For Old Guys Only

GoldenMotor.com

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
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63
Littleton, Colorado
57 saw the introduction of real fins. Everyone wanted to look like Buck Rogers. Fins and giant chrome (steel) bumpers that must have weighed 200lbs. But they didn't shatter if you bumped them against something.

Tom
 

Greg58

Well-Known Member
May 1, 2011
5,353
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Newnan,Georgia
I grew up riding in a 57 Chevy, at one time we had two. Oddly my mom didn't like a automatic transmission so she drove the 210 with a three speed on the column and a 235 six cyld. Dad drove the four door 283 v-8 with the power glide. I vividly remember going grocery shopping with my mom and filling that huge back seat and floor board with paper sacks and her complaining that $20 dollars just didn't go anywhere any more. Now it would cost ten times that to come close to filling that space.
 

Tinsmith

Well-Known Member
May 15, 2009
1,056
259
83
Maryland
My Grandparents had a '57 Desoto that became mine when it was time for me to drive. It had great fins on it and I believe it had a Hemi engine. Not as big as we had in the late 60's early 70's, but that baby would fly.

Dan
 

Greg58

Well-Known Member
May 1, 2011
5,353
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Newnan,Georgia
The hemi was a great engine, the Desoto had a 341 or 345 c.I. engine. Its strange that the Chrysler and Dodge engines were larger displacement, 354 and 392 c.I. I think. I wonder how close if at all the new engines with the hemi badge resemble the early models.
 

Mike B

New Member
Mar 23, 2011
2,256
7
0
Central CA
I bought a bright red 57 Chevy Bel Aire Sport Coupe in Texas on my first job out of school. Drove it to home to Detroit, hung there for a few months and then drove it to CA.

Where it got stolen right out of my carport.

That's when I gave up on cars and switched to bikes. At least I could chain them to the carport post.
 

2door

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 15, 2008
16,302
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63
Littleton, Colorado
My Dad bought a new 59 Chevy Impala. Blue and white, and you could have held a dance inside if you'd taken the seats out. I remember sitting in it, radio on and pretending I was cruising. I'd casually wave at the chicks I passed and give the guy in the next lane a little body english before I dusted him in an imaginary street race. 283 cubic inces of two barrel carbureted power. Wow! I was just too cool. Too bad I wasn't old enough to get a driver's license.
And man did that baby have some fins.

Tom
 

xseler

Well-Known Member
Apr 14, 2013
2,886
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OKC, OK
My Dad had a '60 Pontiac with the 389 ---- scary fast! He said that was the only car that he's burned 100 gallons of gas in a single day.
 

MEASURE TWICE

Well-Known Member
Jul 13, 2010
2,747
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CA
http://www.automobilemag.com/features/news/the-eleven-best-buicks-of-the-past-110-years-224933/

Fish evolved to land... haha.

My brother had what was like the Sky Lark, but call Grand Sport 401. That Buick when I drove it with the modification to 4 speed manual and 4 barrel Holley Carb, I had to keep my foot side ways on the gas pedal in 1st and 2nd gear when starting from stop, against the transmission hump. The reverberations while if you did not, had your leg follow your whole body as it moved aft into the seat back, then with that low gearing decelerated, then repeating again and again..... skidding tires and neck whipping around til you moved your foot away from the gas pedal or got it steadied.
 
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xseler

Well-Known Member
Apr 14, 2013
2,886
151
63
OKC, OK
Doing the initial 'burn-off' for my filing cabinet smoker. After the flames on the charcoal died down, it seems to be holding at 200* ---- just right for a long smoke! I guess I'll see how it's working after a couple of hours.
 

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xseler

Well-Known Member
Apr 14, 2013
2,886
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OKC, OK
I love it, X. What a great way to recycle an old file cabinet. Show us some pictures of your first cook.

Tom

Other than the charcoal, the only thing I had to buy for the project was the thermometer. The other bits, pieces, wood chunks, grates and such were already in my 'surplus pile'. So, I've got about $10 invested.

First actual smoke will probably be late next week.

(I'm planning to start smoking at the time you guys are quitting......:D)
 
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Allen_Wrench

Resident Mad Scientist
Feb 6, 2010
2,784
26
36
Indianapolis
Just remember to load your clerical smoker properly:
Angus beef goes in first, followed by
Beef (regular beef) and then
Chicken,
Deer,
Elk,
Fish, and so on.
If you have any Zebra meat, it goes in last. :)
 

xseler

Well-Known Member
Apr 14, 2013
2,886
151
63
OKC, OK
I've just about scratched all the hair off the top of my head by trying to figure out how to convert the above to the Dewey Decimal System --- as this cabinet may have been in a library, back in the day.

Contingencies man, contingencies!!
 

siouxindian

Member
Jan 4, 2013
39
1
8
tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
I grew up riding in a 57 Chevy, at one time we had two. Oddly my mom didn't like a automatic transmission so she drove the 210 with a three speed on the column and a 235 six cyld. Dad drove the four door 283 v-8 with the power glide. I vividly remember going grocery shopping with my mom and filling that huge back seat and floor board with paper sacks and her complaining that $20 dollars just didn't go anywhere any more. Now it would cost ten times that to come close to filling that space.
i still have my 57 chevy 2 door post belair yeah for me i have 34 ford 2 door sedan called touder sedan i might not have spelled that rightdance1
 

MEASURE TWICE

Well-Known Member
Jul 13, 2010
2,747
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CA
It is a smoker grill? Get a couple more and connect them an have cold smoker for Nova fish. Is it electric or charcoal?

Omit the 2 question, oops had not gotten to next page.

The grill is outstanding use of material re-appropriated.

Waiting to see what gets donated from the old dismantled SF Bay Bridge eastern span for artists.

http://news.artnet.com/in-brief/cal...-tons-of-bay-bridge-steel-to-work-with-120566
 
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xseler

Well-Known Member
Apr 14, 2013
2,886
151
63
OKC, OK
It is a smoker grill? Get a couple more and connect them an have cold smoker for Nova fish. Is it electric or charcoal?

Omit the 2 question, oops had not gotten to next page.

The grill is outstanding use of material re-appropriated.

Waiting to see what gets donated from the old dismantled SF Bay Bridge eastern span for artists.

http://news.artnet.com/in-brief/cal...-tons-of-bay-bridge-steel-to-work-with-120566

I'm using a stainless steel colander to hold the charcoal and wood for the smoke. First time I've ever used the match-light charcoal --- that stuff really flames at the start!! The colander will make the ash cleanup quite a bit easier, I'm hoping!
 

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