History "Everything that's old is new again"

In 1957, my dad bought a 1951 Ford Custom for my mother and my older brother to share. Unfortunately, it was a Fordor. After a couple of years, the car essentially became mine. Back then, four door sedans were frowned upon in my circle, so one of the first things I did was remove the rear door handles, fill in the holes, and prime the area. While I thought I was being "cool", the change was obvious since the front doors on a four door are significantly shorter than their two door counterparts.


Lately, I am seeing more and more new cars where the rear door handles are hidden, again trying to make the vehicle look more "sporty". However, they share the same problem I had in 1959; the short front doors screw up the proportions and make them look weird.

 

Yes. I know of 2 cars that shut the rear doors up, one I built, and the other, well, he only welded the door part, NOT around the window frames. The one I did, was supposed to look like a "coupe", but the other really looked awkward!

 

now it is OK to have a 1951 Ford 4 door. all 60-70 80 + year old cars are cool now.

 

Back in 2004-2005, my dad suggested we do that to my 62 Bel Air 4-door sedan. I said no, I liked it better with the handles (and still do). The car still wears its original paint after 62 years of life. Glad I didn't screw that one up.

 

I still have a problem swallowin 4 doors less its on a wagon, either way those are some good lookin cars

 

My thoughts have changed over the years. I'm still a 2 door kinda guy but I've seen some great looking 4 doors lately. "more doors.......more fun"!

 

My '57 Chevy had the rear doors filled in and the handles shaved some time in the late 70's (I'm guessing) by some high school kids. I honestly didn't even notice it was done until I brought the car home, it was still so obviously a 4 door. They didn't weld it, they just filled the door gaps up with filler. I ended up adding the correct length 2 door sedan front doors and B pillar sections from a donor car to get it to look the way they had probably hoped it would look.

 

Lately have been looking at some photos and home movies made in the Salinas area by Andy Southard around 1961. I was surprised at the number of mildly customized, older 4 door cars many of them with the rear door handles shaved.

 

Thanks for posting that. It's one of the few period pieces that really talks to me. I too, was surprised at the number of "converted 4 doors"; the shoebox and the '40 seemed to be particularly well done. The '53 in the first scenes brought back memories of J.C. Whitney. The "custom" grille center piece is already starting to rust! In California, no less. The '50 Olds club coupe brought back some good memories, as my era was little before the tri five Chevrolet era, and an Olds "Rocket" was the hot setup.

 

I have to agree that those two definitely look better with the rear door handles.

 

All this reminds me of when I was in the Air Force in the late 60s at March AFB in California. A bunch of us car guys hung out together and had a hanger-on with a 61 Chevy 4 door. He would constantly ask what he should do with his car to make it look better. Our standard response was, "paint it yellow and put a Taxi sign on top!".

 

Maybe to some , they're still grocery getters or mom cars .

 

what percent of 51 Ford 4 doors would you say are driven by "moms" and used to get groceries on a regular basis?

 

Not now, but that was what they were intended to do.

 

Moms and groceries are cool

 

When I built my Austin g***er I welded the rear door handle opening up and made the doors just open from inside. I think it looks just fine this way myself. Wasn't trying to make it look like a 2 door, just thought it looked cleaner.

 

best come back I heard today, better say I didnt hear it I read it.

 

your right anthony

 

The only cool 4 doors back in the day were suicide door Mercury's and Lincoln's. There were a few Cads with suicide doors but not enough to be mainstream.

 

I rocked my handles

 

Watching Happy Days growing up, the family Desoto got a lot of hate.
I guess it’s a generational kinda thing. My students just see old rides and that’s enough to make it cool.
I don’t care either.

I’d rock this ride with a big ole grin and tell the Fonz to sit on it.

 

yeah, what he said..............!!!!

 

Been thinkin about the 50 nash 2 door I had that was my first car................ been 60 years ago and MAN I wish I still had it.

 

I’m sure at some point in the mid 50’s-60’s some kids were embarr***ed being dropped off in a lame 4 door wagon, and a teenager would probably rather walk than drive this thing.
But in 2024 she sure gets a lot of thumbs up and boy is it practical!

 

These days it's a "Nostalgia Thing"; back in my day it was a "Car Thing".

 

Four doors made great sleepers back in the day
Dan

 

a buddy had one of those late-'40s mopars. nobody wanted them, so really mint ones went for a buck-and-a-quarter!

 

i went to grade school in the '50s. a friend was embarrased of his dad's car and would make him drop him off a couple blocks from school. oh, yeah--dad drove a 20-year-old cord!