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Expert
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Location: Lemoore CA | I was thinking about this and I don't believe I have ever seen a 4 door hardtop stripper car, they may not be fully optioned out, but most seem nicely appointed . Has anyone ever seen a stripper 4 door hardtop in any of the 4 makes? Pictures would be great. |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | Well, how stripped does it have to be to qualify as a stripper??? The '57 Saratoga 4dr hardtop that I picked up for parts in S. California some dozen years ago after the engine lost a rod on the freeway had a radio and heater and and was a two tone car. But other than that it had clear glass, manual steering and brakes, manual windows and manual seats and no AC. It did have full wheel covers! NOW it is REALLY stripped but it still has good quarter panels and until those are stripped off it still has value to me!
Edited by StillOutThere 2009-02-08 9:09 AM
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Expert
Posts: 3156
Location: NY & VT | Dang!! I wish my '58 DeS Sweep was that solid & rust free!... seems a shame to cut that '57 Sara up. You guys out West are spoiled!!!
My car is pretty close to a stripper - it has only radio, heater, PS ...and that's it: 2 spd PowerFlite, no PW, no PB, no fin antennas, no clock, base modle radio, no chrome piece at the bottom of the C pillar (the way FF and FD's had), base 350 engine w 2 bbl, no other options, blue rubber floor mats instead of carpet (too bad OEM rubber mats are unobtanium, I'll have to go with carpet - anyone who sees good usable rubber ones let me know!!).. she's pretty basic... and I love it that way!! Easier to restore, less to break.
Edited by firedome 2009-02-08 10:29 AM
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Elite Veteran
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Location: bradenton florida | here's the car my brother just picked up for 2200 it's a good driver.
PS. my firesweep has the 3 sp auto trans. so i guess it's not a stripper |
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Location: Parts Unknown | Considering I have seen a 57 Firedome convertible that was absolutely devoid of any options but heater and radio (even had a stick !), I suppose it is entirely possible someone stepped up from the sedan platform to build (or UNbuild) a four door hardtop.
In the early years, the 4HT was a very new body style and was pretty upscale. By the 3rd generation it was more mainstream. I would expect it to be easier to find a later 4HT stripper than an early one.
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Elite Veteran
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Location: bradenton florida | i agree most 4 dr ht's arn't strippers. If someone didn't have a lot to spend they bought a 4 dr sedan and didn't have a lot left for options. The 4 dr ht's were bought by people that had to buy a 4 dr but had the money to buy what ever model they wanted. They just needed the 4 drs for the kids by the wifes request but in their heart they wanted the 2 dr ht or the conv.
pic didn't post 2nd try my brothers 4 dr
Edited by phins 2009-02-09 7:40 AM
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Expert
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Location: NY & VT | Neat '57 - is that a red top on that black car? sharp!! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 558
Location: Central Ohio | My 57 Belvedere is a manual brake and steering car. Has a radio, rear seat speaker, dual ant., clock, heater, jiffy jet. I guess its not really a stripper but why the hell is it manual steering?!? |
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Expert
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Location: Minneapolis | Hey, the heII with hardtops, how about droptop strippers? Hmmmm, anyone? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 663
Location: Oakley, Ill | After about 1956, I can't recall seeing a Chrysler product, above Plymouth Plaza that was not automatic, until they started doing 4 speeds. I thought they built Dodge and above automatic, PS, PB, radio, Heater, clock. I recall seeing some Chryslers about 1961 with 3 on the floor, but those were the cheap 4 door sedans. I worked at Pontiac from 1958-1962. Unless the car was ordered specifically with deletes, the cars we built for stock were automatic, PS, PB, radio, heater and clock. If you ordered a 3 on the tree car, you would wait for a while, because they used to have to get the parts from Chevrolet, so we'd batch the order and build a bunch on one shift. I have a couple 55 Mercury's. Mine are the Montclair 4 door sedan, the top line car. Both of mine are 3 on the tree, one is overdrive, no PS, no PB. One has no radio or clock. I have a Monterey parts car that is PS, PB, automaitc, power windows and power seat, radio, clock. Go figure.
