Oh Yea 1973 first car I bought was a 1957 4 dr Chevy,with a 235 big block 6 cyl, for $225.00 Original white top with a yellow body, spent 1973 working for NYC, neighborhood Youth Corps. Grants Pass Oregon Forestry Department earning $1.35 an hour, transferred to the highway department. Unloaded 8 tons of asphalt by shovel everyday filling potholes in secondary roads. That 57 Chevy was worth every ounce of energy what a great summer, gas was $0.24 a gallon, with 5 hours worth of work with taxes taken out,,,, I could fill my gas tank and cruise on the weekend. Man alive I miss those days.
My dear mother had a 1955 Bel Air with that 265 V8 engine. We made 3 trips to California in that car. What a ride she had. I was 18 in 1965. I purchased a very good used 1956 2dr Bel Air from an old man who had purchased the car from new. He got too old to drove and maintain it and I got it. The 4-bbl 265 had three cylinders pumping oil and a host of other things wrong. I went to a junk yard and low and behold I found a wrecked 57 chevy wagon with the 283 power pack engine. I got the engine for $100. 00 and removed the 265 from my 56' and installed the 283 in my 56. That engine made ALL the difference in the drivability in that 56. I went into the military and I had to sell my 56 and even though I am in my 70's now, I still miss my 56, and I have had 2 new Mustangs, two new Cutlass Supremes, 99 Camry Solara and Now a 2010 Lexus RX 350. Maybe one of these days I will see one because they are still out there, hopefully I can buy it. Thanks...Peace out!
Got my driver's license in 1960, and a 1955 Bel Aire hardtop was my dream car. Sadly, my first car was a 1953 Ford, bought around Christmas time 1962 for $350. After marriage in 1964, our first new car was a 1967 Chevelle Malabu with the newer 283ci and a fully synchronized column mounted three-speed. We took a seven-week eight thousand mile drive in that car with our two-year-old daughter. Wonderful memories.
I really like the video and information. I have a 1955 210 and love it. All original, and take my Mother, 96 years old shopping and to visits with her sisters. Making good memories with it.
Yes, the colors were great. Now cars are mostly black, silver, and white monochrome creations. Boring. Even the old interiors came in colors besides black or gray.
Yeah my 55 bel air was originally black with a red and white vinyl and cloth interior factory power seats,windows,brakes, and an air conditioner Lots of customization that you don’t see now
There is only one design that is the MOST aerodynamic. What we see today.... Poor ole stuck in the mud farts. 400 hp excellent handling high mpg (and safe) just aint good enough is it?
Maybe you can answer my question posted earlier. Was it common to put 70s small block heads on the 50s cars to run unleaded? Does yours still have the original heads? If so do you have to buy lead substitute?
The jet fighter shown at 19:24 is an F-100 Super Sabre. I got two rides in an F-100 back in the late 1970's when I was in the Air Guard. It was the fastest I ever went on the ground as it took off at about 200MPH. I also got to fly it once and we went supersonic several times.
King Rose Archives yes, it was nice just like trying to educate the kids or others not into the automotive realm. If you have anything on 1970's ford assembly lines, mainly with the Torino Ranchero, or Mercury Montego let me know. Hunting for prototype/production line film footage.
We probably do. Contact our reps. Global ImageWorks, LLC., 65 Beacon Street Haworth, New Jersey 07641 telephone: 201-384-7715 Fax: 201-501-8971 footage@globalimageworks.com
We probably do. Contact our reps. Global ImageWorks, LLC., 65 Beacon Street Haworth, New Jersey 07641 telephone: 201-384-7715 Fax: 201-501-8971 footage@globalimageworks.com
The early 50s Chevys being seen as for Old People was spot on. My dad often told me that he saved up enough cash in High School to buy a car when he graduated in '52. He could chose a new '52 Chevy coupe or a slightly used '51 Mercury coupe. He chose the Mercury and loved every mile. With the 3 speed & overdrive and some simple engine mods, he could do 80 in 2nd gear.
The small block chevy motor made good power stock, and was responsive to modification. The mouse motor has been the engine of choice for hot rodders for decades.
The Chevrolet 6 cylinder and the V8s all had the same bell housing to block bolt pattern. Take out a six and bolt a v8 right up. I'd be willing to bet, that when scientists finally find out what drives the universe, they will find a small block Chevy.
I have owned them all, Chevy, Ford, Dodge and Jeep. They all made some good ones and they all made some bad ones. But around where I live, even the Ford dealers have Chevy tow trucks. Kind of an interesting side note, a young engineer named Smokey Yunick was on the teams that developed the small block Chevy ( 265-283-327) and the small block Ford (260-289-302).
If I had won the billion dollar power ball of 2018, I'd be driving a '53 in the morning. '56 in the afternoon. And then a friggin' '67 at night...... cram all my friends in the trunk and head to the drive-in. hahahha!
1955 was the first Thunderbird but the 1954 Ford was available with an OHV V8. Ford's OHV 6 became available in in 1952. The first Edsel was a 1958 model.
Are you nuts? This ugly piece of crap has been blown out of perportion! The grill looks like someone chewing mashed potatoes with thery’e mouth open! A ‘56 FORD and a ‘58 PLYMOUTH FURY ARE THE BEST LOOKING CARS EVER MADE!!! You sound like a brain-washed jerk that can’t think for himself.
