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Chevrolet: Heartbeat of America and other locales.


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#1 Bob Riebe

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Posted 31 January 2014 - 20:09

http://www.macsmotor...rld/#more-34129

 

The 302 Firenza, sweet.



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#2 Catalina Park

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Posted 01 February 2014 - 03:08

My father had a bit of a thing for Chevs...

Atlas13.jpg

(Photo strictly copyright Hickey Family)

#3 275 GTB-4

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Posted 03 February 2014 - 22:30

Nice pin striping and scroll work  :)



#4 Catalina Park

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Posted 04 February 2014 - 00:42

Done by Mills Signs at Katoomba. He used to do all the signwriting at Catalina and Bathurst.

#5 Magoo

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Posted 04 February 2014 - 02:04

My father had a bit of a thing for Chevs...

Atlas13.jpg

(Photo strictly copyright Hickey Family)

 

 

Had one of these for a race car hauler. 



#6 Catalina Park

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Posted 04 February 2014 - 07:31

Had one of these for a race car hauler.

I bet it didn't have a 330 Bedford diesel engine!

#7 Magoo

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Posted 05 February 2014 - 00:15

I bet it didn't have a 330 Bedford diesel engine!

 

No, sort of wish it did. Had a Chevy V8 and a top speed of around 45 mph.

 

Put a Pontiac 455 V8 and Turbo 400 in it (mainly because they happened to be sitting there) with a rear gear out of a school bus. Then it went faster than it should ever go.  



#8 Catalina Park

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Posted 05 February 2014 - 05:59

I don't think it had much of a top speed with a furniture van on it even with the 330 Diesel.
I think it did have a two speed rear end and probably a five speed gearbox.
I recall dad had a lot of brake problems with it, he claimed to have spun it on Parramatta Road to avoid a pedestrian while on his way to get the brakes repaired!

#9 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 05 February 2014 - 08:08

My father 'inherited' a 55 Chev 6 tonner tipper with a seized engine.And a load of chook ****! It had a splash and dip Chev 6. We fitted a slightly later pressure fed engine from a wrecking yard. It was then quite a handy device and went ok for local deliverys. The underbody hoist made you very carefull tipping off though.It would do about 60mph empty, I feel it was 4 speed with a 2 speed diff

That one of Michaels dad would be about as aerodynamic as a block of flats! I bet it was thirsty! Though in that period they were all about that size.

Edited by Lee Nicolle, 05 February 2014 - 08:10.


#10 Catalina Park

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Posted 05 February 2014 - 09:50

Back in those days fully loaded meant a load on the tailgate and a load on the roof, this photo shows the same truck with a tailgate load (it is a bit hard to see for the snow!)

Atlas11.jpg

An earlier Chev showing a roof load...

Atlas10.jpg

 

Photos strictly copyright, Hickey Family.


Edited by Catalina Park, 05 February 2014 - 09:52.


#11 275 GTB-4

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Posted 05 February 2014 - 12:04

Done by Mills Signs at Katoomba. He used to do all the signwriting at Catalina and Bathurst.


and another one...when the family went to the Carrington, did you have to wear long pants, coat, collar and tie, and brylcreem your hair down?  ;)



#12 Catalina Park

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Posted 05 February 2014 - 17:52

No, we used to run around in shorts.

#13 Magoo

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Posted 05 February 2014 - 18:49

I don't think it had much of a top speed with a furniture van on it even with the 330 Diesel.
I think it did have a two speed rear end and probably a five speed gearbox.
I recall dad had a lot of brake problems with it, he claimed to have spun it on Parramatta Road to avoid a pedestrian while on his way to get the brakes repaired!

 

That's what I remember -- really poor brakes, would hardly stop at all. So naturally, I put a larger engine in it. Oh, youth. 



#14 Magoo

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Posted 05 February 2014 - 18:50

Back in those days fully loaded meant a load on the tailgate and a load on the roof, this photo shows the same truck with a tailgate load (it is a bit hard to see for the snow!)

Atlas11.jpg

An earlier Chev showing a roof load...

Atlas10.jpg

 

Photos strictly copyright, Hickey Family.

 

Wait, what? It snows there? 



#15 275 GTB-4

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Posted 05 February 2014 - 21:36

Wait, what? It snows there?


Yes...we freight it over from Europe, truck it up to the mountains and then special aircraft give our mountains a dusting....its expensive, but there are so many ex-Europeans and especially Brits here demanding the white stuff  that we dare not do it.....next week, Drop Bears :p  :)


Edited by 275 GTB-4, 05 February 2014 - 21:37.


#16 indigoid

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Posted 05 February 2014 - 23:42

Someone was brave enough to photograph one recently. Warning, graphic content:

 

http://gardendrum.co...ear-warning.jpg


Edited by indigoid, 05 February 2014 - 23:43.


