First Production 1954 Corvette
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- Master Corvette Restorer Mike McCluskey shares his beautifully restored and historically significant Corvette with Jay.
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My grandmother won a 1956 model (First year of the 3 speed manual transmission) from a local dealership (Charleston, W.Va.), through a promotion. My grandmother never drove a single time in her life, and my grandfather had lost his left leg in an industrial accident, some years before. As a result, he couldn't drive the Corvette, so the dealership struck a deal with my grandmother to accept a 1956 Two Ten and a 1956 Belaire, instead of the Corvette. I always heard the story as a kid, but wasn't sure if it was true, until... grandma and grandpa passed back in the 80's, mom in 07' and dad in 2014. While going through papers in the family safe, I came across the original paperwork with all of the details of the contest and the transaction. The contest was a Columbus Day giveaway (Oct. of 1955, new models came out in Sept, back in the day), with the slogan, "Discover the U.S.A. in the all new, redesigned, 1956 Corvette" and the drawing was held at the dealership on... Columbus Day. BTW, my grandmother only put one entry for the contest in the drawing box. The Two Ten and the Belaire are long gone as are most of my family (I'm 66), but the memories are still cherished. I just thought that it was a nice story to share.
That’s a great story
Great story, Flash! I’m 70, just a bit older than you. We had a ‘56 Chevy BelAir when I was a little kid. My grandpa had a ‘56 Delray, which was the model between the 210 and the top-of-the-line BelAir. I love the old Corvettes, and would like to buy one, particularly the ‘58-‘62’s, but drive a 2003 Corvette.
It is a great story. RIP to your Grands and you enjoy the memories. and thanks for sharing.
Great family story. Too bad ya did not save the Bel air 😢❤❤😅😊
Love to hear great stories like that "flash" !
I can appreciate watching these two getting in that beauty. At 71, they look like me getting in my 350Z.
We're not old, we were just born before you :)
Absolutely!
I'm 65 and I have to 'fall into and then climb out of' my stepson's 350Z. Because I'm the schlep that has to work on it. Not really a fan of it! 🤣
I have an F350, and my 86 year old father struggles a bit to climb into it. I probably need to pack a stepstool.
"Not old compared to a Redwood", is what I tell um. Hey, I'm not exactly smooth getting out of my NSX, gravity assist getting in. Thank goodness for the pad on the door sill
@@peterf4552 Bought a '20 F150 RC/SB, lowered it 2" in the front 4" in the rear. I'm 73, felt like I was having to jump to get in. It's almost 5" higher at the back bumper than my '04 Silverado
Mike: “My parents worked for the federal government when the war broke out.”
Jay: “That was the civil war?”
Always manages to sneak that quick wit, snarky humor in somewhere. A comic through & through👌🏻
He didn't even expect the insult
You almost forget Jay's comedy chops when he's hosting a show like this ... until he comes out with such lines 😂
those idiots at NBC
Not a nice comment, really. Mr. Leno is not a young man himself. This gentleman answered the call, as many do not.
Jay is always a stand up first 😆
I tune in to Jay's Garage to see and experience various vehicles, but he spoils me w/ guests of such rare caliber. It is a true joy to watch these videos! Thank You Jay!
Great to see Mike on the show again! He really is the Corvette guru!
I love the sound of the engine. I miss the old straight six engines. They were so simple to work on, they started even if half the cylinders weren't firing, they needed only basic maintenance, and you could reach everything under the hood without moving other stuff around. I had a 1980 Ford Fairmont with a straight six. I loved that car. My wife totaled it. I still have her.
I feel your pain! Lol
My first ride was a old 66 Dodge pickup with a slant six and I was a nut case driver! I peeled out at every stop and even jumped my truck!
The starter always seemed to be out so me and my friends push started it everywhere and I could do it myself!!!
It ran so good and it never quit and had amazing torque!!
If I ever see another one I'll buy it in a heartbeat because it was the best truck I ever had!
Rolls-Royce used IL6s for decades.
Wife or car ? Lol
@@kevinburns9717 The wife and I have been married for 36 years. She totaled my car some time during the first three years. So it's been a long time.