What’s more, a ‘56 Packard, ‘54 Mercury, ‘53 Ford, ‘’57 ‘58 DeSotos, ‘60 Dodge, ‘64 & 68 Fords ‘51 Ford and more, ARE ALL BETTER LOOKING THAN ANYTHING CHEVROLET MADE!!! DOSEN’T ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE HAVE THE GUTS TO STAND -UP TO THESE “CHEVHEADS”?!!!
@Robert Doyle Conspicuosly absent in this conversation is another make of car called PONTIAC, And at the same time as Chevrolet, Pontiac was going through the same transformation!.There are alot of great cars that you metioned but I still have 1965-66 Chevrolets especially Impala SSes on the brain!!!.
Chevy did not have a V6 at that time..however They did have an over head valve inline six, unlike most other cars in the late 40's and early 50's, which had flat head inline 6's and eights. Buick had an over head valve straight 8.
Behind on engine technology? The Chevy OHV V6 was introduced in 1929 and produced until around 1990. It was much more efficient (OHV, you know) than the boat anchor V8 Henry produced in 1932. I can remember seeing dragsters with Stovebolt 6's winninng their classes in the 1950s and later. Perhaps Mark would like to compare technology of the 265 SBC to Ford's 1955 V8? Did not think so.
The engine technology race had lots of jumps between late '30s to mid '50s . And also have to seperate the discussion between the engines per se , and the question of performance as installed in oem vehicles vs engine swaps . Ie the ohv Cadillac V-8 quickly became a popular donor engine for swaps into ligher cars . The Flathead Ford/ Merc V-8 by the 1950's was a mature technology , and had a metric crap ton of widely available speed parts . The SBC took a cpl years after introduction both for Chevy to develop worthwhile beter performing upgrade, and for the aftermarket to catchup . Chrysler was the muscle car champ of the mid '50s . I do like Fords , but the Y Block was indeed a less than reliable under performing boat anchor . Took until the Windsor and FE for Ford to hit their stride .
@Mark Godfrey Go to any dragstrip and watch all the Mustangs with Chevy engines, both big and small blocks. You never see it the other way around. Reality sucks for a Ford guy.
That is a common slip. When I am talking about a 6 cylinder, I always just say "6 cylinder". That keeps everyone happy! It is a shame a lot of people are quick to criticize. I for one am glad for all the videos to be able to watch! Free TH-cam videos are one of the best things about the internet!
It just looks like people are picking on him because everyone thinks they are the first to notice the V6 / I6 slipup then comment instead of reading. :) Interesting video. Now I have to check the rest on the channel.
In '64 & '65 I owned a 1955, Canary yellow and white, two door, Bel Air hard top convertible. It was a 265ci. "Blue flame" 6 cylinder bored 30 over. It had headers and duel exhausts the tail pipes came out in front of the right wheel. It breathed thru 3 twos. For a "six" she did right well in a street race. It had enough torque to "pull tree stumps.
"Young hotshot from the ranks"= mid 40's back in the early 50's. lol! Never try to outwork a lifelong dairy farmer! I grew up on a dairy farm doing the same things early in my life. Up at 4 on school days, work for 3 hours and THEN go to school. Come home, work for 2 hours, eat, do homework, work for another hour or two and go to bed. Oh...and in all weather. Everything else is easy. I laughed when I joined the Navy and most of the guys were complaining about the long hours. I got more sleep in basic than I did on most usual days!lol!
@RockabillyFoxthe build quality is not good but the engering is good ectroni Computer engine gearbox I want modern day fuel injection in an old Car enjoy the best of both words
Paul Haymen All of those who helped make GM what it once was would be mad as hell!. In no way would any of them want to go to the government for a bailout loan!.they would have been too ashamed. Infact, they wanted the government to stay the hell out of the auto industry!.
O loved the 60s even though I spent 2 years of it in Vietnam ducking bullets. I had a new 67 SS 396/375 Chevelle That I built up and then when I came back from Vietnam I bought a new Chevelle Malibu 350/300 and built it up to where it ran 12. 55 in the 1/4 mile
@@chico305SIGMA You said the word "CONSTITUTION" with fondness, what are you like 100 years old? that kind of nostalgia might get you tossed in the gulag.
I sold cars way back in the dark ages, before the Earth's crust cooled and all that. Our training and motivational films were always full of the familiar faces of Hollywood's working actors. One of our favorites was Polly Holliday (of "Kiss my grits!" fame on the TV show Alice), who always played brassy and sassy wives of guys wanting to buy a new car. Carl Ballantine ("Gruber" on McHale's Navy) often showed up as a magician whose rabbit/hat/pitcher of water usually blew up. Just about everyone in the "Also Starring" section of TV show credits made "Industrials," including both actors that played Darrin Stevens on "Bewitched."
I have a 327 Chev. Engine in my 1950 Willys Jeepster and a 350 with a 700r4 sitting in the floor of my shop waiting for a project to put it in....OK, so I'm 80, I like the small block Chev....I had a '55 210 about 1960....
