Car pics too cool not to share

Out in the desert I think sandstorms keep the chrome bright. Some people call these things trash but I really think they become part of the landscape.

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I want to hear the stories on some of these and how they came to reset. Sad to see them rot away but incredibly fascinating at the same time.
 
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I took that picture while randomly driving around at some point when I was laid off on MLK day 2009 until I got kinda lucky after Labor Day 2010. Unfortunately I didn't stop to ask about it and it was so far from where I live that I don't think I have enough time to find it again before I die if it's even still there.

EDIT: I just realized that first reply wasn't to me. My answer still stands.



I knew you'd have an answer even though I don't think GM was at the top of your car experience list. You posted the "wink" so do you have any further details? GM's not really at the top of my car list either but being without work back then I spent too much time online and I did my best to narrow down what it was. I came up with two possibilities, one of which had the word "sedan" as part of it's name. I know my picture isn't the greatest but it was the clearest of the bunch taken from about 100 yards away so I saved it. I wish it was crystal clear and that I had a picture of it from the rear.
The wink was just an acknowledgement that I did, in fact, pick up on that it had been "modified". It was once a '57 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door sedan, but someone got creative and lopped off the top, and created a homemade "convertible", of sorts. One can only hope that a tree had fallen across the roof, and to chop it off was deemed somewhat acceptable. To cut-up a Matador Red Bel Air 2-door sedan that was in good shape is a crime in most parts of the country! :sneaky:
 
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The wink was just an acknowledgement that I did, in fact, pick up on that it had been "modified". It was once a '57 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door sedan, but someone got creative and lopped off the top, and created a homemade "convertible", of sorts. One can only hope that a tree had fallen across the roof, and to chop it off was deemed somewhat acceptable. To cut-up a Matador Red Bel Air 2-door sedan that was in good shape is a crime in most parts of the country! :sneaky:

Well in 2009 it was a homemade "convertible", of sorts. Maybe it still is. I had to look up Matador Red which was a correct Chevy color in 57 so you probably know a bit more about GM than I do but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a Bell Air.

I have my ideas of what it was and I'm not trying to challenge you to figure it out. I'm just not yet offering what I think in case you, or anyone wants to dig a little deeper. For anyone that doesn't want to do the digging I'll lay the rest of what I think about it either later tonight or sometime tomorrow.
 
Well in 2009 it was a homemade "convertible", of sorts. Maybe it still is. I had to look up Matador Red which was a correct Chevy color in 57 so you probably know a bit more about GM than I do but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a Bell Air.

I have my ideas of what it was and I'm not trying to challenge you to figure it out. I'm just not yet offering what I think in case you, or anyone wants to dig a little deeper. For anyone that doesn't want to do the digging I'll lay the rest of what I think about it either later tonight or sometime tomorrow.
I only surmised it being a Bel Air based on what appears to be the aluminum insert/panel on the rear quarters (looks like it on my computer screen, anyway). A lesser model (like a Delray) could (would?) have a white painted section between the stainless pieces of trim, if I recall correctly. Add to that the deluxe full wheel hubcaps, and it seemed to be a reasonable assumption that it was a Bel Air. The One-Fifty had completely different trim, altogether. Beyond this, my experience with Tri-Five Chevs is somewhat limited to basically common knowledge stuff. I've always preferred the same vintage tin in either Ford or Mopar products. As for challenging me figuring it out, feel free to do so! I have loved the automobile since I was a kid, and welcome most information on vintage tin. Cars are the one thing in life I actually understand. :)
 
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Does anyone know what the original engine was for these? I know of one that was restored, and re-powered with a GMC 401 V6, but that wouldn't have been the original engine as the "Future Liner" was designed ca 1953...
I always assumed they were powered by the big GMC inline six cylinders. To confirm my assumption, I looked it up. Turns out that the '53 and up rigs were, but the pre-'53 units were powered by 4-cylinder diesels (!!!). No way in hell I ever would have suspected that!
 
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Does anyone know what the original engine was for these? I know of one that was restored, and re-powered with a GMC 401 V6, but that wouldn't have been the original engine as the "Future Liner" was designed ca 1953...
One was restored on the TV show Bitchin Rides. It had a straight 6 in it. Great couple of episodes to watch.
 
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I don't think I ever knew about the FuturLiner until my wife and I were at Disney World FL for our honeymoon in November of 1994. GM had a big part of something going on at DW at the time. IIRC the FuturLiner's Parade of Progress was shown in a video at DW's Carousel of Progress. I'm pretty sure the cars in the "Test Drive" ride (not sure of the name) were supposed to look like something from GM, maybe a topless Saturn. I definitely remember at least two "second generation" Saturns (to be released in 1996) sitting in the concourse on the way out of one of those two places.

As for the picture I posted earlier, the top of the door and quarter panel being so flat is what threw me off and caused the picture and my traipsing around the internet.

What I believe it was and why (not just because it was on the internet):

The large well known 1957 side trim does away with it being a 150.
The top of the doors and quarter panels being so flat on top removes Bel Air from the possibilities so we're looking at a 210.
The top of the doors and quarter panels being so parallel to the bottom edge removes everything but the Handyman Station Wagon and the Sedan Delivery, both of which were two door cars with the long station wagon roof.

Why I'm not sure about which one it is:
All Handyman Station Wagons had side windows but the Sedan Delivery only had side windows as an option and there's no clue as to what this one came with new.
I couldn't find definite info regarding the lower rocker trim.

