When you think 60's style hot rod, what do you picture in your mind?

Most guys were trying to get away from the low buck, primer look in the sixties. Finish was most important; Lots of chrome, metallic or candy paints, white interiors (maybe they thought chicks would dig it?). The huge variety of off the shelf parts were still to come so lots of hand finishing and show looks.

Of course drag racing was huge influence to the anti-angle hair guys. I ran a straight axle under a stock 283 in my '55. I could weld but I couldn't build an engine. My dream car would have looked something like this one...

 

Classic 60's is:

Finished paint, pearls and candies
Cragars, Americans, Ansen Sprints, chrome rims
Lots of chrome
Tuck and Roll and Diamond Pleat interiors

Take a look at anything the Early Times members were driving.
No primer, no heavy channeling
Lots of forward rake

At least that was the way it was in SoCal....

 

My own memories are from the Midwest:

Early '60s...chrome reverse or baby moons with thin line white walls. Tuck and roll interiors were popular. Solid bright colors dominated. Big & littles were starting to become popular. Overhead V-8s in everything. Wide variety of motors, like Olds, Pontiac, Chevy small blocks(265-283-301) and W-blocks (348-409), Buicks, etc.

Mid to late '60s...spoked mags were big news. More metallic paint jobs, but not much custom paint on street cars. More competitive engines including bigger smallblocks (300 inches and up), and some bigblock muscle car motors....the older engines were just not competitive, as performance became increasingly important. Slicks on the street. headers on everything.

 

here's some pics of my uncles 55 chevy that he bought in 58. in 59-60, when he was around 17-18 years old, he put the packard lens in, added the wagon bumper center, frenched antenna, roll and tuck interior, etc. that's around the time these pics were taken. then when the gasser stuff started, he added a straight axle. the car was always a dark gray primer. he never painted it, since it always seemed to be a work in progress. he sold the car in 69, i believe. my dad and i finished building a clone of my uncles car in 2002.

 

Nice pics and ideas

 

i was going for the early to mid 60s look when i built my sedan.
dan

 

I draw a lot of my ideas for my '60 Showrod styled "A" roadster from Weesner artwork, especially Copper Coffin. I wish he would release a print of it!!!!

 

wow, what a classic!! This shouts 60's!

And of course u have to differ. There were Show Rods, Street Rods, Drag Rods, Gassers, Kustoms, Lowriders, Muscle Cars.....

So many different things goin' on in my favourite decade af hot rodding.
I have a lot of old 60's Hot Rod magazines. Check them out, and u can get a pretty good idea of what real authentic 60's Rods were built and looked like.

First I was surprised, that in '69 issues there were beautiful Rods, with chrome reverse wheels, and a very 50' early 60's feel featured. It didn't stop in '63. There were cool cars built all the time!

 

Cool!!!!

Here is again my original 60's or maybe early 70's survivor.
55 Nomad with the roof chopped of. Now it's a El Camino.

 

Johnny Pearson, lived down the street from us. His sister, Connie, usta baby sit me. Johnny had a badfuckinass 56 Chevy 2-dr, deep candy green. Loud car. Whadda rod. Dude was sooo kool. Badass car, always came around in a v-neck tee with the smokes rolled in his sleeve.

Johnny talked my old man into buildin his showbox to run out at San Diego Dragway at Ramona. That's how I kut MY teeth...just sayin...
dvz

 

Built To The 60's Drag Era. Pre 68. It Needs To Look Like It's Moving While Standing Still.