That gent/husband in the "56 Chevy ads was an actor later in Rawhide! For the record, I like the 55's best. Don't care for all the later chrome or fins. I had two back when. Miss them terribly.
At 00:16 you show a 51 Chevy, when I was in high school I drove a 52 Chevy Belair 2 Dr , Had a modified 57 Chevy six in it and I could beat any stock 283 v-8. Loved that car. I have that same motor today in my 1945 1/2 pu.
@Mark Godfrey There goes Mark calling people dummies again. And Mark believes the 1957 Ford 312 made more than one hp per c.i. Snicker, laugh, hee-hee, snort, guffaw.
@@Hopeless_and_Forlorn ... yeah it's pretty amazing what some people will say when they won't get their head out of their ass. I agree with you totally.
My grandparents bought a new 55 blue and white Bel Air 4 door sedan in 1955. It had very few options like a radio and a heater. She kept it into the 90's and I suspect she actually made money on it when she sold it.
The small block Chevy is obviously legendary. My favorite is the 400 small block and I'm glad that most people hate them because of their bad reputation for over heating...I can pick them up cheaper that way. The old "stovebolt" straight 6s were great too but the newer inline engines were better. You can't hardly kill any straight 6 and parts are widely available for them.
the 283 v8 was the first hot rod small block engine from chevy in my opinion. that motor changed the game the blueprint to this day. most people sed they stopped making the mighty mouse because you could not where them out.
This is a great video. I'm not a nit picker so the few small mistakes you just understand as the way it is. No mention of the 57 nomad being able to be ordered with the fuel injected 283/283 with a 4 speed. And again when the 58 episode ran there was no mention of Chevrolets first big block available with 3/2 bbl and 280 hp. 59 it had the infamous 315hp and 60 with 335hp 61 was 350hp and 61 1/2 single 4bbl 409 @360hp. In 10 short years the 1951 chevy 6 cylinder was now a V8 360 hp in 1961.
A girlfriends father from way back , he was a young adult in late 50s, told me about getting a new 56 Chevy and about a friend who had a 55 Chevy with small block and used to like to drive with the seat all the way back at 100 mph.
The fifties were a time of people who lived with not much during the depression and survived world war 2, they were all about living it up and living big if possible. I want a big V8 and want to go FAST
At about 29:00 when they introduce the upgrades on the 56 us why I say the only Shoebox Muscle Racecar is the 55. 56 & 57 make nice streeters but the 55 was the Boss. Hey I like that BOSS 55
Very well done! Thank you for making this video! I grew up during the 1950s and always wanted a 1955 Chevy when I was in my teens. I got lucky and ran across a decent one. a 2 door Bel Air, when I was in my early 20s, bought it and vowed to keep it forever. But I had a young family and eventually sold my '55 because it was easy and quick money. Ever since I have wished I could have kept that car.
Though they're now very rare (after all it's been 65 years and more at this point), a '55 to '57 Chevy was THE car to have. Also a '40 Ford. I had a friend many years older than i who had a GTO back around 1966. Now, THERE was a car that made you a man among men!
Thanks. It has been broadcast on many channels all over the world. I decided to stop licensing it to others and share it on my TH-cam page. Glad you liked it.
I wonder why up around 20:00,the film keeps talking about 55's,yet a lot of the footage is of 56's? Also,inlines were the type of 6 cyls. V-6s werent until much later.
According to the title it looks to me as if they were only discussing 55 to 57s as the beginning. The 58 is bringing exceptional money today and was a total veering off in another direction with the X frame and alot of other changes, then we got the great changes styling wise in the 59 and on as well as the 348 & 409 motors and then the 327
Tubeless tires on some models,open driveshafts,12volt systems,rubber coated wires,ball joints and no center pivot on drag link,individual rocker arms on the v-8s,oil filter systems without lines on the v-8s,firewall mounted batterys pedal assys.hanging from under dash,master cyls.under floor,...I know there are more changes,but that is all i can list off the top of my head.
When the all new Chevy came out in '55, complete with a V-8 option, people must have flocked to the dealers.. I'll bet a ton of '54 buyers wished they would have waited a year! Being a salesman must have been a gravy job as those '55's sold themselves.
But GMC beat Buick by 2 years. They had the big block truck V6 in production starting in 1960. There were 305, 351, and 401 versions. In later years the GMC V6 was also produced in 379, 432, and 478 displacements.
Yes GM developed the Buick v6 into the world's greatest 6 cylinder motor overtime,winning Indianapolis 500 and installing it in the world's fastest production cars 1987. The Buick Grand national.
Interesting/informative/entertaining. Excellent still-motion photography enabling viewers to better understand what the orator is describing. 😉 . Bel Air was a good looking/good handling/affordable automobile🤗.
It was a 4 door alright...and a bundled up 56 to boot...auto makers still do that bundle job to this day...so they can test it...industrial secrets...very serious thing...I saw the Mazda Miata before it became a clay mock up...I did a glass job for an insured in El Toro years back...this insured was a former GM stylist engineer that was creating it...I asked him if I could see it...he said very bluntly...NO...THEY HAVE CAMERAS out there...(I got a glimpse under his arm pit as he opened the door...we had an appointment to fix his broken Windshield) I saw but didnt see...later I realized it was the Miata...gorgous vehicle...I would love to own one someday...nice sports car!!! A Classic in my book!!!
