Well put wsDad!Im glad to have had a father who was actually there to guide me and I feel very much the same.
These are some photos the late Dick Kraft sent me a couple years ago... Dick did not care too much for car shows, could not go fast while at them! It kinda shows by his expression in this photo. OK, this one is from the 40's, but you get the idea...
i've got a 32 five window sans roof with matching "homebuilt" title from 1960 that says they did.....
There weren't many cheap roadster bodies in the 50s. They were on cars that sold for from $400 to $700 on the lot. $90 was was a week's pay for the average working stiff. I recall shopping for a convert/roadster(Tucson AZ, 1956) when I thought they were the cat's pajamas. A nice bone stock roadster was out of my league! The kids I knew had coupes. Most converts/ cabrolets/ roadsters, were dad and mom's sunday driver, never to be used as a hot rod, except by some rich kid or somebody building something for a movie or to feature in a magazine. In reality, the majority of hot rods were coupes, or if one wanted to go topless he chopped off a coupe because it was cheaper to do it that way. What they did with what they had (then), would/should be traditional (now), except for kids today that are continually trying to re-write history................... Yep, it's my guess that many were left over from the 50s and 60s. So that makes one that's been cut down from a coupe just as 'traditional' as a real roadster, eh?
Well, I am 18 now and it brings tears to my eyes seeing all the great people and cars of the '50's. I wish I could have lived it. The girls, drive-ins, burger joints, cars, music, etc. The '50's was a great era. But there were some bad things. You guys think it was the best and I do at most times to but think about how they treated people like African Americans and what not. They treated them terribley. Also a lot of women could not get the jobs like they get today. Those are some good points about today. But the cars, movies, tv shows, music, etc. sucks compared the the '50's. I wish I could build a time machine though and live in the '50's even if it was for a day that would be great.
......No need to appologise for those pictures. Actual 50's pictures is the best kind. The ammount of everyday street driven Hot Rods showing up here is amazing. I love the yellow 5 window '32 with the bobbed rear fenders & no bumpers. Thanks.
This is a current 50's period correct build in progress... any help in identifying it would be appreciated... more info on this thread http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=431579
Here's one more. The car was a '30-'31 with a '32 shell and '41 Cad. hood side panel inserts. painted coral, with black and white alternating tuck and roll upholstery. Mild flat-head powered, column shift. The owner was Bud Poorman. Charlie Hall did a lot of the finish work. Car was built in '53. Always fun to watch Bud get in the damn thing. Love to know if it survived all these 57 years. Hope so!
Don`t think today you can get paid on a Friday buy a car,put gas in it,take a girl to dinner and a movie and have money left over!! and all out of $35.00. Very cool.
Cool picture, this was two blocks from my house on Telegraph Rd. in Dearborn Michigan. Cruised it many a night. Late fifties.
Wow, the fifties , like two decades in one. Dallas, I love your rambling about the ole days. titus.... anything happen with that coupe yet? a little throw back to the fifties. Early fifties...like 1950
This car was at the drags last year, i have no idea who the owner is, but it deserves to be on here. This thing is amazing. Hard to get more 50's than this. Why doesnt anyone build fendered rods any more?
That fiver was owned by the famous Mark Morton of Hop Up Magazine until recently. My favorite 5 window.
This Photo is a time warp of the third kind, exactly how it would have looked in 49-51 if a digital camera had been put in a time machine and catapulted itself back....awesome !
This car was built by John Fleckenstein (17 at the time) starting in 1958. 23 T fabricated frame, Desoto hemi, 6 97s, 37 LaSalle tranny, Hilibrand quick change, and more good parts later. That's me in the passengers seat, Ned Kelly(the old guy...crap I'm the old guy now) is helping with first fire up/ test drive. This is in Spokane Washington July 1960
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