Only 1,117 Corvettes have achieved the NCRS Duntov Mark of Excellence Award. He’s restored five to that level. Thank you for your service to the classic car community as well.
Does he have the most of any one man? I don't want to downplay his amazing work if he doesn't but im curious
@@lordcantiismyname no idea. If this one took three years and the others took two (4x2)+3 he’s has 11 years invested across five cars. Hell of a commitment. Not to mention the others he has restored and his humility in teaching the NCRS judges about originality.
@@mattsullivan3751 Maybe that is the reason he is breathing so hard. He’s inhaled a lot of fiberglass.
Wow! Talk about a true enthusiast. Thank you for sharing this info with us. (:
...and for pointing up those plastic heaps
LOVE this segment...I can relate..two old guys trying to gracefully enter a car too low and small for them. ( I'm 83 and I might get in but it would take crane to get me out) These type of segments are hands down the best....I think
@Mck Idyl since a lady separated me from my Harley leading to 7 operations I know that feeling😁
I'd like to say thank you for your service, Mr McCloskey, my Cousin James McCloskey was a Helicopter pilot in Vietnam, all the family are very proud of him too.
Can't believe he drives right where I live and haven't been able to catch him once. I'm going to have to call off work for a week and maybe catch him driving a car. We get to service his camera crew vehicle. Thanks again Mr. Leno on another great video.
I bumped into him one Sunday morning while visiting L.A. four years ago. He was driving a black Ferrari that day. The girlfriend got photos of him. It's still a great memory of our trip to SoCal!
@@bobjohnson1587 thats cool man. My brother bump into him on a red light in burbank. I believe he was driving a steam car. Jay looked at my brother and said "hey how you doing" then drove away. Pretty cool.
This is one channel I can close my eyes and choose a video and be thoroughly entertained every damn time
Thanks Jay. Greatly appreciate your love and dedication to automobiles. Our neighbor had a '55. Vette for a couple of years. (this was the mid-50's).The young kids in the neighborhood (Woburn, MA ) checked odometers in our dad's cars after work (not sure why). The 150mph speedo gave the Vette owner's kid, top bragging rights. Thanks again.
When I lived in Germany in the mid 50's, on Furstenfeldbruck Air Force Base, I recall seeing a Thunderbird with a metric speedo, that showed 240 kmh. My nine year old self thought it was MPH, and that I was looking at the fastest car in the world.
150 mph speedometer but only a 5000 rpm tach! And it may not have actually exceeded 4200 rpm. Top speed maybe 100 mph. Today any grocery-getter would leave it in the dust, but it's a cool piece of automotive history.
Me and a friend of mine used to do that with cars in the late 90's when we were kids, we'd catch a cab and walk through the cluster of dealership parking lots and just bet on which one was "faster", I even had a notebook with every car we peeked in the window of with the speedometer number written down. I remember to this day at 39 that the '97 Corvette had the highest number. We'd probably be shot or arrested for doing that as kids today sadly.
This is the baby Corvette. It quickly matured from this beautiful beginning into a competitive sports car. It's the longest- running car model on earth; the 70th anniversary is this year!
Almost the longest. The Chevy Suburban (+18) , Ford F Series (+6), VW Transporter (+3), and Toyota Land Cruiser (+2) are a bit longer.
@@StephenLoosli1
He said CAR model.
@@sharksport01 Well, there it is. 100% Corvette on car model. My apologies. 😁
Thanks a lot Mr. Leno! I don’t miss an episode, greetings from spain.
Hola amigos, soi espanoles para mi!! Mi carro es un Marbella, tu que carro tienes? Saludes de Puercodio España
I love Corvettes!!!! I have a restored 1967 L79 Coupe. It’s a 3-time NCRS top flight car. It’s my baby.
No surprise that we absolutely love this video! Thank you Mike and Jay!
I bought a book in the early 60's on Fiberglass Auto Body construction and it shows the actual tooling for the wet lay up method and showed the weak point on the body and methods to repair splits caused by minor impact.
Such a beautiful car! One of the best convertibles out there.
the ragtop stingrays were awesome
Ryan Thompson, early Corvettes were horrible quality cars as well as slow turds. They leaked badly in the rain. Engines leaked/burned oil and the carbs often leaked.