I saw it too...good eye...my only Brother found a 57 Ford Fairlane 2 dr HT...312 With the automatic...it was a 3 speed if you put it into low 1st then shifted it up for 2nd then Dr for 3rd...however...it had 71,000 miles on it but smoked...it ran really good...(later I found out it was a blown vacuum modulator valve on the tranny that made ATF go into the engine)...simple fix...and that 57 was STRAIGHT MY BROTHER HOT IT FOR $150.00...I was the motor head shade tree tinkerer back then...but didnt fix that frustrating smoke problem...wah...I tried for 3 months...tested every cyl with a vac guage and compression tester...couldn't figure it...dang...it was that Rose pink color and white...interior was perfect too...old man out if Yucaipa, Calif sold it to him...RIP Phil...I loved you and was there 4 U at the end...49 is way too young to go...
small block chevy is the greatest american engine
may ed cole and his colleagues rest in paradise
57 Chevy was one of the best looking cars ever made.
I agree!!
55? that one too?
I prefer the 56 and 55 in that order, but I'm a Mopar guy
WOW !!! at 34:10 !!!
Oh Yea 1973 first car I bought was a 1957 4 dr Chevy,with a 235 big block 6 cyl, for $225.00 Original white top with a yellow body, spent 1973 working for NYC, neighborhood Youth Corps. Grants Pass Oregon Forestry Department earning $1.35 an hour, transferred to the highway department. Unloaded 8 tons of asphalt by shovel everyday filling potholes in secondary roads.
That 57 Chevy was worth every ounce of energy what a great summer, gas was $0.24 a gallon, with 5 hours worth of work with taxes taken out,,,, I could fill my gas tank and cruise on the weekend. Man alive I miss those days.
Thanks for sharing your story. What a time it was.
29:00 I believe that is Eric Fleming (Gil Favor of Rawhide) visiting the Chevy showroom.
My dear mother had a 1955 Bel Air with that 265 V8 engine. We made 3 trips to California in that car. What a ride she had. I was 18 in 1965. I purchased a very good used 1956 2dr Bel Air from an old man who had purchased the car from new. He got too old to drove and maintain it and I got it. The 4-bbl 265 had three cylinders pumping oil and a host of other things wrong. I went to a junk yard and low and behold I found a wrecked 57 chevy wagon with the 283 power pack engine. I got the engine for $100. 00 and removed the 265 from my 56' and installed the 283 in my 56. That engine made ALL the difference in the drivability in that 56. I went into the military and I had to sell my 56 and even though I am in my 70's now, I still miss my 56, and I have had 2 new Mustangs, two new Cutlass Supremes, 99 Camry Solara and Now a 2010 Lexus RX 350. Maybe one of these days I will see one because they are still out there, hopefully I can buy it. Thanks...Peace out!
Update...?
This is when America was Great
Ron Lawson Don’t forget to 1969 road runner
Yep Ron not a single person of color in the whole show, huh?
Got my driver's license in 1960, and a 1955 Bel Aire hardtop was my dream car. Sadly, my first car was a 1953 Ford, bought around Christmas time 1962 for $350. After marriage in 1964, our first new car was a 1967 Chevelle Malabu with the newer 283ci and a fully synchronized column mounted three-speed. We took a seven-week eight thousand mile drive in that car with our two-year-old daughter. Wonderful memories.
I really like the video and information. I have a 1955 210 and love it. All original, and take my Mother, 96 years old shopping and to visits with her sisters. Making good memories with it.
In 1966 I bought my 1957 Chevy for $150. Loved that car. First time I ever went over a hundred miles an hour!
I love the 50's. Everything was so bright and shiny.
Yes, the colors were great. Now cars are mostly black, silver, and white monochrome creations. Boring. Even the old interiors came in colors besides black or gray.
There were/are a number of cars produced in the 1950s 60s produced in silver and gray. They still looked pretty stunning
People seemed nicer too
Yeah my 55 bel air was originally black with a red and white vinyl and cloth interior factory power seats,windows,brakes, and an air conditioner
Lots of customization that you don’t see now
Each car was unique in the mid 50"s, not today's cookie cutter version's.
MrJohnwilliams07 these aren't CARS ANYMORE, THEY ARE COMPUTERS WITH SEATS AND WHEELS......
Jelly Beans I call them
There is only one design that is the MOST aerodynamic. What we see today.... Poor ole stuck in the mud farts. 400 hp excellent handling high mpg (and safe) just aint good enough is it?
if you look at cars from 1957 they all look extremely similar
BigChills71 Yup. All those curved surfaces to give some strength to sheet metal.
I've had my 57 Chevy since the early 70s...I go to the Tri-5 Nationals every year in Blowing Green Ky. Tri-5 Heaven
Maybe you can answer my question posted earlier. Was it common to put 70s small block heads on the 50s cars to run unleaded? Does yours still have the original heads?
If so do you have to buy lead substitute?
The jet fighter shown at 19:24 is an F-100 Super Sabre. I got two rides in an F-100 back in the late 1970's when I was in the Air Guard. It was the fastest I ever went on the ground as it took off at about 200MPH. I also got to fly it once and we went supersonic several times.
