History 1957 Chevy 2 Door Wagon Government Car?

How come you haven't gone over to Chevytalk.org and read the posts on these cars over there? Yes, it's a Sedan Delivery, yes it came factory with windows, yes it probably was used by the US Gov't when new - Forest Service or the like. How many were made? They know over there, I don't, but I'm fairly certain it was less than 500.


Things like a radio and clock don't mean anything, of my last three beaters, two were built with virtually no options at all, and I added not only a better radio but power windows and locks to both of them. I may add cruise control to the current one, the tilt column I put in it has the controls for it, I just need the brain box, throttle connection and the rest of the wiring. If I can do that in my driveway, anyone can swap a radio and clock into a '50s delete car.

To restore or not? I wouldn't use it to build a full on chopped up custom, but you won't hurt it with bolt-ons and paint of choice. Rare, yes, but so are the guys with a hard-on to own one. So the value isn't really out of sight, like a black widow 150 tudor factory fuel injected car might be.

 

i had a military 57 4 door post car it was olive drab and it was a 150 and it also had a badge on the dash stating it was a military car .wasent mine it was a customers i should say

so i belive it.

 

U.S. Forestry Service speced those Chevys out. Had a lot of them.

 

I think a funeral car or coroner car are good possibilities. Has very good potential now to be used as a business advertising delivery vehicle for any number of types of companies. Drive train could be stock or modern. It's all good.

 

There one on e-bay item no. 320507769522 Wa. state vin is double stamped. real rough shape but complete.

 

here is the ebay link :http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...22&_sacat=See-All-Categories&_fvi=1&viewitem=

 

Military cars were primarily blue, white, & OD green. The Forestry Service green was a special color, as well, but any of these could be ordered by a civilian, as well. My old Suburban was FS green with a white top, but was never, ever a gov't truck (I bought it off the second owner and had the whole history of it).

Yeah, of course, a radio and clock could've been added later, no ****. BUT, with the apparent lack of a nomenclature plate on the dash, or other gov't tags or markings, would indicate a likely civilian purchaser new.

 

Flat,
"I think a funeral car or coroner car are good possibilities." for midgets maybe.
The back is the same as a station wagon, just barely 6 foot. Mine was $60 in 1971 and anybody who thinks funeral car needs to learn more about cars in general.
Jr.

 

The "SPL" indication on the ACC line is typical of police cars and other government ordered vehicles. Usually means the paint or something else was not a standard option.

And it looks to me like it did used to have a Chevrolet script on the hood - you can see some primer or something fogged over that area. There has been a lot of paint work on that car, both inside and outside - the dash would have been black on top and silver on bottom, originally.

HRJ

 

Just by looking at the pictures, and your description, I would say it's a "windowed delivery", EXCEPT for the paint divider trim. IF it's a windowed delivery, it will have a "D" in the vin, and the firewall tag will have the "SPL" notation. As far as the windowed deliveries, for 1957, it's generally accepted there were NINETY TWO of them made. You should be able to find traces of "government" style paint somewhere on the car, as opposed to the factory colors available to the public. My guess, is that it's a 150 Handyman wagon that someone added a one piece liftgate to. I can see evidence of red paint at the corners of the dash, a "SPL" would'nt have had a red dash, maybe brown or green. Butch/56sedandelivery.

I reread the first page of this posting, and saw the 1271 and SPL notes this time. So, it's a windowed delivery that someone added the paint divider to; take the divider off and return it to it's original configuration. These cars, 55-57 Chevrolets, have been through so much, and so many modifications, and owners, over the years, it's sometimes hard to tell what a car originally was. Just don't hack it up. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

If you'd bothered to actually read my post that Flats was referencing, I did NOT say "he****". A funeral car/coroner's car is used by a mortuary to pick up a body at a morgue or hospital, or by the coroner to take the body to the medical examiner's office. Generally, it's likely in a body bag or a short stretcher, and will fit without issue in this car. A HE**** is longer and can accommodate a casket. I OWNED a '67 Plymouth Belvedere I station wagon that actually WAS a he****, and is not much different in length in the cargo area than the '57 we are discussing. It had rollers in the back so a casket could be hauled in it. The cargo bay with the rear seat down is right at 6'1". Perhaps you should learn more about cars in general, eh?

Why does everyone ***ume these were ALL government cars, anyway???

 

I'm curious on the wheels, 150's had the 14" steelies with no vents and are straight on front after the lip. That car probably had them also or my be on it . My opinion the car should go extreme on a correct restoration, low production rarities will be sought after and more important be a part of Americana history.

 

My Dad was in charge of ordering the new police cars every year in my hometown of Arcadia, California. In 1957, his choice was the Chevrolet.
He ordered one station wagon to be used for the new speed radar equipment. It required a station wagon, because the first generation radar units were all tubes, no transistors. The equipment was huge. That wagon had nothing but a flat floor, no seat or even a pace for seats to be. I remember it well, because I use to ride around with Dad sometimes when he was using the wagon to run police dept. errands. The wagon was the only one painted black and white.

 

my 55 two door was a military car! originaly painted olive green, paint code says SPEC body number is 500 firwall has original handwriting in yellow that says 500 special no back seat, back windows are stationary, and no heater just has a block off plate where the motor would normally come through the firewall. motor was a 6 with a 3 speed ... interested in a production number on this if anyone has info??

