Most of the people cruising the state fairgrounds today had beautiful cars to do so. I went over with my buddy Angelo from the paper in his convertible RX7, and while we did not awe any fuelie Vette drivers with its rotary power, we did have the top down.
There are more than 10,000 cars there, so glimpses is what we have room for here. (Ten thousand photo uploads would not endear me to the tech folks behind this website, nor could I finish the job before next year’s Back to the ’50sl.)
It’s nice to look for something different and continental kits are a little off the beaten path. This Catalina reminds us that in 1959 a trunk the size of New Jersey was not enough; the kit frees up the space of the spare tire.
This T-Bird will fit in the Catalina’s trunk without its own continental kit, which is why many owners fitted them. Gas was cheap enough then that getting thrown in someone else’s trunk wasn’t as good a deal.
This Ford likewise goes continental. Between having the spare in the way of opening the trunk and dealing with one of those tiny spares modern cars use that do not fully stand in for the flattened tire but do allow others to laugh at your misfortune, I’d go with the kit.
Rat rods, or art cars as some people call them because of the creativity, are a fun new addition to shows of old iron. This is mostly a 1930 Model A Ford built from two such cars once partly submerged in a North Dakota Lake–one upside down, one right-side up.
Josh Schock eyed ‘em for years until the ground dried up enough that it would be reasonable to recover them. He tracked down the land’s owners and, not being hot rod fans, they were happy to have them gone.
Schock built it up with a 2×4 steel frame, 1940 front end (with 1930 front wheels), 1969 Mustang rearend with (1956 Merc wheels), 1939 Ford sedan 3-speed ‘box, and a flathead motor from an old grain truck. The manifold and carbs were pieces he’d collected over the years.
Back tires came off eBay and are original late ’50s bias plies. The seats he built, styling them after WWII surplus bomber jump seats.
Some builders drive comparatively primitive vehicles like this all the way from other states, but Schock trailered this one. He’s had it to places up to 75 miles away, but for the longer hauls, he notes “it’s not too comfortable.” It’s in interim condition right now and he’s looking to better work the body and roof.
When it comes to fearsome iron from the ’50s, Rambler leaps to mind. Possibly. Not to most minds, but someone’s. Or maybe no one’s. This car just looks cool and is unlike most on the grounds. Different can be cool.
This Rambler wagon, like most things in life, goes better with a chocolate malt.
Angelo homed in on this early Continental, which as a proud Italian himself, reminded him of Sinatra’s car. Unfortunately I did nobody much of a favor with the quality of this photograph. The sun was pretty much exactly in the wrong place–but it’s a cool car.
Working on a book on unrestored cars has made me think more about adverts like this: the early Ford depot hack attached to this sign has been reconstructed, retitled, and totally restored…yet it’s advertised as an “original truck.” It may have many of its original parts, but I think of something like this as more “correct” than “original.”
BelAirs virtually define the 1950s–so much so that even though I love them, I didn’t photograph many today. Yet this one with matching-color boat seemed like a neat pair of classic toys.
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