Chieftain, thanks for a trip down memory lane! My father was a career staff officer in the Army National Guard and we had such a vehicle, or later iterations of same, in our driveway all through my childhood. Mostly I remember Dodges (often the low bidder on the government contracts). He neber had a driver, the car was assigned to hime "for official use" - that is going to and from work and any government errands. In later years the "Gloss Olive Drab" was replaced by a gray-green color called "NATO Green". There was a bit of a local flap in the 1960s when many Guard personnel used their staff cars to go to lunch and the popular place to go was a local bar and grill (really good hamburgers!). The press complained that it looked like the entire National Guard was at the bar :-)
6:05 "Where the hell's the fuel tank?" *Walks around the whole car to find it at the very back* *Bursts out laughing* "Chrome". That was just epic ! Love those videos !
FYI...When my father was stationed at Patrick Air Force Bass in the early 1960s he was sent by the base commander to pick General Stewart (yes, that Gen. Stewart!) General Stewart sat in the front seat. His aid sat into back. I think it’s safe to assume the top brass sat in the most comfortable seat in the car! Fantastic video. Great car and great fun.
Brigadier General Jimmy Stewart was 6'3" tall, a freakish height IMHO. (I joke, but it was much above average during that generation, that's why the Chieftan seems stuffed into a lot of these vehicles.)
Oh sweet summer child. That foot switch is for the High beams. Also my dad had a Chevy with that 140 HP inline 6, and My brother rebuilt it as a high school project. That engine is a 1930's design.
I lot of people don't realize it, but the 235 six-banger powered the first Corvettes. I had a hotshot car fanatic bet me $100 that all Corvettes were V8s. He lost. The new small block V8, introduced in 1955, was still only an option; the Corvette still had a six-banger 'Blue Flame' in base trim.
They look like rockets or "Atomic Missels". Everything in the 50's was atomic or missels. For example: the Rocket 88 Oldsmobile, Atomic gas stations, etc.
What a straight and wonderfully preserved '57. If its been restored, its a good restoration. Soft spot in my heart for tri-fives, 57s have all the flash and chrome, lovely beasts.
Right up until someone put that cheap on/off wiper switch under the dash. Factory equipped cars came with a rotary switch beside the headlight switch with a duplicate knob with on/off and speed select and also an auto park feature in full down position when wipers were turned off. Somebody bastardized that set-up.
The "chrome protrusions" on the bumpers are mounting brackets for extra lights/Fog lights. There is a screwed end cap on them that can be removed. They were optional equipment, and most people never took the option.
Never saw such an option, and it's a bit doubtful as the bracket inside the Dagmars would be difficult to work around and there is no access for wiring in the bumper behind them as the only hole is for the one bolt that secures it. The rubber bullet tip was however a popular option.
@@philbarrows2431 oh crap! I completely forgot about those "bullet" tips. Good catch. I could swear I remember seeing lights there too on some of em'... maybe it was aftermarket or something.
Got an old beetle, got wind vents. Quick and easy ventilation control. Now we have six controls, three servos, vacuum assisted flappers, and three miles of wire. The more crap they can stuff in, the higher the profit margin. Oh, my beetle does have a stalk mounted dimmer though. I'd have to argue it's a better location and I don't really miss the corroded floor stomper buttons. Meh, opinions, we all got 'em.
@@beavis6363 What sucked about the beetles was the heater / defroster, heated the air by blowing in around the exhaust pipes, then channeled it up front through tunnels on the floor, which tended to rust out. Windshield washer powered by the air pressure inside the spare tire. Jack lifted up one whole side of the car.
@Jon Doe The 57 Chevy will be fine. You, however, will not. Modern cars are designed to deform to take the brunt of the impact so that the passengers stay safe. Unfortunately, this also makes the the car less durable.
I had a '57 Chevy 210, one cut above the 150. This was in the late 70's and early 80's. Having people try to figure out where the fuel filler was was always fun.
I guess growing up playing with cars gives me extreme joy to watch you being baffled of the fues access cover location. The '55 and '56 were similarly hidden. Also the hood/bonnet release lacation hunt. This was a good comical watch. Thank you for that.
55 wasn't hidden, it was plainly visible on the left rear fender. 56 was tricky. There was a bit of chrome trim that had to be turned, and then the entire tail light assembly hinged downward. Yes, I pumped a lot of gasoline when these were still fairly common on the road. Most cars it was either behind the rear license plate frame, or plainly visible. GM played "hide the filler" in 56 and 57. Model T Fords had it under the seat. Early VWs it was in front, inside the trunk.
This model came with a backseat optional. It was also manufactured in 1956 and 1955 and was very popular with the hot rod enthusiast due to it being the lightest of the four models. One way you can tell this body style from a Bel Air is the Chrome on the side which is straight on this one and curved down on the Bellaire and the Impala had the rear light display top center of the rear window. The Biscayne black the intake style Hood on all models that had day curved Chrome on the 57 models. 58 was a complete different body style with no fins curved indentation on the rear side panels
Also, I was cheering for you when you were looking for the fuel filler... I'm sure I would have just as much trouble finding it on a Triumph Stag or something! lol
It was like a game for manufacturers back then - hide the filler cap. Even into the '80s, some cars had the filler hidden behind a hinged license plate frame. I've had the opportunity to laugh at millenials as they tried to find those fillers a couple of times.