Lucky Man!!! And THANKS FOR SERVING !!!!!
Dual headlights didn't come along until 1958 if my memory serves me well!
Top of the line Cadillac in 1957 the Eldorado Brougham
58 ford, 58 Chevy dual headlight
Chrysler hit the public in 57 with the first 4 headlight set up...
@@bigsparky8888 Cadillac debuted the Brougham with 4 headlights in December of 1956. There was no 2 headlight Brougham offered.
Your memory is correct.
Chevy had the blue flame inline 6. There was not a V6 in that era from GM.
We all know that. And that's what they stuffed into the Corvette. It was my mistake made in a rush. Besides that stumble, hope you liked the show.
King Rose Archives yes, it was nice just like trying to educate the kids or others not into the automotive realm.
If you have anything on 1970's ford assembly lines, mainly with the Torino Ranchero, or Mercury Montego let me know.
Hunting for prototype/production line film footage.
We probably do. Contact our reps.
Global ImageWorks, LLC.,
65 Beacon Street
Haworth, New Jersey 07641
telephone: 201-384-7715
Fax: 201-501-8971
footage@globalimageworks.com
We probably do. Contact our reps.
Global ImageWorks, LLC.,
65 Beacon Street
Haworth, New Jersey 07641
telephone: 201-384-7715
Fax: 201-501-8971
footage@globalimageworks.com
Hi, trying to find where I say the Blue Flame was a V6. I know I mention the Blue Flame but haven't found the blooper yet.
The early 50s Chevys being seen as for Old People was spot on. My dad often told me that he saved up enough cash in High School to buy a car when he graduated in '52. He could chose a new '52 Chevy coupe or a slightly used '51 Mercury coupe. He chose the Mercury and loved every mile. With the 3 speed & overdrive and some simple engine mods, he could do 80 in 2nd gear.
WOW! Great production! Thank you for putting this together...
The small block chevy motor made good power stock, and was responsive to modification. The mouse motor has been the engine of choice for hot rodders for decades.
The Chevrolet 6 cylinder and the V8s all had the same bell housing to block bolt pattern. Take out a six and bolt a v8 right up. I'd be willing to bet, that when scientists finally find out what drives the universe, they will find a small block Chevy.
I have owned them all, Chevy, Ford, Dodge and Jeep. They all made some good ones and they all made some bad ones. But around where I live, even the Ford dealers have Chevy tow trucks. Kind of an interesting side note, a young engineer named Smokey Yunick was on the teams that developed the small block Chevy ( 265-283-327) and the small block Ford (260-289-302).
@@josephgalarneau7177 You're as full of shit as a Christmas goose
Either a small block Chevy or a Chrysler slant six!
@@josephgalarneau7177 He, Smokey Yunick also built Pontiacs for a while I understand.
Not true for tri-fives. They have different bolt patterns on both.
Ford guy,but love the history of Chevy and dodge also 💯
Man! They made some beautiful cars in the 40s 50s and 60s!
@Mark Godfrey by 1957 Chrysler was beating both of them GM and Ford!
Really enjoyed the video,even though I am a mopar guy,and a PROUD owner of a 1966 dodge charger
If I had won the billion dollar power ball of 2018, I'd be driving a '53 in the morning. '56 in the afternoon. And then a friggin' '67 at night...... cram all my friends in the trunk and head to the drive-in. hahahha!
PERFECT ANALOGY...LOL!!!
Great old cars..cool old footage
1955 was the first Thunderbird but the 1954 Ford was available with an OHV V8. Ford's OHV 6 became available in in 1952. The first Edsel was a 1958 model.
Just wanted to say the V6 comments are gold! 😂😂😂
You guys don't let one slip
Old American cars beautiful for ever
The 57 Chevy Bel AIR was and still is the most beautiful car ever produced. PERIOD!
Agreed wholeheartedly!!!
Are you nuts? This ugly piece of crap has been blown out of perportion! The grill looks like someone chewing mashed potatoes with thery’e mouth open! A ‘56 FORD and a ‘58 PLYMOUTH FURY ARE THE BEST LOOKING CARS EVER MADE!!! You sound like a brain-washed jerk that can’t think for himself.
What’s more, a ‘56 Packard, ‘54 Mercury, ‘53 Ford, ‘’57 ‘58 DeSotos, ‘60 Dodge, ‘64 & 68 Fords ‘51 Ford and more, ARE ALL BETTER LOOKING THAN ANYTHING CHEVROLET MADE!!! DOSEN’T ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE HAVE THE GUTS TO STAND -UP TO THESE “CHEVHEADS”?!!!
@Robert Doyle Conspicuosly absent in this conversation is another make of car called PONTIAC, And at the same time as Chevrolet, Pontiac was going through the same transformation!.There are alot of great cars that you metioned but I still have 1965-66 Chevrolets especially Impala SSes on the brain!!!.
I love the old cars and truck . this was very interesting .
Thanks. Much appreciated.
Chevy did not have a V6 at that time..however They did have an over head valve inline six, unlike most other cars in the late 40's and early 50's, which had flat head inline 6's and eights. Buick had an over head valve straight 8.
