Having done an all-Ford road trip post just a few weeks back, it seems only fair to show some Chevy love as well. As with the Ford piece, the photos were shot at various locations around East and South Texas.
Leading off are a pair of five-window Advance Design pickups spotted behind a small restoration shop in Cuero, Texas. It recently seems to have moved to another location; too bad as there seemed to be something interesting there every time I drove past.
At the same location, yet another pickup: appears to be a ’41, with the mother of all patina. A nice little fixer-upper.
This ’47 (thanks, chas108) Fleetline sedanette apparently belongs to the owner of a dive bar in northeast Houston, where it certainly adds to the ambiance. Put the stock wheels back on it and it’s ready to be the ride of some film noir private detective.
I’ve preferred to avoid Tri-Fives due to the cliché factor, but this ’56 sedan gets a nod because a similar model was the first car I remember my parents having. Theirs was black, however, and of course didn’t have those slighly hokey fender skirts. Photographed in Navasota, TX, if memory serves.
Everyone seems to have their favorite early-‘60s Chevy, I guess mine is the ’61, just because of that descending character line. I caught the one in the photo just as it was being readied for transport from a storage yard in Canado, TX to a destination unknown.
Here’s one for Paul: a ’67 Corvair Monza, for sale outside a volunteer fire station on FM 2920 in northwest Houston. I imagine the fake wires will have to go, however.
More pickup patina, in the form of a ’67 (thanks, Junqueboi) C-10 short-bed, in Victoria, TX.
By contrast with an earlier photo, the ’70 full-size line are among my least favorite Chevys, but this Caprice two-door hardtop is undeniably in good shape. The sign on the side reads “Vintage Chevrolet Club on Tour”, and it was spotted (in driving rain) in the parking lot of a restaurant along the Houston Ship Channel, in Lynchburg, TX.
This ’74 Impala sedan encapsulates the Curbside Classic ethos, does it not? Beat up but driveable, and a model that was once common as dirt but now has almost vanished. Found on Rayford Road, just outside the Woodlands, TX.
A ’79 Camaro Z-28, in its time the dream car of mullet-wearing small-town youth everywhere. Photographed on a stinking hot July day in Montgomery, TX.
Can’t do without a representative B-body. This ’86 Caprice station wagon is taking the sun in Spring, TX.
In the same parking lot in Spring, but on a different day, this profile shows off the awkward lines of the first-generation Lumina. Early W-bodies don’t get much love here and one can understand why, but someday, probably fairly soon, we won’t have them to kick around any more.
Wrapping things up, a spot of color, in the form of a ’93-’96 Caprice ‘Whale’ in taxi service in McAllen, TX. This photo dates back to 2003 or so.
See the USA in your Chevrolet, you bet.
I actually just saw a 1st generation Lumina (in similar condition) yesterday. Even the 2nd generation ones are pretty uncommon these days.
The 41 and 68 Pickups are just begging for a 03 up Panther coil over sub frame a LSx power train, an Indian blanket seat cover a shot of flat or satin clear to lock that Patina in and be driven.
NOOOOOO, just drop the 41 on a Holden 1ton Chassis instant Camaro front axle diff of your choice and they fit
Who would want that out dated Camaro front suspension, that conversion on these trucks was played out decades ago in the US. The Panther front suspension is much stronger, has better geometry, weighs less and is a bolt on affair.
With the right mods the Camaro suspension is fine but the point is using the entire Chassis not bolting pieces in which requires more certfication to put it on the road. L200 Mitsubishi chassis with torsion bar front ends are also popular and unlike Panthers available everywhere.
I’m not seeing how swapping a body and fabricating mounts to do so is going to require more certification than drilling a couple of holes and bolting in the Panther cross member. Of course we don’t have the gov’t grabbing money by certifying modifications to cars in the US, they have other ways to steal money like hiring Aussie companies to put red light cameras in and then shortening the yellow light to boost revenues. The other plus of the Panther IFS, if you can handle a Ford engine in your Chevy you’ve already go the mounts for a 4.6, 5.4, 5.0 V8 or 6.8 V10 though those might be a little tight on the 41. For some reason people have a real problem putting a Ford engine in a Chevy while a lot of people don’t have a problem putting a Chevy engine in a Ford.