@@immikeurnot My first car was a '76 Buick Century. It had the fuel filler under the licence plate. It was actually very practical, didn't matter which side of the pump you pulled up to.
@@immikeurnot I'm pretty sure my dad's station wagon had the filler port behind the plate. I remember it being somewhere obscure. But that was nearly 30 years ago at this point so I don't quite recall.
@@hammersandnails1458 It became moderately impractical, even frustrating, with certain Cadillacs. Particularly the mid-'70s Fleetwood Series 75. Maneuvering a sedan *21 feet long* is a serious exercise in practical geometry, at the least. Very comfortable, of course, and with a startling level of power given its size.
He's laughing at the car I learned how to drive in! It was my dad's first Chevy, all of his previous cars had been Plymouths, and it had the same engine and transmission as this one has. We did have a radio and the seats were a bit plusher as it was a Belair. Simple, rugged and dependable as all get out. My dad wouldn't buy a car with an automatic until 1964 when he bought another Belair, with the same engine of course.
What a beautifully preserved/restored piece of history. I have a 57 Two-Ten 4-door with a 235 and 3-spd. Like this car it has no power steering, power brakes, or AC although being a Two-Ten it has slightly more chrome/stainless although not much more and does have actual carpet. I am amused to find out that the heater was an optional component. I'd have thought it would have been standard in even the most basic cars by 57.
Possibly the only presenter I would watch all the way through in spite of his being clueless on his subject. Normally he is replete with ridiculous amounts of detail and documentation.
Born in 1949 and having owned 1950's and 60's cars (52 Ford, 56 Mercury, 57 Ford, 65 Mustang, etc.), his floundering around this very basic car was fun. Hood release? Well, reach under the edge of the hood and pop the release. Trunk release? Use the key, that's what the lock is for. Dimming option on rear view mirror? What's that? Clicking the headlight dimmer switch on the floor and puzzled as to it's use. Hidden gas fillers? Style and had a great time watching you walk around the car looking for it. Many cars had them behind the license plate. Rubber floor mats? Standard. Three speed on the column? Common knowledge. Simple, wide open engine compartment with no computers, no sensors. Easy to maintain and repair which was good because they broke down a lot. A car with 75,000 on the clock was high mileage and ready for the junk heap. The 50's were about style and not about handling or engineering. Hence the abundance of chrome and fins and useless decorative details. But those huge chrome bumpers were actually functional. You could thump into something hard and not chip the chrome.
I've had several cars with the Blue Flame motor and I've found the motor incredibly reliable and hard to kill, it's powerful enough to push the car along happily, I've never thought it was under-powered or weak. Just a very basic simple engine that will happily get you from A to B year after year even when pulling a trailer or towing another car.
As I recall, Chevrolet (a straight 6) and Dodge (a "slant" six, think half a V-12) continued with 6-cylinder engines as car offerings a few years past Ford (except the Falcon/Comet). All had 1 or 2 6-cylinders in their truck lines for quite a bit longer.
The button on the driver's floor on the left is a headlight "bright"/"dim" switch for highway driving. You were actually using it correctly. My grandfather had a truck with the same floor headlight control switch.
The 150 was the baseline sedan and was very popular as taxis, police cars and family cars. It really was a well balanced if not sexy car. You can get a nice one in the $20-$30,000 range. Aircraft styling was the rage ever since the the P-38 inspired tail fins of the 1948 Cadillac model 61. That began what you might call the tail fin wars between automakers. The introduction of swept wing and swept tail jets of course modified the styling.
maxsmodels I have always loved the '50s cars, and the fact that a car that brand-new could be purchased for between 2000 $ to 3000 $ is now worth 10 times that is testimony to the magnificence of these beautiful road beasts.
That brings back memories! You needed me to show you around that old lover. This was a very popular car with young folks back then. Generals, of course, had different priorities. Usually.
The foot switch to the left is for headlights high and low beam. It is the best place to put it and it's a shame we have to use our hands to change that now. When driving in country it was much easier to rest your left foot on the switch and tap it to change. Things have gotten worse in terms of ergonomics only because it's cheaper.
My first car was a 1965 Studebaker Commander 4 door it came with a 283 chevy and 3 on the tree with overdrive. I installed a built 350hp 327 corvette engine in it. Boy what a sleeper. I beat many a big block muscle car in street light drags. Blew it up racing a big block camaro. I dropped a valve at 7000 rpm
No, the original bias-ply tires would have been inflated to 22 psi. That was normal and correct. Modern radial tires usually run between 30 and 35 psi.
