Can't understand the tri-five craze

The designers got it right ,it's that simple,there appaeling,not to everyone ,but many.Just incase you don't know,this year the 55is57,the 56is 56 and the57 turns55,so Happy B/Day to all the Tri 5 fans out there!

 

they have lots of room in them and at 6'6" a 32' ford coupe doesn't work for me.

 

I agree, I cant really understand it either. However I do own a 57 4 door wagon. I wanted a car to use for family vacations that wasnt less than 40 years old that was cheap and easy to maintain. Its the only car I have on the road and id rather drive that than anything built after about '73. Although you could think almost any other mid 50s american car and i would rather own it. But availabilty in Aussie reduces choices

 

Many of the reasons for the appeal of the tri-five chevy's have already been said, but they are a stand out part of our hot rod history.

Don't forget, Ford outsold Chevy in 57, but you don't see nearly as many of them. Sure Chevy's rust too, but still seemed to hold up better than the other makes.

I've had a batch of 55's and 57's including Nomads and found them very easy to work on. Easy to maintain and modify will increase popularity, hence more of them have always been around which create the popularity thought.

I've since gotten in with the other BOP's of GM and enjoy the upgrade differences, but I cut my teeth with the Chevy too and enjoyed it. Lotta fond memories...............

 

what other car is as versatile as a tri 5 chevy? they look good stock, or as customs, or as gassers, or as 70s style hot rods etc... not to many other cars that can pull all of these looks off.

 

We have a winner.

 

Let me get this right. You don't understand why people will pay a lot of money for a car they really like and think they look cool and is relatively easy to hop up, and has a lot of rebop parts available?!? Beats me!?!?!?!

 

I personally dislike tri 5's. I think they don't look good. Never liked them growing up. Prolly cuz I've seen tooo many billet monstrosities. But won't knock u if u got one. We like different schtuff

 

Well, the OP said it...they were revolutionary. Forget the GTO being the original musclecar, that was just the first advertised one. The Tri5 had "hill climbing power" and was "the Hot One". But boiled down, it was affordable performance.

Before that, there was the Buick Century--a big engine in a small car, anyone?--in 1936, and the expensive overhead V8's of Olds and Cadillac. But when you got a new Tri5, you could get hop-up parts from the dealer, and if you got one used...you didn't have to swap engines, the V8 was already there. why did the flathead get so much attention? Because it was already in the car and parts were availible.

that all being said, it takes a real standout shoebox to catch my attention, too. Just like Chevelles and '69 Camaros. I'd take a same year Pontiac, myself. Stroke out the V8, and do little else to make it stand out in a crowd.

heck, ford was outselling the chevyshoebox, not too hard to hotrod one of those, either...

 

i grew up with 55-57 chevies.. raced a b/m/p 57 back in the mid 60's.. my uncle had a 55 dirt tracker. my cousins, uncles, and me would buy all the ones for under 50.00 we could find..we were known to destroy body parts faster than i could find them..i havent had one since i was in the air force in 69, but not because i didnt want one... if you dont understand..i guess you just dont understand

 

The first DOZEN or so cars I owned were all 55-7 Chevies, and this was in the mid-late 70's.
Lots of reasons they are so popular. Great looks...of course that's subjective, but popular opinion is "they are".
Great engine..first Chevy V-8 lightweight engine, made good HP stock, and responds very well to hop up equipmant, which is easy to get and cheap, even back in the day. This is probably the biggest reason...it was easy for young guys to work on them and hop them up (like 32 Fords w/flatheads). the engine family continued for many years, making it easy to do higher HP swaps, trans and rears were pretty much bolt in's as well.
Classic styling..still look good after 6o+ years. Can't say that for many others. Not many go crazy for Studes, 51 Dodges, 59 Fords, etc.
Their popularity created a resto part industry.
Their popularity created a "cycle" that continues to insure their popularity. That is, they are so well liked, and used in so many fields, like restoration, racing, hot rodding, that they are not easily discarded, keeping more in circulation, which keeps them popular and NOT being discarded, and even pretty bad examples are saved, instead of junked.
I kind of wish I still had my first one, a 57 COnvert that was stolen out of Raceway Park in 1979.
but the popularity and commoness of them pushed me into appreciating custom cars more., being a big proponent of individuality.

 

in 1957 Ford Fairlane/ Crown Vic/Mainline. Out Sold Chevy Bellairs/210/150
by 7 thousand units
but between the 2 they out sold all others 2 to 1

I personally like 55/56 fords 55/56 chevys over their 57 models

on thge other hand ...in 55
16,000 thunderbirds to 700 corvettes

 

I've had probably a dozen '55-'57 Chevs.
It is pointless to try to explain the attraction, to someone who just "doesn't get it".

