Thread: Where were you in 1957? (Tulsa inspired!)

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I was 4 at the time. I was takin' a nap about that time of the day, so I missed the whole Belvedere deal.

I was 12 years old in '57, and just starting to really dig cars. My Brother in Law had a bright red '56 Ford, and I remember my Sister dusting some guys in another car at a red light. She was embarrassed that she had done it, but I thought it was the coolest thing, and had to promise not to tell her Husband. Go karts were my main focus at that age, and I always had one under construction.

My Dad had died the year before, and had bought me a '32 Ford 5 window for $25 for an early Christmas present. But then he thought he was doing me a favor and sold it, without telling me, and bought me a '49 Willys Jeepster for $200 . He was furious with me because I cried and wanted the '32 back........couldn't understand why I would prefer a non running old Deuce to a Jeepster that ran and was mint. I guess I was ahead of my time, and knew the Deuce was cooler. After he died my Uncle talked my Mom into selling the Jeepster because they feared I would get killed driving it around our farm. (never did care for my Uncle )

Like most of us who grew up back then, times were more simple and our memories are generally good ones. I wouldn't trade growing up then for anything.

Don

Originally Posted by HOTRODPAINT

Maybe the farmers fed you too many brewskis to remember! :-)

now that is a possibility ...joe

I was 14, and just out of the 8th grade - waiting to enter that exciting realm known as <fanfare> high school. I can't remember how many times I overhauled, rebuilt, repainted or customized my Schwinn bicycle. I was already working in my dad's service station during the summers - pumping gas, washing cars, changing oil and removing road tar. Our little town rocked and oiled the streets every spring, and it was a holy mess.

My only real hotrodding at the time was in my dad's ski boat, because I was old enough to drive that on the local lakes.

One of my dad's friends built a '32 highboy roadster with a Cadillac engine, and a guy up the street from my dad's service station won the NHRA nationals in the F dragster class with his flattie digger. He was a pretty nice guy, and we were able to hang around his dirt-floored shop while he built his motors and chassis.

I was 7... Biggest thrill of the year was going to town with Dad one Friday evening and riding home in his BRAND NEW 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 2 dr hardtop!!!!! On Saturday I got to "help" put a coat of DuPont #7 polish on the car, and 2 coats of paste wax!!!! It was a two tone, Cocoa Brown Metallic and white!!!! Even got to ride in the front seat with him and Mom when we went to church on Sunday with our brand new car!!!! Had to show it to all my buds after church. Dad was out there showing all his buds, too!!!!!! I thought (and still am inclined to believe) it was the most beautiful car ever built!!!! The most impressive part of the car was opening that front hinged hood and showing everybody that big V-8 Y Block engine!!!!!

As I stated in another thread, I was 11 years old in 1957, still in elementary school (back then ours were grades 1 - 6). Had a crush on a girl in my class who had no eyes for me, not then, not ever. I got over it. My dad bought a new 57 Chevy that year and it was pretty cool. He kept it until 60 when he bought a Ford wagon (UGH) . Not cool. Walked to school everyday as we lived in a small beach town population 300 in winter, about 600 in summer. Always enjoyed those lazy days of summer, part time beach bum, part time renter of umbrellas and rafts (good way to meet girls). What I remember most was the issue with Sputnik, my first sighting of a huge aurora borealis, my first time at a Buddy Deane hop and listening to the music of the up and coming rocker, Buddy Holly.

Those days are gone forever, but the memories are still fresh.

Bob
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Places to Go, People to Annoy!

I was three in 57, probly sitting in my sand box with my tonka truck.

I was 5 in 57. I do remember the vehicles we had, a 52 Plymouth Cranbrook and a 49 Dodge pickup (Dad farmed).

Dad through the rods in the Plymouth one day (probably in early 58) when he tried to get it unstuck on a muddy county road. The Dodge truck eventually rusted away.

I was still drinking milk from a bottle I guess . Did they have bottles back in 56 and 57 .