Another reason I'm not sure and I wish I had a picture from the rear:
The Handyman Station Wagon had the rear clamshell like the other station wagons.
original-1957-handyman-rear.jpg


The Sedan Delivery had a large one piece liftgate.
1957 SD Liftgate Open.jpg


After all that I'd say the other modifications were the Bel Air spinner hubcaps and the chrome trim on the quarter panels that is longer than these pictures show.
 
I don't think I ever knew about the FuturLiner until my wife and I were at Disney World FL for our honeymoon in November of 1994. GM had a big part of something going on at DW at the time. IIRC the FuturLiner's Parade of Progress was shown in a video at DW's Carousel of Progress. I'm pretty sure the cars in the "Test Drive" ride (not sure of the name) were supposed to look like something from GM, maybe a topless Saturn. I definitely remember at least two "second generation" Saturns (to be released in 1996) sitting in the concourse on the way out of one of those two places.

As for the picture I posted earlier, the top of the door and quarter panel being so flat is what threw me off and caused the picture and my traipsing around the internet.

What I believe it was and why (not just because it was on the internet):

The large well known 1957 side trim does away with it being a 150.
The top of the doors and quarter panels being so flat on top removes Bel Air from the possibilities so we're looking at a 210.
The top of the doors and quarter panels being so parallel to the bottom edge removes everything but the Handyman Station Wagon and the Sedan Delivery, both of which were two door cars with the long station wagon roof.

Why I'm not sure about which one it is:
All Handyman Station Wagons had side windows but the Sedan Delivery only had side windows as an option and there's no clue as to what this one came with new.
I couldn't find definite info regarding the lower rocker trim.

Another reason I'm not sure and I wish I had a picture from the rear:
The Handyman Station Wagon had the rear clamshell like the other station wagons.
View attachment 305751

The Sedan Delivery had a large one piece liftgate.
View attachment 305752

After all that I'd say the other modifications were the Bel Air spinner hubcaps and the chrome trim on the quarter panels that is longer than these pictures show.
Okay. I will say that I agree with you on the "flatness" of the top of the rear quarter panel eliminating the possibility of it being a Bel Air 2-door sedan. That leaves the wagon or the sedan delivery. Now, I was able to find pics of Bel Air 2-door wagons, but they've been modified in one form or another, so one could not attest to the "correctness" of the car. Your pic has two things going for it that would lead me to believe it might be a Bel Air 2-door wagon. First is the obvious side trim (again, on my monitor, it appears to have the aluminum panel on the "sweep"). The second is that there appears to be a long(ish) stainless piece of trim on the top of the fin. Now, I've found images of Bel Air wagons with short ones, as well as long ones, so perhaps that was optional trim. I did not find any 210 wagons with the longer trim on top, however. The Bel Air also had the rocker panel stainless trim, typically, but it could also have been added to other lesser models, I would think (if not as an option, then surely after ownership).

At the end of the day, we may never know. There was no way to know that it was a wagon from the angle your pic was taken (the lack of trunk would've been the obvious giveaway), other than what you pointed out about the lack of the dip in the top of the quarter panel (the "flatness" that you referred to). I learned something with that, and I thank you! Any knowledge is good knowledge!) It's a fun pic, nonetheless, and I've enjoyed chatting with you about it. :)
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After all that I'd say the other modifications were the Bel Air spinner hubcaps and the chrome trim on the quarter panels that is longer than these pictures show.
*Didn't see this part of your post when I replied, pointing out what you had obviously already noted. Sorry 'bout that!
 
Okay. I will say that I agree with you on the "flatness" of the top of the rear quarter panel eliminating the possibility of it being a Bel Air 2-door sedan. That leaves the wagon or the sedan delivery. Now, I was able to find pics of Bel Air 2-door wagons, but they've been modified in one form or another, so one could not attest to the "correctness" of the car. Your pic has two things going for it that would lead me to believe it might be a Bel Air 2-door wagon. First is the obvious side trim (again, on my monitor, it appears to have the aluminum panel on the "sweep"). The second is that there appears to be a long(ish) stainless piece of trim on the top of the fin. Now, I've found images of Bel Air wagons with short ones, as well as long ones, so perhaps that was optional trim. I did not find any 210 wagons with the longer trim on top, however. The Bel Air also had the rocker panel stainless trim, typically, but it could also have been added to other lesser models, I would think (if not as an option, then surely after ownership).

At the end of the day, we may never know. There was no way to know that it was a wagon from the angle your pic was taken (the lack of trunk would've been the obvious giveaway), other than what you pointed out about the lack of the dip in the top of the quarter panel (the "flatness" that you referred to). I learned something with that, and I thank you! Any knowledge is good knowledge!) It's a fun pic, nonetheless, and I've enjoyed chatting with you about it. :)
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For all the traipsing around the internet I did 12 years ago and again a few days ago, you'd think I'd have noticed at least a couple Bel Air 2 door Station Wagons so THANKS for adding that bit.
 
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For all the traipsing around the internet I did 12 years ago and again a few days ago, you'd think I'd have noticed at least a couple Bel Air 2 door Station Wagons.

They were the KEWL thing in the mid 70's when I use to cruize Colby Ave in Everett, WA but the real cool thing then to do was to chop and shorten the wheelbase. I couldn't tell you now how much they shortened it but I'd guess they took 12-18" out of it, They were a wheely monster.
 
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