Over the years any car I ever owned that was 55+ was a hartop. The drop in the door, the glass, hartops are just killer. However, what about 55+ cars that are 2 door posts? I have seen plent of customs out of post cars and they look good but _______________? I dont know, I cant figure it out. Is it because they are shorter than hartops? Are 55+ post cars less desirable to customize than a hartop? Is it just me?
In my day (before dirt) hardtops were cool and post cars were for grandpa. That kind of impression can stick with you forever. Actually, I think the roof line on the post cars are higher than on the hardtops, so they don't look as long and low. They look awesome for the "prostreet" "gasser" look. The basic style of the 55/56 body is timeless, in any configuration.
Don't really get your question, but if your talking about Chevys, the Coupes usually have 2" lower windshield than the sedans.
Sedan to me has more of a drag car look, maybe it's because I own a sedan. I do know my doors shut correctly and the quater panels don't move, more than I can say for many hardtops.
I think that the post cars have a more brutal look to them and lend themselves more to the hot rod / gasser / street racer style. The hard tops have a nore elegant look and lend themselves more to the custom style. However, both hard tops and post cars can be built sucessfully in either style.
I was not there in the 50's, but I have always thought of the hardtops as a grandpa's car , the post cars just look racier, more like a hot rod to me. I have always wanted a 55 or 57 2 door post, no hardtops for me.
I think a lot of this "traditional thinking" i.e. hartops as customs and post cars as "gassers", came from the fact that most race cars were based on the cheaper ( and lighter ) two door post models. You know how some folks get when you start messin' with tradition! lol
might be best to build a pont, buick, olds caddy and leave the chevy for a hot rodder.............hehe
I graduated from high school in 65. Around that time the word was the post cars were lighter most guys thought were faster. Most of my personal cars were hardtops. Had one post 56 chevy very fast very solid. Ive owned 6 56 chevys one 57, one 58 all were very nice cars the hardtops rattled the sedan didnt
If you imagine that era when the 55 chev hardtop came out, what was mostly on the street? All those early 50's cars with small windows (relative) and massive looking B pillars. The exception would be the Vicky's or convertables. So now comes the 55 Chev, with the large wrap around windshield. What a striking appearance. For cruisin', all those hardtop side windows were immediately rolled down to emphasize that sleek looking new top design. I'll agree with most of the previous posters though, when the early muscle car period started, then the post cars were cool in their own way too.
Thanks for the input guys, I'm trying to get a feel in my mind for what looks better customized...of course hardtops look good, maybe Im trying to justify a post car as a custom.
Sedans have a taller roof line than the hardtops, and therefore look less sleek. The hardtops have a smoother look without B pillars as well. These are traits desirable to a kustomizer. The sedans are typically more tortionally rigid than the hardtops because of the B pillar, desireable to racers. Also, since the sedans are more rigid in design, they often don't have the X frame, which makes them lighter than the hardtops.
I think the hardtops are nicer looking with the lower roof profile and the deleted door posts, but I'm not willing to pay the enormous price difference to own one. I agree that the race cars/hot rods were often times post cars because 1. they were cheaper 2. They were slightly lighter and 3.(at least percieved to be) slightly stronger. Not sure if #3 is actually true or not. I'd rather have a hardtop, but then again, I'm not a race car guy. I like my cars to be like a hot blonde girl. All looks and no substance. Although currently, my '57 doesn't have looks or substance.
Yeah, personal preference but I do think the post cars tend to have an "all business" look to them. Hard-tops are for cruisers. 58 Ford Post pictured
I have shown Dad a 55 post car and he has always said "I am not gonna build a post when I could have a Bel Air!" I like a post in pure race form but not really so much as a driver. Gabe
If you're gonna customize a post, you pretty much have to chop it to get it to look sleek. Hardtops already have that look built in.
you don't have to agree with him, but you might as well get used to the fact that some folks think certain cars look like crap. I think a lot of cars look like crap...but I won't tell you which ones!
My opinions have changed through the years. Hard tops were as new as a 1995 car today, only ten years old in 1961. Everyone wanted a hard top but they commanded more money so the poor teenager picked up the "post" cars to hotrod. 4 doors were out of the question! Today the post cars are more desirous to me because they were the hot street cars of my youth. Hard tops got restored..post cars got hotrodded. Give me the low buck el-cheap-o that we made into sleepers back in the day.
Yeah, yeah, just got fired up... I really like 58 Impalas, but I don't really like 58 Bel air coupes. But I do like Bel air/ Biscayne 2dr sedans...?
I should have specified, I meant tri-five Belair sedans. Mainly because every one puts all of the Belair trim on nice 210 and 150'S.
When I was growing up hard tops were kool, and post were considered all business, that stuck with me all this time and my all business car is a 56 Ford 2 dr post...Bad Ass.
We talkin the primer black and red steels hotrodders? Good place for a Chevy to be in. Build a Poncho........they have taste, class and more importantly.......MY VOTE. I dunno hun, I've got both the 55s, one hardtop, one post car. I figured I'd make my post car my go fast car since it's lighter and make the hardtop my sexy custom since it's low and lean. Good question! xxx Brandy
The Jalopy Journal
