Dinah Shore - 1959 Chevy spot

YouTube ^

[radu]

Indeed, I do understand the dream. It can be frustrating to know the car can't be completed with the snap of one's fingers. I'm a very impatient person and I wore my poor hubby out during Baby's restoration. LOL!

This is what Baby looked like when we first got it. Well, hubby had already replaced the original hubs and brakes with wheels and disc brakes by the time this photo was snapped.

It looks a LOT better in the photo than it did in reality. It sat, neglected, in a shed for 18 years before hubby found it. We didn't do a frame-off restoration but it was just shy of it.

Hang in there. Before you know it, you'll be turning heads as you cruise along in your classics, making people wish THEY were lucky enough to have one too. Some will go all out to achieve that dream, like we have, and keep the classics alive. :-)

[xp38]

A current Lexus LS 460 engine. Just a hunch but I don't think they want you to touch it.

[Bellflower]

Thanks for the link afraidfortherepublic. It is so enjoyable. I was born in 55 but my parents must not have watched her show or at least I don’t remember it. Those were truly the days!

[Impala64ssa]

Nice rides! Working on these old cars is a fun, sometimes nerve-wracking but never ending chalenge. Though they make it look so easy on the Speed channel. Much like fixing up an old house, you’ll end up spending more $$$ than anticipated.

[wardaddy]

Lewisburg square dear?

My boys love to go there on weekends...about 26 miles down 431

[radu]

Thanks.
Yep, fixing these beauties up isn’t nearly as easy as they make it look on tv! And the wallet can sure take a hit. Hubby did all the work on Baby except the paint job and the interior, and it still cost more than expected. I hate to think what it would have cost if we’d had to pay someone else to do all the other work.

It was a pain in the hiney for hubby to do all the work. I’m the one who’s nerves were wracked. LOL! I was going crazy with anticipation of driving the car.
He was smart when he shopped around for the car he wanted (a ‘57 Olds). He waited until he found a good deal on one that didn’t need to be restored.......was ready to go. I think he’s had enough of messing with restorations. :-)

[radu]

Hey there wardaddy.

No, that wasn’t Lewisburg. It was Manchester square. They have cruise-ins once a month from April through Oct. and we try to make each one.

I’ve heard the cruise-ins at Lewisburg are cool but we haven’t been able to make one yet. Maybe we’ll be able to next year.

[Impala64ssa]

I had a disc brake conversion and front end work done on it. Then it was off to the body shop (some rust in the usual spots, esp the lower rear quarters and rear body mounts) new paint and interior. Over the winter I'll try my hand at rebuilding the conv top motor and switch to an electronic ignition to hopefully improve the gas mileage. The way it's set up now, it'll pass just about anything but a gas station >:(

[21twelve]

Back in high school the spinster lady next door had a 57 Bel Air - a copperish/brown with white in the wings and trim. (She lived with her widowed sister that drove an early sixties Impalla).

Her 57 was immaculate - literally the little old lady that drove it to church on Sundays - in the garage the rest of the time. It was perfect. IIRC it was in the high teens on the mileage. Visiting mom and dad during college I would always make a point of asking her about the car - but she was never ready to sell.

One time (1981 or 82) I asked her about it and she said “Oh - after my one doctor’s appointment they decided I shouldn’t be driving anymore. I sold it to a nice Christian man.” (Yeah - I bet that nice “Christian” man offered her $500 just to get “that old car” out of her garage.

However, having said that - probably for the best. Not sure if I would have had the foresite and knowledge to know how valuable it was/ would become and I probably wouldn’t have taken care of it the way it should have been. I only hope the guy that bought it took care of it - it was a real treasure.

[wardaddy]

well...i think we will have to just drive a hair further east and check it out...I am pretty familiar with Manchester and Tullahoma

we do this a lot...just explore TN...one could do worse...so many winding back roads...and pretty countryside

thanks

if you are ever in Williamson county..holler

[radu]

SWEET ride you have there!
Boy, do I know about passing everything but a gas station. LOL! Baby is a gas hog but since it’s not a daily driver, we don’t worry about it too much.
I hope you’re enjoying your Chevy as much as I’m enjoying mine. It’s hard to beat cruisin’ in a classic, isn’t it?

[radu]

Well, you and the boys just come on down this-a-way next year for one of the Manchester cruise-ins. They have them the second Sat. of each month and the square is always packed. I think y’all would enjoy it.
There are cruise-ins and shows in your neck o’ the woods and we really need to try to get up there for some of them. I’ve wanted to for a while but something always seems to come up. If we get to make one next year, I’ll give ya a holler. :-)