Remember the '57 Chevrolet?

[jinman]

Bird, as I remember, the '56 Merc convertible and the '56 Packard convertible looked very much alike. My brother bought a pristine '56 Packard and set about destroying it because he drove like a maniac. One night he blew all the oil out of the engine and it locked up on him. Most cars lasted him about 6 months before he thrashed them. Finally, he found a straight 8 Buick with a Dynaflow transmission that lasted for two years. What I remember most about the Buick was that the engine sounded like a diesel in a bus and he had a loose brake shoe that rattled inside the drum on a bumpy road. I could hear him coming a quarter mile away.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Bird, as I remember, the '56 Merc convertible and the '56 Packard convertible looked very much alike. My brother bought a pristine '56 Packard and set about destroying it because he drove like a maniac. One night he blew all the oil out of the engine and it locked up on him. Most cars lasted him about 6 months before he thrashed them. Finally, he found a straight 8 Buick with a Dynaflow transmission that lasted for two years. What I remember most about the Buick was that the engine sounded like a diesel in a bus and he had a loose brake shoe that rattled inside the drum on a bumpy road. I could hear him coming a quarter mile away.

I loved the Merc's, especially the 49-53 styles ala James Dean. I also had a 57 Chevy when Sharn Jean and I got married; my payments were $39 per month, and my gasoline bill was somewhat in excess of that. I had to sell it; couldn't afford both the gas and payment, working part-time and going to school.

Speaking of Buicks, one of the fastest cars in my part of the country was a '38 Buick straight 8. The guy shaved the head and it would really run. It took a '59 El Camino with a 348 four bbl and three on the tree to finally put him in his place.

 

[Bird]

Bird, as I remember, the '56 Merc convertible and the '56 Packard convertible looked very much alike. My brother bought a pristine '56 Packard and set about destroying it because he drove like a maniac. One night he blew all the oil out of the engine and it locked up on him. Most cars lasted him about 6 months before he thrashed them. Finally, he found a straight 8 Buick with a Dynaflow transmission that lasted for two years. What I remember most about the Buick was that the engine sounded like a diesel in a bus and he had a loose brake shoe that rattled inside the drum on a bumpy road. I could hear him coming a quarter mile away.

There were some similarities betwee the Mercury and Packard alright. If the links work, this Mercury looks just like mine, except mine was black where this one is red. But the white part is the, as is the white seats.

1956 Mercury Montclair convertible - Bing Images

1956 packard convertible - Bing Images

We never had a straight 8 Buick, but in 1957 Dad bought nice, clean 1953 Buick Super with the V-8 and Dynaflow. That was my parents first air-conditioned car.

 

[Bird]

Speaking of Buicks, one of the fastest cars in my part of the country was a '38 Buick straight 8. The guy shaved the head and it would really run. It took a '59 El Camino with a 348 four bbl and three on the tree to finally put him in his place.

In 1957 or 58, I was working in Dad's service station when a badly faded, chalking looking (but clean) light blue Buick pulled in for gas. There was a white haired very elderly white lady in the back seat and an elderly uniformed black chauffeur, including tie, coat, and cap. When I raised the hood to check the oil, I was very much surprised to see a straight 8 engine with 3 carburetors. I asked the chauffeur who modified it, and he asked what I meant. Then he told me, "Of no, Mr. (I forgot the name of course) bought this car new in (I believe he said 1940) and it's never been modified." He said he'd been driving for that car for them from the time it was new. I did not know that Buick made any straight 8s with 3 carbs.

 

[pacerron]

There were some similarities betwee the Mercury and Packard alright. If the links work, this Mercury looks just like mine, except mine was black where this one is red. But the white part is the, as is the white seats.

Remember all the fun changing points, condenser, and setting timing every few months?
The air cleaner, carb, and intake manifold were bigger than the entire engines of today but at least
there was room to get in there and work on them And no codes, just analyzed them by ear
Did you have a "Continental Kit" on your Merc?

 

[Bird]

Nope, no Continental Kit. I did put "moon" hub caps on it, and dual glass pack mufflers. And I put an air horn on it. Actually it was a vacuum tank I mounted in the fender behind the left front tire, but that horn sounded just like the air horns on the big trucks.

Yep, like lots of teenagers, I didn't have a lick of sense.

 

[uglyboywith11fingers]

Yep, like lots of teenagers, I didn't have a lick of sense.

I can relate to that...
when I was 18, I had a '56 Ford Fairlane with the 312/4bbl (T-bird engine).
One night I realized why the speedometer registered all the way up to 120mph.

Oh, to have that car today ! (not that I want to go 120 again.)

Pete

 

[F3506]

Remember all the fun changing points, condenser, and setting timing every few months?
The air cleaner, carb, and intake manifold were bigger than the entire engines of today but at least
there was room to get in there and work on them And no codes, just analyzed them by ear

No, I'm way too young to have any clue what you're talking about, but since you brought it up, how many had to actually change a bad condenser? And how many just did them along with the points (at least every other time)?

I also remember when the alternator/generator and voltage regulator were 2 separate items and both of them were affordable, but somehow taking two cheap pieces and combing them made the new alternators super expensive.

 

[RoyJackson]

My '56 Mercury outran every '55, '56, and '57 Chevy that tried me.:laughing:

First car I looked to buy was a 56 Ford Victoria with a 312 c.i.d interceptor engine....might be the same engine you had in your Merc.
Fast car, but the bank (my father) wouldn't finance it.

The 55 and 57 Chevys did attain a cult status...never really thought too much of them myself. I have seen some really sweet 55 coupes though.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

No, I'm way too young to have any clue what you're talking about, but since you brought it up, how many had to actually change a bad condenser? And how many just did them along with the points (at least every other time)?

I also remember when the alternator/generator and voltage regulator were 2 separate items and both of them were affordable, but somehow taking two cheap pieces and combing them made the new alternators super expensive.

I have a '59 Impala that is bone stock original...points, plugs, generator, voltage regulator, etc. We always changed the points and condenser at the same time; about 8 to 10K as I recall. I have '60 Impala that was stock up until about 2 weeks ago, when I replaced the 283 with a 350 and the Turboglide with a 700R4. It runs like a jackrabbit!