@@dominicmartinelli5762 I serviced many Army Staff Cars in my life, and none had 22 psi inflation pressures. Running a bias ply tire at 22 psi would have them looking bulged like radials and they would over heat.
@@dominicmartinelli5762 That is correct, but that is not what the Army FM specified. This is an US Army Staff Car, and with the US Army there is a right way, a wrong way, the ARMY way, and my way, so says the Staff Sargent. If you do it my way we will get along, if not there is latrine duty in your immediate future. LOL, I know how to police up a latrine, because I followed the original FM and the base commanders car had two flats in one day due to tire overheating. My Sargent handed me the TM Change order, and I had to update the whole outfits FMs, and clean the latrines for a month. That sort of stays with one.
I think I seen a "Humvee" in Chrome. not a real army one but a civilian convertion look alike (so no circle hole in the roof) dont remember much except it looked like some kind of Bling war brag project.
The 1957 4 door Chevrolet Belair was my very first car. Had the same inline 6 cylinder, 3 on the tree and did come with a radio. Great car and I'd like to see your Oww Dee roadster 50 years from now in the same condition, lol. Too bad it wasn't armored but it was still a tank. Thanks for sharing.
Great video, very unique, you never see reviews on staff cars. The "Dagmar" black cones were removed. My grandad told me when he was stationed in Germany in the mid 50s, he told me, (I guess unsurprisingly) Volkswagen Beetles were used as staff cars.
The covers on the headlights are called half moons. They were a popular accessory in the 50’s and 60’s but they were actually developed for the military. It’s designed to keep the light low on the ground, and reduce the visible light to planes and enemy troops.
Oh, you are so young. :) I thought the trunk release comment was a joke, but then you apparently mistook the parking brake for the hood release. :) And then there is the shift pattern -- In the '50s, labeling the shift pattern on a three-on-the-tree shifter would be no more necessary than labeling the pedals "clutch" "brake" and "throttle". If the gear positions weren't second nature, you should be in a drivers training class. Nice video once again. Thanks for being honest -- "If you know anything about Chevys ..." :)
It's common for military vehicles to have a shift pattern depicted on the dash, this one doesn't. And this is a military vehicle, so Chieftan mentioned it.
I am in my 40s but we had a 1956 Ford and the Chevy & Fords were very similar. Shift pattern for "3 on the tree" is a basic H pattern. Key ignition was on left. And usually that vent in the center of the dash was not a vent, it was the grill for the one speaker for the AM radio.
Great walk through although here are my observations. This car was assembled in Baltimore, MD. at the Fisher Body plant on Broening Highway - since demolished and now an Amazon complex. The "B" in the serial number designates this. My dad worked there from 1935 to 1970. He was a foreman in the upholstery department when this car was built. I question the electric wipers as they were an option and not standard equipment. I believe this car would have been built with a vacuum motor which would require a different switch in the dash panel (a ported switch vs an electric switch) and someone added the under dash on-off switch to bypass the ignition switch. Both motors mount exactly the same on the firewall. Last thing I question are the "eyelids" over the headlights. That was never a GM option and since 1957 was not a time of war, someone added them IMHO. During WWII, staff cars that were initially built with chrome bumpers to use up the inventory of chromed bumpers. They underwent a sanding process so flat black paint would adhere and light would not be reflected off the surface. The process cost more than a chrome bumper. No chrome was ever put on staff cars during WWII. Calling the side trim chrome is also incorrect as this is actually polished stainless steel.
I have a Volvo Amazon from 1965 (the first model came out in -59) and so many things on this car look familiar to me; from the headlight switch on the floor to the light and windscreen wiper controls working without starting the engine and the small ventilation windows on the driver and passenger doors. The Amazon does have some improvements however, like a handbrake on the floor (to the left of the driver's seat), you open the hood from the same place as in a modern car and three point safety belts (that you had to adjust yourself).
Regarding the 2nd window - Rovers had those fitted until 1975. Very useful for getting a good blast of fresh air on your face in the days before air conditioning when driving at highway speeds.
Disappointed there was no "Oh bugger, the Chevy's on fire." 0/10
It's because you don't abandon a classic chevy, even when it's on fire. ;)
This is old time Chevy, the new ones catch fire.
just open the door lmao
Oh bugger, the chrome's on fire
Chrome. :)
The incredible part is that this base trim model has the _least_ chrome of any Chevy that year.
trr94001 You just blew my mind.
Chevy - so we heard you liked chrome
The deluxe model had chrome windshields. :-P
It was basically a taxi. Maybe even worse because it has manual transmission.
@@jakublulek3261 a Taxi, e.g. a Checker, would have a lot more room in the backseat, and maybe even a jump seat.
Inside the Chieftain's Hatch: Chevrolet 1503
Or in other words:
A study of the uses for Chrome.
So the real question is....
How do you tension the chrome?
The true question is, how big a shell can the chrome resist?
Jonathan Shelly proof that US tanks should have had chrome too
And the newly installed dashboard, with a browser installed. None other than of course, Google Chrome
Inside the chieftains hood
Is this revenge for regular car reviews doing all those military vehicles over the years
This is way better than regular car reviews bro....ffs
This car isn't B R O W N enough for Mr. Regular.