 

Lots of them left so to speak.I believe Ford sold about the same or slightly better during that period,but the Fords are gone.Gone because many of the Chevys were saved just like 30 Fords were saved by performance guys.
And I'll get shit for this,but,I believe GM cars had superior build quality in the 50-60's

 

I'm getting close to 62, and can't give you a good reason, there were a few of them in my High School parking lot. The 1923 Dodge Screen Side the typing teacher drove a mile to school was my favorite car in the lot. Antique car shows, AMT models and Hot Rod magazine got me hooked on 1940 and older cars, and I still like them the best today. I just never got into cars that were in a showroom in my lifetime. Bob

 

very good thread,

 

First, these cars were major upgrades from anything Chevy built previously. The 265 & 283 engines (now with 12 volt systems) made these cars the ones to beat - especially with the aftermarket jumping in. The available factory powertrain combos were pretty stout. As far as the "looks".......I don't understand, "not understanding". The '57 Nomad has got to be one of the most beautiful cars ever built.

 

Yes indeedy. That article pretty well sums it up.

 

I have had some and will buy another if the orpurtunity presents itself. They are a great car with great styling. They can be built in many styles and still look good. Yes they can be boring when a bunch of them get together in one place. But I have also walked by many nice 32's at the nationals becuse they were just another 32 in a sea of 32's.

 

I have many friends that have them, I've worked on them, I've come to be apathetic. I will generally walk by them to look at something more unusual. For example, I passed two really nice 57s to look at a Kaiser Manhattan that was a bit krusty. Overexposed, indeed.

 

Is it really this complex? People like them and you dont. Seems pretty simple to me

 

Works for me!

 

My dad gave up his '55 HT when I was 1 to be able to afford to drive back and forth to college. Something about gas prices in 1980-81 and the 396 dual quad. So I grew up looking at every tri-5 at that we saw. Then picked up a '66 Mustang when I was 6 and worked on it with him until I was 16 when I decided I needed a truck. Now there are so many of each at car shows that I have a 50' rule, if it doesn't have something interesting that catches my eye at 50' then I don't even stop to look.

However if I ever get to the point I could afford to buy him another '55 Chevy I will. But if it was for me, I would rather have a '55 Ford (even though it would break his heart).

 

I like them,,,56 in particular but I prefer a truck for practical reasons,,,not that you could not put a dirty old motor in the trunk of a tri 5

 

ive owned and driven both the Ford and the tri five chev. The chev handles & drives better. The 265 & 283 chev engines where lighter and oiled better than the 292&312ford. the 55 chev was 12 volt. the 55 ford 6 volt. had the 55 ford come from the factory in 55 12 volt and with a 352 FE engine they might have more popular. I have parked our front 2 55,s one of each. Both 2 dr wagons. I have a inquiry about the chev at least once a week. I had a guy lay 65 one hundred dollar bills on the hood of the chev trying to buy it. The ford is for sale Im asking $2500. I havent ever got any offers on it and only a few inquiries. Also I owned the 55 ford for thirty years before I even got ot running. I bought the 55 chev a basket case no engine no trans no front cap . I had it running & driving in a month. Until you have owned worked on & driven a tri five chev you wouldnt understand. OldWolf

 

Talk about yanking the chain! While I'll walk past a chromed out Tri-5 that looks like it was built from a aftermarket catalog I do love one that is bone stock or lightly upgraded for better driveability. As far as being the first factory muscle car I think the 57 Ford w/2X4's or the supercharged version might be considered a muscle car.

 

This is quite possibly the dumbest thread on The HAMB.



Why do you like brunettes?

Why do you like the color blue?



It`s all about what people like. A LOT of people like Tri-Fives. A LOT of people like Model A`s.

 

They were really popular from day one. Like a 32 Ford, they are the quintessential hot rod. They just have "that look". Its all a matter of taste and appeal. If you don't see it then you probably never will.
I am basically a Ford guy but I am on my 6th tri-five Chevy now.

 

I was never crazy about them either, but I really enjoy driving my dad's around. And someone REALLY needs to buy it because I'm COMPLETELY out of room!



.

 

I just looked at your profile and there isn't much there. What is there is that you belong to an International truck group. If you like IH's you probably do not understand what styling is.
That is one of the appeals of these cars, the styling!

~Alden