Here’s a couple of fine delivery vehicles from different eras in front of a body shop. The shop’s name reminds me of a body shop in downtown Iowa City called “You Smash Them, We Fix Them”. It was my first exposure to the whole concept of a body shop; up to that point I had never really thought of what happens to cars after they get bent up. It was very intriguing to look into their windows and see all sorts of surgery going on. It reminded me a bit of the hospital where my dad worked.
Let’s take a closer look at that fine old Chevy:
It looks delightfully original, which is not exactly a common thing with vintage sedan deliveries, as they have always seemed to attract a certain type of surgeon owner than other body styles.
What a pair of great finds indeed and thanks for sharing these photos. I’ve seen a few rare panel sided vehicles in Portland and my favorite was a circa 1950 Chevy Suburban Panel Truck. Still see a few Ford Aerostar Panel Vans around town then let’s see if this photo uploads.
Very nice! The Ford is also worthy of attention. Those old Fords used to be as common as dirt. You still see an occasional square headlight one, but it’s extremely rare to see an early round headlight version, at least in my part of the world (Eugene being a strange alternative universe where vehicles achieve immortality). I remember thinking when I was a kid how Fords looked kind of strange having such a long hood on their vans.
They have aged well
I know the Chevy is a 49 or 50, but I have never been well enough schooled in these to tell the difference without looking online. No time for that today.
If I am right, the hubcaps on that Ford mark it as at the end of the round headlight era. I think the 75-77 (or maybe 78) used an argent version of that flat Ford cap that had the circular “Ford Motor Company” spelled out around the center. Sooo, 1979-80?
JP, from what I can see of the grill, it’s a ’50. The ’49s kept those “teeth” the whole way across the grill. The ’50 grill “teeth” stopped just below the parking light.
Well darned if you haven’t nailed it for me. Thanks!
And it’s interesting to note then the Ecolonine got the blue oval logo in the front later than the F-series as shown in the 1982 brochure. http://www.oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Ford%20Motor%20Company%20Trucks-Vans/1982-Trucks-Vans/1982-Ford-Club-Wagon-Brochure/index.html
I know what you mean about being intrigued by body shops. When I was a kid, my older sister had a boyfriend whose father owned a body shop, and I would get to visit there occasionally. I loved wandering around the shop and seeing cars in various stages of disassembly. To this day, I love the smell of bondo… brings back good memories for me, and somehow body shops smell the same now as the did 35 years ago.
Spectacular photo! I love the colors, the low angle of the sun illuminating the cars and the building, and those foreboding clouds above.
Good point! It is a really nice photo irrespective of the particular cars. The lighting and the sky are really cool.
Sedan deliveries are one of my favorite body styles! I suspect one reason I bought my HHR is that it’s the last vehicle built by GM with a sedan delivery-style lift gate.
In my wayward youth, I owned a ’60 Chevy sedan delivery. It was way too rough and needed far too much for my meager skills. I was inspired by the Tom Daniel Monogram kit called the ‘Bad News’, a customized ’60.