Hood spear on 56 Chevy, yes or no?

I think you should lose the "V" also.

 

lose the scoop and change the tires and wheels. those just do NOT look correct on it.

 

Keep the Hood Bird!!! Hood scoop, wheels & tires, now that's somethings that could go away......JMO.

 

i think lose the spear and flip the scoop..

 

To remove the hood bird, you either have to do a lot of shrinking where the bird sits. Or cut the area, hammer,dolly & trim it.. then weld it back up. It look soo much better w/o 'em. But what do I know

 

I think it adds character. While everyone else has theirs shaved, you said,"I'm not going to be like everyone else."...

BTW: Turn that scoop around or lose it all together.

 

Jay said it first. Try unbolting the bird and you will see all the formed steel that the bird sits into, unless it was smoothed out from the earlier picture then bolted back on later.

I say keep the pedestrian finder. It's something cool to have out there when you're driving.

 

I vote that you have the Fonz jumping over a shark on his Harley airbrushed on there. That would be sweet!

 

Looks much better with the bird. You have a cool street machine ala 70s

 

lose the bird it,s alot of work on a 56 thats why people keep the brid on them . just my 2 cents but a very cool car looks good both ways

 

skip the scoop and keep the spear

 

Remove the V, leave the bird, and turn the scoop around. I love the look the way it is, but in my view with these changes it would be better.

 

Lose the bird, don't worry about the bodywork, most serious race cars wouldn't have holes filled anyway. They'd have more holes drilled, elsewhere. Turn the scoop around, and if you are going to leave the D/Gas stickers on the car, then lose the RWL tires, and put some skinnier tires on the front. A tri 5 is the only car I like Cragars on, but they have to be the right size, either all about even on a lowered car, or big and little (little meaning skinny) on a raised car.

That thing screams 1982, all show no go to me, sorry...

 

Keep it. Wish I would have kept the "V".

 

" all show no go to me, sorry... "<!-- / message --><!-- edit note -->
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Isn't that what G***ers are all about? If I wanted something fast I'd of bought a late model Mustang!

 

this one is for a 55 ford, but I'm sure they made the same thing for 56 Chevys.

search bullnose or bull nose in ebay motors. I spent hours grinding down the hood ornament on my 49 chevy, then I found a bull nose on ebay new in the box

 

The best thing you could do, and the cheapest, is lose the pinstriping. It looks like you ran into a splattered bunch of insects.

 

Take it off !!!! Take it all off !!!!

 

I think post #16 has the right answer.. Very cool 56...

 

Funny. You ask for input about a hood bird and start getting opinions about wheels, pinstriping and hood scoops. Its your car. Do whatever you want and most importantly whatever you LIKE. On that car I'd keep it.

 

Maybe you can find a European hood ornament,

http://www.trifive.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37652&highlight=hood+bird

 

There's a whole raised area under the "bird", "plane" or whatever people call it. It's not easy to remove on a '56 Chevy. I've seen them removed and fillers painted to car color to fill the holes. I've also seen the raised area completely removed, but it's lots of metalwork, and repainting.
I'd leave it, and turn the scoop around also. Or I guess you could fabricate a piece of flat 1/4" polished aluminum with mounting studs to fit the old holes, so it would be less in your face, and still hide the original mounting points.

 

What pinstriping? Did you even look at the first picture of how it is today?

 

I agree that less is more if you are going for a compe***ion look. I've seen guys bolt every trinket they can buy from the Cl***ic Chevy club catalog on their "race car", but that being said, it's not easy to lose the bird on a 56 without some surgery to the hood.

 

I believe people are referring to the pinstripping around the hood V.

 

You're right, but the car is a mismash of styles, and the hood bird question really depends on other stuff. In the end, since the car has a straight axle, it probably doesn't need the bird, but the pinstriping has a "kustom" flavor, and the tire size screams 80's street machine, the hood scoop screams 80's trans am when turned that way.

Losing just the hood bird won't make the car any less confused looking, I mean, is it a D/Gas replica car, is it a street machine, or is it a mild custom ?

It's not my car, so it doesn't matter what I think, but when the owner of a car asks for an opinion, the only opinion I can truthfully give is what I would do if it WERE my car. No offense intended.

Oh, and the antenna topper is goofy too....

 

And you would still be sadly disapointed

 

I'm currently on my TENTH 1956 Chevrolet. Personally, I like the stock look, with wheels/tires, engine/trans, and interior updates. I'd keep the bird. Forget about trying to re-chrome it however; they're made of pot metal, and there's too much involved to re-plate. Besides, they are repopped. I also agree with the "pick a theme"; shaving adornments on a g***er detracts from the kind of build you have going. To remove the bird correctly involves heating and hammering, or cutting out the embossed metal and welding new back in. I agree on turning the scoop around, but keeping it the way it is works for me too. Now, about those far too wide front wheels/tires.........................................Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

The observations regarding the fact the car seems to be a mannose of eras is correct. It is not a recreation of a sixties g***er, it was a sixties g***er (the purple car is the black car) which has undergone a face lift or two over the past fifty six years.

The front axle is the same one that was under the car in the sixties. It&#8217;s had a number of small blocks and big block engines in the day. It has sported single carbs, duel carbs and even blowers. The new motor was actually put in the car about 1980 and sets on a vintage Holly mtr. plate. The four foot ladder bars were built for the car in the early seventies. The current wheels were put on the car in 1970 and the tires were put on in the 80&#8217;s.

The SW gages were installed new in the early 70&#8217;s and include 150MPH speed-o, volts, fuel level, fuel pressure, manifold pressure, water temp, vacuum, oil temp and oil pressure. The pans under this car are original and in excellent condition with the only imperfection being the four small patches that were put in place when the old roll bar was removed in 1980 as the car was being returned to the streets. It is running the original fuel tank with a homemade sump from back in the day.

The interior is as nice today as it was thirty three years ago when it was installed. She even has Ford buckets!

No, it isn&#8217;t a period correct &#8220;barn find&#8221; 60&#8217;s g***er and I&#8217;m not presenting it as one, it is a good looking 56 year old lady that has done a lot of living in her time with a great body, new shoes and still turning the heads of the young boys! Hell, I may have just coined her a new name, &#8220;Silver Dollar Queen&#8221;.

 

rocco and cheaters used to have a bull nose for 56 chevys. i think 65 stang on here sells stuff for them now,i think. brother its your car and you can do what cha want to, but i would n't touch it. love it the way it is. i've owned my 56 since 1972.