Auto memories from the days of the original T Bird

[jerrym3]

Can't say I remember, or have ever seen, a car with an "evaporative air cooler" system, but here it is.........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_cooler

[DaiUyTed]

Can't say I remember, or have ever seen, a car with an "evaporative air cooler" system, but here it is.........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_cooler

You must be a young'un! Or maybe Joisey didn't have heat waves back then!

[007Cruiser]

You must be a young'un! Or maybe Joisey didn't have heat waves back then!

We had plenty of heat but the only car I saw with any type of AC belonged to the doctor.

[Rondor]

One of the biggest things I remember from the '50's is Grille swapping. Many still believe that was the beginning of the custom craze, 2 of the most popular grilles I remember being used were the '54 pontiac and 49 Merc, Hot Rod Mags. of the day were full of them. Grilles with " teeth seemed an easy swap,

[Rondor]

Verticle bars " teeth " were in most of them

[EllisonCal]

Had a '59 Convert. with 348 turbo glide trans. Beautiful car but a real " dog" mechanically Still think Chevy small blocks are king. But never bought another Chevy.

I agree regarding the 348 (Truck Engine). It also used to go through resonators so fast I just eliminated them. Quarter mile times with PowerGlide were pathetic, almost 18 seconds and less than 80mph. Used more premium fuel than my Thunderbird, and even on the highway with premium grade gasoline, 19 mpg was about all I could get between Denver and Chicago.

[Rondor]

I agree regarding the 348 (Truck Engine). It also used to go through resonators so fast I just eliminated them. Quarter mile times with PowerGlide were pathetic, almost 18 seconds and less than 80mph. Used more premium fuel than my Thunderbird, and even on the highway with premium grade gasoline, 19 mpg was about all I could get between Denver and Chicago.

And the turbo glide was even worse than the powerglide Smoother shift but S L O W. like the Buick Dynoflo.

[jerrym3]

One of the biggest things I remember from the '50's is Grille swapping. Many still believe that was the beginning of the custom craze, 2 of the most popular grilles I remember being used were the '54 pontiac and 49 Merc, Hot Rod Mags. of the day were full of them. Grilles with " teeth seemed an easy swap,

We replaced my friend's 50 ford grille with a grille from a 49/50 Merc. Same friend later bought a beautiful 57 Chevy convert with a 58 Buick chrome checked grille, a 1960 Caddy blue repaint, a station wagon bumper, and twin molded peaks eliminating the two chrome hood pieces. It was the very best looking 57 Chevy convert that I've ever seen. Three speed column, solid lifters, but it only had a 2 barrel carb.

I removed the grille bar and gold mesh from my 57 BelAir. I had to jury rig some brackets to support the parking lights/turn signals.

[Rondor]

The car culture has changed but not gone away. My Grandson's and most of their friends are doing with pick-ups what we did with cars. One reason I think is they aren't as complicated and cheaper while being better built.We went low to ground and they are going up.I can't even get in one of them's Blazer

[AZTB]

Can't say I remember, or have ever seen, a car with an "evaporative air cooler" system, but here it is.........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_cooler

Those were all over the place here in Phoenix when I was a boy in the 50's.

[jerrym3]

Iconic 1950's restaurant/diner, The Chatterbox, Augusta, NJ, closing down. Place was very car-oriented with a classic car inside on a turntable. Big Saturday night old car turnout.

I went once with my Galaxie, but if you weren't there very early, you didn't get a spot in the prime area, so I didn't go back.

Space to be used for a new WaWa.

[5bird7]

Wow. You guys are old. I was born in October after the first Thunderbirds hit the show rooms in September. But .... I do/did like wing windows and the lever that let you open that "flow through" ventilation under the dash. My second car was a Dodge Polara with the push button gear select on the dash, so I know a little about these things of which you speak, ha.

Paul, the first Thunderbirds hit the show room on Oct 10, 1954. They started being built in Sept.

[2K2BIRD]

Thanks for clearing that up, Dot. At any rate the first ones were out before I was, ha.

[cncb@att.net]

The Bermuda Bell sound of Ding Dong activated by a plunger usually placed below the dimmer/hi beam switch on the floor board. The plunger was removable, removing all evidence of the illegal bell in most states. It was a fun game to get a group of cars together that had the Bell and drive by a police car and push the plunger as each car passed the cruiser.