Actually the ’68 is easily upgradable to disc brakes just by swapping for a pair of ’71-’72 spindles. (And the appropriate master cylinder upgrades of course.) Swap out the rear axles while you’re at it to get the 5-lug setup all around, which began when discs became standard in ’71.
Also, I believe the entire 2wd front crossmember from a ’73-’87 (’73-’91 if we’re counting 2wd Suburbans/Blazers) are easily adapted. Newer variable-ratio steering boxes bolt right in, or I saw a conversion kit to use an ’07-’13 Silverado rack & pinion for under $1000.
That LSx powertrain will be right at home there.
Wonder if the 41’s frame is as rusty as the body?
That shade of Brown on the 48 Fleetline sedanette sure looks nice, but looks like the door handle is sticking. Is sedanette ever capitalized?
Not digging the Fender Skirts on the 56 Chevy either.
That 1968 C-10 sure has nice looks and patina, like it drove through sand and salt wearing away the nose first.
About a month ago there was a Vintage Chevy Club meeting in Virginia City, MT consisting of 4 Cylinder vehicles. According to some owners that meant 1928 and older.
The Caprice Estate has a kinked hood, wonder how that happened or if the other side shows collision damage. I am surprised that Estate does not show more patina or have a droopy headliner from being in the Dixie sun for the past quarter century. What kind of engine do you all think it has?
Sure the Luminia has a higher trunk than nose, but that does not make it look too awkard. The late model Altima in the background looks a bit more awkward with its mandated high nose and abstract headlight assemblies.
The 1974 Impala does look somewhat menacing and again, it does not have the patina I would expect it to. Someone must like their Impala to keep it going this long, tint the windows, and keep the suspension from sagging. Either that or it is about to be another Donk victim.
United Cabs in New Orleans were using 1991-1996 Caprices even into late 2008, but I have not been back since so no idea if they still are. When I was there that city had a smorgasbord of taxicabs from pre-1989 Lincoln Town Cars, to 1991-1995 Dodge Caravans, some mid-1990s Suburbans, and other interesting vehicles.
“The Caprice Estate has a kinked hood…”
I’ve seen that quite a lot on Bs of this vintage. Only thing I can figure is someone trying to pry up the hood to get at something, presumably to steal.
Re: the ’74, I’ve seen that one around several times since then. Still looks the same; no donkage yet.
Some designs were worse than others.. Particularly kinky hood designs include the ’77-’79 Pontiac “B” car and ’73-’80 Chevy pickup. The hoods often break when the hood hinges are not kept oiled and the hood is jerked straight down to be closed. Slight rearward pressure when closing a wide open hood can keep this from happening if the hinges are stiff.
Owned a 77 impala and can tell you that it’s common when the springs get rusty for that acre sized hood to buckle. Oiling/greasing your springs is necessary when the car gets old.
You must have an interesting job. I traveled much the same circuit as well as the mid and western area of the state with my wife till she got sick. We are retired and will be back at it when she has had a couple surgeries. Keep em coming. This area is a bonanza.
I did two 10 months stints of AmeriCorps NCCC and that is mainly why I have gotten around so much.
cdddet@gmail.com
That theory and the stiff hinges theory are enlightening because I never had that issue with my 87 Caprice. Good to know the Impala has been left alone awhile.
I think the thing that makes those Luminas look awkward is the squared off wheel wells.
The kinked hood on the B is due to the fact that they are pretty flimsy and once the hinges get sticky from a little rust that is what happens when you try to close them and aren’t careful.
Now thats a GM problem they did export.
“Is ‘sedanette’ capitalized?”
It’s actually called “Aerosedan”. “Sedanette” was Buick IIRC.
These same models became simply “Fleetline” with the 1949 restyle.
Ahhh, thanks.
I think it’s interesting to note that there is another Chevrolet in the background of almost every photo.
In the case of the 70 Chevrolet, all the other cars in the frame are Chevrolets too, I like that 70 with the color keyed wheels, it looks super clean.
I like the no hubcap 74 Impala parked across several parking spaces in true “I could give a f*ck” style.
Maybe they were late for their chiropractor appointment?
