Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2016 i Hemmings Classic Car

National optimism was at its peak in the 1950s.The middle class grew to 60 percent of the population, science and technology advanced rapidly, the space race launched and the Federal Aid Highway Act sanctioned the building of a 41,000-mile network of Interstates to make high-speed travel by car easier and safer in years to come. With more breadwinners commuting from the suburbs to work and two-car families on the rise, automakers were implementing more progressive ideas to meet the escalating expectations of consumers. General Motors’ Chevrolet Division, a leader not only in the low-priced field, but also the perennial top seller in the U.S. market, made an indelible mark on automotive history with its 1955-’57 models. 1955 Inspired designs and engineering advancements characterized the 1955 offerings with new bodies, interiors,…

SPECIFICATIONS PRICE BASE PRICE $1,840 ENGINE TYPE L-head straight-six; iron block and cylinder head DISPLACEMENT 217.8 cubic inches BORE X STROKE 3.25 x 4.375 inches COMPRESSION RATIO 7:1 HORSEPOWER @ RPM 97 @ 3,600 TORQUE @ RPM 175-lb.ft. @ 1,200 VALVETRAIN Mechanical MAIN BEARINGS Four FUEL SYSTEM Carter 06H2 one-barrel carburetor LUBRICATION SYSTEM Full-pressure, gear-type pump ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6-volt, 40-amp generator EXHAUST SYSTEM Single TRANSMISSION TYPE MoPar three-speed, column-shifted selective manual transmission with second- and third-gear synchromesh RATIOS 1st 2.57:1 2nd 1.83:1 3rd 1.00:1 Reverse 3.48:1 DIFFERENTIAL TYPE Hypoid, semi-floating axles, open differential RATIO 4.10:1 STEERING TYPE Gemmer worm-and-roller TURNS, LOCK-TO-LOCK 3.5 TURNING CIRCLE 37 feet, 8 inches BRAKES TYPE Hydraulic, four-wheel manual drum FRONT 10-inch iron drum, dual-cylinder REAR 10-inch iron drum, single-cylinder CHASSIS & BODY CONSTRUCTION Full-frame BODY…

“It was my basic curiosity from being a professor. I wanted to know more, I wanted to know how big the breadbasket was, so I started a quest for knowledge.” First sports car in America, it was the Corvette, right? Wrong. Okay, then the firstfiberglass car in America, that was the Corvette, right? Uh-uh. All right, then the Corvette was at least the firstfiberglass-bodied postwar American sports car powered by a six-cylinder engine. Gotta be, right? Nope. Students of automotive history will likely recall the Kaiser Darrin, maybe even the Woodill Wildfire or the Glasspar G2, as Corvette predecessors, but Geoff Hacker is no mere student of automotive history. Rather, he’s more like a professor of it, with a concentration in postwar sports cars, fiberglass cars, sport customs and other…

WHEN THE MOST RECENT GASOLINE- electric hybrid craze hit the United States in the first decade of the 21st century, many people thought that the automotive manufacturers had developed a new technology. The truth is that gasoline-electric hybrid technology was first used in automobiles 100 years earlier. In fact, the technology was already nearly two decades old when the Woods Dual Power was offered to the public in the 1917 model year. Woods, like other early electric car manufacturers, watched its sales steadily dwindle after Cadillac introduced the electric starter in 1912. While Woods supplemented its electric production with gasoline automobiles from 1905-1907, it focused exclusively on electrics for the next nine years. The Dual Power was a last-ditch effort to save the already struggling company, and it described the…

FOLLOWING GRADUATION FROM Lawrence Institute of Technology (now Lawrence Technological University), Southfield, Michigan, in the summer of 1963 at the tender age of 22, I embarked on my first professional job, Product Test Engineer at the Ford Research and Engineering Center in Dearborn, Michigan. I recall being paid $535 per month and not imagining what I’d do with all of that money, but a learning experience in this regard was my purchase of a shiny, new 1963 Mercury Monterey convertible. We must have had the longest departmental name in the corporation: Body and Chassis Testing Laboratory Department. Located in the so-called New Body Building, short walks down the halls took us not only to an upscale cafeteria and a barber shop, but also to the experimental paint shop that provided…