#17 Catalina Park

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Posted 06 February 2014 - 05:56

Wait, what? It snows there? 

More than once too!

Atlas09.jpg

Atlas07.jpg



#18 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 06 February 2014 - 10:03

We are a country of extremes. Queensland is having floods in a drought, And it seldom snows! NSW has snow storms in a drought, As well as very hot heatwaves. The same week. WA has a lot of desert, and some very wet areas too. SA ditto and it sometimes snows on the [short arse] mountains too. NT has crocodiles, desert and 100" rainfall. Tassy [usually left off of Australian maps] has snow, cold, mountains and hydro schemes. And Victoria [aka Mexico] has 4 seasons in one day. I have been sunburnt and suffered floods all in one day. And it snows there in the mountains too, conversely bushfires in the summer.

#19 indigoid

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Posted 06 February 2014 - 21:11

We are a country of extremes. Queensland is having floods in a drought, And it seldom snows! NSW has snow storms in a drought, As well as very hot heatwaves. The same week. WA has a lot of desert, and some very wet areas too. SA ditto and it sometimes snows on the [short arse] mountains too. NT has crocodiles, desert and 100" rainfall. Tassy [usually left off of Australian maps] has snow, cold, mountains and hydro schemes. And Victoria [aka Mexico] has 4 seasons in one day. I have been sunburnt and suffered floods all in one day. And it snows there in the mountains too, conversely bushfires in the summer.

 

... and yet Sydney has had a couple of (non-consecutive) years recently where the weather has been merely "meh" all the way through, no extremes. I went for a ride down toward Wollongong with a mate last night and actually got cold. In February.



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#20 275 GTB-4

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Posted 07 February 2014 - 12:02

... and yet Sydney has had a couple of (non-consecutive) years recently where the weather has been merely "meh" all the way through, no extremes. I went for a ride down toward Wollongong with a mate last night and actually got cold. In February.


Jeez! that's gotta be due to Global Warming :rolleyes:



#21 Catalina Park

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Posted 08 February 2014 - 00:34

I think the weather changed because my Dad sold his Chevs. Notice that way it always snowed when he had Chevs.



#22 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 08 February 2014 - 01:58

I think the weather changed because my Dad sold his Chevs. Notice that way it always snowed when he had Chevs.

So he is to blame!

#23 indigoid

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Posted 08 February 2014 - 02:14

NT has crocodiles

It sure does. Life-size statue of Krys the Savannah King, at Normanton:

 

http://i181.photobuc...on/P1050291.jpg


Edited by indigoid, 08 February 2014 - 02:14.


#24 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 09 February 2014 - 09:37

http://www.macsmotor...rld/#more-34129

 

The 302 Firenza, sweet.

The Firenza V8 was a very basic thing. I have seen one here. It was a 327 basically attached to a HC Viva/Firenza. The 6cyl Torana here in Oz was a FAR better engineered car. The whole under body was reinforced, entirely different front suspension and and rear suspension arms. Still a fairly average thing however, narrow gutted with the pedals not square in the car , nor was the steering wheel. But were raced, rallied with a lot of success. My old Sports Sedan [pics on Aussie Sports Sedan thread] started with the usual hot 6 and evolved into a 580hp Chev powered thing. I raced it for a couple of years with the original chassis, and diff with about 400 hp.

 

The HQ/ Chevrolet pictured were CKD from Adelaide. A few were sold here too in Statesman form. I have never seen one as the standard body though here. 

Apart from the grille [and the Chev engine] that is what the HQ racecar look like. But about 3" lower with 14x8 wheels. There is was about 1600 of them log booked in Australia. Engine mildly modified [and sealed] 202 Holden, 3 speed manual, 3.55 diff and front discs. Surprisingly very quick for what they are but the panel damage was horrendous. Not many front panels left these days! Raced by many inc me and Catalina Pk among many others.



#25 Wuzak

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Posted 09 February 2014 - 13:44

We are a country of extremes. Queensland is having floods in a drought, And it seldom snows! NSW has snow storms in a drought, As well as very hot heatwaves. The same week. WA has a lot of desert, and some very wet areas too. SA ditto and it sometimes snows on the [short arse] mountains too. NT has crocodiles, desert and 100" rainfall. Tassy [usually left off of Australian maps] has snow, cold, mountains and hydro schemes. And Victoria [aka Mexico] has 4 seasons in one day. I have been sunburnt and suffered floods all in one day. And it snows there in the mountains too, conversely bushfires in the summer.

 

4 seasons in a day here in Tassie too.

 

Today we had 35C by 12 noon, down to 25C by 2pm, 20C at 2pm accompanied by heavy rain (hasn't really rained for weeks here) and strong winds, So much so that the Hobart Cup horse race was cancelled this afternoon. 16C fine and sunny at 6pm.

