How would you define 60’s style? I’m not just talking about Show Rod style or G***ers but more down to the elemental level. I am trying to build a 60’s style truck and am running into some problems when it comes down to the specifics. I pretty well understand 50’s style, and 30’s- 40’s style and unfortunately, I can build a 90’s look ride but this, I am having trouble wrapping my mind around. I thought this might help some others too. What I am looking for is to identify something from early to mid 60’s. A new part can be made and with some rounded edges and chrome, it looks 50’s. Sharpen it up, add some ribs, you’ve got 30’s. This is simplistic but this is what I want to know; if you to build a part from scratch or modify something, what are some of the rules or ideas that you need to put into it in order to get that right ‘look!’ Add pictures, if you can, to help sell what you are talking about.
Tuck and roll interior,chrome reverse wheels,metallic or candy apple paint,Sun Gauges,Dixco or Sun half sweep tach,chrome garnish moldings.Look at all the old magazines from '62 to '67 or Buddy up to someone who was driving in the 60's.They'll bring you up to speed.
want to define 60's...look up race cars, customs and rods of the era flake, sculpted tuck n roll, chrome reverse, Astro supremes, fades, candies, piecrusts, blue streaks, straight axles, fenderwell headers, more four barrels, sun tachs, etc....They ran the gauntlet back then...from s****ing the ground to setting the heights for the street freaks of the 70's.....
so you want to build a 60's style truck but are unsure of exactly what that is. how do you know that's what you want?
pacers, torq thrusts, astro supremes, whitewalls that are 3/4 - 2in wide. more metallics, tuck and roll, gl***packs, etc. you won't have a problem here. more people will give more info. but yeah, american graffiti is one movie to watch, WHERE WERE YOU IN '62?
60's Style was a member of the H.A.M.B he posted a bunch of very basic how-to threads wonder what ever happened to that guy?
In my area, northeast. Flatheads were about done, most used a sbc, Olds, Nailhead, Cad. Very few Hemi's on street driven rods. Some flatheads were being built, but not in the same proportion. Wheels were stock steelies with full covers in the early 60s with some chrome wheels with spiders. Chromies usually not reversed in early 60s. Mags were rare on a rod around here. Like was said, stance was so varied. Heavy on the channeling, some chopped as well. Some states like ours had strict fender laws, so you'd see cycle fenders on fronts and bobbed stock rears, as well as flat sheetmetal rears moulded into the quarters. Flat firewalls too...............and Nerfs ! and all sorts of tail lights like canted 52 Buick Lots of flexability in a early to mid 60s. Get towards 65 and it really changed with better wheels, newer style motors, etc. Edit; Duh, I just saw "60s TRUCK" ooops
I'd suggest picking up some magazines from the year frame of the 60's that you want to emulate. Things changed quite rapidly over the 60's. <input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">
white fenderwell headers. 60's style varied greatly from early to late 60's. SO you need to narrow your definition of 60's style.
While there are 8 posts above, I'm here to tell you that your question is too broad for one answer. What we did in 1960 was out of style by '65 and by 1970 trends had moved on again. You need to focus on A year, and choose styles and components based on that point in time. ^^^^^Looks like Miller beat me to the punch.^^^^^
What Rich Venza and Buick 59 said nails it. The best thing for you to do is check out magazines of the era. To paraphrase an old saying, I can't exactly explain early 60's vs mid 60's versus late 60's, but I know it when I see it.
I think the trends changed yearly - what was in last year was out this year. As far as that goes, at least where I grew up pickups weren't very popular at all for hot rodding or customizing during the 1960s. edit: It would also help if you mentioned just what year and make truck you're thinking about.
Some ideas for 60's styling off the top of my head, not in any particular order: quad lights rolled pans asymmetrical accents (scoops, peaks, License plate openings, etc...) pinner white wall tires (BIAS PLY!!!) chrome wheels (reverse, mags, etc..) scavenger pipes (look killer on pick ups) bubble tops (if you want to enter the ultra radical) bucket seats with full length consoles metalflakes, pearls, panel paint jobs radiused wheel openings
Does anyone remember dropped in front raised in rear with as much rear tire as you could get under it and scavanger pipes?
It is not only specific years, but specific areas of the country as well. In other words, wheel/tire combos that were used in the Northeast (as an example) were not necessarily used in SoCal. I built my '55 Chevy to be specific to the year 1964. Body modifications, paint colors (not materials), wheels and white wall width, engine choice (327), etc. as I remember it was back in 1963-1965 in SoCal.
in the midwest not much more than enamel on the streets for the early 60's by 69 or 70 lace panels and metalflake were used, even had them on my 68 impala I sure agree that those times were of fast change, 1962 there was not many street cars with much for paint but by 1970 there were some rad jobs out there kinda reads like a nostalgia thread here mostly flex pipe and gl*** packs under a 235 for me then , boy is that set up obsolete now!! and look how far underhood treatment has change, a really impressive 57 chev in 1963 proabbly had a hurst shift dual exhaust and a set of vett covers and not much more under the hood, not much chrome or fine detailing then
Rod & Custom ran an article a few years ago that touched on some of the main styling elements of 50's and 60's. It's a decent start for someone trying to learn more about hot rod styling. Like some of the others said though, check out some 60's car magazines for the best info. For me personally, I think the early 60's could best be characterized by more prominent custom elements, whitewalls, bias-ply tires, and lots of chrome. As the later 60's approached, hot rod styling was much more heavily influenced by drag racing. The latter 60's featured lots of hot rods with mag wheels, slicks, dirt track or even road racing tires, more radical engines, much more speed equipment, and more rubber rake. Check out the 60's style hot rods thread. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=132391 Here's the Rod & Custom article.