Orphans at the River THE VETERAN MOTOR CAR CLUB OF AMERICA will be hosting a tour around the Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, area. The tour is eligible specifically for orphan makes or any American company that is now defunct; cars must be over 25 years old. Recently ended marques such as Pontiac and Mercury are also welcome. The tour will take place along the Mississippi River and cover different museums in southwestern Wisconsin and northeastern Iowa. You must be a VMCCA member to participate, so be sure to visit their website and sign up if you’d like to attend. For more information, contact Marilyn Leys, Tour Registrar, at marl@centurytel.net or 608-326-0862. Lincoln Roundup THIS YEAR’S SECOND ANNUAL LINCOLN HOMECOMING will take place August 10-14 in Hickory Corners, Michigan. The event…

Pontiac Concept & Show Cars 800-551-4754 • WWW.CARTECHBOOKS.COM  • $39.95 Well-known Pontiac historian Don Keefe has created a book that all car enthusiasts — especially Pontiac owners — will greatly enjoy reading. It’s the first in-depth book that focuses solely on all the unique concept and show cars that Pontiac created, including the Parisienne, Strato Streak, Club de Mer, X-400, and both Bonneville Specials. But more than just concept cars, Don explores the many special muscle cars that never were, such as the 1971 Firebird Pegasus, ’73 Super Duty GTO and Grand Am station wagon, and the rarely seen ’69 SE 101 steam-powered Grand Prix. From the 1939 Plexiglass-body World’s Fair show car to the 2006 Supercharged LSX Solstice, Pontiac engineers were well known for creating the most outstanding concepts of…

You might be senior enough to remember those old hot rod manuals with smeary print that you could stick in the back pocket of your rolled-up Levis. Lots of ads for sellers of flathead Ford speed parts. Lots of copy in those ads to the effect of “six in a row will never go.” To which we respond, balderdash. This hardtop has been getting along quite nicely with Stovebolt power. Not only that, it’s been in the extended family of the current owner since it was brand new in Maryland. And it’s a Chevrolet Bel Air hardtop out of 1956, from that triumvirate of sacred Tri-Five years, only it’s a four-door hardtop. With the Stovebolt, three-on-the-tree and overdrive. And yes, it’s all original, including the paint. If this catches your…

What do you consider a family heirloom? Do you possess something you treasure, that has been handed down through generations to you, and that you plan to give to your children? It could be something small, like a pocket watch, or large, like a piece of furniture. How about something even larger, something that imbibes gasoline and turns tires into smoke? That’s just the kind of heirloom that a 1969 AMC Javelin SST is, one that was passed from a grandfather to his grandsons, and is destined to remain in their family for decades to come. This American Motors pony car was in the care of Peter Silva when we photographed it, but we learned the Javelin has a much deeper and broader story. This represents the second time Peter…

When I was searching for an old car, I started looking at General Motors products from 1949-’54. Make and model was no matter to me. The simple, round, no-fin rear three-quarter passenger view from that era is the most beautiful to me,” says André Fitzback, explaining his passion for the particular automotive design that led him to the car featured here: a 1953 Pontiac Pathfinder De Luxe. A mechanic by trade and resident of St. Hyacinthe in the Quebec province of Canada, André located his ideal car for sale near Montreal in 1995 and, although he was able to negotiate its purchase, it was not devoid of needs. According to André, “It was in poor condition overall. The interior needed work, it had no brakes, wore four different tires, and…

CHRYSLER DEBUTS ITS NEW 1924 CHRYSLER SIX.THIS REVOLUTIONARY CAR FEATURES a high-compression engine with a seven-bearing crankshaft, carburetor air cleaner and replaceable oil filter. Stopping is achieved through use of four-wheel hydraulic brakes. The new Chrysler Six is available in nine body styles as low as $1,195. CHEVROLET CONTINUES ITS GROWTH AND ITS AUTOMOBILES ARE WIDELY KNOWN FOR lower costs per mile than any other cars on the market. All models feature a powerful valve-in-head engine, three-speed sliding gear transmission, electric starting and lighting and improved springs and brakes. Nine body styles are available, with a selection of open and closed models starting as low as $490. SECRETARY OF COMMERCE Herbert Hoover chairs the first National Conference on Street and Highway Safety, calling for uniform traffic laws. FORD IS ABOUT…