 

Snow happens on the highlands, and on top of Mount Wellington. Rarely does it settle down to sea level (once in my lifetime in Hobart - 1986).

 

Cold is relative too - in the highlands it may get a few degrees below freezing, but rarely does so in Hobart, and barely in Launceston. 



#26 indigoid

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Posted 10 February 2014 - 08:50

So, having previously owned up to having something of a wagon fetish... Snapped pics of this tonight here in Sydney, in my home suburb. The only other one of these I've ever seen anywhere (not having visited North America) was in Helsinki last year.

 

BgGao5BCEAAOv6D.jpg

BgGbGHqCIAAgkyF.jpg

BgGbJiiCAAA356_.jpg



#27 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 11 February 2014 - 00:06

So, having previously owned up to having something of a wagon fetish... Snapped pics of this tonight here in Sydney, in my home suburb. The only other one of these I've ever seen anywhere (not having visited North America) was in Helsinki last year.

 

BgGao5BCEAAOv6D.jpg

BgGbGHqCIAAgkyF.jpg

BgGbJiiCAAA356_.jpg

A couple here in SA. Probably ex hearses. One defenitly was, and a factory big block car too which makes it quite rare anywhere.



#28 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 11 February 2014 - 00:09

4 seasons in a day here in Tassie too.

 

Today we had 35C by 12 noon, down to 25C by 2pm, 20C at 2pm accompanied by heavy rain (hasn't really rained for weeks here) and strong winds, So much so that the Hobart Cup horse race was cancelled this afternoon. 16C fine and sunny at 6pm.

 

Snow happens on the highlands, and on top of Mount Wellington. Rarely does it settle down to sea level (once in my lifetime in Hobart - 1986).

 

Cold is relative too - in the highlands it may get a few degrees below freezing, but rarely does so in Hobart, and barely in Launceston. 

My mother lived at the top of Austins Ferry, she quite often had light snow. As did friends on Mt Nelson. I made a snowman on the top of Mt Wellington, on the bonnet of my car. It lasted almost back to the brewery!



#29 indigoid

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Posted 16 February 2014 - 12:39

Saw another uncommon (for Australia) old GM yesterday, this time in Canberra where there is no ocean to surf in... This one a Buick Century coupe! Comparison with pics on Wikipedia hints that it was probably from 1955-56. I don't recall ever seeing one of these before. It appeared to be in rather good condition, except for one cracked window on the passenger side. I noticed (they'd left one slightly open, despite the rain) that the moveable portion of the door windows was chrome-edged. Was that common in that era? A Buick oddity?

 

BggPXRMCAAE2YEc.jpg

 

BggPwkCCQAEMQvS.jpg



#30 Magoo

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Posted 16 February 2014 - 16:03

Saw another uncommon (for Australia) old GM yesterday, this time in Canberra where there is no ocean to surf in... This one a Buick Century coupe! Comparison with pics on Wikipedia hints that it was probably from 1955-56. I don't recall ever seeing one of these before. It appeared to be in rather good condition, except for one cracked window on the passenger side. I noticed (they'd left one slightly open, despite the rain) that the moveable portion of the door windows was chrome-edged. Was that common in that era? A Buick oddity?

 

BggPXRMCAAE2YEc.jpg

 

BggPwkCCQAEMQvS.jpg

 

Yes, 1955 Brick. If I am following your question correctly, a chromed metal frame around the glass was once the universal practice on American pillarless hardtops (and convertible coupes). Two reasons; to carry the weatherstrip, and to conceal and shield the edge of the laminated safety glass. Moisture and other bad things can ooze in between the layers of glass, producing fogging and foxing. If you are very old, like me, you may remember "blackedge" laminated safety glass, with a thin black plastic seal bonded directly to the edge. 

 

When tempered door glass arrived in the late 1960s, the metal frames could be dispensed with. The naked glass edge (ground and polished) was loaded into a soft, thick roof rail strip to seal out wind and water. Tempered glass also made curved door glass practical.  

 

Did I answer the question you asked, or did I go off babbling in another direction? 



#31 Magoo

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Posted 16 February 2014 - 16:27



 

BgGbJiiCAAA356_.jpg

 

Chevrolet shared this B-body station wagon platform with Pontiac, Olds, and Buick 1971-1976. One noteworthy aspect of this vehicle family was the clamshell aka hideaway tailgate: to open, the lower tailgate section stowed down into the floor pan, while the upper glass disappeared up into the headliner.

 

This show business magic was accomplished via the god-damnedest assortment of motors, cables, screw jacks, relays, and limit switches you ever saw. All of these were orchestrated by the lock cylinder/switch visible there in the upper right rear fender -- you turned it left to make the glass go away, as I recall, while turning it to the right lowed the gate. We put a man on the moon, and we can do this stuff, too. 'Murica.  