Not a tank
@@loficampingguy9664 O L I V E is the military B R O W N
@@samholdsworth3957 can't understand the art that is regular car reviews
I've never enjoyed a car review by someone who has no idea about the vehicle as much as I have this one! Good job Chieftain!!
Chieftain, thanks for a trip down memory lane! My father was a career staff officer in the Army National Guard and we had such a vehicle, or later iterations of same, in our driveway all through my childhood. Mostly I remember Dodges (often the low bidder on the government contracts). He neber had a driver, the car was assigned to hime "for official use" - that is going to and from work and any government errands. In later years the "Gloss Olive Drab" was replaced by a gray-green color called "NATO Green". There was a bit of a local flap in the 1960s when many Guard personnel used their staff cars to go to lunch and the popular place to go was a local bar and grill (really good hamburgers!). The press complained that it looked like the entire National Guard was at the bar :-)
*slaps top* This baby can hold so much chrome.
Sir, you just bought that Chevy. As you damaged it. 25K sir.
Chrome.
thedungeondelver shiny and chrome
*slaps comment* this baby can hold so many trite jokes and dead memes.
6:05 "Where the hell's the fuel tank?"
*Walks around the whole car to find it at the very back*
*Bursts out laughing*
"Chrome".
That was just epic !
Love those videos !
Next video "And you'll notice the absence of chrome."
Thank goodness for that. Can you imagine how much pointing and exclaiming "chrome' we'd have to endure if this was a BelAir?
FYI...When my father was stationed at Patrick Air Force Bass in the early 1960s he was sent by the base commander to pick General Stewart (yes, that Gen. Stewart!)
General Stewart sat in the front seat. His aid sat into back. I think it’s safe to assume the top brass sat in the most comfortable seat in the car!
Fantastic video. Great car and great fun.
Brigadier General Jimmy Stewart was 6'3" tall, a freakish height IMHO. (I joke, but it was much above average during that generation, that's why the Chieftan seems stuffed into a lot of these vehicles.)
It's not a door handle, it's a door horizontal angle regulator
Door Latch Release Lever
door horizontal angle regulator, one each.
@@ulrichkalber9039 two each, one internal, one external.
@@DERP_Squad if you count them it is four each.two inside two outside two left side two Right side.
@Jon Doe so ist 4 handles in front, 4 in the rear 4 in the left 4 in the Right 4 inside and 4 outside. that is 24 .
10:50 Back seat obviously needs a warning sticker "Do Not Strangle The Driver While The Vehicle Is In Motion"
I drove one of these cars all around Fort Knox in 1962-63 for a WAC Major.
She was a very nice woman who returned a salute with a wave and a smile.
One or the other, Female officers are normally:
1. Good Soldiers
2. Making sure everyone knows they have a vagina over you.
ramairgto72 I met this USA Brigadier General nurse at a conference. OMG she was smoking hot.
Oh sweet summer child. That foot switch is for the High beams. Also my dad had a Chevy with that 140 HP inline 6, and My brother rebuilt it as a high school project. That engine is a 1930's design.
I lot of people don't realize it, but the 235 six-banger powered the first Corvettes. I had a hotshot car fanatic bet me $100 that all Corvettes were V8s. He lost. The new small block V8, introduced in 1955, was still only an option; the Corvette still had a six-banger 'Blue Flame' in base trim.
*Slaps the top* "This baby holds more chrome then Germany in late spring 1945"
Except Goerings bathroom.
with how much art the SS stole i feel like they should have started making gold tanks
Xíren Seo, sounds like a good substitute for the lack of steel in Germany
@@xirensixseo Gold is softer and heavier than steel. It would have been a terrible substitute.
@@stephenhauer9055 hmm... why do I suddenly feel a need to scratch off paint from Maus?
"That's not a tank"
Never driven a 50's era car, have you?
From first hand experience, You are so right
Turns like a boat
@@xaviersaavedra7442 how does it feel like? Not only turning, but shifting gears and acceleration and all that?
You don't park it you dock it!
@@alvarohernani6645 Shifting gears is like stirring thick porridge even on an immaculate example.
And next to the chrome, witness the chrome: shiny and chrome.
Sounds like trupm
Witness meeee!!!
@@aliarshad3012 It's a Mad Max reference.
Fukushima crazy Warboys!
On your road...to Valhalla!
Armour: resists snow and rain of all calibres.
Armament: .45 ACP. Maybe.
For a general probably more likely to be .32 ACP
2:14 Those are concealed machine gun ports
2:22 Those are RPG's.
2:35 Underwater breathing apparatus
Their purpose was to sell cars.
That master cylinder is almost a carbon copy of a M-715 Jeep
@@jservice6594
And wage asymmetric warfare.
This ain't MI6....
They look like rockets or "Atomic Missels". Everything in the 50's was atomic or missels. For example: the Rocket 88 Oldsmobile, Atomic gas stations, etc.
