Early photos of very low cars (not Lowriders)

Hot rodders have always been trying to get their cars lower for asthetics and decreased wind resistance, but when did they get REAL low? Now it's common to see them nearly on the ground. I belive lowriders started with Ron Aguirre and hydraulics in around '57, but what about extremely low early rods? 50s? 60s? Anybody got photos?

 

well, I'd have to scan all the pics- but I know there were some EXTREMELY low cars pictured in Al Drake's books (Fifties Flashback" and "Street was fun in 51"). Several stories about buddies of his in the early 50's running 2" off the ground- as he says, "Lowness was a virtue- and these cars were virtuous!"

Also, Rod and Custom in the 50's and Hot Rod first 12 issues had some pretty low cars. I recall one chopped and channeled coupe that was waist high back then. Being low is nothing new, but it was pretty uncommon nonetheless

 

I'd like to see those. Some say that super-low cars are "un-traditional", let's dispell the myth.

 

My absolute favorite.

The Don Williams Coupe.

 

Not the singer Don Williams? When was this car built?

 

Not the singer.

Going by memory, I think it was the on the cover of the Nov '54 issue of Hot Rod Magazine ( photographed on a ballfield with students around it ), I was able to buy that issue...

I have some Fawcett little books with that car in it too.

It is now restored and has been shown at Pebble Beach...

 

Jr. Conway's 49 Coupe was one of the earliest/lowest customs around... It had to be manually picked up at all four corners to clear speed bumps.

I think Watson's Grapevine, which came a little after, was also very low.

 

That's a beautiful car. Got any more pics?

 

Not on my Computer.

I can scan some later.


I cant figure out why this car is not more recognised for the milestone car it was ( is ).
It didn't even make it on the top 100 ( or what ever the number was ) Duece list, that was put together by the Magazines recently...

 

Please do.
I subscribe to several car mags, but barely read them. I find more useful info here!

 

OK, everybody's back from lunch now.

 

Here's some cool lows for ya

http://www.losboulevardos.com/gallery_friends.html

 

Thanks, but do you have any of hot rods?

 

This is the one of the Grapevine I was thinking of but I didn't realize you were looking for hot rods...

 

I agree with Metalshapes about the excellent Don Williams car, and would add another great early Deuce 5W -- the Lynn Yakel coupe, which has been discussed here before.

Among customs, some super-low cars that come to mind are this Watson '52 Ford, the Jerry Quesnel Merc, and a '48 Ford convert that I remember vividly but don't have in pictures.

 

Yeah, rods. Nothing against Lowriders, but they're all low, hence the name. A low lowrider isn't unusual, in fact one that WASN'T low would be unusual. I am looking for photos of super low cars that aren't leadsleads or lowriders built in the '50s, '60s,'70s, or earlier.

 

The Frank Mack T was pretty low, as well as the Niekamp roadster and the Dick Flint roadster.

So was the Eddie Dye roadster...

 

THAT'S more like it!

 

Wish I had a picture of the Dick Williams T (1953 AMBR car, not the Poliform guy). It was sooooper low, and a beautifully detailed car to boot. Anybody have a picture?

 

1959 Car Craft Magazine. Sorry, I had to shoot with camera.

 

Here is a picture of my coupe in the 50s,

 

here is another one.

 

You guys are the shit! Gimme more!

 

I read your bio, and you obvously scored your car WAY after these pics were taken. Gives me a warm feeling in my heart that somebody young will be able to appreciate and enjoy a badass piece of machinery for another 50 years. I dont' know how you got it,(it would make an interesting story), but never sell it! Keep it for you kids, or somebody else who will pass the torch!

 

I expect to see some cool pics when I wake up tomorrow, I know they're out there!

 

I'm disappointed I didn't get more responses-a lot of guys here seem to have plenty of old photographs. I'll BTT it every once in a while and maybe I'll get some bites.

 

Btt

 

In process pic circa 1957.

 

As you might be able to tell from the response to this post, there weren't a whole lot of grond scraping hot rods in the 40's and 50's. Being too close to the ground, along with being unsafe was considered to hinder airflow around the car and thus thought of a unaerodynamic.

Don't underestimate the idea of safety either. In the 40s/50s Hot Rodders were fighting a bad stereotype and were very interested in building cool, safe and legal cars in order to help rectify the negetive image the public had about them. A car that was too low to be safe would have been ridiculed by some and probably wouldn't get much magazine coverage.

Thus not many pics...

I think the Dick Flint roadster was even remarked to be unsafe/undesireable because it was too low.

 

I was thinking 50s-60s. Oh, well.