Behind on engine technology? The Chevy OHV V6 was introduced in 1929 and produced until around 1990. It was much more efficient (OHV, you know) than the boat anchor V8 Henry produced in 1932. I can remember seeing dragsters with Stovebolt 6's winninng their classes in the 1950s and later. Perhaps Mark would like to compare technology of the 265 SBC to Ford's 1955 V8? Did not think so.
The engine technology race had lots of jumps between late '30s to mid '50s . And also have to seperate the discussion between the engines per se , and the question of performance as installed in oem vehicles vs engine swaps . Ie the ohv Cadillac V-8 quickly became a popular donor engine for swaps into ligher cars .
The Flathead Ford/ Merc V-8 by the 1950's was a mature technology , and had a metric crap ton of widely available speed parts .
The SBC took a cpl years after introduction both for Chevy to develop worthwhile beter performing upgrade, and for the aftermarket to catchup .
Chrysler was the muscle car champ of the mid '50s .
I do like Fords , but the Y Block was indeed a less than reliable under performing boat anchor . Took until the Windsor and FE for Ford to hit their stride .
@Mark Godfrey Go to any dragstrip and watch all the Mustangs with Chevy engines, both big and small blocks. You never see it the other way around. Reality sucks for a Ford guy.
I see some people are picking on you for some errors. I just want to say, nice video. Fun to watch! Thank you!
Thanks. In a rush I said, a V6 instead of a straight 6. Oh well.
That is a common slip. When I am talking about a 6 cylinder, I always just say "6 cylinder". That keeps everyone happy! It is a shame a lot of people are quick to criticize. I for one am glad for all the videos to be able to watch! Free TH-cam videos are one of the best things about the internet!
It just looks like people are picking on him because everyone thinks they are the first to notice the V6 / I6 slipup then comment instead of reading. :)
Interesting video. Now I have to check the rest on the channel.
There are quite a few errors
@@JerrSpud like most of the cars in the “55” season at Darlington are 56’s. They even show one with the tailgate folded down
I wish i could go back into time.
In '64 & '65 I owned a 1955, Canary yellow and white, two door, Bel Air hard top convertible. It was a 265ci. "Blue flame" 6 cylinder bored 30 over. It had headers and duel exhausts the tail pipes came out in front of the right wheel. It breathed thru 3 twos. For a "six" she did right well in a street race. It had enough torque to "pull tree stumps.
'55 Chevy had 2 available engines. The 235 ci "Blue Flame", a straight 6 cylinder and the 265 ci "Turbo-Fire", a V8 engine.
"Young hotshot from the ranks"= mid 40's back in the early 50's. lol! Never try to outwork a lifelong dairy farmer! I grew up on a dairy farm doing the same things early in my life. Up at 4 on school days, work for 3 hours and THEN go to school. Come home, work for 2 hours, eat, do homework, work for another hour or two and go to bed. Oh...and in all weather. Everything else is easy. I laughed when I joined the Navy and most of the guys were complaining about the long hours. I got more sleep in basic than I did on most usual days!lol!
I was driving my mother's 56 chev at 16 but had my own 58 chev when I was 17.
i was 4 when dad got his 56 ,,,bad ass car very fast ..an he gave it to me in high school ..i still have it but i blew the 265 ,,now has a 331
Cole and Earl would just turn in their graves when they see the krap today car are made
@RockabillyFoxthe build quality is not good but the engering is good ectroni
Computer engine gearbox I want modern day fuel injection in an old
Car enjoy the best of both words
Paul Haymen All of those who helped make GM what it once was would be mad as hell!. In no way would any of them want to go to the government for a bailout loan!.they would have been too ashamed. Infact, they wanted the government to stay the hell out of the auto industry!.
O loved the 60s even though I spent 2 years of it in Vietnam ducking bullets. I had a new 67 SS 396/375 Chevelle That I built up and then when I came back from Vietnam I bought a new Chevelle Malibu 350/300 and built it up to where it ran 12. 55 in the 1/4 mile
you rock.
THANKS FOR SERVING IN THE MOST ROTTEN WAR EVER...BUT YOU DESERVED THOSE CHEVYS...375HP 396 WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITES TOO...GIDDY UP BABY!!!!!
I still have my 1966 396 360 hp today.
Welcome back home, thank you for protecting the Constitution.
@@chico305SIGMA You said the word "CONSTITUTION" with fondness, what are you like 100 years old? that kind of nostalgia might get you tossed in the gulag.
That's Eric Fleming (Gil Favor, of Rawhide fame) at 29:00.
I sold cars way back in the dark ages, before the Earth's crust cooled and all that. Our training and motivational films were always full of the familiar faces of Hollywood's working actors. One of our favorites was Polly Holliday (of "Kiss my grits!" fame on the TV show Alice), who always played brassy and sassy wives of guys wanting to buy a new car. Carl Ballantine ("Gruber" on McHale's Navy) often showed up as a magician whose rabbit/hat/pitcher of water usually blew up. Just about everyone in the "Also Starring" section of TV show credits made "Industrials," including both actors that played Darrin Stevens on "Bewitched."
I have a 327 Chev. Engine in my 1950 Willys Jeepster and a 350 with a 700r4 sitting in the floor of my shop waiting for a project to put it in....OK, so I'm 80, I like the small block Chev....I had a '55 210 about 1960....