What a straight and wonderfully preserved '57. If its been restored, its a good restoration. Soft spot in my heart for tri-fives, 57s have all the flash and chrome, lovely beasts.
Amen.
Right up until someone put that cheap on/off wiper switch under the dash. Factory equipped cars came with a rotary switch beside the headlight switch with a duplicate knob with on/off and speed select and also an auto park feature in full down position when wipers were turned off. Somebody bastardized that set-up.
@@brustar5152 or the setup broken someone couldn't find the part to replace it.
Chieftain is getting into Doug de Muro territory. Let me show you it's quirks and features.
He's gonna give it a doug score too
Give holo. Caust a inside
*its
Ahh the foot button for turning on your brights. How I miss stomping on that when someone is coming toward you with theirs on. LOL
Much chrome, so shine... needs more "Oh bugger, the Chavy's on fire."
The "chrome protrusions" on the bumpers are mounting brackets for extra lights/Fog lights. There is a screwed end cap on them that can be removed. They were optional equipment, and most people never took the option.
I wonder if the bumper was replaced at one point if it was optional.
Never saw such an option, and it's a bit doubtful as the bracket inside the Dagmars would be difficult to work around and there is no access for wiring in the bumper behind them as the only hole is for the one bolt that secures it. The rubber bullet tip was however a popular option.
@@philbarrows2431 oh crap! I completely forgot about those "bullet" tips. Good catch. I could swear I remember seeing lights there too on some of em'... maybe it was aftermarket or something.
@@krisvires Yes, possible. There were plenty of mods like that in the old JC Whitney catalogs.
I miss wing windows and floor mounted dimmer switches.
and dying when you get hit by anything going faster than 20 mph
Got an old beetle, got wind vents. Quick and easy ventilation control. Now we have six controls, three servos, vacuum assisted flappers, and three miles of wire. The more crap they can stuff in, the higher the profit margin. Oh, my beetle does have a stalk mounted dimmer though. I'd have to argue it's a better location and I don't really miss the corroded floor stomper buttons. Meh, opinions, we all got 'em.
@@beavis6363 What sucked about the beetles was the heater / defroster, heated the air by blowing in around the exhaust pipes, then channeled it up front through tunnels on the floor, which tended to rust out. Windshield washer powered by the air pressure inside the spare tire. Jack lifted up one whole side of the car.
@Jon Doe The 57 Chevy will be fine. You, however, will not. Modern cars are designed to deform to take the brunt of the impact so that the passengers stay safe. Unfortunately, this also makes the the car less durable.
I love 50's cars
I think the one thing the M1A1 Abrams needs is CHROME; perhaps a “strategic chrome enhancement” program?
Drinking game for the suicidal: every time the Chieftain says 'chrome' in this video, take a shot.
30 shots!
Thank you for making this comment, as we all knew it was obligatory here.
Yay alcohol poisoning
I had a '57 Chevy 210, one cut above the 150. This was in the late 70's and early 80's. Having people try to figure out where the fuel filler was was always fun.
Gonna have to dock some points for not coming with a chrome track tensioning system
I guess growing up playing with cars gives me extreme joy to watch you being baffled of the fues access cover location. The '55 and '56 were similarly hidden. Also the hood/bonnet release lacation hunt. This was a good comical watch. Thank you for that.
55 wasn't hidden, it was plainly visible on the left rear fender. 56 was tricky. There was a bit of chrome trim that had to be turned, and then the entire tail light assembly hinged downward. Yes, I pumped a lot of gasoline when these were still fairly common on the road. Most cars it was either behind the rear license plate frame, or plainly visible. GM played "hide the filler" in 56 and 57.
Model T Fords had it under the seat. Early VWs it was in front, inside the trunk.
Gotta give credits for drivers' visibility
This model came with a backseat optional. It was also manufactured in 1956 and 1955 and was very popular with the hot rod enthusiast due to it being the lightest of the four models. One way you can tell this body style from a Bel Air is the Chrome on the side which is straight on this one and curved down on the Bellaire and the Impala had the rear light display top center of the rear window. The Biscayne black the intake style Hood on all models that had day curved Chrome on the 57 models. 58 was a complete different body style with no fins curved indentation on the rear side panels
High gloss olive drab feels like an unnatural combination.
I wondered why the Army had me polish olive drab jeeps but I wasn't paid to wonder why, my job was to do or die.
The Air Force models were at least blue.
I think matte olive drab and chrome would have been an odd combo too.
@@hammersandnails1458 So they are camouflaged with the sky obviously.
@@nancyvandenboomen984 assuming you’re using wax, corrosion protection.😁 Of course they could have used a satin finish, but...
"And this is Chrome." - entire video in nutshell XD
I was disappointed by the lack of Crom though.
And some more chrome.
I saw this Chevy in the background of another walk around and I thought “The Chieftain should review that!”
