1956 Chevy

[Hummingbird]

Check out the 1956 Chevy

[Condor]

Brings back some memories. I bought a '56 2DR/265 in the early '60's..... for $100 bucks. A co-worker had just had it painted and upholstered, and then popped the radiator cap, and scalded the 'H' out of his hand. Then he went to a Friday night party and some jerk hit-n-run side swiped the right rear quarter. He was telling me about it at work and said the first guy with a $100 can have it. I wrote him a check then and there. He brought the 'pink' the next day and I drove it home. Ran and handled great. Couldn't open the passenger door because part of the quarter had bent over the edge of the door, so I took a hammer and beat the cr@p out of offending metal. The door worked fine after the custom body work. My wife drove it back and forth to work for about a year, and one day during the Watts Riots it sprung a leak in the lower radiator hose. She was afraid to stop and when she pulled into the driveway the engine was about 15 seconds from melt down. Snap crackle and pop. I let it cool down over night and added water the next morning. That little 265 never ran the same again. Sold it to my barber for $100 bucks when we moved to NorCal.

[bongobobny]

That's actually a '55 there in the picture. The '56 grille went completely across and the turn signals were part of the grille. The tail lights were also different from '55 to '56.

 

My first on the road car was a '56 with the 265 V8 in it, and automatic. Naturally being a teen I couldn't keep transmissions in it so after blowing the second one I scrapped it and got a '58...

[vzuden]

That's actually a '55 there in the picture. The '56 grille went completely across and the turn signals were part of the grille. The tail lights were also different from '55 to '56.

 

And... The body side moldings are straight front to rear while the '56 takes a curve downward. I have a '55 Belair 2 dr hardtop. And a '25, '34, and a couple of '62's but that's a whole nuther story

[Yammer Dan]

I had a 56 Nomad Station Wagon. Wish I had kept it.

[BlueSky]

Yep, that is a 55. My first car was the family 55 Chevy 4 door 210 with the 235 cu in six, 3 on a tree. My dad let me drive it like it was mine except that I had to take my Mom to see her relatives on any Sunday she chose while he went drinking with his buddies! I also had to support the car with insurance and any repairs/tires out of my weekend wages and summer wages while I was in high school. It was a reliable solid car but those engines would start burning oil at around 60k miles. After high school I bought a 56 Chevy Convertible and my Dad sold the 55.

[djh3]

For whatever reason the 56 is my favorite of the tri-5 series. Not into the fins on the 57 I guess and everybody when I was in high school wanted a 55. So there ya go. Then in 58 GM killed the body line. that was the most unappealing tank. Way more weight and goofy suspension. Would rather have an 59 Impala I think it was with the flat type fins.

[SilvrT]

I had a '55 for all of a week, several years ago. Mine was all Orange.

[ragtop69gs]

A whole new supply of those old chevy's will soon be available. Go to Havana and send one home

[Hummingbird]

That's actually a '55 there in the picture. The '56 grille went completely across and the turn signals were part of the grille. The tail lights were also different from '55 to '56.

 

My first on the road car was a '56 with the 265 V8 in it, and automatic. Naturally being a teen I couldn't keep transmissions in it so after blowing the second one I scrapped it and got a '58...

 

Bobby, you are absolutely correct and I knew that when I posted. My whole point was that although it looks like a 1956 it is not. Enter the Slingshot, although it looks like a trike, it is NOT, never will be and you can't change enough on it to make it look like one.

[BlueSky]

One unique thing about the 56 is the gas tank filler nozzle is behind the left rear tail light.

 

And in 58 they went to rear coil springs with one upper arm holding the axle on the passenger side (two lowers). I had a 59 that was like that and drag racing almost ripped the connection point off the chassis. I had it welded back 4 times. It took several years for Chevy to finally put another upper arm on the driver's side.

[cowpuc]

Bobby, you are absolutely correct and I knew that when I posted. My whole point was that although it looks like a 1956 it is not. Enter the Slingshot, although it looks like a trike, it is NOT, never will be and you can't change enough on it to make it look like one.

 

I still think a Slingshot looks more like a trike than it does a 56 Chevy:stirthepot:, now maybe if Bongo was driving one his great big :big-grin-emoticon:could be construed with the grill on a 56 Chevy, thereby confusing certain people who spend a lot of time in a confused stupor and whose name I wont mention (initials are YammerDan).....

[Daveand Barbie]

My first car was a 57 210 2 door that I bought in 1967 for $20. Another one that "if I knew then what I know now"

 

My dad had 2 56s when I was a kid that I loved.

[Eck]

I worked on many of those in my day. Knew what wrench fit what bolt without even checking. Spent many an hour under the hood back then.

Hey, no wonder my back is killing me nowadays..Hummmmmmmm

[BlueSky]

When I worked on the engine of my 56 I usually sat on the fender with my feet in the engine compartment. Easiest car to work on I ever had. I pulled the engine and completely rebuilt it so I had some time under the hood.

[naturbar]

Bought my buddies ’56 post back in the 60’s. my first gas refill was memorable, at the gas station I could not find the gas tank, the attendant didn't know where it was either...after asking several other people there, someone went to the rear tail light and opened it.....viola there was the filler cap! Great car with lots of memories.

[Yammer Dan]

My 1st rebuild was a 216 Chevy. My last a 302 Boss. Man there were a few in between. Eck could have a point there. Climbing in and out of those things wasn't easy.

[Max]

A whole new supply of those old chevy's will soon be available. Go to Havana and send one home

 

Collectors will have a field day. There are more unrestored chevs on island than I have seen anywhere.

Talk about resourcefull people. If your a car owner in Cuba, you probably have experience welding, fabricating, patching,

modifying and just plain keeping the darn thing running 50 odd years without a shop.