Like most of us I have a special place for certain cars. One of the ones I grew up with and loved wayyyy before "Hollywood Knights" was PHR's Project X '57 Chevy. I always preffered the earlier versions before they flared the rear fenders and lost the hood. I've been looking at a lot of tri-fives lately deciding what I should build- and it hit me that the 1966-version of Project X is EXACTLY what I want! So do I build that car or a different one not related to Project X? The way I liked it it had a stock body with all the trim, yellow paint (over the factory PINK), dark center five-spokes with pie-crust black-wall slicks on the back. The engine was a puched out original '57 283 with camel hump heads, Edelbrock valve covers and four-barrel intake with a single Holley and white Hedman Hedders. Some black tuck & roll and chrome roll bar would finish the picture. With a 5-speed replacing the 4-speed I think it would be a killer daily driver. Opinions? Thanks, Jim
If you like it (as you obviously do) I say clone it. It's your car, build what makes you happy. Who cares what us tools think.
Do it! I always wanted a 98 mustang saleen, I cant afford one so i made a clone and i love the way the car came out.. do what you like man...
sounds like a plan to me, that would be an awesome daily....just dont be afraid to change a few things if you want to... just my .02 matt
I've seen and touched the original (it's stored at the Primedia company garages) and it kinda like meeting a 50's starlet today AFTER wayyy too many facelifts, divorces and medications. It's THE car, but I'd rather start fresh and capture the earlier soul when the car was raw and exciting.
Funny you should mention cloning. I was typing a reply the other day for in Freiburgers' "Patina"-topic, and I kinda compared 'patina' and 'cloning' to each other. But I didn't post it 'cause I found out the mag had already been printed. Anyway, in short... do whatever makes you feel good. "Preserving" history by copying it can never be that bad.
yeah i know but you did that artical on dressing up the small block in the last one right? that was some good stuff.... matt
I started out with the thought of cloning George Cerney's 50 Plymouth wagon. knowing full well that about the time I got it done the Original would show up, (and it did) but I realized that it isn't hard to build a better one and be all mine. I don't think it would be that hard to build a nice Jim A 57 2 door post. any color you want.
dont clone it. you clone some one elses car and you just have a copy. build a 55 with the same basic vibe but done as an original. dont be like all those clowns you see driving general lee clones!
I say clone, but make it your own. Take what you like, but change stuff you might not or that will work better.
If that's exactly what you want then do it and pull no punches. Clones can be really cool and right on (Walker's Hirohata clone) or a bit... off - the Flint Roadster clone comes to mind. Cloning a car is not my thing personally but if the research is done and there are no compromises I dig it. What kid who saw D.O.H. didn't want a General Lee at some point?
Everything we do is a clone to some extent. We worship the cars we saw in a book or go down the street when we were kids. I don't know if I'd paint project X on the side, but building one as it was done back then is what turns my crank. I too loved the earlier versions. They just didn't know when to quit.
Maybe it's because I saw Bullitt first, but I've always preferred my Chargers black with hubcaps. As for clones - I've always been one more for "inspired by." I've never seen one car that has everything as I'd do it. -Dave
Don't call it a CLONE....call it a TRIBUTE car...... Clones are for the Musclecar crowd......and cloned cars are GAY........ The Project X '57 was one BAD car......build it close and you'll have a winner, but put your own touches on it.....
Well that explains how that car dropped out of sight. As for making one like the original Project X - I say DO IT TO IT! just my 2 cents worth...
Actually the car changed SO OFTEN a "correct" clone would be impossible. I get the opinion about the General Lee's, but I've personally never seen ONE Chevy that purposely mimicked the Project X despite it's immense popularity (probably was A MILLION of them in 1966-1970, but I was born in '66 so I missed that era). I don't want a "bolts correct" clone- just something built with period parts that captures the vibe of that time. I'd add a few things it didn't have and remove a couple things I didn't like so it would have a little of my own spin- along with a heavy dose of inspiration from the original. Thanks Jim
And TRIBUTE cars are for fence sitting douchebags who don't have the stones to just come out and say they've CLONED something. Haha Sounds like a cool car either way, Jim.
Build it so it is your own, but if someone looks at it they will know that you were inspired by project X. Back in high school a friend of mine built one, but it was a 4 door hard top. Not the coolest, but it was his own impression.
We ALL STEAL ideas and looks from cars that inspired us ... My old roadster is a combination of Grey Baskervilles 32 roadster, Chuck Price's 32 roadster and the 32 roadster that was on the first cover of the larger R&C ... when Woodward owned it ... with my own twist. Do it ...
I agree with some earlier speakers... Tribute...in honor of...etc... Build it with period parts, but with your own touches...the vibe will be there.
Jim, Do it, you should build what makes you happy. Projet X ia a bitchin car and is some great insperation. CBB
Also, don't want to OVERbuild it. Just want something that can be parked in a parking lot and not worried about a shopping cart slamming it- or driven across country just by swapping the slicks to a pair of bias tires and hittin' the road. The original car was just an 8-year old used car they bought for like $250. Now it's a foo-foo "G-Machine" with all the gold chain crap bolted on.
DO IT!!!!!!!! I have a bunch of old popular hot rodding magazines with builds of project X, I like when they had the red,white&blue flag painted engine! Duke
The Jalopy Journal
