Here is one for y'all.
- Thread starter Charlie1935
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Beautiful car. My brother had a '57 Chevy - red and white he bought for 125 dollars, (late 60's). Too bad he didn't keep that car.
Does anyone notice she is not wearing a seat belt?
Does anyone notice she is not wearing a seat belt?
I don't believe seat belts were an option in '57 on Chevrolet cars.
Starting in the early 60's seat belts began to show up on the option sheet for all domestic manufacturers. Worth noting is before you could offer a seat belt option, you had to install hard points to mount the belts.
This would be a weld-in metal operation in the early implementations. So it was a factory mod that either was on none of the cars, or all of them. Since it added to the manufacturing cost it was a trickle-down mod that a "value" brand like Chevrolet would have offered last over the GM product line.
Seat belts themselves were an extremely unpopular option with take-up on the order of 1% or less, prior to them becoming mandatory around '68.
So, even assuming I'm wrong and the hard points were installed on the '57 chassis, it's very unlikely the car came with belts themselves.
Edit: Ford offered seat belts as an option on certain models starting in 1955; Volvo was the first mfr to implement seat belts as standard equipment in 1958, if Wikipedia can be believed.
Starting in the early 60's seat belts began to show up on the option sheet for all domestic manufacturers. Worth noting is before you could offer a seat belt option, you had to install hard points to mount the belts.
This would be a weld-in metal operation in the early implementations. So it was a factory mod that either was on none of the cars, or all of them. Since it added to the manufacturing cost it was a trickle-down mod that a "value" brand like Chevrolet would have offered last over the GM product line.
Seat belts themselves were an extremely unpopular option with take-up on the order of 1% or less, prior to them becoming mandatory around '68.
So, even assuming I'm wrong and the hard points were installed on the '57 chassis, it's very unlikely the car came with belts themselves.
Edit: Ford offered seat belts as an option on certain models starting in 1955; Volvo was the first mfr to implement seat belts as standard equipment in 1958, if Wikipedia can be believed.
I have to say I don't believe that entire story. No matter how well you take care of a car. Did you see that steering column and that interior. That has to be a total restoration. A lot of us take care of our cars. I don't see a lot of cars looking that way after almost 60 years of on the road. I realize it has a 116,000 miles and now a car is just broken in at that, but in 1957, cars didn't last like they did today. 100,000 and they were ragged out and about dead. I don't see any rust, no fading on that car, sorry but if all she did was drive and use it, I think it would show a lot more wear.
Probably should have added in my prior post that if the car didn't come with a safety feature, you don't have to use or add it. You go back into the 50's and things like signal lights and outside mirrors are options. If the car didn't come with signal lights, you don't need to have them.
She mentions that nobody believes her when asking whether it's a restoration or original. Guess we can add one more.
I know of a '50 Chevrolet that was garage-stored and driven sparingly, it looks just as good as that '57 inside and out, and is almost a decade older, and we're talking Canadian winter conditions thrown in there, and yes the owner drives it in winter. I know the original owner and the current, second, owner. There's about 80,000 miles on it.
It's never seen any restoration work at all. So, I know it's possible that this car *is* bone stock original. Biggest thing is to wash the car weekly, wax it, do an oil undercoating every couple of years, and it's possible. Keep it clean and even the upholstery will last ... the fabric only wears when abrasive particles are allowed to embed.
She mentions that nobody believes her when asking whether it's a restoration or original. Guess we can add one more.
I know of a '50 Chevrolet that was garage-stored and driven sparingly, it looks just as good as that '57 inside and out, and is almost a decade older, and we're talking Canadian winter conditions thrown in there, and yes the owner drives it in winter. I know the original owner and the current, second, owner. There's about 80,000 miles on it.
It's never seen any restoration work at all. So, I know it's possible that this car *is* bone stock original. Biggest thing is to wash the car weekly, wax it, do an oil undercoating every couple of years, and it's possible. Keep it clean and even the upholstery will last ... the fabric only wears when abrasive particles are allowed to embed.
If she drove it the entire 116,000 miles like she does in the video, its possible that everything is original on it. Hahaha. She should wear white gloves to really set it off in that video.
I can't see myself driving the exact same beater for more then 10 years. I simply get tired of it and want something else, something NEW. Life is too short to be stuck with the same ol' junk.
Enjoy life...