Edited by 50scars 2009-02-10 9:43 PM
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Expert
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Location: Lemoore CA | Wow! that looked like a really solid hardtop that was parted out. I guess my definition of a stripper has to have these qualifications at least: No power options ie brakes, steering ,windows,seat, radio and clock delete, probably rubber mats instead of carpet and likely a 3 speed manual., Heaters were pretty much standard equipment by this time, and it seems like you had to order the car without one, or be "just lucky" if you did not want one, so the presence of a heater does not disqualify a car. |
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Inactive by user's request
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada | phins - 2009-02-09 4:34 AM
i agree most 4 dr ht's arn't strippers. If someone didn't have a lot to spend they bought a 4 dr sedan and didn't have a lot left for options. The 4 dr ht's were bought by people that had to buy a 4 dr but had the money to buy what ever model they wanted. They just needed the 4 drs for the kids by the wifes request but in their heart they wanted the 2 dr ht or the conv.
pic didn't post 2nd try my brothers 4 dr
An aside on this theme. When I moved to Southern Nevada back in 1985, I noticed the salvage yards were full of mid to late 1960s Chevrolet Biscayne and Bel Air sedans with factory A/C and that most of the Impalas from the same era didn't have factory A/C.
Locals explained to me that if you had $3000-$3500 to spent on a new car, you'd usually opt for lower trim level and use the difference for A/C than to purchase the Impala and have no money left for A/C. If you had money to order A/C in an Impala, you simply stepped up to a Caprice, a Pontiac or an Olds.
Also, I have seen MANY a '58-'64 Chevrolet four door hardtop that was a "stripper." Usually had a small V-8 and an automatic as the only options. Most Mopar four door hardtops from that era seemed to have more options, including the Plymouths.
K. |
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Location: Parts Unknown | 50scars - 2009-02-11 6:41 PM
After about 1956, I can't recall seeing a Chrysler product, above Plymouth Plaza that was not automatic, until they started doing 4 speeds. I thought they built Dodge and above automatic, PS, PB, radio, Heater, clock. I recall seeing some Chryslers about 1961 with 3 on the floor, but those were the cheap 4 door sedans. I worked at Pontiac from 1958-1962. Unless the car was ordered specifically with deletes, the cars we built for stock were automatic, PS, PB, radio, heater and clock. If you ordered a 3 on the tree car, you would wait for a while, because they used to have to get the parts from Chevrolet, so we'd batch the order and build a bunch on one shift.
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Plenty of stick cars were built between 56 and 62, although the automatic was rapidly taking the lion's share of production due to improved performance and reliability as the 50's wore on. This was true of all makers.
One must keep in mind where a given car placed in the market at the time. A stick Lincoln or Imperial is highly unlikely, as these were expensive, upscale cars. A Plymouth is far more likely to be found as a stick than a DeSoto, but it did happen !
As I remember those days, there was a big slice of the population that was very conservative in their consumption .... survivors of the depression, etc., they took a certain pride in living an austere lifestyle and tended to drive really basic transportation. But the 50's was a lot of hype about the space age and the "good life" and consumerism in general, and slowly those dowdy folks faded away. I have vivid memories of neighbors who cooked on wood stoves and had bare light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. A few still had outhouses on the property and hung their wash out to dry. They usually were still driving something like a 54 Plymouth sedan they bought new, blackwalls and all.
My favorite cars have always been the extremes .... top of the line glam wagons or el strippo crates. The stranger the mix, the better. A stripper ragtop or a loaded wagon are just the coolest. I am always moved to wonder how the deal went down to have that wierd car built, .... Grandma Pittipoo walks into the dealership and wants ...  |
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Elite Veteran
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Location: Oakley, Ill | I realize that lots of stick cars were built in 1955 and 56, I was just kind of surprised that so many of the 3rd most expensive body style Mercury would be an optionless stick. In fact, stick 55 and 56 Mercurys surface regularly. Mine was sold new in Sacremento, Cal. My automatic one came from Cleveland, but my parts car came from rural Arkansas--that is the mid line car with all the options my top line cars didn't have. I lived in Detroit in the 50s, when these cars were new. Medium price brands with stick transmissions were extremely rare from 55 on up there. My parents' 55 and 57 Mercury did not have power steering or power brakes, but they were automatic. When I went to college at U of M, I bought a left over 58 Pontiac, mainly because the Pontiac dealer was the only guy who didn't tell me to go get my dad before he'd talk to me. I bought a car he had in stock that had automatic, PS, PB, radiio, heater, clock, dual outside mirrors, and day/night interior mirror. He told me that was the least equipment they ordered for stock. I had cash in fist, which is something I can't do now for a new car. I can't recall ever seeing a Dodge 55 or newer that was 3 on the tree. In fact, 3 on the tree Plymouths were super rare from my experience. |
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Elite Veteran
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Location: Finger Lakes NY | heres a link to the thread on my 58 dodge stripper 2drsedan its completely optionless http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=23202&... |
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Expert
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Location: DFW, TX | I pulled the clutch/brake pedal assembly from a LOADED '58 Suburban a couple of weeks ago.