Also, I was cheering for you when you were looking for the fuel filler... I'm sure I would have just as much trouble finding it on a Triumph Stag or something! lol
The fuel tank filler location baffled many when the 57 hit the streets. The 56s were similar.
It was like a game for manufacturers back then - hide the filler cap.
Even into the '80s, some cars had the filler hidden behind a hinged license plate frame. I've had the opportunity to laugh at millenials as they tried to find those fillers a couple of times.
@@immikeurnot My first car was a '76 Buick Century. It had the fuel filler under the licence plate. It was actually very practical, didn't matter which side of the pump you pulled up to.
@@immikeurnot I'm pretty sure my dad's station wagon had the filler port behind the plate. I remember it being somewhere obscure. But that was nearly 30 years ago at this point so I don't quite recall.
@@hammersandnails1458 It became moderately impractical, even frustrating, with certain Cadillacs. Particularly the mid-'70s Fleetwood Series 75.
Maneuvering a sedan *21 feet long* is a serious exercise in practical geometry, at the least. Very comfortable, of course, and with a startling level of power given its size.
He's laughing at the car I learned how to drive in! It was my dad's first Chevy, all of his previous cars had been Plymouths, and it had the same engine and transmission as this one has. We did have a radio and the seats were a bit plusher as it was a Belair. Simple, rugged and dependable as all get out. My dad wouldn't buy a car with an automatic until 1964 when he bought another Belair, with the same engine of course.
Bullettube You are lucky!
You will ride eternal, Shiny and Chrome.
Cory Fice WITNESS
*WITNESS*
VALHALLA
V8 V8 V8
What a beautifully preserved/restored piece of history. I have a 57 Two-Ten 4-door with a 235 and 3-spd. Like this car it has no power steering, power brakes, or AC although being a Two-Ten it has slightly more chrome/stainless although not much more and does have actual carpet. I am amused to find out that the heater was an optional component. I'd have thought it would have been standard in even the most basic cars by 57.
Those fins are 3/4 in. plate armor. Don't knock those fins. LOL!
Ooh, I wanna like your comment, but... I have a childs sense of humor and think 69 is funny, sooo...
That is 9 kinds of awesome!
Love the Chieftan's valiant effort to keep a straight face while presenting this.
No track tension?
i was going to leave the same comment,,,thanks👍
So to make The Cheiftan happy the U.S Army now have to add Chrome to their Abrams.
Was the track tension in the other fin, opposite to the fuel filling station?
As always a fun & informative watch. For historical minded folk or WoT players this is the best channel on TH-cam hands down...
There's a little bit of car in this chrome
Possibly the only presenter I would watch all the way through in spite of his being clueless on his subject. Normally he is replete with ridiculous amounts of detail and documentation.
That's a Chrysalis Highwayman! No better car to drive through wastelands!
The fins are too low.
It’s a 1957 Chevy.
Old ass post I know, but I think the Highwayman was based off of a 1959 Plymouth Fury.
That button on the floorboard turns the brights on/off
Came for the tanks, stayed for the Chrome.
Born in 1949 and having owned 1950's and 60's cars (52 Ford, 56 Mercury, 57 Ford, 65 Mustang, etc.), his floundering around this very basic car was fun. Hood release? Well, reach under the edge of the hood and pop the release. Trunk release? Use the key, that's what the lock is for. Dimming option on rear view mirror? What's that? Clicking the headlight dimmer switch on the floor and puzzled as to it's use. Hidden gas fillers? Style and had a great time watching you walk around the car looking for it. Many cars had them behind the license plate. Rubber floor mats? Standard. Three speed on the column? Common knowledge. Simple, wide open engine compartment with no computers, no sensors. Easy to maintain and repair which was good because they broke down a lot. A car with 75,000 on the clock was high mileage and ready for the junk heap. The 50's were about style and not about handling or engineering. Hence the abundance of chrome and fins and useless decorative details. But those huge chrome bumpers were actually functional. You could thump into something hard and not chip the chrome.
I've had several cars with the Blue Flame motor and I've found the motor incredibly reliable and hard to kill, it's powerful enough to push the car along happily, I've never thought it was under-powered or weak. Just a very basic simple engine that will happily get you from A to B year after year even when pulling a trailer or towing another car.
As I recall, Chevrolet (a straight 6) and Dodge (a "slant" six, think half a V-12) continued with 6-cylinder engines as car offerings a few years past Ford (except the Falcon/Comet). All had 1 or 2 6-cylinders in their truck lines for quite a bit longer.
Jay Leno would really enjoy and help with this video of this car!
That's pretty reasonable though, they could have gone all out with a Cadillac.
Caddys for the generals, this thing for the colonels?
Regular Car Reviews: M56 Walker Bulldog
Chieftain's Hatch: Chevrolet 1503
Seems legit.
If Moran starts doing the B R O W N thing I'm leaving
If I had a chrome tanker bar (for the purposes of track tension), I would be a happy man.
Me thinks the "Chieftain" is overwhelmed by all the chrome... Military extravagance. Best "out of water" video by far!