Awesome video! The late 1950's Chevrolet cars were almost scary cool looking.
There was not a V6 in those days never even dream of . The 1st V8 was in around 1917 didn't not last but say 1 year
That gent/husband in the "56 Chevy ads was an actor later in Rawhide! For the record, I like the 55's best. Don't care for all the later chrome or fins. I had two back when. Miss them terribly.
At 00:16 you show a 51 Chevy, when I was in high school I drove a 52 Chevy Belair 2 Dr , Had a modified 57 Chevy six in it and I could beat any stock 283 v-8. Loved that car. I have that same motor today in my 1945 1/2 pu.
Long live Smokey Yunick
light and reliable so ahead of its time!
And "weak"
My father bought a 205hp 265 1956 chevrolet. ran great and had plenty of power.
Good video. Got a few years mixed up but all in all it was enjoyable to watch.
Thanks, great video, learned some new stuff.
I`d love to have a `58 Impala!
The SBC now called the LS is still the best power plant around.
P
@Mark Godfrey There goes Mark calling people dummies again. And Mark believes the 1957 Ford 312 made more than one hp per c.i. Snicker, laugh, hee-hee, snort, guffaw.
@@Hopeless_and_Forlorn ... yeah it's pretty amazing what some people will say when they won't get their head out of their ass. I agree with you totally.
I'm glad the other generations had fun.
My grandparents bought a new 55 blue and white Bel Air 4 door sedan in 1955. It had very few options like a radio and a heater. She kept it into the 90's and I suspect she actually made money on it when she sold it.
The small block Chevy is obviously legendary. My favorite is the 400 small block and I'm glad that most people hate them because of their bad reputation for over heating...I can pick them up cheaper that way. The old "stovebolt" straight 6s were great too but the newer inline engines were better. You can't hardly kill any straight 6 and parts are widely available for them.
'53's (and earlier), had poured rod bearings, and were notorious fr throwing shoes.
The man that the lady in the yellow dress dragged into the dealership for the 1956 Chev. Looks like the star of the Rawhide cowboy movies....
the 283 v8 was the first hot rod small block engine from chevy in my opinion. that motor changed the game the blueprint to this day. most people sed they stopped making the mighty mouse because you could not where them out.
It failed to mention the factory dual quad that was also a option , had it on 57 two door hardtop.........
270HP
This is a great video. I'm not a nit picker so the few small mistakes you just understand as the way it is. No mention of the 57 nomad being able to be ordered with the fuel injected 283/283 with a 4 speed. And again when the 58 episode ran there was no mention of Chevrolets first big block available with 3/2 bbl and 280 hp. 59 it had the infamous 315hp and 60 with 335hp 61 was 350hp and 61 1/2 single 4bbl 409 @360hp. In 10 short years the 1951 chevy 6 cylinder was now a V8 360 hp in 1961.
4 speeds were not available in Chevy passenger cars until 1959.
A girlfriends father from way back , he was a young adult in late 50s, told me about getting a new 56 Chevy and about a friend who had a 55 Chevy with small block and used to like to drive with the seat all the way back at 100 mph.
The fifties were a time of people who lived with not much during the depression and survived world war 2, they were all about living it up and living big if possible. I want a big V8 and want to go FAST
It was a strait 6 not a V6 that was the primary engine before the V8
cool vid, Mr C is right no V6. what is the music you use at the beginning?
20:51 That intake was probably very expensive around that time. Rare piece today
At about 29:00 when they introduce the upgrades on the 56 us why I say the only Shoebox Muscle Racecar is the 55.
56 & 57 make nice streeters but the 55 was the Boss. Hey I like that BOSS 55
When America was BOLD & STRONG!! Today???? BLAND😱😱😱
& Weak
The article said the Chevy v/6. No it was the straight six. The old stove bolt six you meant to talk about.
lol watching the 58 go thru the slalom , most fifties cars just the same too, cept maybe Mopar stuff, great video .
Very nicely done. I truly enjoyed this
I want a black 57 like Johnny in dirty dancing 😎
Amazing video, many thanks
WOW! Never saw your channel till tonight, VERY well produced vids. I hope you continue, I will be watching.
Great production loved it
Very well done! Thank you for making this video! I grew up during the 1950s and always wanted a 1955 Chevy when I was in my teens. I got lucky and ran across a decent one. a 2 door Bel Air, when I was in my early 20s, bought it and vowed to keep it forever. But I had a young family and eventually sold my '55 because it was easy and quick money. Ever since I have wished I could have kept that car.
FYI The 55 and 56 had the nomads version as well...thia video implied that only the 57 had a nomads version....56 nomads looks sexier, just saying.
I love the pic with the F100
Though they're now very rare (after all it's been 65 years and more at this point), a '55 to '57 Chevy was THE car to have. Also a '40 Ford. I had a friend many years older than i who had a GTO back around 1966. Now, THERE was a car that made you a man among men!
Very rare? My God man, Tri fives are everywhere!
@@mickgerard6696 My mistake. I do see '57s around; in fact I saw one last weekend. Posting 5-30-23.