I was 13 and had just finished the 8th grade and preparing to become a high schooler. At the time my step-dad had a 49 Chevy four door which he traded off in '58 for a '57 Chevy Bel Air two door post. I was big into models and thoroughly
P.O.ed at the Cincinnati Reds for trading off Ted Kluszewski. Later that year I met Tech and we've been good buds ever since.

'57 oh yeah. Got my DL week after my 15th birthday in FEb. I was 15 Soph in Hs, basball, football, hockey, swimming, broomball, control line model airplanes ..stunt and combat. .......and hot rods. I had just come from the Minn Iron range schools so I had already become pretty proficient in welding, machine shop, drafting, wood working, electricty and most other shop class. I knew what tools were for. Helped get a 40 Ford flathead running real strong, remember it well. Got a buddy's 50 Olds running real well too. ( I had access to a Sun dist. machine). I well remember going down and looking at a 57 chev with a 283 hp Rochester FI. and 4spd Exceedingly rare as these were really made for Nascar. Little did I know that 6 yr later I would have a duplicate of this and made a shambles of the local records for the class at Minn dragways.

Dad got a 57 Merc Cruiser. First car I could burry the speedo. Lost another trans ...racing. (3rd one) Began really learning to "lie like a rug" about car problems that always seemed to happen to me. haha By this time I had been driving for 3 yr.

Not much time for girls. Too many sports and mechanical things.

Not much of a trouble maker in school as I didn't want to miss my sports due to detention etc. Did well enough to get by and not get dropped from sports due to grades. ( mistake)

Didn't cause a lot of trouble at home either as I didn't want to lose the car privilidge or sports participation.

Knew about Korea and the trouble brewing in Viet Nam. I had good history classes. Didn't concern me at the time. I figured we could just bomb hell out of them and it would be done. After all, I knew all about airplanes etc Besides we won WW 2 and Korea was just a police action so the cops won right?? I was just a kid.

From there it just got better. Rock and roll started, ice skating and roller skating with the girls got a little better. ( I should have stayed with cars and got a dog).

I well remember Garlits, Cook and Bedwell, Isky, Engle, Hilborn, Gene Adams and a lot of the other pioneers. Tom Ivo ( I later waxed him with an alcohol funny car drinking nitro). 160 MPH, 170. I remember the physics teacher explaning why 160 was as fast as possible in 1/4 mile. Then showing him the HRM with the new 170 mph record. He said just maybe due to the tires gripping better than 1:1 like a gear.

58,59,60 were just the begining of the hotrod movement as we know it. The beginning of the gassers and the dragsters.

I lost track of the original intent here. The 57 Plymouth. I remember reading about it. (school project). Frankly as long as it wasn't a 57 Ply Fury with 2 x4 's I didn't care what they did with it. 50 years in the future. heck my dad wasn't even that old. It was just too far away.

Originally Posted by bluestang67

I was still drinking milk from a bottle I guess . Did they have bottles back in 56 and 57 .

That was so long ago they didn't even have cows yet! LOL!
(BTW, I can joke about it because I'm even older!)

Originally Posted by Mike P

I was 5 in 57. I do remember the vehicles we had, a 52 Plymouth Cranbrook and a 49 Dodge pickup (Dad farmed).

Dad through the rods in the Plymouth one day (probably in early 58) when he tried to get it unstuck on a muddy county road. The Dodge truck eventually rusted away.

So your love for MoPars was your dad's fault! :-)

.....in '57 I was 10 years old & living in N. Hollywood, Calif.... And my Dad had a '57 Plymouth, Plaza, 2 door w/ post {sedan?}, 318 w/ a single 4 barrel, 3 on the column & no radio {the business coupe???}.... One of my fondest memorys of my childhood was riding to the market with my Dad cuz he'd ALWAYS burn off as he turned the corner onto the main st. & THEN catch 2nd. gear!!!

I was 6yrs old ,attended catholic school, just getting into model cars and riding bikes. My two oldest brothers were helping out at the family gas station, or out working on stock cars at a neighboring truck garage,big junk yard right across the street, life was good for a gearhead. Hank