@@tommurphy4307 Stingray Corvettes had serious frame flaws. I changed several of them over many years. '68 Corvette roadster, the frame was different than all the other years.
Jay has excellent taste. He loves Corvettes, McLarens, and denim.
I wonder why he didn't want this one. Does he already have a C1? He said himself it's probably America's first sports car. Quite a piece of automotive history even though it seemed underwhelming to drive
@@amg863 hmm I would think he has one, but then I imagine he would review his own if that's the case?
Seat belts in1955 really
I was privileged enough to have worked on a few of these, one of three black 1954 over red that was perfect in every way ( over restored - NCRS gave it a 98/100...) and a blue 1955 or 56, I can't recall. We also found an all original white 54 that I got running and I used it to pick up lunch for a few weeks circa 2005. Such cool cars. So many great memories!
Fantastic video. I learned a lot on the fabled early corvette.
The restoration is incredible one talented man! Thanks!
These early vettes are so simple and beautiful. I’ll take one of these over a tbird any day. Wonderful that this car was done right. Jay has the best classic car videos of all.
Thanks you for your service, and Welcome home Michael McCloskey.
It was my honor.
This is a very impressive restoration and a real piece of Americona, well done.
Just love old school I have my Father to Thank for that. Together our love to wrench on precious metal ran deep in our blood and now it’s been handed over to me to fill just the right amount of love in the children I guide into bring back to life a piece of history.
Mike looks and sounds as proud of his car as he would be his first born son or daughter. Really touched my heart when he said to Jay that he should have it. Kinda like when a father gives away his only daughter on her wedding day. He must really trust and respect Jay, which is lovely to see. What a guy, and what a car. Absolutely gorgeous.
Personally, I think he said that so Jay would buy it from him! It is For Sale! He knows Jay can afford the (I am sure) multi-million price tag that it will sell for. JMHO ...
Perfect early timing for an episode on a great car. Awesome 😎
Thanks Mr. Mike McCluskey for your service to our great country & for restoring my favorite american car, the Corvette.
Jay, You need this car... no one would ever be a better person to have this...if you pass on this one I will forever look at you differently... it's the American automotive dream.. please for the love of God buy this one.....PLEASE..
Jay likes original unrestored.
The definition of strategic! You just have to love a car restore to it original state
Great episode. I've always loved these very first generation Corvettes. To my eye the front end looks very Italian.
Ah yes Styled by Carozzeria Ciechi.
One night when I was around 7 my dad came home with an ‘84 Corvette and I fell in love. It was black and it looked like the Batmobile to me. Been in love with all Corvettes ever since
This car is magnificent! I really love classic american cars, but they on a unicorn level rarity in my country. Wish there were more, but soviet past just not allowing this to happen.
thats because your fuel prices are a rip-off, and because GM didn't care about getting your country the cars the people wanted.
The 50s were a glorious time when you look at the cars and art and architecture, at least in America
This guy IS the master. Wow.. So much respect for you, sir. Your work is unquestionable. That is so rare these days.
I remember that car, when it came out. I went to Lustine Chevrolet to see it, in person. Next to Washinton,D.C., that made me about 11 years old. I almost bought one in a basket, in 1959, but decided not to do that much work. I still think it was most desired car. At 78, I would have preferred it over my DeLorean, to this day.
That's a great story. I lived on Kennedy St. right behind Lustine Chevrolet in Hyattsville, Md. There was also a Buick, Olds and Bob Banning Dodge dealers on Rt.1. I'm 64. Me and my pals would jump on our bikes and go to the dealers to check out the cars. The real treat was visiting Malcolm Durhams shop.
Glad the old format is back, ❤this show Jay!!🎉
what a beautiful car, the Corvette sure has come a long way. also makes me wonder what the Ford Thunderbird could have became if Ford kept it as a 2 seater sports car to compete with the Corvette....
They need to bring it back
@@manuelhernandez2017 - It's too late now. They tried it in 2002 and it was a poor seller. The only plus the T-Bird had over the Corvette was it sold 3 to 1 over the Vette, which made Ford a much, much larger profit that the Corvette ever did!
