Old Car Pics

[Ray1936]

Here's the first of three web pages full of photos I took during a one hour span at the 2005 Woodward Dream Cruise.

Loved 'em all except for the funny car on three wheels. That ain't nothing but California stupid in my book.

The '49 Ford is prolly my fav.

[Stosh]

I'm sure that this site has been listed here before, but I'm going to have to add it in as a great source for old car advertisements [[and other items) from the 40's through the late 60's. Link is www.plan59.com.

1960 Dodge Polara below.

Attachment 891

[MoparDan]

I'm sure that this site has been listed here before, but I'm going to have to add it in as a great source for old car advertisements [[and other items) from the 40's through the late 60's. Link is www.plan59.com.

1960 Dodge Polara below.

Attachment 891

Sweet! Thanks for the link too!

[56packman]

Nice pictures. The Mopar muscle cars of the 60s and early 70s are currently enjoying a high popularity and high prices at auctions. That said, they are some of the worst built cars in the history of the US auto industry. They have great [[no really, GREAT) drivetrains, installed in some of the most marginal bodies ever constructed. The cars used to rust before you were done with the payments [[24 month loans back then, kiddies) and the door glass rattles back and forth in the door when you close it with the windows down. The interiors started coming apart at the seams before the last coupon in the book was torn out.
To quote a retired Chrysler engineer: "We made some of the best components in the industry and some of the worst cars" Chrysler did have the willingness to let their product people and engineers make fast cars, and they made a lot of hay during the era.
Body fabrication at Chrysler went into the dumper with the introduction of the 1957 bodies, they rushed what was to become the 1958 body a year ahead of schedule, catching the competition by suprise. The '57 bodies were the first designed and built 100% by Chrysler, prior to that Briggs Mfg. did most of the non-styling body design, the metal behind the outer skin that makes a car body work, or not work. Chrysler bought Briggs in December of 1953, and used designs Briggs had already completed for the 1955 and '56 years. Chrysler really didn't make a body that was up to par with GM and Ford until the great influx of managers from Ford that came in with Iacocca.
There was also a culture at Chrysler plants to bang work out as fast and furious as possible, and machienry could be worn past its usable age and still kept in service, Chrysler bought used presses from GM, they retired them due to age and wear, Chrysler would buy them and keep using them.
A car is the total package, you can't take any major [[or minor) parts for granted, a great engine and bulletproof transmission do not a whole car make.