I like your thinking ,when i build a period car and wan't it correct i tend to buy parts from a few years earlier than the said car and no more than 5 years after . the first thing i do is pick up a couple car mags from the era and only use the parts in the ads . remember most folks couldnt build in a year or less so it would make sence to work on a spread . c
Don`t forget the 3-speed ******s...Not too many T/10s or Muncies out yet, and automatics were`nt DRAG friendly...except the GM Hydros. The aftermarket 3-speed shifters started showing up in the late 50s...most had Round rod handles...HURST was first with the flat style. same with aftermarket Headers not too many choices...which reminds me of the DUMPS we used to make out of driveshaft tube; and later gas tank filler necks,,, we could then use gas caps to plug them off ...till the gasket burned out and the cap vibrated off by itself. also painted wheels with baby moons; and later spiders. Enamel paint jobs; except for the rich guys,,,They got lacquer!!! I sprayed my first lace panels in 1968...on a `66 chevelle.
Thanks for all the input. I've been picking up 60's era mags for 20 years. I can pick out a 60's vintage car but it is just the details that I am stuck on. As far as the overall look and bolting on the right parts, I think I have the right idea. Here is the general concept I have so far; Our guy built a few cars in say '64 and '65 and went and plunked down money on a basic Truck at the Chevy dealership in 1966 and walked away with a new body style. He took it to the shop and performed some of the tricks he knew to set it off for what his budget would allow. The truck was purchased because a Truck was needed and that is where a long box will be more useful. A fleetside was chosen for the sleeker (it is still a pickup) styling. With a metallic Willow Green base, it would make a good basis for some of the custom tricks without needed a total repaint. Originally I thought I would build a shop truck or a kustom hauler (a truck that looked like it could tug around a wild show car) but a buddy gave me the idea of looking towards a push truck. The help I am still looking for is less focusing on the parts to use and more about the details of those parts. Example; Center consoles were used quite a bit but as I go to show and read through mags, alot of stuff I see looks like it came from the '80's. 60's was angular but not completely slab-sided. I saw a really nice one recently where a guy took the time to round over all of the edges and even ad some chrome for a nice look in his mid 50's Buick. Problem was it ended up looking like it was from the 40's. Too rounded and bulbous and not enough curves. Being a truck, and needing to keep space for three in the cab, I cannot just pull one out of a car and bolt it in. Most of the cars that had console at that time would be considered muscle cars and the prices for most of those parts are crazy! That is not the only part. Pleats- from what I see, it looks like the pleat got wider, but by how much. I know that there was more use of panels on the seats and doors but ****on-tufted was more 70's (heck that's what I grew up around!) The same with grills; bar grills - 70's, some tube grills - 60's but it depended on the size of the tubes used. Still there was other stuff going on. I do like the asymmetrical idea. I am trying to work that into the paint and other parts. I just want to get a real strong hold on the concept. As far as execution, I just don't have the money to collect all of the era-specific parts and add-ons, but I can find something close at a wrecker or swap and mod it a bit to fit the look. I want to get close but I am not trying to be perfect or even fool anyone, there is still stuff that I might want to do that was never done, I just don't want those things to look out of place, if you know what I mean.
Sounds like you've got a handle on it, but I'm gonna throw in a couple more things(since I was a kid in the 60s) You're on track, interior-wise with pleats. Most guys that had their seats recovered used heat-sealed pleats--pretty common in the mid 60s, and cheaper than sewn pleats. However, if you're doing a mid 60s 60-something truck it wouldn't NEED new upholstery, so.... I'm just sayin'... Wood grain(usually shelf paper) on the dash or console was also big, cause it was easy and cl***y looking. Add a wooden shifter knob and steering wheel, and you're cool. Throw on some round accessory headrests and you're a ruler! And darn near everybody had a tach up on their dash, and accessory gauges hanging under the dash. Another thing I remember about trucks in the mid 60s....and it might very well be a regional thing.....exhaust stacks up thru the front of the bed on each side. Stacks = hot rod truck.....at least it did down here in the South. And don't forget bed rails ALL the cool trucks had bed rails. Wheels--pretty much been said. Painted steelies/baby moons. If you had a few bucks, chrome reverse or chrome slots on the front till you could afford a pair for the rear. Guys with a bigger budget---Cragars, Radars, Apaches, Indys, Fentons, etc. We almost never saw Halibrands or Americans unless they were on a drag car. That's how I remember it......
OK HAMB People: That is the best looking non-stock 61 Impala I have ever seen. Repeat................ That is the best looking non-stock 61 Impala I have ever seen! Mitch
+1...I suggest you begin by following Mr48chev's suggestion by searching here, swap meets and the web for 1960's custom car 'little pages' and such. From there, find design elements you like that are cohesive in style and era and build accordingly. I think you will soon find that 60's style you seek if you start by doing a little research.
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