Great guy, awesome chat. The bit about power Steering by armstrong was nice, he said it twice. Great content Jay
Wow! This is the first first version of the corvette. Everyone remembers the later sharper looking V8 version. At least I do.
I remember how disappointed I was when I was "up close and personal" to one - only a six; 2-speed automatic - what a disappointment! The Thunderbird at least had a V-8!
@@seadog686 that's why thunderbird out sold corvette the first 2 years
@@seadog686 The Thunderbird didn't come out until 1955, and by 1955 the Corvette had a V-8 as well.
@@seadog686 A T-Bird in 1954 huh? Must've been the only one...
2 great old guys and a great old car.
lol I like when Jay says, "we got a real hero here" and Mike just shakes his head saying "nope"
He was heroic...but his efforts were for a very misguided cause...lotsa vets do not like to think back to that era.
These older Corvettes aren't my thing personally but I can 100% admire a beautifully done restoration and the man behind it is fantastic! The attention to detail and wealth of knowledge is impressive! Definitely a piece of automotive history.
I spent a day with an identical '54 almost two decades ago. I was just a high school kid. Drove it in a parade. They kind of drive like crap, but it's still impossible not to smile when you're in it.
The early c1s are rolling art Americana, and there's nothing wrong with that.
They are lighter than a modern Porsche 911 with a V8 engine. The are amazing to drive as a sports cars.
They are not like modern cars that are sterile and give you no feel of the driving experience.
@@bighands69 The Corvette did not get a V8 until '55. These cars have a straight 6 and a two speed powerglide. It's not a driver's car by any stretch, that's why I said it's rolling art. Nothing wrong with that, but that's what this car is.
I've owned and driven plenty of classic sports cars. Some are a blast to throw into a corner, some are best for cruising around town. The C1, especially the early ones, are firmly in the latter category.
@@robpetersen87
The inline 6 C1 Corvettes were lighter than the V8 versions and were far lighter weight than any modern sports.
Did you drive a genuine 54 C1 because they are so rare with only a limited 300 production that were not widely sold.
The 265 cubic inch engine are also very rare.
@@bighands69 You're confusing 1953 with 1954. There were thousands of 1954 Corvettes built. There were 300ish 1953 Corvettes. Yes, it was real, I've never heard of a fake 1954 Corvette.
If you think they're a great handling car, great. I simply do not agree. To me, the C1, especially the early C1, is a town cruiser.
In the 1970s a Chevy Dealer in my home town of Morton, Illinois (Bob Grimm Chevrolet) owned one that he restored. On some occasions he would use it as a shuttle car for customers who were having service done on their vehicles.
It's gotta be a great car to get Jay's attention! Great video!
This has always been my favorite Corvette for looks. I wish someone would build a replica with some serious Resto-mod updates.
I had a giant (1:18?) die cast toy model ’54 Vette that I loved. It had a spare tire and tool kit.
I have been trying to remember a car that was made not too long ago that looked like a modern version. I think it was a Chrysler?
@@christophermichael.w.7577 closest thing I can think of was the modern take on the classic Thunderbird. It was ok, just didn't quite do it.
Outstanding restoration on a beautiful car
Beautiful car. Always like the chrome around the windshield and then across the doors then down between the seats. A true piece of Americana.
I remember viewing #003, the 1953 Corvette that Ed Thiebaud owned. He had a stash of early Corvettes at his Paso Robles ranch during the late 70's. Corvettes #001 and #002 were destroyed by Chevrolet so #003 was the first Corvette sold to the public. He must of had 20 fifties and sixties corvettes at his ranch.
Oh wow, I live in this area. I had no idea. Is he still around Paso with his collection?
Who is up for more of Jay selling cars? I think its an awesome idea and hope this Corvette goes to a home of a driver.
I get a vibe from this video...I think Jay is a bit jealous of this man's effort and dedication...the owner kinda blew it with Jay, when he casually suggested that Jay should buy it!--and he really should...but I somehow think that Jay just had to let the guy know, that he doesn't really need such a fantastic car, as he owns many other fantastic cars!
Modern cars can’t even compete with how beautiful this car is
Beautiful car.. but I'd rather pick this old fighter pilots brain about his time flying the Phantom. Thank you for your service, sir.
