley started losing it. HE had definitely lost his mind when he did the 1958 Buicks and Olds.
     
    302GMC likes this.
  11. Fordors
    Joined: Sep 22, 2016
    Posts: 5,746

    Fordors
    Member

    No comment.
     
    Spooky and Moriarity like this.
  12. Moriarity
    Joined: Apr 11, 2001
    Posts: 33,549

    Moriarity
    SUPER MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    for all you guys saying the tail lites are ugly, come on guys it was the "jet age" there were lots of things in the era that reflected that, Personally I think the whole car looks fantastic including the tail lights
     
  13. HEATHEN
    Joined: Nov 22, 2005
    Posts: 8,741

    HEATHEN
    Member
    from SIDNEY, NY

    I'd certainly like to buy one....at 1965 prices, of course.
     
    Moriarity likes this.
  14. hansboomer
    Joined: Nov 15, 2008
    Posts: 104

    hansboomer
    Member
    from new york

    In 1970 I had a chance to buy Corvete no. 46 for $150. It was in tough shape but I had a rusty 1958 Biscayne with a strong 283 that it could have used. I'm still sorry I passed on that.
     
    tractorguy likes this.
  15. HEATHEN
    Joined: Nov 22, 2005
    Posts: 8,741

    HEATHEN
    Member
    from SIDNEY, NY

    In 1969, my oldest brother's best friend could have bought a '53 in decent shape for $500.00; unfortunately, he had just pulled every string at his disposal to buy a new '69 'vette, and hardly had enough money left over for lunch.
     
    tractorguy likes this.
  16. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 13,714

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I always wanted to buy one, remodel it a bit so the seats sat back so I could fit, chrome 8 pack of stacks sticking barely through the hood, cut down windscreen, single chrome roll bar, slight nacelle behind the driver, ultra lites, paint it silver, put a number on the door, side exhaust, lakes tarp over the passenger area. Kinda of a James Dean Corvette.
     
    elgringo71 and tractorguy like this.
  17. tractorguy
    Joined: Jan 5, 2008
    Posts: 947

    tractorguy
    Member

    Every time I see that engine, I have to remind myself that somewhere out on the shelf I have a complete three carb manifold with the sidedrafts for a 1953 Corvette. Bought it probably 30 yrs. ago laying on the ground under a guys table at a Michigan swap meet. I have a donor 235 engine and just for fun a Mallory new in box distributor. Seems like I have everything except the motivation !!
     
    ffr1222k likes this.
  18. The six cylinder/automatic Corvettes always struck me as the automotive equivalent to a dancing bear. The amazement wasn't how poorly the bear danced, but that it danced at all.
     
  19. A Boner
    Joined: Dec 25, 2004
    Posts: 7,699

    A Boner
    Member

    Yep, the puffy seats wasted lots of precious interior room. Ergonomics were not a thing in the 50’s!
     
    VANDENPLAS likes this.
  20. dana barlow
    Joined: May 30, 2006
    Posts: 5,211

    dana barlow
    Member
    from Miami Fla.
    1. Y-blocks

    I love 53/55,I owned a badly used 1954,a very short time in 1962. It was a ragged out one,but I cleaned it up inside an the 6cly engine box,got that running on all 6 again !,,but didn't get the changes to fix the white gelcoat=it had gone to alligator skin.
    I had traded my full custom "J" for it,after close to two weeks,kids Dad shows up an,has my Dad tell me to trade back!:mad:;;;This after the kid blow out my full customs intake gaskets in my Old's Rocket 88,,,from dicking around turning key off an on ,to hear it backfire{ so now ran very poor}.
    So when I found out what was going on,I switched two plug wires on the Vett,before trading back. I would done a lot more,but didn't have time.:cool:
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2022
    Spooky and tractorguy like this.
  21. v8flat44
    Joined: Nov 13, 2017
    Posts: 1,211

    v8flat44

    When I was a senior in H S back in 19--, a guy who garduated a year ahead of me had a 54 Vette with PG trans. I got left behind at a dance with no ride till Dave rolled thru the door looking for his ex HS sweetheart. She wasn't there & he was drunk. Asked me if I'd drive him home before he fell down. I fell in love with that car!! Remember, I'm a Ford guy. The sound, performance, the feel & even the smell of that thing won me over. In 1965 I bought a 58 Vette....contagious .....If i had the $$$, I'd buy a 54 today.
     
  22. 302GMC
    Joined: Dec 15, 2005
    Posts: 8,107

    302GMC
    Member
    from Idaho

    1966 .... got back to San Diego from a 9 month vacation on the South China Sea. First liberty, I walk a couple blocks from the Seven Seas locker club to a Chev dealer to look for a '49 - '54 Chev. No luck there, but he had a '53 Vette with most of the engine in the trunk for $300, & a '54 that looked new for $1095. Had to wait for a while, but found a nice '49 Cad in the Sunday paper ...
     
    e z i and tractorguy like this.
  23. mr.chevrolet
    Joined: Jul 19, 2006
    Posts: 8,931

    mr.chevrolet
    Member

  24. noboD
    Joined: Jan 29, 2004
    Posts: 8,618

    noboD
    Member

    I can still hear the first early Corvette drive by my house. I was sitting on the front porch with my sister who moved out when I was 7. It was a black '54, belonged to a neighbor girl. I wonder where it ever got to?
     
    tractorguy likes this.
  25. I've always loved the space age rocket ship tail lights.
    303.JPG
     
    Deuces, Moriarity and VANDENPLAS like this.
  26. The car was and still is a work of art .

    to the naysayers I say nay! The car is simply perfect .

    let’s face it , it’s a car that should of never been created never mind survived all these years and has been elevated to super car status.

    the C1 & C2 are legendary

    the C3 while a smog box underpowered behemoth of a car , was and is still cool to drive .

    the next few generations have elevated it to the same if not better status the cars worth a ton more then the “ lowly corvette “

    for a car that never should of been it’s Chevrolet’s crown jewel .
     
  27. BJR
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 10,469

    BJR
    Member

    It was a great looking design, but until it got roll up windows it just didn't sell a lot of cars. Americans were used to cars with roll up windows and not side curtains. Add a V8 in 55 and you had a cool car, with the original body. Still no roll up windows though.:oops:
     
    VANDENPLAS likes this.
  28. partsdawg
    Joined: Feb 12, 2006
    Posts: 3,611

    partsdawg
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Minnesota

    Back in 1998 a guy wanted to trade me even up his stock '54 for my modified '55 Chevy.
    As he was saying "I'll trade you..." I said no.
    Another guy offered me a '63 for the '55. Same result.
    Probably should have traded as so many folks trip over their bank accounts to own one but no regrets.
    Never been a fan
     
    VANDENPLAS likes this.
  29. Petejoe
    Joined: Nov 27, 2002
    Posts: 12,428

    Petejoe
    Member
    from Zoar, Ohio

    The only corvettes I’ve ever loved. 53-54 and of course the split window.
    the tail lights looked great to me.
     
  30. I've always liked everything about the'53-'56 Corvettes, being 6' 6" I would never be able to drive one though.
    Now if I were to start a car museum, there would have to be one on display... so innovative, unique, and being the start of a body model Chevrolet has continued on to this day. Worthy historical value/recognition.
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.