0:14 Ah, yes, the famous Chevy V-6 of the early 50s.
Great job on this doc! This was broadcast quality. I enjoyed it very much . . . thanks a lot!
Thanks. It has been broadcast on many channels all over the world. I decided to stop licensing it to others and share it on my TH-cam page. Glad you liked it.
I wonder why up around 20:00,the film keeps talking about 55's,yet a lot of the footage is of 56's? Also,inlines were the type of 6 cyls. V-6s werent until much later.
Way to skip right over the 59s and 60s Impalas and BelAirs...the big fin era.
Love my 56 chev 210 4dr sedan v8, auto pr br, pr. Steering 4 barrel carb, nice.
This video omitted the 1959-60 Chevys with their horizontal tail fins.
According to the title it looks to me as if they were only discussing 55 to 57s as the beginning. The 58 is bringing exceptional money today and was a total veering off in another direction with the X frame and alot of other changes, then we got the great changes styling wise in the 59 and on as well as the 348 & 409 motors and then the 327
Tubeless tires on some models,open driveshafts,12volt systems,rubber coated wires,ball joints and no center pivot on drag link,individual rocker arms on the v-8s,oil filter systems without lines on the v-8s,firewall mounted batterys pedal assys.hanging from under dash,master cyls.under floor,...I know there are more changes,but that is all i can list off the top of my head.
Wow!! Microwave oven & Television!!!! 5:00
My first was the 57' Belaire convertible 283 CU three speed floor shift.
When the all new Chevy came out in '55, complete with a V-8 option, people must have flocked to the dealers.. I'll bet a ton of '54 buyers wished they would have waited a year! Being a salesman must have been a gravy job as those '55's sold themselves.
Tired of all the praise of the mid
How do I erase the above ?
Yes Matt, the '54 buyers got screwed!!
+Patrick Joseph
I poo
@Mark Godfrey Trounced? Better do your research more reliably.
Good show, I didn't know the Ed Cole story behind it, he beat Ford. That's a great story.
Trivia: The first American production car with a v6 was the 1962 Buick Special with 196 cid v6 based on the all aluminum Buick 215 cid small block.
But GMC beat Buick by 2 years. They had the big block truck V6 in production starting in 1960. There were 305, 351, and 401 versions. In later years the GMC V6 was also produced in 379, 432, and 478 displacements.
Yes GM developed the Buick v6 into the world's greatest 6 cylinder motor overtime,winning Indianapolis 500 and installing it in the world's fastest production cars 1987. The Buick Grand national.
Interesting/informative/entertaining. Excellent still-motion photography enabling viewers to better understand what the orator is describing. 😉 . Bel Air was a good looking/good handling/affordable automobile🤗.
an dont forget the best in the 60s the corvair still hot to this day
If You can keep the engine from falling out on the road
I notice that no mention is ever made of the car's names (Bel Air, Impala, Custom) other than the Fury, the Fairlane, or the Thunderbird. Why is that?
Seventeen seconds into this as the audio dude tells you... Chevy V-6? Really authentic... Can't wait to take notes on what else is fabricated here.
Oh poo...you walk on water too eh???
57 Chevy for the win!
34:35 SOLD ME !!!!
Wondering why several of the stock car racing scenes had '56 Chevs in them, all while the '55's were being mentioned.
Footage is all...55 scenes are harder to get...ok???
Excellent presentation. Thanks for posting 👍
Thanks for watching.
Re: Pike's Peak...it was a 4 door hardtop Bel Air that rsced up to rhe top, i think, not a 2 door
It was a 4 door alright...and a bundled up 56 to boot...auto makers still do that bundle job to this day...so they can test it...industrial secrets...very serious thing...I saw the Mazda Miata before it became a clay mock up...I did a glass job for an insured in El Toro years back...this insured was a former GM stylist engineer that was creating it...I asked him if I could see it...he said very bluntly...NO...THEY HAVE CAMERAS out there...(I got a glimpse under his arm pit as he opened the door...we had an appointment to fix his broken Windshield) I saw but didnt see...later I realized it was the Miata...gorgous vehicle...I would love to own one someday...nice sports car!!! A Classic in my book!!!
Chevy small block: Undisputed King of racing.
Ah bullshit
Cool thanks
Way back in the day
0:14 the standard Chevy V-6???
I know.
36:12 That Ford has a mis-colored door right from new! Kind of surprising they'd use *that* particular car in any promotion!
I saw it too...good eye...my only Brother found a 57 Ford Fairlane 2 dr HT...312 With the automatic...it was a 3 speed if you put it into low 1st then shifted it up for 2nd then Dr for 3rd...however...it had 71,000 miles on it but smoked...it ran really good...(later I found out it was a blown vacuum modulator valve on the tranny that made ATF go into the engine)...simple fix...and that 57 was STRAIGHT MY BROTHER HOT IT FOR $150.00...I was the motor head shade tree tinkerer back then...but didnt fix that frustrating smoke problem...wah...I tried for 3 months...tested every cyl with a vac guage and compression tester...couldn't figure it...dang...it was that Rose pink color and white...interior was perfect too...old man out if Yucaipa, Calif sold it to him...RIP Phil...I loved you and was there 4 U at the end...49 is way too young to go...