I believe the last American made car with quarter vent windows was the 1991 crown Victoria.
My 1993 Jeep Cherokee had them
The button on the driver's floor on the left is a headlight "bright"/"dim" switch for highway driving. You were actually using it correctly. My grandfather had a truck with the same floor headlight control switch.
can't quite put my finger on it...but i'm guessing chrome is kinda important?
I can't get enough of the patterned door card trim. Awesome is not enough of a word!
The 150 was the baseline sedan and was very popular as taxis, police cars and family cars. It really was a well balanced if not sexy car. You can get a nice one in the $20-$30,000 range. Aircraft styling was the rage ever since the the P-38 inspired tail fins of the 1948 Cadillac model 61. That began what you might call the tail fin wars between automakers. The introduction of swept wing and swept tail jets of course modified the styling.
maxsmodels I have always loved the '50s cars, and the fact that a car that brand-new could be purchased for between 2000 $ to 3000 $ is now worth 10 times that is testimony to the magnificence of these beautiful road beasts.
My sisters got a 11 year old 1960 Buick LeSabre when they went off to collage, that car was the ultimate in fin design.
Tony Barban my first car was a '69 LeSabre. No fins, but it was gigantic, powerful, and the backseat was....accommodating.
Tony Barban Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Judge Reinhold.
That brings back memories! You needed me to show you around that old lover. This was a very popular car with young folks back then. Generals, of course, had different priorities. Usually.
Vent windows - a feature that I wish was still around. They acted as both an air intake, and as a smoke evacuator that was easily adjusted.
My dad had one of these when he was an Air Force recruiter in Cape Jirado, Mo from 1959-1962. Have pictures of it in our driveway.
When the chrome was thick and the skirts were tight!
... when the men were men . . . and the women were glad of it!
@Old Iron everywhere 2day . . fat asses .... sucks4me cause skinny women are always on my mind!
It's fascinating watching a man walk through and pick apart every aspect of a car like this, at face value.
That weird moment when my interest in Junkyard Digs, Dylan McCool, and The Chieftain all cross over.
Chieftain also ventured far into the Jay Leno's Garage territory.
*Slaps the hood* This baby was build to take on the T54.
Nothing can stop a Chevy with chrome armor.
1957 oh bugger it wont be in World of Tanks.
No but it's civilian brother, the 150 Utility Sedan is in Forza Horizon 4.
Michael Zemek
You sure?
- Leopard 1
- Chieftain MK.6
It's going to be a tier 8 wheeled American vehicle, mounting a 75mm gun with a crew of 3.
@@maddpeanut6313 Wouldn't a Stryker M1128 MGS be a better option?
As a suicide bomb (VBIED) 🤣🤣
The foot switch to the left is for headlights high and low beam. It is the best place to put it and it's a shame we have to use our hands to change that now. When driving in country it was much easier to rest your left foot on the switch and tap it to change. Things have gotten worse in terms of ergonomics only because it's cheaper.
Three on a tree. What I learned to drive on.
Same here. It was a 1954 Ford that my brother had restored.
@Old Iron And she would shift while you worked the clutch.
Same, old Plymouth Volare, 3 in the tree and a slant six.
My first car was a 1965 Studebaker Commander 4 door it came with a 283 chevy and 3 on the tree with overdrive. I installed a built 350hp 327 corvette engine in it. Boy what a sleeper. I beat many a big block muscle car in street light drags. Blew it up racing a big block camaro. I dropped a valve at 7000 rpm
As a classic car geek and huge Chieftain fan, I got a real kick out of this video.
22 psi tires was a miss-print in the original service document. 32 psi was normal. The Government Printing Office screwed up.
Oops. But now that you mention it, it makes sense
No, the original bias-ply tires would have been inflated to 22 psi. That was normal and correct. Modern radial tires usually run between 30 and 35 psi.
@@dominicmartinelli5762 I serviced many Army Staff Cars in my life, and none had 22 psi inflation pressures. Running a bias ply tire at 22 psi would have them looking bulged like radials and they would over heat.
@@ewathoughts8476 I stand corrected. Chevrolet recommend 24 psi front and 28 rear when cold.
@@dominicmartinelli5762 That is correct, but that is not what the Army FM specified. This is an US Army Staff Car, and with the US Army there is a right way, a wrong way, the ARMY way, and my way, so says the Staff Sargent. If you do it my way we will get along, if not there is latrine duty in your immediate future. LOL, I know how to police up a latrine, because I followed the original FM and the base commanders car had two flats in one day due to tire overheating. My Sargent handed me the TM Change order, and I had to update the whole outfits FMs, and clean the latrines for a month. That sort of stays with one.
But can you sleep on the rear deck? (chrome)
My dad had a '56, and yes, I slept on the deck many times.
Great i now wonder how that Humvee in background would look with Chrome.
chrome is the new camo.
Blind your enemy with lost of bling 😉
I think I seen a "Humvee" in Chrome. not a real army one but a civilian convertion look alike (so no circle hole in the roof) dont remember much except it looked like some kind of Bling war brag project.