Can I be greedy and have more than 1 coz the 41 lendlease pickup speaks to me and Im a sucker for those Camaros as the floorpan came here under Holdens and you can make them go around corners despite Kevin Bartlette putting the channel 9 Camaro on its roof at Bathurst climbing the mountain.
The fender skirts don’t look right,I’m surprised I’ve not seen fender guards yet.They seem to be on a lot of British tri Chevys.I can see the white Impala being driven by Sam Elliott or Tom Selleck as an undercover cop car in a TV movie,burning rubber for 3 blocks chasing the bad guys.
Man, the dingy blue wagon and gray Lumina in big parking lots…I swear I saw ten more like them in the last week, but that’s just a faulty stray memory from 1996 or so.
Totally digging the ’48. Looks super mean, like something a mafioso would drive to a massacre.
People in Texas seem to take better care of their old Fords than their old Chevys 🙂 On condition alone I would take that lovey ’70 Caprice, I think that was the first year the Powerglide was gone on the small block models.
Almost as bad for me as the Corsica from the other day is that Lumina. It has a freakish amount of front overhang, just like the whale Caprice has a freakish amount of rear overhang.
I can’t say any of these are as pretty as the best Fords from your other post, except for the Corvair, Caprice wagon and the brooding ’48. Never liked the final facelift on the second gen Camaro and the beige car is riding too high.
I really enjoyed your posts, thanks!
I totally agree; when I was putting this together I was struck by how it seemed to mimic the sad, slow decline of Chevrolet, or maybe of GM in general.
Whatever the reason, more of these seem to be everyday working cars, owned by people without funds for preservation.
I thought brown 2nd-gen Camaros were nasty but this color combo (on a Z28 at that) is just disgusting. The big wheelz and high stance repel me further.
Despite my disdain of beige, that ’70 Chevy sure wears it well. I’m a big fan of those wacky color-coded wheelcovers. Some Monte Carlos got them too. How the heck did GM get the paint to stick to the stainless steel?
The Chevy Truck is actually a ’67.
I think it might be a glued on plastic colored ring, thats how they did it on the later Cadillacs that had the color keyed wheel covers.
Same way they made the black paint stick on so many wheel covers that had flat black accents.
…which is how? 😀
I don’t know where you live, but in my area those Camaro rims are small. There’s a rimz war goin’ on, don’tcha know?
“The Chevy Truck is actually a ’67.”
Ah, right. Small window. Got it, thanks.
Large window was optional in ’67. The real clue is lack of side marker lights in fenders.
Exactly suzulight. I own a ’68.
Yeah the colour sucks but I have a compressor, gun and time to fix that, they look lovely in flat black
“Wrapping things up, a spot of color, in the form of a ’93-’96 Caprice ‘Whale’ in taxi service in McAllen, TX. This photo dates back to 2003 or so.”
Has to be a 93 or a 94. It sports the old style mirrors. If you had taken a shot of the drivers side I could narrow it down. 93 was single exhaust. 94 had factory duals. Kind of hard to tell on civilian Caprices but this car is either a retired 9C1 or maybe even a legit 9C6 taxi and those models all had dual exhaust in 1994. Those steel “truck” wheels give it away.
…and that’s one of the reasons I love this joint. Thanks.
Yep. Plus, the 1995-96 Caprices got the Impala SS quarter window, which eliminated the sharp corner, like on this lovely blue ’95 (from lov2xlr8.no):
I’ll take any one of the pickups and keep ’em traditional with a straight six and manual tranny. Maybe an Atlas engine or a classic 250. I wouldn’t mind one of the Impalas either. I’d leave the ’74 as is (okay, maybe a different set of rims). I’d clean up the ’61 with some nice rims and a 350. An LT-1 would do the trick.
Yep I’d actually leave them stock maybe a Bedford Engine if the stovebolt is rattling but that would be all,you’d never spot the difference.
Since “Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer” (1986) all seventies Chevy boats on a parking lot look suspiciuos. Like the 1974 Impala. The Caprice hardtop is still too nice, but the setting is perfect !
The 1948 Chevies had a rather ugly vertical center piece slapped on an otherwise attractive grill.
The Fleetline above is either a ’47…or a ’48 missing that vertical center piece.
Noted, thanks.
Is the lite blue 67-68 short bed 4-sale? If so,how much?