Galesville Limited IT’S AMAZING WHAT WE CAN FIND IN OUR OWN FILES WHEN WE GO DIGGING FOR something completely unrelated. Take, for instance, this photo of the Galesville Limited, a homebuilt motorhome constructed by L. John Schilling of Galesville, Wisconsin. Schilling was quite the personality, apparently. After studying engineering at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, he returned to his father’s farm and began inventing, starting with an electric fence and moving on to automatic milkers. Then in the early 1950s, after becoming mayor of his town and fathering eight children with his wife, Alette, he decided to see the country, so he built the motorhome, which according to the photo caption, had an engine at both ends and eating/sleeping/laundry facilities for the whole fam-damily. In it, the brood saw…

Controlled Inflation BendPak’s Hush-Quiet rotary-screw air compressor can meet the compressed-air demands of high-volume repair facilities and dealerships. It’s the perfect compressor if you work in a noise-conscious area, as the super-silenced insulated enclosure will keep it quiet, while the unique design results in trouble-free operation with no need to worry about piston rings, valves, rod-inserts, bushings and pistons. There are no valve components to service, reducing long-term operating costs. The pump style is a rotary screw that traps air between two contra-rotating rotors. As the rotors intermesh, they reduce the volume of trapped air and deliver it compressed, at the proper pressure level. Visit BendPak for an extensive list of features and specs. Cost: $4,250. BENDPAK 805-933-9970 WWW.BENDPAK.COM Chevy Cowl Lens The Filling Station is now offering…

Quiz time: Name the first 1950s American car that comes to mind. Might it be the one that has such overwhelming resonance in our popular culture, that mentioning the late 1950s calls it up for most of us instinctively? Chevrolet’s 1957 Bel Air holds that cultural significance for many Americans, even those with no interest in cars. Surprisingly, the best-selling version of that popular model wasn’t the convertible or hardtop you’d probably think, the versions we see most often today — but the roomy and attractive four-door post sedan. The continuing popularity of the ’57 Chevy isn’t confined to those old enough to remember it when it was new. Miami, Florida, resident Ben Harris wasn’t even born when his 1957 Bel Air sedan was built, and yet, he bought it…

Modern observers often scratch their heads over the utility of a two-door station wagon. Wagons, it seems, are a family vehicle that are best suited for long-distance road trips with Mom, Dad, two kids, Spot and a whole passel of luggage. And yet few question the purpose of a two-door hatchback. Arguably, the point is the same: A weathertight runabout that seats five and can carry a goodly amount of cargo — more if the back seat is folded down. It was Willys that pioneered the concept in 1946 with an all-steel, two-door wagon body mounted on its truck chassis and styled like the famous Jeep scout car. Before the war, station wagons were still built from wood and produced with something like taxi service in mind — hence the…

The objects of any given era are shaped by the various styling trends that led up to that era. When the motor car first began to become popular, Art Nouveau was in vogue, and its influence on the automobile’s appearance is evident. Later, the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne design periods, which lasted up into the 1940s, in turn also left their imprints. When the carriage evolved into the horseless carriage, the coachwork as well as the lamps that were fitted to it for night travel remained basically the same. Most larger cities at the time were equipped with gas street lamps, as were houses and buildings, for illumination after sunset. Those carriage and early car lamps were primarily fueled by kerosene. Many of the early cars were diminutive in…

IT’S LIKE THE GOLDEN ARCHES AND the NFL shield: The “Bowtie,” as it quickly came to be called, which symbolizes the Chevrolet automobile, is one of the world’s most instantly recognized consumer trademarks. One might wonder, more than a hundred years after Chevrolet first hit the streets, the origin of the brand name. Here’s the answer. The Chevrolet car has many fathers, but first among them were four Chevrolet brothers — and among them, Louis Chevrolet stood out as a highly accomplished mechanic, designer, racing driver and administrator. The brothers, Alfred, Arthur and Gaston, hailed from the Bernese Jura region of La Chaux-des-Fonds in Switzerland, where Louis-Joseph Chevrolet was born in 1878. Their father was a watch- and clockmaker, so they were exposed to precision work from childhood. In 1887,…

THE SUMMER OF 1959 WAS FAST approaching, and transportation for my summer job was high on my “to-be-done” list. After some discussions with my parents, a decision was finally made to let me purchase my first automobile. However, my father was quick to point out that a provision of my college financial aid award was that I could not own an automobile. We’ll deal with that later, I thought to myself. A call was made to my aunt, who was driving a 1954 Mercury Sun Valley at the time. A quick call to her favorite salesman, Jim, was the next step. As Jim began phoning around looking for a decent, but reasonably priced used car, a coworker overheard him and suggested that his father’s car was available. So, the next…