As mentioned above--I knew a few of these pilots of the A4...that jet was very fast, but not quite as maneuverable as their nemisis, the MIGS...pilots told me stories of seeing those dreaded SAM s flying up towards them, and having to make creative maneuvers to avoid them...it was a type of SAM that took down the famous U2 spy plane, that Eisenhower had denied we were using!
Me too.....while driving this car.
I was just watching lots of videos about GM cars, this is great
For those who don’t know 1953, was the first year with 300 corvettes built that year. In 1954 they went into full production.
He talked about that in the video so anyone that watch the video would know that
@@allengregory4067 Well, it is that you mentioned it... I found it all a tad misleading overall. Beauitful car... but production is production... 1953 it was indeed, not soo called 'full' production 1954... Anyway, it can be forgiven but I will never do forgive an untrue sales pitch as a starter...
@@lindaoffenbach " production is production ". A lot of experts and automobile organizations around the world will disagree with you. Many don't consider vehicles that are built by hand in very low numbers are considered a " Production Vehicle "
In one of my brief stays in county jail as
A younger man I had a cell mate , he told me a story. We was sent to Grand Juntion CO.
to pick up a car for a classic car dealership. After stopping to get breakfast, he checked the local weekly newspaper. A old woman posted a Chevrolet for sale 1953 , phone #,
In her barn was one of these 700
Convertibles. Been in storage for 38 years.
Her husband was killed in Vietnam so it sat $ 500 dollars. Perfect condition , except for dust and all new
Rubber needs. What a score ,she had no
Clue what he owned.
53 was the prototype year for the car wasn't the first year for production they did mention that in the video
Lots of St. Louis paths crossed here. The first year ‘53 Corvettes were hand built in low quantity in a Chevrolet “experimental” plant in Detroit. Once GM decided to continue the Corvette at a higher production rate, they moved assembly of the ‘54’s to their St. Louis plant. The engine had 3 Carter carburetors and the Carter plant was close to the Chevy plant. Lastly, the gent who owns this Vette flew F-4 Phantoms for the Navy. F-4’s were built by McDonnell Aircraft, also in St. Louis. (They later became McDonnell Douglas and much later were taken over by Boeing).
It's fun to hear an owner's sales pitch, but I definitely think Jay should buy it for his Corvette collection!
Either way, you can see they're both really enjoying a swell ride on a beautiful ride.
Navy Jet Pilot with a beautiful classic Corvette. Respect.
Another corvette gem....
The owner is sweating bullets at each maneuver.
Jay, thanks for doing this channel! I hope you're enjoying being an old man & you and your wife are doing good.
The cars they made back then were just so beautiful to look at, you would never get tired of looking at this car. Cars these days
don't even come close. The rounded wings, rear space age brake lights, chrome grills, bumpers etc, any angle looks well. No Electronics
or sensors or computers so much simpler to fix. So much less to go wrong.
I'm Irish and you would never see an American car here, the road tax, because of engine size, insurance, even if we had would be too expensive and the cost of petrol ahh well.
However they are now selling Ford Mustangs and Ford Ranger Raptors here... But Jay c'mon buy that car!
This by far is my favorite episode. My dream car.
Thanks Jay! I have always loved the first Corvettes.
Wow! Brings back memories! My dad had a ‘54 with the bullet air covers on the three side draft carbs and the original exhausts that dirtied up the rear end. I was fortunate enough to drive it a few times when I was seventeen. He told me he had it up to 120 mph once and backed off afraid that a tire might blow. When he first got it, we had to show it off to the neighbors, so all six of us - Dad, Mom, me and my three younger brothers - all piled in at once and drove to our neighbor’s house about 1/4 mile away. He got $200 for it when traded it in ‘64 for a Porsche 356.
What did he do with the Porsche?
@@ianfindlay865 he traded it for a Mini Cooper 1275S.
21:33 Oh no! Jay's turning into the old guy who drives around with his turn-signal blinking! 😅🤣😂
It's to let the camera car know where to place. It bugged me when I watched the Deco pods video. But soon realised reading other comments.
He's been doing that for years! "I still drive ya know!"