@@Zack_Wester think that be the Hummer H1 that all right ,i never liked H2/3 models.
This video has me wondering, what do they use today for a staff car?
The 1957 4 door Chevrolet Belair was my very first car. Had the same inline 6 cylinder, 3 on the tree and did come with a radio. Great car and I'd like to see your Oww Dee roadster 50 years from now in the same condition, lol. Too bad it wasn't armored but it was still a tank. Thanks for sharing.
It's a bit late for an April Fools Day episode...
Looks like a nice solid old '57. One thing nice, in case of large EMP, that car will start and run!
The fins are inspired by the P-38 Lightning fighter from WW2, not the F-86 Saber.
Great video, very unique, you never see reviews on staff cars. The "Dagmar" black cones were removed. My grandad told me when he was stationed in Germany in the mid 50s, he told me, (I guess unsurprisingly) Volkswagen Beetles were used as staff cars.
Oh look! More Chrome! Gotta love the cars of yesteryear!
The covers on the headlights are called half moons. They were a popular accessory in the 50’s and 60’s but they were actually developed for the military. It’s designed to keep the light low on the ground, and reduce the visible light to planes and enemy troops.
Oh, you are so young. :) I thought the trunk release comment was a joke, but then you apparently mistook the parking brake for the hood release. :)
And then there is the shift pattern -- In the '50s, labeling the shift pattern on a three-on-the-tree shifter would be no more necessary than labeling the pedals "clutch" "brake" and "throttle". If the gear positions weren't second nature, you should be in a drivers training class.
Nice video once again. Thanks for being honest -- "If you know anything about Chevys ..." :)
You are so old, you mean.
It's common for military vehicles to have a shift pattern depicted on the dash, this one doesn't. And this is a military vehicle, so Chieftan mentioned it.
@@pakkazull8370 Yep, I am! Born in 1965, but grew up (even in the '70s and '80s) with my parents' 1953 Plymouth wagon.
I am in my 40s but we had a 1956 Ford and the Chevy & Fords were very similar. Shift pattern for "3 on the tree" is a basic H pattern. Key ignition was on left. And usually that vent in the center of the dash was not a vent, it was the grill for the one speaker for the AM radio.
"Three on the tree".
Have to admit that this Chevy is just beautiful. So full of character and heritage!
Sir? Are you absolutely sure you want the Chevy in this colour....?
"Gloss Olive Drab. Yes, 500 of them."
Sir? Are you absolutely sure you want a Chevy?
Customer: chrome.
@Jon Doe no, that's red paint.
please please please find more of these. thanks for all the great videos
This Laserproof coating was so advanced it still works today !
Very different seeing #The_Chieftain do out of his element. Thanks for taking the time.
So can we assume the US wheeled vehicle line will be released in 1.6 starting with the 1503 Chevy and ending with a Cadillac-Gage V100-90?
Front door wings were awesome. The best way to get a lot of cool air aimed right at you. I wish modern card offered them!!!!
It’s actually a pretty good looking car and I’m not normally a fan of 50s cars.
Great walk through although here are my observations. This car was assembled in Baltimore, MD. at the Fisher Body plant on Broening Highway - since demolished and now an Amazon complex. The "B" in the serial number designates this. My dad worked there from 1935 to 1970. He was a foreman in the upholstery department when this car was built. I question the electric wipers as they were an option and not standard equipment. I believe this car would have been built with a vacuum motor which would require a different switch in the dash panel (a ported switch vs an electric switch) and someone added the under dash on-off switch to bypass the ignition switch. Both motors mount exactly the same on the firewall. Last thing I question are the "eyelids" over the headlights. That was never a GM option and since 1957 was not a time of war, someone added them IMHO. During WWII, staff cars that were initially built with chrome bumpers to use up the inventory of chromed bumpers. They underwent a sanding process so flat black paint would adhere and light would not be reflected off the surface. The process cost more than a chrome bumper. No chrome was ever put on staff cars during WWII. Calling the side trim chrome is also incorrect as this is actually polished stainless steel.
Take a shot Everytime Chieftan says "Chrome"
If you do then just make sure to watch this in an ER waiting room.
I prefer my liver intact thank you very much.
I have a Volvo Amazon from 1965 (the first model came out in -59) and so many things on this car look familiar to me; from the headlight switch on the floor to the light and windscreen wiper controls working without starting the engine and the small ventilation windows on the driver and passenger doors. The Amazon does have some improvements however, like a handbrake on the floor (to the left of the driver's seat), you open the hood from the same place as in a modern car and three point safety belts (that you had to adjust yourself).
Military term for chrome is Tactical Warfigher Light Refractory Element.
Regarding the 2nd window - Rovers had those fitted until 1975. Very useful for getting a good blast of fresh air on your face in the days before air conditioning when driving at highway speeds.
They are officially termed "ash receivers" sir :)
Oh man this was great. Honestly wouldn’t mind seeing some more content along these lines. Troop carriers etc.