Can we have a talk about "Shorties"?

I have no respect for the aesthetics, and the work is mis-spent and would have been better directed elsewhere. Further it makes the result look too european6356144[/ATTACH]

 

I’m in the “I wouldn’t” category. However, one did catch my eye locally a couple years back at a show I attended.

I appreciate good workmanship and this one had it in spades.


I wish it was somewhere where I could get a better side view to see how the proportions looked but from this angle…I'd have kicked that rear axle back a bit.

And of course the number tag which tipped me off to take a closer look see

 

If that is a "shortie" ^^^^^^^

This must be a "longie"!

 

Thats not half bad. You can fit a foursome and their sticks. I'd drive that through the bag drop.

 

Apparently it's in Austin Texas. Odd, but it almost looks better than stock ....

 

Pretty sure no matter how hard you try;

Clown car.

 

here's some I stole from the internet. for some reason, I'm a fan.

 

I remember the 70's when there were quite a few shorties in SoCal. They were attention grabbing, but I thought most of them were somewhat goofy looking. Two that I remember weren't too bad were a couple of VW vans, and one guy shortened a Corvair wagon that looked okay.

I recently was a '56 Chevy wagon that was shortened on Facebook for sale, and it didn't bring hardly any money compared to an unmolested one.

 

Can't say that I'd build or own one myself, but I've caught a few over the years at Back to the Fifties Weekend. They're kinda interesting. Lots of work involved. I think most of them we see are survivors from that back-in-the-day thing where hot rodders didn't see a four door as anything more than a parts car, so they did what they did.
Like that old saying goes - "you can't make a sow's ear out of a silk purse...."

 

IMHO it does not generally work on American cars but there are exceptions, and both Ford and GM should have made them... The clown cars people make from poor 4 doors, nope.

 

This 59 Impaler ain't bad a'tall...
I'd drive it....
6sally6

 

The AMX, a factory shorty.

Gary

 

this is a poorly photoshopped shortened 1949-50 Chevrolet 2 door sedan, which has a shorter trunk lid than the coupes.. took about 10 inches between the door and fender bulge, and another 6" through the doors.


here's another 6" out of the fenders and hood

 

I wonder if this would look better if it had a mild section and a mild chop, like 2-3 inches each.

 

Sweet, thanks for posting that! Yes, GM should have built that Toronado.
Somebody with deep pockets should build a clone/tribute.

 

This "shorty" 1967 Cad Eldorado is a Minnesota car. One of the 2024 Detroit Autorama's "Great 8", it's shortened a couple feet and I believe has a late model Caddy drive train on a completely new rear-wheel-drive ch***is. Caught it at last year's Gopher State Timing ***ociation show in the Twin Cities. I think it's pretty cool.

 

I didn't snap a side profile photo which might give a better view of proportions. But yeah, I recall thinking it had better proportions than a lot of the shorties I've seen.

 

Yep that one works too. Also the prototype 57 Chrysler 300C.

 

Or Audi Quattro

 

a few more. i do think that all of the 55-7 shortys could use the rear axle placed more rearward.

 

I like.

 

Nope they dont look right, any of them. Sorry Bill

 

I’ll beat @anthony myrick to the punch. I’d drive it. The rear axle does need to move backwards. I probably have 5-7 years where I can still climb in through the tailgate. I’ve been amusing myself contemplating what drivetrains could be wedged into it.
Is it a quirk of the lighting or are there two of them, one gray and one green?

 

I’d drive em all

 

Saw this on Roadkill the other night. I'd much prefer the Caddie sitting on the trailer in the background.

 

Gotta say I like this one, was in the ‘post entry’ section in a ‘70s Hot Rod mag. Would be better with the rear axle back 8 inches, but yeah I’d drive it.