His door wasnt shut too
Harrold felt confident that nobody would ever suspect his spy pigeon.
When anyone disparages these old Vette's for their lack of performance, you have to keep in mind that how they looked was, in fact, most of their performance. Sort of like Marilyn Monroe - she wasn't an athlete, but nobody criticized her for that, did they?
I seriously doubt ANYONE EVER complained about Marylin Monroe's performance.
If how they looked was most of their performance, would the car have needed saving in '56 through the addition of more performance? Even though you've got to judge them by the standards of the era, surely a two speed transmission is still a bit of a disappointment. Maybe it's analogous to finding Marilyn was actually brainless. ;)
@@MathsYknow I was just trying a little humor,Hope I didn't offend anyone.As for the car,you are spot on.
@@MathsYknow - except that she wasn't, so your analogy doesn't hold. According to the people who really knew her (and despite her public persona) Marilyn was a lot smarter than the bimbo she was made out to be. You should read more about her life. There are some great biographies available now.
Anyway, I'm most impressed by the '54 Vette's esthetics than anything else about the car. On that count it performs wonderfully, and there seems to be a pretty strong consensus about it now, hence the big $$$ nicely restored examples like this one command. Cheers!
The thing is that the Corvette was supposed to be a SPORTS car. In that day, it meant you could race it and win. The 6-cylinder engine wasn't as bad as the 2-speed automatic transmission. With a 4-speed transmission, it would have gotten much less criticism.
The first local competition to the Corvette was the 1955 Thunderbird, but it was not marketed as a Sports car so much as a sports cruiser. Of course, it did get raced anyhow, and was very competitive against the Corvette, which by that time also had a V8 engine and a manual transmission. It was actually the '55 Thunderbird that saved the Corvette. It made Chevy make the 'Vette sportier just to save it's pride, rather than lose to Ford.
timeless piece of art
What a guy and this restoration is amazing, nice to hear it was in the movie "its a Mad Mad World"
I love to see this living history on the road.
Truly a work of art.
I love the attention for detail. Beautiful car. It seems like the colors change when cameras switch
If this man can fly the F4 phantom on the deck of a rolling ship at sea his credentials are legit
Yes..think John McCain.
@@curbozerboomer1773 he got captured. We like people who weren’t captured
These free videos from Jay Leno's Garage are way better than the Jay Leno's Garage TV series which you have to pay for to view on UA-cam or some streaming service.
This is a great classic Corvette, done to a turn.
I was at the Imperial casino in Vegas back in the early 1990s and the whole top floor was an auto museum. It was pretty cool. They had all kinds of stuff up there. One of the cars was a 1953 Corvette that John Wayne owned. They said Wayne found that he was too tall for the car so he gave it to Ward Bond.
Thank you Mike and Jay
In 1976 I was delivering furniture to a house and the garage door in the house next door was open ,I was 18 years old and i saw a corvette same year same color . The owner told me he found it under a tarp in an airplane hanger it was totaled and had only 22 miles on it it had been a birthday present to a 16 year old girl and was killed in the accident . he payed 1,000.oo dollars for it but his conscience knew that wasn't right so he went back and gave the family another 4,000.00 dollars to them .he fully restored it and won many awards at car shows .This was my introduction to corvettes .I still think it is a beautiful car .
I mean, having the 1957 and the 1963, and not having this one? I can't even comprehend this.
Mike kept that cap on!! Great ride.
Thank you for your service
Awesome car, didn't realize how many things it shares with the Viper. No door handles, side window inserts, convertible, hood opens backwards....pretty cool!
What a stunning example of a terrific automobile and the 'proper' level of restoration for maximum authenticity. Excellent work!
On a different note, when those two gentlemen were about to get into the car, my first thought was "Better break out the Crisco, this is gonna be TIGHT!" lolol. There is no way in hell I would ever fit in that cockpit, let alone have the room needed between my chest and the steering wheel - god, you're so close! How can you safely steer if you need to make a quick maneuver? Oh well, I'd still love to see this beauty in my driveway any day of the week.
