Test Your Car Knowledge of these 50's Cars

[EDDIE BUCK]

I got 82% right. lucky guessing mostly.

http://www.americantorque.com/game/car-show-50s/

[Bearfootfarm]

I only got 60%, and did a lot of guessing

[Windy in Kansas]

83% for me. I'm lame on the Chrysler products and those that I consider to have formed American motors.

[MattyD]

-I had to guess on a few, but 92% for me.

L8R,
Matt

[big rockpile]

Got 71% but you have to have a working Brain

big rockpile

[HermitJohn]

88% with lot guessing. I dont know my tail fins. Thought late 50s was one of ugliest styling periods ever. Now late 40s and early 50s were great.

Wouldnt have any use for one, but thought the early 50s Buicks were especially attractive.

[HermitJohn]

Might mention that I would do much worse with 2000+ era cars. They are even uglier than late 50s cars and I have completely ignored them. I'd be lucky to guess 20%.

[clovis]

Wow...I got 77%!!!!

I did much better than I expected. Had someone asked me before, I would have told you "I know Chevy products and a few GM cars from '55 on, but other than that, I know absolutely nothing."

FWIW, I didn't have to do much guessing either, which surprises the daylights out of me. I would have thought I would have had to guess at 90% of the questions.

Give me the test for the 60's era cars, and the 70's too. I bet I would score well on those. Those were the cars of my fathers generation, and the cars I grew up with.

Ask me to work the same test on 40's era cars, or even before, like the 20's or 30's.

I'd get my clock cleaned while guessing at those cars!!!!!!!!

[Windy in Kansas]

I don't know the Chevys and Fords from about 1968 to present. Not my cup of tea. We didn't have a strong Chrysler dealership in the general area of where I grew up so was not exposed to many of their cars at all.

I would probably do better with the Fords, Chevys, and some GM cars of the 1920s, the 1930s, the 1940s, and the 1950s than any others. I used to know 1930s cars just from their grills, and the 1950s cars from their park or tail lights. Street rodding potential is why I noticed them.

The late 1940s Plymouths are cars I always wanted a radio out of. The dial, push buttons, etc. were vertical instead of horizontal.

HJ, I used to drive a 1948 Buick, and later a 1954 Buick. The '48 was the most luxurious of any I've owned or driven. They used a neat idea to keep fender skirts from being stolen---they extended to a spot exposed by opening the rear door where a bolt was placed to secure them. The skirts couldn't be removed without opening the door.

[Nomad]

I only got 81%. At least the old cars didn't all look alike.

Nomad

[HermitJohn]

Originally Posted by Windy in Kansas

HJ, I used to drive a 1948 Buick, and later a 1954 Buick. The '48 was the most luxurious of any I've owned or driven. They used a neat idea to keep fender skirts from being stolen---they extended to a spot exposed by opening the rear door where a bolt was placed to secure them. The skirts couldn't be removed without opening the door.

Been feeling like crap all summer so didnt even go look at it, but saw a solid '52 Buick Special rolling chassis for sale at $600 on Craigslist and was very tempted. All glass was good except one of the rear panels was busted. But short of making it into a 4wd, it wouldnt be at all useful to me. Would be interesting to try making it into a 4wd while keeping it looking stock. Cars perched on top of a pickup frame look silly, have to be stock height or at least not much higher than stock.

[Windy in Kansas]

I'd like to get a hold of a good Straight 8 to put in an open engine compartment street rod. Think kids would be amazed at seeing such a massive engine. Perhaps a tiny Crosley 4 to park beside it.

[Bearfootfarm]

I'd love to have a Studebaker Golden Hawk

Most don't realize it was one of the most powerful cars on the road at the time

Beneath the scooped hood was a 352-cu.in., 275hp V-8 that was built by Packard.
This was the only model to have both a Studebaker emblem and a Packard engine.

One of the biggest reasons the Golden Hawk is popular and continues to rise in value is that in 1956, the Golden Hawk was a sports car that was a family car too. It had more power per pound than any American car, and seated four or five in luxurious comfort.

The Gran Turismo Hawk became available with the Avanti’s R2 supercharged engine for the 1963 model year. These cars were remarkable in the performance department, with a top speed of 127.5 MPH.

http://blog.cardomain.com/2009/03/12...r-golden-hawk/

[ninny]

42 of 48 ...88%

.

[HermitJohn]

Originally Posted by Windy in Kansas

I'd like to get a hold of a good Straight 8 to put in an open engine compartment street rod. Think kids would be amazed at seeing such a massive engine. Perhaps a tiny Crosley 4 to park beside it.

Rebuildable blocks arent too hard to come by, its good head that is hard to find. They werent an overly powerful engine and not a particularly strong one. I vaguely remember something about connecting rods... But certainly interesting. And there is interest in them. Some guy on ebay had made custom adapter to put a modern 5spd behind one I think.

The engine I'd like in good shape to play with is the Hudson 308 inline 6. Flathead but it was an impressive engine. Long after Hudson was history, there were people that would use them in race cars.

Was it Crosley or American Bantam or American Austin that had the sheet metal engine? It was one of those tiny cars... I'd like to have one of those engines in any condition, just to disassemble and see how they engineered it. I would think that would be lighter than cast aluminum and cheaper. Surprised the idea didnt make it into the modern era.

[Windy in Kansas]

Originally Posted by HermitJohn

The engine I'd like in good shape to play with is the Hudson 308 inline 6. Flathead but it was an impressive engine. Long after Hudson was history, there were people that would use them in race cars.

Was it Crosley or American Bantam or American Austin that had the sheet metal engine? It was one of those tiny cars... I'd like to have one of those engines in any condition, just to disassemble and see how they engineered it. I would think that would be lighter than cast aluminum and cheaper. Surprised the idea didnt make it into the modern era.

One of the race car owners from my area used to use the Hudson Hornet Super Six. At least that is what I remember he called it. Back then ('70s) they ran two classes at the somewhat local tracks-----Modifieds (V-8s) and Junior Modifieds (6s). Most ran chopped up Model A coupe bodies which I despised for ruining so many As when I wanted one so badly.

I've seen a Crosley engine and they were cast. Saw one being sold on Ebay and I recall the shipping weight as being just 75 pounds.

Not a clue as to the engine you refer to as I've not heard that. Would suspect it might be the Bantam as just guess work.

[FarmboyBill]

83 for me too Windy. Guess its an age thing. 40 outa 48

[FarmboyBill]

HJ Hudson won the 600 twice in the early 50s like 51, 52.I had a chance when I was near 20 to buy a Hudson pickup. I saw it at a distance. I couldnt tell if it was comeing or going. Said I didnt want it $150. Guess what it would be worth today.

[HermitJohn]

Here is a pic of an English Austin 7 engine. The American Austin engine was a mirror image of it. Looks cast to me.



Been long time ago since I read about the sheet metal engine and I just dont remember what car it was in, just that it was a real micro mini type car. Said you could overhaul it on your kitchen table. Very small 4cyl.

Edit: Cant find hide nor hair of mention of an automotive engine with sheetmetal crankcase via google. I remember reading about it in little book I used to have about "amazing" historic automotive oddities. I doubt I still have the book, but if I do its buried out in storage shed someplace. Oh well. It was just crankcase that was sheetmetal, sure it had cast iron cylinders and cast pistons, etc. Flathead so sure that was cast too.

[Windy in Kansas]

Guess I was in error. Crosley had the funky engine.

http://crosleyautoclub.com/Mighty_Tin.html