Three-on-the-Tree with Overdrive, A/C, etc. It didn't have power brakes or steering, apparently those were not available with a manual transmission! |
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Location: Parts Unknown | I have always had a weird take on these finned cars. I drove stick cars since my very first, and upon getting into fins was always less than happy with the sluggishness of the ever-present automatic. Coupled with the ability to kick start a stick when a car died - to a greenhorn kid and budding mechanic, this was a big deal - the automatic just seemed like an all around negative in the overall scheme of the finned car experience. I like that direct drive positive feel of a stick.
The downside to fin era sticks is the primitive lack of synchro and gear ratios that weren't really engineered for performance like what would follow in the 60's, not to mention the inexplicable lack of floor shifters. Driving a three on-da tree is a workout !
I have heard it argued that the pushbuttons are every bit as cool as the fins themselves, and I gotta agree they are pretty novel as a 50's doo-dad. But I always like the seldom seen, and as cool as the pushbuttons may be, they were built in to well over 90% of all finned Mopars. They are cool, but they are ordinary amongst a field of late 50's Chrysler products. I just love looking into a FL car and seeing a shifter on the column just because they are SO unusual. Don't know that I'd want to drive one all the time, but they are cool !
Let me see if I can't get these pictures I have scanned of the supremo stripped 57 Firedome convertible with a stick and post them. The DLI might be able to work some magic here.
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Location: Parts Unknown | 57burb - 2009-02-13 5:39 PM
I pulled the clutch/brake pedal assembly from a LOADED '58 Suburban a couple of weeks ago.
Three-on-the-Tree with Overdrive, A/C, etc. It didn't have power brakes or steering, apparently those were not available with a manual transmission!
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Was this a V-8 car ? Did you get the bell crank and pivots ? Linkage ? Like the crossram exhaust parts, these are often left behind, but are critical and hard to find or fabricate.
The kicker to building a "performance" stick into a finned car is mating a few FL specific parts to a more performance engineered trans and clutch. Even of you stick with the stock transmission, the clutch was really light duty. I think the standard clutch and pressure plate set up for a 6 cyl. was 10" or maybe smaller (?). Most sticks were "economy" mated to the 6 cylinder engine. You will toss parts all over the street the first time you try anything more than a soft take off with that behind a B-block. I went through 4 clutches in as many driving attempts using the set up sold to me at my trusty auto parts store when I rebuilt my 60 Fireflite stick / crossram car. I was ultimately steered to an oldtimer who set me up with a 12" clutch with strange cutaways that put all that engine straight back to the wheels. It is now in my Coronet and does just as well behind the 440.
All factory notes say the manual trans application overruled power steering and brakes. I guess they wanted a "stripper" to be a true "stripper" !
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Location: The Mile High City | Here is a picture of a Plymouth Belvedere on eBay a while ago with not many options - no heater, no radio, no power steering, no power brakes at least. It does have a v-8, Torqueflite, and tinted glass.
Edited by Lancer Mike 2009-02-13 5:58 PM
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sunshine yellow 4drh driver side 1.jpg (41KB - 79 downloads)
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sunshine yellow heater delete.jpg (62KB - 79 downloads)
sunshine yellow 4drh passenger side 1.jpg (38KB - 85 downloads)
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 990
| I have a '55 Dodge Royal (in family since new) with stick, power brakes, and tinted glass, no other options. No heater, no radio, nothing else.
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Veteran
Posts: 143
Location: Australia | i need the front windscreen rubber if anyone can help, kurz@jc.com.au |
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4 door hardtop strippers
