Re: [FWDLK] Stuck in the 50's

[Roger Schaaf <obiwan10@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

They called those add on whitewalls, "Portawalls".  Anyone remember throwing 
concrete building blocks in the trunk of your 46 Mercury to lower the 
rearend to where the bumper almost dragged the ground.  Of course the 
richer/smarter guys replaced the leaf spring shackles to accomplish the 
same.  Come to think of it, no wonder I destroyed so many transmissions in 
that car.  And on the old Fords/Mercs changing them was not a task to be 
taken lightly.  You had to pull the rear axle back about 6 to 12 
inches(torque tube you know), do not forget to disconnect the rear brake 
line, and remove the front floor board.  The transmission came out from the 
top into the car.

Loved it when I got a 50 Oldsmobile with a stick shift.  I could pull and 
replace that transmission in less then an hour, including jack it up time. 
However those transmissions(basically the same internally as the Cad/LaSalle 
box) seldom broke.  I could get at least 6 months out of one of 
them(sometimes).

Oh yes, do not forget the valve caps given out by Standard Oil.  They came 
in Gold or Red and were shaped just like a King's crown.  Standard Oil had 
on top of the gas pumps, similar looking glass "caps" shaped like a King's 
crown.  This was their logo.  Some kids(not me of course) would steal them 
from automobiles to put them on their bicycle valve stems.  I still run 
these valve caps(there is a guy who advertises them in Hemmings) on my B, 
and younger judges(they of course never having seen these caps before) at 
local Concours have even tried to ding a point for not having proper valve 
caps.  You have to explain to them what they are all about, and remind them 
that "period" accessories(like mirror dice) should not be dinged.  You can 
always find at least one older attendee who will support your contention.

Roger Schaaf
300 B Calyfornua
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike and Sharon Higgins" <clearcreek@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, November 03, 2006 10:06 AM
Subject: Re: [FWDLK] Stuck in the 50's


> The simple answer is YES!
> also... add Red Wheel Stripes around the edge of the rim; Whitewall 
> Inserts ( specially made rings to fit inside the wheel, between the tire & 
> the rim bead, to make whitewalls out of blackwalls); "Lakes Pipes"; 
> Competition Stripes.....
>
> Mike Higgins
> 1955 Belvedere Sport Coupe
> 1999 Dakota
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Greg Filtz" <filtz1@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Friday, November 03, 2006 10:20 AM
> Subject: [FWDLK] Stuck in the 50's
>
>
> > Group,
> >
> > This discussion came up the other day.   How much of the "car culture" 
> > attributed to the 50's is real and how much is media?    I.E. Did teens 
> > in the 50's really hang fuzzy dice from the mirror and raccoon tales from 
> > the antenna?   Having not grown up in the 50's, I don't know what the 
> > answer is.
> > Greg in WI
> > 1956 Dodge Royal Lancer
> >
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