 

>>>>>,The interesting thing about the EX US Army '55 Delivery the guy has here ,,besides no VIN tags on the door jam nor the firewall ,,just the MIL SPEC tag riveted on the firewall above the clutch pedal ,and a third door on the back instead of a "hatch" ,,it also has NOMAD rear wheel wells ,,it was painted Yellow,,,still is w' a few primer spots here n there ,, ,,,came from Army Surplus at Ft Leonard Wood Army Base ,,Missouri ,,no back seat ,no radio ,no clock ,,but had a heater ,,apparemtly it was used to haul munitions to the traget ranges way back when ,,had a frooze 6 cyl anna theree speed when he bought it about 10 or so years ago ,,,,,now has a 327 anna Muncie 4-speed ,,,,also interesting ,,,it had a 4;11 posi rear ,,still does ,,
i think the NOMAD rear wheel wells were so maintenence could change rear tires without jacking it up a bunch ,,,just a thought tho

i've tried to buy it for years ,,but he won't part with it ,,

 

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Do you remember what was under the hood? 220 hp 283 with a PG?

 

>>>>>,I got outa the Air Force in '65 ,,took an Alaskian Discharge ,,and stayed in Anchorage for 5 years ,,in '66 i bought a U S Army '55 Chevy at the Base Auction ,,for $50 ,,and turned it into a D/G***er w' a Hilborn Injected 301 /4 speed ,,it was the only 2 door post '55 at the auction ,,there was a bunch of 4 doors and wagons ,,but only one 2 door post ,,it was one of the last cars to be auctioned off ,,,i waited all day ,10 hours ,to bid on it ,,almost everybody had left by then ,,
in '67 ,,i went to the auction again and bought a U S Army 6 X 6 troop carrier for a service truck for my Union 76 Gas station ,,

 

thats too cool!! any pics of the g***er??

 

Can you tell if that is that the original hood? My dad owned one of these at one point, but has the hood from it one his 210 sedan now.

 

The 57 post with the 6 lug wheels sounds like a black widow, wish I was the buyer.........................

 

>>>>>Jakedmoe; here ya go ,,at Polar Dragway ,,Anchorage ,Alaska

 

>>>>One more ,,had a Econoline straight axle & steering

 

wow...kinda glad I sold my Polara prison wagon....

 

Flat,
Apologies, my reply to you was unkind. No need for that and I am sorry. My car was a cigarette delivery vehicle, that is a funeral car in a way. Again, did not mean to be so A$$Hole, but I was and should not have.

Pat66,
I did read your post and saw zero reference in Flats post to your post. Just for your info, the PO installed a rear seat from a 57 wagon. So while you're right about the rear seat, it didn't take much to add it later from the junk yard. If you read my post, I didn't make any comments about what you said. I addressed it to Flat. Maybe you could fit a coffin in your Plymouth, I would be hanging out of both ends of a 6'1" box. Plus, it's only that long on the floor. The door slopes at such an angle, it's less than 6" at where the top of a collapsed stretcher would be, unless you collapsed it end to end. Didn't mean to hurt your feelings, as a matter of fact, I wasn't even replying to you. Have a nice day.

 

Do a search under yeoman and there are a couple of threads here with lots of links and info.

 

Interesting to say the least, love the 150 looks. I had a 57 tu-door wagon, it was a 265 ci and a 3-speed o.d., light yellow and cool as hell. Another great one we all want to come back into our lives. Interesting info from you dudes, thanx for the cool post. ~Sololobo~

 

Didn't hurt my feelings at all. Flats reply was to my comment about funeral cars. You responded to that.

 

I believe the proper term for the vehicle you are referring to is,"first response vehicle".I have seen several early 50's Chevrolet sedan delivery bodies with side windows(some only on the p***enger's side)that were built by National Body Company.Some served a double duty as ambulances for smaller towns that could not afford a full sized ambulance and/or he****.

 

Connman,
This is not true. I own a 1957 Chevy carryall that was built for the U.S. Government, by contract through GM, for use in the U.S. Army. It has the regualr VIN number on the windshield post, the firewall id tag, and a nomenclature tag riveted to the dash on the p***engers side between where the glovebox door is and the heater controls are. There is no such tag under the dash on the firewall above the clutch pedal...none. The truck is ***led just as any regular production suburban/carryall from 1957 is. All true U.S. Government ordered vehicles, from chevrolet for sure, have a nomenclature tag in plain sight on the dash. I'd expect it would be the same for any manufacturer, but I only have experience with chevrolet built govenment ordered vehicles.

It is possible that non military vehicles may not have the nomenclature tag on the dash as they were bought individually and not contract built. Same would go for police, fire, emergency, school vehicles too I would think. Those may have been ordered special, but not built on a contract such as the U.S. Government/military vehicles would have. There are many vehicles then and now that are being used as military vehicles that were not ordered by the military originally. They came by way of purchase from other government en***ies. I had bid on a 1956 4 door gmc truck at a governtment military auction. It was originally ordered and bought by the a railroad company. In 1960, the Army bought the truck from the rr to use as a service truck on base. It was originally orange and yellow, then painted olive drab green once it was purchased by the govt. That truck did not have a nomenclature tag on the dash.