I can't see myself driving the exact same beater for more then 10 years. I simply get tired of it and want something else, something NEW. Life is too short to be stuck with the same ol' junk.
Enjoy life...
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
I have to say I don't believe that entire story. No matter how well you take care of a car. Did you see that steering column and that interior. That has to be a total restoration. A lot of us take care of our cars. I don't see a lot of cars looking that way after almost 60 years of on the road. I realize it has a 116,000 miles and now a car is just broken in at that, but in 1957, cars didn't last like they did today. 100,000 and they were ragged out and about dead. I don't see any rust, no fading on that car, sorry but if all she did was drive and use it, I think it would show a lot more wear.
That looks like a nice survivor car. It's obvious it has been well taken care of, and is not seeing very many miles anymore. It probably hasn't been a daily driver for decades.
The resolution of that video is so poor that it's impossible to actually see any detail in the interior. There may small scratches here and there, worn spots in the carpet and seats and smudges on the dash, and you wouldn't know because they blend in with whatever is next to it. And the same with the exterior. Pixelation has fouled that video.
Some of you are reading too much into it. Just because she's owned it since 1957 that doesn't mean it has been her only car.
I have to say I don't believe that entire story. No matter how well you take care of a car. Did you see that steering column and that interior. That has to be a total restoration. A lot of us take care of our cars. I don't see a lot of cars looking that way after almost 60 years of on the road. I realize it has a 116,000 miles and now a car is just broken in at that, but in 1957, cars didn't last like they did today. 100,000 and they were ragged out and about dead. I don't see any rust, no fading on that car, sorry but if all she did was drive and use it, I think it would show a lot more wear.
That looks like a nice survivor car. It's obvious it has been well taken care of, and is not seeing very many miles anymore. It probably hasn't been a daily driver for decades.
The resolution of that video is so poor that it's impossible to actually see any detail in the interior. There may small scratches here and there, worn spots in the carpet and seats and smudges on the dash, and you wouldn't know because they blend in with whatever is next to it. And the same with the exterior. Pixelation has fouled that video.
Some of you are reading too much into it. Just because she's owned it since 1957 that doesn't mean it has been her only car.
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
I have to say I don't believe that entire story. No matter how well you take care of a car. Did you see that steering column and that interior. That has to be a total restoration. A lot of us take care of our cars. I don't see a lot of cars looking that way after almost 60 years of on the road. I realize it has a 116,000 miles and now a car is just broken in at that, but in 1957, cars didn't last like they did today. 100,000 and they were ragged out and about dead. I don't see any rust, no fading on that car, sorry but if all she did was drive and use it, I think it would show a lot more wear.
They never said that she had never had major upkeep done to it, and clearly she has. When they interviewed her while she was in the car, you can see that all the window seals look brand new. No pitting in the chrome. Honestly, I don't remember as a child, chrome on cars of that era ever looking that good. The seats look as though they are only a year or two old.
Clearly she has put a lot of money into keeping it nice. Whether she has done this over the years, or if her car just had a major restoration done is not clear. But this is still cool. It is hard to imagine 57 years and one owner. It is hard to imagine driving the same car for 57 years. You've got to admire her frugal nature.
I have to say I don't believe that entire story. No matter how well you take care of a car. Did you see that steering column and that interior. That has to be a total restoration. A lot of us take care of our cars. I don't see a lot of cars looking that way after almost 60 years of on the road. I realize it has a 116,000 miles and now a car is just broken in at that, but in 1957, cars didn't last like they did today. 100,000 and they were ragged out and about dead. I don't see any rust, no fading on that car, sorry but if all she did was drive and use it, I think it would show a lot more wear.
They never said that she had never had major upkeep done to it, and clearly she has. When they interviewed her while she was in the car, you can see that all the window seals look brand new. No pitting in the chrome. Honestly, I don't remember as a child, chrome on cars of that era ever looking that good. The seats look as though they are only a year or two old.
Clearly she has put a lot of money into keeping it nice. Whether she has done this over the years, or if her car just had a major restoration done is not clear. But this is still cool. It is hard to imagine 57 years and one owner. It is hard to imagine driving the same car for 57 years. You've got to admire her frugal nature.
I got a kick outa the part where she mentions driving to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; my home city. She must have some Canadian relatives; I can't picture any other reason for visiting this ugly refinery town.
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