Here is my 1954 Corvette true story. In 1966, I was 16 years old. I worked at a Enco gas station in Ontario,Calif. at the corner of 4th & Vineyard. A customer had brought his 1954 Corvette in for a tune up. While on the swing shift, I jumped in it and drove about a mile and a half down to the Circle K store for a pack of cigarettes. While at the counter, a customer asked me if that was my Corvette out in the parking lot. I responded with "yes", he then tells me, "you better go catch it, it just rolled across 4th street in to the Standard service station lot". I ran out of the store, across busy 4th street and jumped in and drove it back. Lucky for me it was untouched, my heart was pounding and I was scared to death. Talk about dumb luck, and yes they sold cigarettes to 16 year old kids back then. It was a blue painted car, with the blue flame decal on the valve cover. Sometimes its better to be lucky than smart.
How much were the cigarettes, and what brand?
@@sharksport01 Marlboro's and I think they were around 30 to 35 cents a pack.
@@beaubrummelmotorizedbicycles
Nice. Thanks for your story, sounds like something i'd do.
@@sharksport01 On long trips in the 1950's, my parents would send me into a cafe to fill their coffee cups and buy Herbert Tareyton from a machine.
@@stephendavidbailey2743
I'd rather fight than switch.
I was working for my friend in his car / truck wrecking yard in 1969. We got a call to come and buy some old cars parked in a backyard. We went to the house where they were sitting. There were several cars they wanted to get rid of. I don't remember the other cars, but one was a 1954 Corvette. It was minus the engine and trans. It had been in a wreck and had a engine compartment fire, but from the firewall back it was ok. We bought the other cars , but passed on the Corvette because the car had a fiberglass body and very little metal. My friend was buying cars for there weight to scrap them. My friend still runs his now antique car / truck wrecking yard going on 69 years. He started it in 1953 at 11 years old.
24:25 "That was the Civil War?" LMAO Jay
As a convertible and not the best canvas top with side curtains, the performance from the six and auto transmission was appropriate. These were ideal for cruising around town and scenic leisurely drives. I'd be quite happy cruising around in a 53-54 Vette with a Blue Flame six. Great episode. 👍
I was put off, by the crappy sounding mufflers!..my 1959 Austin Healey sounded ten times more macho!
“That was the Civil War?” Jay is a genius
1969 my first car was a Manx VW. I installed a Corvette gas tank cover in the middle of the Manx hood. My Manx Corvette tank lid cover would pull wheelies. I near crashed twice and learned to drive carefully to avoid accident. A roll bar installed allowed a surfboard tie down for beach trips. Ride ride ride the wild surf led me to Hawaii and living on lovely beaches and cute girls.
55' was when they started looking good. First year for V8 in them too. ✊😁
53,54 and 55 all looked the same. 56 was the year they changed the body style. There was no 1983 Corvette.
And THEY HAD A 3 SPEED OPTION IN 1955! Restorer did not know that. He must not have restored a 55. late in production a 3 speed manual floor shift was available.
That 'Vette is so beautiful. Clean, uncluttered simple lines. I don't think it's never been prettier. BTW, anyone notice that when they're pictured from in front, at 21:07 for example, the right side seems to be significantly lower, that is, closer to the pavement, than the driver side? Very odd. Can't tell if it's the road grading or a broken or weak spring. It does seem to level out somewhat in other locations. Always been amused at how the white and yellow lane lines on the road are, to Jay, mere suggestions.
My Dad bought this car in ‘54. We would all, three young boys, on my Mom’s lap, pile in it and take a cruise around town. The neighbors were definitely envious.
Perfect automotive example of form over function .
I like how McCloskey is in his 80s but still be HotRodding.✊😁
best looking car of that time.
I was 9 at that time and dreamed of getting one when I was older.
The exhaust note doesn't sound like a SBC, but that "Blue Flame Six", has a sound all it's own!!
Indeed it does. My Mom had been promised a 1954. That was in 1954. Did not get that. 😭
She bought a Camaro though.
It had that Corvette engine much later in life. She wanted
that 1954 though. 💁🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️🤔👌💭✌️
My Dad has a 53 Corvette..Restored...it took him 18.5yrs to restore it..
When these old pros are dead and gone I hope there will be those with the love and knowledge they have.
Anybody else not getting notifications anymore for Jay's channel?