 

 

 

jb72.jpg
nsc3.jpg


#32 Canuck

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Posted 16 February 2014 - 19:56

From a leading / unloading aspect, that's ideal. I don't know how poorly it impacts available space or how many human sacrifices are required each full moon to keep it operational, but the concept is A-1.

#33 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 16 February 2014 - 21:33

Saw another uncommon (for Australia) old GM yesterday, this time in Canberra where there is no ocean to surf in... This one a Buick Century coupe! Comparison with pics on Wikipedia hints that it was probably from 1955-56. I don't recall ever seeing one of these before. It appeared to be in rather good condition, except for one cracked window on the passenger side. I noticed (they'd left one slightly open, despite the rain) that the moveable portion of the door windows was chrome-edged. Was that common in that era? A Buick oddity?

 

BggPXRMCAAE2YEc.jpg

 

BggPwkCCQAEMQvS.jpg

Quite a few Buicks have been imported to Oz. At least a dozen here in Adelaide. A classier car than the Chev of the same period. 

Originally they are supposed to have orange painted rims, just a hint of orange appears around the wheel trim



#34 Magoo

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Posted 16 February 2014 - 23:09

World's nicest 1955 Buick

 

 

 

http://www.jaylenosg...ick-roadmaster/



#35 Magoo

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Posted 16 February 2014 - 23:11

From a leading / unloading aspect, that's ideal. I don't know how poorly it impacts available space or how many human sacrifices are required each full moon to keep it operational, but the concept is A-1.

 

Produced plenty of billable hours at the dealership, which is nice. 

 

Chevrolet had a non-power version, which actually worked pretty good. 



#36 indigoid

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Posted 17 February 2014 - 10:38

Produced plenty of billable hours at the dealership, which is nice. 

 

Chevrolet had a non-power version, which actually worked pretty good. 

 

While I am rather impressed (?) at the complexity of that disappearing tailgate (have to go look for videos now... hoping that there are some left in the world that actually still work), I am also somewhat bemused. What if you want a dry place to sit and enjoy a cigar in the rain? My 1974 Corolla wagon solves this nicely, and as the rear glass is slanted rather than vertical, you can sit there without having to duck your head!

 

Laughed out loud at your billable hours comment. Very pertinent.

 

I had a Volvo 240 wagon for a while too. The Swedes evidently had realised that gas struts don't last forever and had included a hinged plastic brace on one of the struts that you could use to lock the rear door in the uppermost position. But it didn't have the cigar protection feature of the Corolla (or, I think, the Fiat 131 wagon that I had after the Volvo)

 

So many different designs for one door...



#37 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 06 March 2014 - 10:04

World's nicest 1955 Buick

 

 

 

http://www.jaylenosg...ick-roadmaster/

And quite possibly one of the quickest too.



#38 indigoid

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Posted 07 March 2014 - 07:31

World's nicest 1955 Buick

 

http://www.jaylenosg...ick-roadmaster/

 

Wow. That engine bay is cavernous! The 572's not exactly a small unit...

 

I am rather impressed by Leno's car. Serious upgrades yet it seems abnormally respectful/tasteful with regard to the original design. All too rare.



#39 Magoo

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Posted 07 March 2014 - 23:10

Wow. That engine bay is cavernous! The 572's not exactly a small unit...

 

I am rather impressed by Leno's car. Serious upgrades yet it seems abnormally respectful/tasteful with regard to the original design. All too rare.

 

That's all his deal, too. On many celebrity buids, including some he's been connected with, there are designers etc.working behind the scenes and the star mainly gets his name stuck on the finished product. This one is all him, except for the GM 572 crate engine. 



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#40 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 08 March 2014 - 19:47

I did an American Cruise last night and for some reason every 65-68 fastback Chev Impala was out. The bloke that organises these cruises has recently aquired a very nice one and has lost his 'exclusivity'. There was at least 10 of them. Probably 400 cars out last night. not bad for little Adelaide!



#41 indigoid

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Posted 07 June 2014 - 06:46

So, bumping an old thread... this link was posted on the Sydney hackerspace mailing list, a bit about Chev manufacturing in the old days, before my father was a twinkle in the postman's eye, as they say...

 



#42 Lee Nicolle

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Posted 08 June 2014 - 09:18

That's all his deal, too. On many celebrity buids, including some he's been connected with, there are designers etc.working behind the scenes and the star mainly gets his name stuck on the finished product. This one is all him, except for the GM 572 crate engine. 

Check out Lenos Olds Toronado. Or his 66 7 litre Galaxie. 

He seems to enjoy spending his money on these cars. And the workshop which has some serious toys too.  He sure doesnt spend it on clothes!! I think his private wardrobe is about 2 pairs of jeans and 2 denim shirts.