For me and many people a shoebox is, was, and always will be a 55 - 57 Chevy. I had never heard of a Ford shoebox till I read it here on the HAMB a few years ago.
I was just going to bring this up. When I was a kid in the 80's reading hot rod and car craft, along with my dads 70's car mags tri-five chevys were always reffered to as shoe boxes. I didnt hear fords called that untill 5 or 6 years ago. I understand why tri fives are called shoe boxes I just dont get it for the fords.
I always considered the 49-51 as a shoebox, but my Tex Smith book on how to build Shoebox Fords lists from 49-54. It's just a nickname so there are no set rules.
well, i had 2 51 vickys and was welcome on the shoebox site,sold both and bought a 54 mainline..was treated like a step child....so a shoebox site has the official poop here. as for tri-five chevies being the first shoeboxes.....aint noway 55 comes before 49,and my dad called em shoeboxes before the first 55 was ever punched out.
The sides of the '53 and '54's are flat just like the '49-'51's...I guess they would fall into the same nickname... example...Dirts Ford!
That's weird... I've never heard tri-fives called "shoeboxes". Until today if someone called a tri-5 a shoebox, I'd probably make fun of them.. haha.. shows how much I know.
ray marler at shoebox fords has been in the 49-50-51 ford business for 50 years.he says the shoebox ford era ended in 1951 when the first 52 came out.i tried to argue this point..but lost. shoebox ford era...49-50-51 shoebox chevy era 55-56-57 note they were all shoeboxes..but of different makes
49-51 FORDS are the only shoeboxes, noone can convince be otherwise...the "new" slab slided car in 49 is where the name came from...and this is like the millionth post on this.
Even worse, I've heard guys call a Chevy 2 a deuce! Deuces and Shoeboxes ARE NOT NOW, NOR WILL THEY EVER BE CHEVROLETS!!! s s
The shoebox name was always the 49,50,51 Fords the Chevy simply stole the name at a later time. I've heard a lot of tri-5's called street rods also which there not. CRUISER
Calling a chevy a shoebox.. well, thats just crazy talk. 49-51 ford. goldchainer tri-5's are not shoeboxes. Thats like calling a corvette a hot rod.
http://www.carcraft.com/featuredvehicles/ccrp_0409_1955_chevrolet_210/index.html http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/featuredvehicles/48878_1956_chevrolet_bel_air/index.html http://www.motortopia.com/vehicles/view/p/cars/v/3126/i/shoebox http://gassermadness.com/grosart/visitorscars/index.htm http://seatbelt.blogspot.com/2009/03/1955-chevrolet.html http://speedwaymotors.com/Painless-1955-1957-Chevy-wiring-harness,1924html And tri five Chevies are 55 - 57 pickups. =)
I was talking cars with an old friend I havent seen in a while and told him I was building a deuce. He thought I had a Chevy Nova. Said "I have never heard of an old Ford called A Deuce". Did I say friend
And then there are the Dorks who says "Shoebox Nova" or "Shoebox Deuce".... Ain't a Deuce nor a Shoebox
The Jalopy Journal
